Try to find a fuel station open on sunday in France or any shop or supermarket We always carry a few army rations for when France is closed!
motorbike wrote:to travel in france ...apart from reflective jackets/ bulbs.oh and if you get stopped not wearing your reflective jacket ,stay on your bike so as to only get an 11 e fine as apposed to a 130 e fine if you are off your bike......you now have to put 4 reflective stickers on your helmet...not only that they must damage the helmet if removal is attempted....tell you what france..keep the odd cafe /bar food shop garage hotel ect open for longer than a hour a day and i will happily comply Rant Rant!!
Its horrible here, don't come to France you'll hate it.....apart from nice weather,great quiet trails,bugger all on the roads,cheap wine,beer,fuel, no really there's nothing here for you, Steve.
Scott_rider wrote:I like France and I like Spain. In my view, Spain is easier if you're on a bike because there are more petrol stations. Spain is also easier if you don't speak the lingo. Fortunately, I can speak a bit of French but my riding buddies always find it difficult when we are there.
One thing we noticed this year in Spain was the sheer amount of small towns and villages that seemed to have no-one around in the day...quite spooky.
The French are generally grumpy. The Spanish are generally happy. The French don't like to 'chat' to foreigners but the Spanish seem to be more welcoming. We noticed that the French 'mood' improved as we got further south, for some reason, so I guess it's a bit of a generalisation but we all noticed it :unsure: .
only when those foreigners just talk loudly and wave their arms and expect to be understood without speaking a word of the language. A bit of effort with the language goes an awful long way
all bollocks if you see a french motorbike do that it would be the only one. riders just get on with it and dont worry about the rules. hi vis is a piss take as for sticker only on french helmets. just relax and enjoy the countryside.
Riding in France? (thumbs)
8 years living in the French Pyrenees, with some of the greatest empty roads and trails on the doorstep. (thumbs)
Other real positives are, shops all close on a Sunday (thumbs) , most close for 2-3 hours midday (thumbs) .
Most other vehicle drivers respect bikes and pull over, at least it shows they are aware that you are there. Petrol, sure it's best if you have a card, but plenty of places to refuel. Who uses cash these days!!
Speeding, the French do monitor this, but you still have a warning for the static cameras, but not the mobile, and these are mainly on 50kph in villages. Excessive speeding should be policed in all countries.
Most police I have spoken to are very courteous, and as long as you comply to show your current documents, all seems ok.
Helmet has 4 small reflective stickers, hi-viz vest under the seat, I can put up with that!! :whistle:
France is approx 3 times the area of the U.K., with the same population, no wonder it looks empty!!
Cannot think of any other real negatives. :whistle: Great place to live and ride the dream.
Will
only when those foreigners just talk loudly and wave their arms and expect to be understood without speaking a word of the language. A bit of effort with the language goes an awful long way[/quote]
In my experience Spanish try to understand and the French don't, quelle surprise.
I spent 10 days in France last month.I just got on with having a good time on my bike.I did have a hi-viz in the bottom of my pannier but never wore it.I didn't bother to take spare bulbs since my rear light has two bulbs and so does my headlight.I thought one of my headlight bulbs had blown on the first day but it decided to start working again after a week.I never saw any speed traps or traffic cops the whole time I was away but I avoid main roads as much as I can.I'm not much of a shopper so I never noticed if they were closed and I even came across a manned petrol station on a Sunday morning in the arse end of nowhere! Finding somewhere decent to eat on a Sunday evening was the only problem I came across.
The French on holiday, driving on unfamiliar roads, can be a bit of a danger. I had one pull out in front of me yesterday and I was driving my bloody great van.
Speaking the lingo; well it's simple really, in the big cities most people you come across in shops, hotels, bars and restaurants will speak some English and are usually keen to use it. This doesn't mean that you should assume that they know you are a Brit so always start off with a simple 'Bonjour' and this will usually tell them everything they need to know. However, in the countryside very few people will speak English and those that do will be much less confident with it but if you are polite and make an effort to make yourself understood without resorting to the 'shout louder' technique, then most people will respond in a helpful and friendly manner.
One thing that will make you very unpopular is handing over a 50 euro note for a 1 euro 50 cup of coffee. This is a problem as most ATMs distribute 50s but many now offer a choice. Pay by card whenever you can.
ChasF wrote:..This doesn't mean that you should assume that they know you are a Brit so always start off with a simple 'Bonjour' and this will usually tell them everything they need to know. ...
Scott_rider wrote:I like France and I like Spain. In my view, Spain is easier if you're on a bike because there are more petrol stations. Spain is also easier if you don't speak the lingo. Fortunately, I can speak a bit of French but my riding buddies always find it difficult when we are there.
One thing we noticed this year in Spain was the sheer amount of small towns and villages that seemed to have no-one around in the day...quite spooky.
The French are generally grumpy. The Spanish are generally happy. The French don't like to 'chat' to foreigners but the Spanish seem to be more welcoming. We noticed that the French 'mood' improved as we got further south, for some reason, so I guess it's a bit of a generalisation but we all noticed it :unsure: .
only when those foreigners just talk loudly and wave their arms and expect to be understood without speaking a word of the language. A bit of effort with the language goes an awful long way
no doubt . Il be hanged oot too dry, it's a shame folk from the uk have the arrogance too think every one should speak English . Utter merde . :whistle:
We always carry a few army rations for when France is closed!
