The Lemon Fool

I'm just putting This up as collect travel information for drivers to France.
So far it looks like all documentation stands for 11 months from January.

Things to consider
Green card for car insurance may come back into force
GB sticker
Breakdown
Extra security or delays at ferry ports

I looked at the gov.uk site yesterday, and it was useless, full of 'may' waffle.

Most importantly, you’ll need an IDP (International Driving Permit). For France, the 1968 version. Valid for 3 years.

The joy of Brexit.

I doubt anyone has one those.
Doesn't the standard driving licence remain valid for now at least?

France 1968 You do not need an IDP unless the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
https://www.gov.uk/driving-abroad/inter ... ing-permit

It seems every country has different rules. See https://www.gov.uk/guidance/driving-in- ... ng-permits and do the test afterwards.

And of course these 2 government pages give different advice with 1 week to go.

You voted for this.

Looks pretty convincing.
You need the idp from a post office and a green card. But I have seen there is a transition period so it should be ok but why risk it?
You must also take your v5 for your car.

stooz wrote:Looks pretty convincing.
You need the idp from a post office and a green card. But I have seen there is a transition period so it should be ok but why risk it?
You must also take your v5 for your car.

Brexit doesn’t happen in any practical sense until the end of the transition period, ie the end of this year.

Nothing changes until then, other than our right to vote or influence EU rules. Travelling to the EU (or more accurately the EEA) will be the same.

Beyond the transition periond, all bets are off. Unless Boris can negotiate something better, we will end up needing an IDP, insurance paperwork and the rest.

The cherry on top is that there are two types of IDP. For Spain you would need the other type, which needs to be renewed every year.

And if you are driving in Paris, don't forget the Crit'Air sticker

https://www.certificat-air.gouv.fr/en/

mike wrote:And if you are driving in Paris, don't forget the Crit'Air sticker

https://www.certificat-air.gouv.fr/en/

That’s nothing to do with Brexit though. Nor is the requirement to have your V5. In theory that’s been required for years.

Spet0789 wrote:That’s nothing to do with Brexit though. Nor is the requirement to have your V5. In theory that’s been required for years.

In practice, too. I got stopped by the flics for a roadside random check about 15 years ago, and they wanted V5, MOT certificate, everything. In theory,I was supposed to have a translation of my insurance document , but the gendarme looked at it in a baffled sort of way and waved it through - all he wanted to see was a date.

He did, however, want to see my spare bulbs, my fire extinguisher and my warning triangle. (Not all of which were strictly mandatory.) Good job he didn't notice that the bulbs were from my last car, not the current one. He took an intense interest in my old paper licence, which he also didn't understand, and he laughed when it fell in half and I said merde.

We are also hoping to get to la belle France again this year, but I have this sneaking suspicion that every customs post, every speed trap and every roadside patrol will be taking peculiar pains to triple-check everything. Maybe I'll even buy a breathalyser kit (which are technically mandatory but not practically required because there's a national shortage of them.)

Besides Paris, Crit' Air stickers are needed for Grenoble and Strasbourg, and at times for dozens of other areas (known as ZPA zones) where temporary restrictions may be imposed at short notice. It's a good job they're easy to get hold of, but good French was a necessity the last time I looked.

BJ

All my insurance and even the mot I think are online. I shall have to remember downloading those.
I'm off to France and Spain in July.
Spain being a hire car.

The biggest problem I encounter, which can not be planned for, is the French Unions. I doubt this will change.

Re lights, I wonder how having spare bulbs work for new expensive LED lights, not to mention those in sealed units on newer models.

baldchap wrote:Re lights, I wonder how having spare bulbs work for new expensive LED lights, not to mention those in sealed units on newer models.

My understanding is that it is not an offence not to have spare bulbs. The offence is having a light that is not working, and the French are rather more strict on that than we are. And if you haven't a spare bulb to replace the one not working, then to quote the late Miles Kington, vous êtes dans la merde, monsieur

JohnB wrote:I looked at the gov.uk site yesterday, and it was useless, full of 'may' waffle.

Perhaps because nobody in the government has a clue about what will happen 1st January 2021.

Spet0789 wrote:Brexit doesn’t happen in any practical sense until the end of the transition period, ie the end of this year.

Nothing changes until then, other than our right to vote or influence EU rules.

