LM24 Le Mans Travel Advice

Les Redford · 10 Jun 2013, 19:25 (Ref:3260537)

If you are going to Le Mans from Calais there are major bridge works going on in Rouen. The best way to avoid them and any delays are to take the A29 (signed Le Havre/Caen) approx 20 miles before Rouen. From the A29 take the A151 towards Rouen. Le Mans is signed from there on.

This diversion only adds on a few miles and costs a touch more on the tolls but it is such a good route, bypassing the great majority of Rouen, that I will continue to use this route even when the bridge works are completed.

Please also remember the following are legal requirements for driving in France.

An alcohol breath tester (which must have the 'NF' approval mark) It is best to buy a pack of two so if you do get asked by the police to do a breath test you will still have one left to comply with the law.

A Hi Vis jacket/waistcoat for every person in the car

A first aid kit

A warning triangle

A spare bulb kit

Please also remember that in the build up to Le Mans catching speeding drivers becomes the sport of choice of the gendarmes.

I hope this is of help.

**Aysedasi** · 10 Jun 2013, 19:29 (Ref:3260541)

Hi Les, thanks for this and welcome to the forum

The Rouen bridge problems have been picked up by some of our travellers already. Is the breath tester actually a requirement now? I thought it was going to be but didn't actually happen?

GT6 · 10 Jun 2013, 19:34 (Ref:3260546)

The breathtest kit law has been dropped now so no longer needed and the hi vis jacket is only a requirement for the driver or anyone else likely to get out of the car onto the road, it must be in the car not the boot.

Les Redford · 10 Jun 2013, 19:44 (Ref:3260556)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

Hi Les, thanks for this and welcome to the forum

The Rouen bridge problems have been picked up by some of our travellers already. Is the breath tester actually a requirement now? I thought it was going to be but didn't actually happen?

It's one of those is it/isn't it situations I think. Although a self-test breathalyser remains a requirement, the decision means there is no legislation to enforce a fine for non-compliance. It sounds like you can't get done for not having one but if you were stopped by 'Les flics' I would rather have one on me in the hope it kept them sweet.

Les Redford · 10 Jun 2013, 19:48 (Ref:3260559)

Quote:

Originally Posted by GT6

The breathtest kit law has been dropped now so no longer needed and the hi vis jacket is only a requirement for the driver or anyone else likely to get out of the car onto the road, it must be in the car not the boot.

You are correct GT6 however, as the advice for anyone parking on the hard shoulder is for everyone to get out in the interest of safety, I always make sure I have one for everyone.

CTD · 10 Jun 2013, 19:49 (Ref:3260561)

Quote:

Originally Posted by GT6

it must be in the car not the boot.

It can be in the boot - as long as you can access it without leaving the car

GT6 · 10 Jun 2013, 20:09 (Ref:3260576)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Les Redford

It's one of those is it/isn't it situations I think. Although a self-test breathalyser remains a requirement, the decision means there is no legislation to enforce a fine for non-compliance. It sounds like you can't get done for not having one but if you were stopped by 'Les flics' I would rather have one on me in the hope it kept them sweet.

No the law failed to get passed so it is dead in the water, that is why there are so many people giving the kits away with RAC/AA etc, no one wants them now

Truckosaurus · 10 Jun 2013, 21:19 (Ref:3260625)

The breathalysers are going for just over a Pound each on Amazon.

Le Vieux · 11 Jun 2013, 07:21 (Ref:3260752)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Truckosaurus

The breathalysers are going for just over a Pound each on Amazon.

I paid a euro each in Auchan in St Omer fifteen months ago.

Truckosaurus · 11 Jun 2013, 08:10 (Ref:3260782)

At that price you can start having "who can get the highest reading" competitions

eps · 11 Jun 2013, 11:09 (Ref:3260848)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Truckosaurus

At that price you can start having "who can get the highest reading" competitions

....

**bella** · 11 Jun 2013, 12:24 (Ref:3260891)

beware that even if they see you holding anything that looks like a phone you'll be stopped. i was pulled over the other week by a couple of bored gendarmes in an unmarked car for holding something phone-like.

as it happened it was connected to the stereo by a big cable, and i could have been changing the music but since i was actually tweeting a whinge about being bored when they spotted me, i didn't fancy trying to win that one

cost me 90€, the production of my v5 and driving licence, and i got some souvenir paperwork in return.

fwiw, i didn't have a gb sticker of any kind on my boy-racer car, and they didn't consider doing me for that, or looking at any of my other stuff that didn't exist such as a spare lightbulb kit. so you know, ymmv. calculated risk and all that. don't be british and paranoid and pander to their pocket-lining laws by default.

