Driving to France - scary

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As a bit of background, my parents have lived in France for many years. Two years ago this week, my Dad died intestate, leaving my Mum, in her 70s, pretty much stranded. She doesn't really drive any more, hasn't handled any of the household bills etc for years, and because of French intestacy laws and bureaucracy, along with the fact that my Dad's estate is tied up in a sodding boat, she's been stuck there ever since. On her own.

A few weeks ago we realised she actually has enough money to move back here without us waiting to sell the boat, as she hardly spends anything.

So, long story short, me and my sis, who is dyslexic with some executive dysfunction etc, are driving to France on Thursday to fetch our mum, who appears to have the early stages of dementia (or it could just be depression & loneliness) and her cat. I'll be the only driver. I've never driven to France. At this point I am very very grateful for my Citalopram

Obviously we've planned it down to as much detail as we can, booking flexi tickets on the Eurotunnel, sorting the car insurance etc etc but for someone who already suffers from anxiety it's a pretty big ask.

Am generally trying to keep calm..... but there's still a small part of me going AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHHHHHHH!! ! What if...???

Thanks for listening

Driving in France is quite easy. Stick on a dual carriageway until you are used to being on the 'wrong side'.
Do a conversion chart for main speed limits and put it where you can see it: '50' = 30mph, '70' = 40mph, '90' = about 66mph. A white name sign at the entrance of a town or village will have a thin red line around it - this signifies a 30mph speed limit.
Anything else I can help with? - Just ask!

As someone having family in france, as well as in other parts of europe: I think apart the language stuff, driving around in europe is very similar to driving around in the USA. So there might be some local differences but in general its pretty comparable and sitting in a park in Budapest or Bukarest, is pretty similar to sitting in a Park in Paris. Food is actually quiet good, so they care much about it and even middle class restaurants offer actually good lunch menus.

The only thing about france: You will need a sort of translations booklet or smartphone app or whatever with you. Because as you might know, french is the No. 1 world language and France is the origin country of the french language, so goddamn you worm, YOU ARE EXPECTED TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK THAT MULTINATIONAL, INTERNATIONAL, MUST-HAVE LANGUAGE, if you visit them! ^^

It´s not totally earnest, but specially around older people (=40+) it can happen more often to you, that you wont find someone being able to speak or understand english, as it is common in most other european countries. This includes tourist places as well. ^^ "The year is 2013 AC. Europe is entirely occupied by the international, economical and tourist language of english. Well, not entirely... One small country of indomitable Gauls still holds out against the invading language. And life is not easy for the tourists who visit the country..."

Even as half french, knowing at least a bit of the language and the most common words, I´d never visit it without a good translation booklet or an good smartphone translation app. You will need it. ^^

Hiya

Cheers for the replies - I speak fluent French so that's not too much of a problem, and I drive a Renault Megane which I can set to KPH instead of MPH. As I grew up on the continent I shouldn't really be worried but you know how it is - I haven't done it before so even though I know what to expect, know the roadsigns and the rules of the road, it's the little things like filling up with petrol and getting a coffee at a service station that I'm worried about - isn't that daft?

I've lived in France for the last 8 years. One rule of the road I'd like to remind you about in case you don't know it or have forgotten is the give way to the right rule. It catches a lot of Brits out. It also catches a lot of French people out too! There have been moves to remove this old rule from driving law for many years now, but French bureaucracy grinds forever slowly. The give way to the right rule is the cause of many accidents. In a nutshell if a road joins onto your road from your right (i.e. you are driving along the straight part of a T junction) and there are no markings at the end of the joining road indicating they should either give way or stop - then vehicles have the right of way to drive straight out in front of you, even if they are on a minor road and you are on a major road. In other words you have to stop to let them out of side roads to your right if there are no road markings indicating they should stop / give way.

I prefer driving in France to driving in England. The drivers here are generally less impatient, though this tendency is less noticeable in big cities. One annoying habit French drivers do have is tailgating, even if the road is clear ahead for them to comfortably overtake, they still like to sit on your rear bumper.

The French. As a nation, I love them. As individuals, they're all c***s. IME.

You can't make generalisations like that. French individuals are the same as individuals of all nationalities I've met... some good, some bad. Most of the French people I know are good, friendly people.

Paying for fuel: beware, many/most of the 24hr automatic pumps won't accept UK cards. You should be able to use UK cards at a payment kiosk at, e.g. a supermarket, but pumps are on automatic except when the supermarket is open for business. That means NOT in the evening, NOT on Sunday, and DEFINITELY NOT between 12 and 2 - the famous 2 hour French lunch-break!

Ooh, good tip. Thanks. Even at motorway.services?

Having a Megane would readily make me the happiest American aspie alive. At least you don't have to contest with anything like the cars we're stuck with over here. Everyone and their uncle drives a living room with the shifter from a taxi on this side of the pond. It's what killed Saab, and I LOVE my Saab...

I love Saabs They're going to start making them again!

I don't use them, so can't answer that for sure. I've used a UK card routinely at a cash desk in such places, but not at a pump. If you are travelling by motorway, I can't tell you whether the toll machines (peages) wil accept UK cards either. Sorry, more questions than answers - but there may be someone else who knows?

Well, we'll probably get some Euros out before we go and avoid toll roads where possible. To be honest if I fill up just before Folkestone that should get us to my Mum's, and then I can fill up again at her local supermarket.

It's the not knowing that gets me. My other half is great at shrugging and being able to just take things as they come, whereas I can get bogged down in trying to plan for every eventuality.

I dont know if they actually still have that outdated system, but better inform yourself about the actual "highway-payment" rules. When I was younger, there were stations along the highway, and you had to pay in cash, for the permitance of driving on the next part of the road. But thats already more then a decade ago, (I normally to there by train.), so maybe one of the persons actually living in france can inform you about that.

You can use British debit/credit cards at manned petrol stations. I travelled France a lot around 9 years ago prior to moving here. I do remember the card being refused by an automated pump though. I can't give any more recent information than that as I now use a French debit card anyway. I *think* you will need cash for the toll booths but am not certain. There is a fast automated lane but I think they only take some sort of frequent traveller toll card.

You can also use your British card at supermarkets to pay for goods or at bank cash-points to withdraw Euros but you will get a poor exchange rate.

Yeah I've used my debit card over there before to pay for stuff and withdraw cash, but once we're over there my mum will pay for some stuff anyway so that should be fine.

I think if we get euros before we go, and I fill the tank before we get on the train, we should be OK.