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Driving to ski resorts - new French Environmental Zone Vignettes

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
boredsurfin wrote:
Arctic Roll wrote:
Presumably Hire cars (from France) come with them ?

The one I have right now doesn't and there was no mention of it!
No breathalysers in the car either - haven't looked for a yellow bib...
or spare light bulbs or a triangle


Thought the breathalyzer thing had all but been dropped?

I believe they have changed the law on bulbs now as well - you don't have to legally carry one - but is an offence if a light has gone! So may as well carry them still - unless you have one of the many cars which need a month in garage with trained monkey to get access to do this wink
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
I believe it's an offence to have a light missing in the UK too?
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Aaarrrgggghhhh.... Just driven onto the train at Folkestone. Switched off and got an Insp2 code which I think means I have a bulb gone. And no, I don't carry spares and couldn't fit one even if I did. Better try to identify the culprit.....
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pam w wrote:
I believe it's an offence to have a light missing in the UK too?


Apparently so but given the number of cars i see with at least one light gone, not one which is enforced!

Fingers crossed you get your bub sorted!
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
My missus changed the one of the front headlights the other day. Said it was a royal pita and required four hands and a screwdriver (my son acted as assistant). Would be really difficult to do it roadside and in poor light. Not that I am against the concept but it's clear the car makers don't see it as a priority to make it easy to do. I regularly see cars with a light out driving both here and in France.
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I am leaving tonight for France, so too bloody late for me to get a sticker or whatever.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Help me out here folks. Do you need the sticker if you are driving at any time in one of the Environmental Zones, or only if you are driving when there is a pollution alert.

(And I'll report in a few days whether my Swiss-side Geneva Airport hire car has one!).
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After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
@Matt1959, from the crit air site
"In case of an air pollution peak, the Prefecture provides a set of measures in several stages. After an early warning stage (usually after two days), a first air pollution stage („niveau d’alerte N1“) is announced. This happens when the daily or hourly measurement of the responsible institution for air quality exceeds 50/80 μg / m³ for particulate matter or 180/240 μg / m³ for ozone or 300/500 μg / m³ for sulphur dioxide or 200/400 μg / m³ for nitrogen dioxide. As a result, the road speed within the ZPA environmental zone has to be reduced by 20 km/h.

If one of the above-mentioned pollutant values still exceeds the stated values, then a second measure will be applied and an air pollution alarm („niveau d’alerte N2“) with traffic restrictions will be declared, during which only vehicles equipped with Crit´Air badges E, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 are allowed to drive within the zone.

After the first two stages, the Prefect can also declare a third stage of alarm, which is an aggravation of the second stage (the official definition is „niveau N2 aggravé“). In this third stage, the Prefect can also ban Crit´Air badge classes 4 and 5 from traffic.
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@BergenBergen, Thanks, that's what I thought.

My guess is that this will be a non-issue for me as my trips are either Geneva airport, along the south side of Lake Geneva and then up the Abondance valley to La Chapelle D'Abondance, or if driving from the UK I come round the east end of Lake Geneva and then up and over via Morgins & Chatel, none of which involves the more built up (French) areas.

I'll get a sticker for my own car, but I'm guessing that Swiss hire cars won't have them. One more thing to be illegal with!
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@Matt1959, That's my daily commute - been doing it for years, never been stopped ( nor has anyone else )
The only place you are aware of the regs is on the matrix gantries on the Thonon by-pass where it says to slow down, and I've only seen that twice.
And when you get up the hill to 1000m into clear blue skies and look down on the smog below.
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@Matt1959, Same for me in terms of travel. I suspect most of the focus will be on the A40 autoroute up to Chamonix although I once saw a -20Km speed reduction on the A39 Dijon to Bourg en Bresse a few years back due to pollution levels
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
@WindOfChange, Thanks for the tip. I will watch the matrix galleries at Thonon with interest now! Can't wait to get out there on the 29th.....
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So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
@BergenBergen, "Same for me in terms of travel."

It's the 7 hrs that it takes me to get to Kent that I find stressful!
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@Matt1959, Smile Smile
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Matt1959 wrote:
Help me out here folks. Do you need the sticker if you are driving at any time in one of the Environmental Zones, or only if you are driving when there is a pollution alert.

(And I'll report in a few days whether my Swiss-side Geneva Airport hire car has one!).


There are certain pollution zones you need a sticker to enter.

It has never caused me, or the many other people without stickers, the slightest bit of bother.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Thanks everybody - good information.

I am sure none of the locals will bother about it but, with a car-full of kids at half-term, getting fined, diverted or turned back could really ruin one's day, so it seems a small price to pay for peace of mind.

The service itself was excellent. A few minutes' entering vehicle and payment details yesterday afternoon and I already have a printable certificate to use until the sticker arrives.