Mike E · 11 Jun 2013, 13:34 (Ref:3260924)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Les Redford

It sounds like you can't get done for not having one but if you were stopped by 'Les flics' I would rather have one on me in the hope it kept them sweet.

Unless you're hammered!

Tim the Grey · 12 Jun 2013, 12:50 (Ref:3261503)

Happy that the new car has Cruise Control fitted. Dial in 80ish, and relax...
I have all the goodies they might wish to see, but never had breath test kits, and have no intention of buying one. The law was withdrawn, and is not in force, as I understand it.

AstonGeoff · 13 Jun 2013, 12:28 (Ref:3262107)

Mind you the breathalyser kits are worth having if you worry about being over the limit and getting caught. Not that it seems to worry that many of course, but if it is something that worries you then they can give peace of mind. Or scare the crap out of you and make you worry even more

Les Redford · 19 Jun 2013, 17:18 (Ref:3264984)

Tim the Grey - don't dial in 80ish on your cruise control as you leave the toll booths as you get on the A28 from the A16 - there's a 110kmh speed camera within the first 2km and it seems to be set at a very low tolerance level.

MGDavid · 19 Jun 2013, 18:45 (Ref:3265030)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Les Redford

Tim the Grey - don't dial in 80ish on your cruise control as you leave the toll booths as you get on the A28 from the A16 - there's a 110kmh speed camera within the first 2km and it seems to be set at a very low tolerance level.

thought the limit in France is 130 kph, only 110 when raining?

Les Redford · 19 Jun 2013, 19:43 (Ref:3265054)

Quote:

Originally Posted by MGDavid

thought the limit in France is 130 kph, only 110 when raining?

No sir. There are quite a few stretches in France that are 110kmh limit. There are also a couple of viaducts between Rouen and Le Mans that are 90kmh limit and each one has a speed camera.

Truckosaurus · 24 Jun 2013, 10:39 (Ref:3268784)

The Rouen detour (officially signed for lorries - along the A150/A151) worked very well with no queues either way (wednesday southbound, Sunday northbound) and might even be a better route than the 'normal' route.

GT6 · 24 Jun 2013, 13:54 (Ref:3268897)

We took the old roads via totes and yevlot, it worked very well and suspect we will never use rouen again, the pont du brottone was spectacular

wewantourdarbyback · 24 Jun 2013, 17:26 (Ref:3269039)

The Rouen detour was easy to use (although we may *ahem* have gone the wrong way down the A29 first off) don't actually think it costs much time as we've been sat in traffic in Rouen on the way down before but this year it was clear.

MGDavid · 24 Jun 2013, 19:39 (Ref:3269104)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Les Redford

No sir. There are quite a few stretches in France that are 110kmh limit. There are also a couple of viaducts between Rouen and Le Mans that are 90kmh limit and each one has a speed camera.

I was referrring to the French National speed limit on autoroutes, not anything local on a limited stretch for a specific reason

Simmi · 24 Jun 2013, 21:44 (Ref:3269172)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Les Redford

No sir. There are quite a few stretches in France that are 110kmh limit. There are also a couple of viaducts between Rouen and Le Mans that are 90kmh limit and each one has a speed camera.

Are they really speed cameras on those viaducts? Can't imagine I went through any of them at 90 - but then again I didn't last year either.

Spotted some guys in full camo with cameras hiding in a field on the way back today.

I was under the impression that once you're out of the country they can't give you fines/penalties?

isynge · 24 Jun 2013, 22:32 (Ref:3269202)

Quote:

Originally Posted by GT6

We took the old roads via totes and yevlot, it worked very well and suspect we will never use rouen again, the pont du brottone was spectacular

Certainly can see the appeal in that route, and suspect we took a very similar route to you heading north on Sunday.

Only downside I can see to the D490 on way down is we'd probably miss driving past the lovely ruins of the chateau at Ferte Vidame, although I could probably be persuaded to make a specific detour at some point to rectify that.

Tim the Grey · 24 Jun 2013, 22:48 (Ref:3269216)

Thanks for the heads up, if only I had seen it before now!
I try not to attract teh attention of Les Flics, and try to observe 90/110/130 limits where possible.

Hope no one gets a nasty letter in the post!

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