Reply To: Touring in Europe

Hello Nigel,

Most of your queries have been answered, I think, but I will throw in my sixpenny worth.

As regards your age, I am now 75 and have no plans to give up. I have driven down to our house in the Pyrénées 3 times now, or maybe 4, touring the east of France on the way back on one occasion and Brittany on the way down, via Jersey in 2022. I would just advise that you don’t go crazy trying to cover enormous daily distances. I love driving the traction but the brakes and steering do take their toll. I try not to do more than about 400km per day.

I have always managed to get 5% (E5) petrol but it is not available in all petrol stations. Smaller ones will not have enough storage tanks to hold all grade of fuel and E5 will be the first to go. Larger supermarkets will usually have the full range, as will most motorway services. However, beware of motorway pricing which can be extremely variable and expensive. I have not tried E10 in my L15, not because a drop in power worries me too much but I do worry about what the Ethanol might be doing to the alloys in the fuel pump and carb. I did once accidently put E10 in my 1993 Chrysler Voyager and it was almost undriveable.

When we are travelling, we frequently use B&B hotels and have found them generally good. They do just that, B&B, but they always have 3rd party eateries in the vicinity. You can usually book on-line at short notice and have automated check-in so you can arrive at any time. There is a range of other chains, Kyriad, Formule 1, Ibis to name a few. These are mostly outside the city centre, easily accessible (but not always well signposted), often just off the motorway/main road.

With regard to LEZ or ZFE (Zones à Faibles Emissions) full details are available here:

https://urbanaccessregulations.eu/countries-mainmenu-147/france

You may have to accept a warning from your software as their security certificate appears to have expired.

On this site, if you choose your city and scroll a long way down, you will come to “Exemptions” which includes “Historic Vehicles”.

Historic Vehicles are exempt from restrictions. That is not to say that the local plod will know this. French Véhicules de Collection have to have a Controle Technique when they are registered and, subsequently every 5 years. I keep my car MOT’d so that if I am asked (I never have been), I can prove that it has recently been certified OK.

Assuming that your V5C states historic and you have an MOT, there should not be a problem.

On speed limits which you did not mention, A few years ago France introduced a nationwide limit of 80 kph on non-dual carriageway roads. Some départements have raised it back to 90 kph BUT note: unless there is a specific notice to say that the limit is 90, the 80 limit applies.

Good luck, enjoy the roads, the wine and the atmosphere of la belle France.

Roger_G