Driving in France & Using Mappy
 

I'm just printing off some directions from Mappy.com. What a fantastic resource this is. Tells you how much petrol you will use and how much the tolls are.

I'm headed into Cannes from the West and passing near Frejus there are 3 lines in red saying (first line) "Speed camera: A-8 PT km 147-Les Adrets" and the next 2 are the same except Pt Km 149 & 150 and then Toll of 5.60 EUR.

Does anyone know what speed cameras are?? To tell us to slow down as we are approaching the toll booth?? To take our photo if we are speeding?

Just curious - only 7 more sleeps till I leave & I'm getting totally anal.
Cobbie

This is basically radar, monitoring of traffic. I wouldn't worry about it.

The speed cameras allow the police to catch speeders by checking the elapsed time between entrances and exits. So please do worry about it unless you don't want to pay a hefty fine on the spot if you're caught exceeding the speed limit. France has really cracked down on speeders in the past year; be careful to mind the speed limit.

Thanks so much - I have a lead foot so will have to be careful. I'm glad I read U-turns are illegal in France. Driving in Florence I made a U-turn every block trying to find the airport to turn in the car.

Did you also know that at stop signs you have to come to a full stop for a full three seconds?

Thanks for the tip, Intrepid1. One of the lovely things about driving in France is that you encounter fewer stop signs than you would in North America. Wherever possible, the French use roundabouts or yield signs, which reduce the likelyhood of having to bring your car to a full stop.

On Underhill's note about cracking down on speeders, there was an article in Le Monde earlier this month saying that traffic deaths in 2004 had declined 8.7 per cent in 2004 over 2003, and that it was the third year in a row of reductions. They quoted a government official who said that measures to combat drinking and driving and to control speed were working. It went on to note that they have installed 600 automatic radars so far, with 1000 expected by the end of this year.

Anselm

Hi cobbie,

I use mappy to zoom in to the smallest scale to follow the main highway through towns and cities.

It also shows where the roundabouts are and how to negotiate them.

((I))

hi everybody! :-)
Cobbie don't forget your suntan lotion! it is summer here (in Dijon 31°C)((H))

no spare time for a few hours in Dijon? ;-) I'll show you my town!

have a great time and be careful on the roads...

Thanks everyone. I just practiced driving my friend's stick shift car today. It's been 4 years since I last drove one in Italy. Coco - Dijon is on my list but, unfortunately, not for this trip.