Actually as the UK will no longer be in the EU from the 1st February then it means that 'rules of origin' will have an impact, as UK goods will no longer be considered to be EU goods. So for example UK manufactured parts incorporated into a product finished in an EU country could result in that product not being considered to of 'EU origin' when exported outside the EU, with the consequent impact on tariffs, preferences, etc. But that is not a topic for here, but I thought worth mentioning that it isn't all "nothing changes" until 1st January 2021.

bungeejumper wrote:Maybe I'll even buy a breathalyser kit (which are technically mandatory but not practically required because there's a national shortage of them.)

That law's about to be scrapped apparently https://uk.news.yahoo.com/france-scrap- ... 43451.html

Scott.

AF62 wrote:

JohnB wrote:I looked at the gov.uk site yesterday, and it was useless, full of 'may' waffle.

Perhaps because nobody in the government has a clue about what will happen 1st January 2021.

Spet0789 wrote:Brexit doesn’t happen in any practical sense until the end of the transition period, ie the end of this year.

Nothing changes until then, other than our right to vote or influence EU rules.

Actually as the UK will no longer be in the EU from the 1st February then it means that 'rules of origin' will have an impact, as UK goods will no longer be considered to be EU goods. So for example UK manufactured parts incorporated into a product finished in an EU country could result in that product not being considered to of 'EU origin' when exported outside the EU, with the consequent impact on tariffs, preferences, etc. But that is not a topic for here, but I thought worth mentioning that it isn't all "nothing changes" until 1st January 2021.

Do you have a source for that? IIRC, the EU was asked to request that other countries (South Korea for example) ‘play along’ with the transition period and treat Britain as being in the EU.

I remember this as the FT quoted an EU diplomat as saying about the transition period: “It seems the Brits don’t want Brexit to mean Brexit.” Rather dry I thought.

Spet0789 wrote:

AF62 wrote:

JohnB wrote:I looked at the gov.uk site yesterday, and it was useless, full of 'may' waffle.

Perhaps because nobody in the government has a clue about what will happen 1st January 2021.

Spet0789 wrote:Brexit doesn’t happen in any practical sense until the end of the transition period, ie the end of this year.

Nothing changes until then, other than our right to vote or influence EU rules.

Actually as the UK will no longer be in the EU from the 1st February then it means that 'rules of origin' will have an impact, as UK goods will no longer be considered to be EU goods. So for example UK manufactured parts incorporated into a product finished in an EU country could result in that product not being considered to of 'EU origin' when exported outside the EU, with the consequent impact on tariffs, preferences, etc. But that is not a topic for here, but I thought worth mentioning that it isn't all "nothing changes" until 1st January 2021.

Do you have a source for that? IIRC, the EU was asked to request that other countries (South Korea for example) ‘play along’ with the transition period and treat Britain as being in the EU.

I remember this as the FT quoted an EU diplomat as saying about the transition period: “It seems the Brits don’t want Brexit to mean Brexit.” Rather dry I thought.

I would say you have provided your own source! By the EU being asked to request that other countries ‘play along’ with treating the UK as being in the EU, that means they don't have to 'play along' if they don't want to.

And in the example you quote, perhaps South Korea may not wish to 'play along' if they are getting hit by the temporary tariffs the UK will be introducing after Brexit for imports.

AF62 wrote:

Spet0789 wrote:

AF62 wrote:
Perhaps because nobody in the government has a clue about what will happen 1st January 2021.



Actually as the UK will no longer be in the EU from the 1st February then it means that 'rules of origin' will have an impact, as UK goods will no longer be considered to be EU goods. So for example UK manufactured parts incorporated into a product finished in an EU country could result in that product not being considered to of 'EU origin' when exported outside the EU, with the consequent impact on tariffs, preferences, etc. But that is not a topic for here, but I thought worth mentioning that it isn't all "nothing changes" until 1st January 2021.

Do you have a source for that? IIRC, the EU was asked to request that other countries (South Korea for example) ‘play along’ with the transition period and treat Britain as being in the EU.

I remember this as the FT quoted an EU diplomat as saying about the transition period: “It seems the Brits don’t want Brexit to mean Brexit.” Rather dry I thought.

I would say you have provided your own source! By the EU being asked to request that other countries ‘play along’ with treating the UK as being in the EU, that means they don't have to 'play along' if they don't want to.

And in the example you quote, perhaps South Korea may not wish to 'play along' if they are getting hit by the temporary tariffs the UK will be introducing after Brexit for imports.

True, but I think that most countries agreed.