And my Chelsea tractor even sneaked in with a "3". Given that its a few years old and from a certain manufacturer, I'm guessing that it deserves a "4" or "5" in real life!
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
If all of Savoie and Haute Savoie are ZPAs then will a hire car from the Swiss side of Geneva be provided with a critair sticker?

I have friends holidaying with me coming from other places in Europe and some will fly into either Geneva or possibly Milan. Anyone know how the rules apply to hire cars?
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
as a matter of interest, we have just received our class 3 sticker, came to us in Ireland within 7 days!!!
However, i was wondering, can the French authorities use your details from your Registration document now they have it, as in if i go through one of their speed cameras a tad fast!!!!
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Timbobaggins wrote:
as a matter of interest, we have just received our class 3 sticker, came to us in Ireland within 7 days!!!
However, i was wondering, can the French authorities use your details from your Registration document now they have it, as in if i go through one of their speed cameras a tad fast!!!!


Ireland is part of the EU isn't it? You can't dodge speeding fines in France as there is an information sharing agreement (EU Cross Border Enforcement Directive). Beware the French give very little margin on speeding.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Following the ruling a new Directive 2015/413 was adopted in March 2015 with a legal basis under the EU transport policy[3]. EU Member States must transpose the new legislation into their national law by May 2015 or risk facing EU infringement procedures. In the meantime the 2011/82 Directive remains in place at national law level until this is replaced by the newly transposed legislation. Three countries, UK, Ireland and Denmark have a later transposition deadline of May 2017.

Not till May according to this site

http://etsc.eu/faq-eu-cross-border-enforcement-directive/

whoops forgot it is now 2018


Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Thu 4-01-18 12:07; edited 1 time in total
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I know the Garda in Ireland and the PSNI in the north, only exchange info re drink drive/ disqualified drivers at the moment and both are in the EU
Although the AA says its all now in Force, so best i watch my speed then
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Thanks for the heads up that the Tarainteise valley is now a zone. Just applyiong on the offical site for mine now.

However - it is asking me for the Euro category of my engine. My vehicle registration certificate doesn't state this. I know they are broadly based on dates, but mine seems to be between be registered between two. So how do I know which "Euro" category my engine is ?

Secondly on the Co2 field it asks for the data in g/km. On my registration it says 0.283. When I try and enter that on the form, it stops after 0.2 and won't let me enter anything further, then throws an error : "L'émission de CO2 doit uniquement contenir des chiffres"

How did anyone else manage to enter their C02 data ?

Thanks

G
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
@tarrantd, Re your question about Hire Cars.

My German registered car from Swiss side Geneva Airport Avis did not have a French Environmental Zone sticker. It DID have a German one.

So the next question is.............are foreign stickers acceptable, or will people who cross borders need stickers for each country?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Re speed cams in France. Have been done a few times in hire cars - letters arrive about 4-6 weeks later. Pay particular attention to any speed limits around roadworks (as in UK)
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@Gazzza, The CO2 and Euro Standard are optional fields so just leave them blank. I did that and no problem.
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when did the Tarentaise get added ?...though I d only need one if went thru Lyon but as A432 skirts it thought it was outside the zone ?
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Matt1959 wrote:
@tarrantd,

My German registered car from Swiss side Geneva Airport Avis


Just out of interest I was wondering why they hired out german registered cars from a swiss airport ? Is that for travel back to germany ? I have never had anything other than a swiss reg from swiss side and french reg from french side. Have not hired for a few years though so is this a new thing ?
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So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
@skitow, It's illegal for an EU resident (me) to drive a non-EU registered car (like a Swiss one) into an EU country (like France).

Don't think any hire car users have ever been done, but some of the Swiss car rental companies have started supplying EU registered cars.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@Gazzza, the website will identify your car from the VIN and registration details you input, pre-populating all the emission stuff.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Will it? If so it's advanced a lot. I had to enter everything and send a copy of registration document. About a year ago.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
i did mine a couple of weeks ago, filled in vin and reg details, but left emission bit blank as i was unsure, after submitting online it calculated my emission rating (worked out to be a 3). still needed to attach registration document, sticker arrived in the post a few days ago.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Their help page for UK registrants:



Note: the Euro Standard (box 8 ) is not on our V5C.
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Why is everyone bothering with this sh-it?
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Layne wrote:
Why is everyone bothering with this sh-it?


Really? You need this explaining?

No sticker = fine or no entry to the zone (if you get stopped). It only costs a fiver so why wouldn’t you?

Or are you one of those arrogant folk who believes that the laws of the country they are visiting don’t apply to them?

Incidentally, with air quality as bad as it was in some areas last year during prolonged high pressure, this is surely a good thing.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Dashed wrote:


Or are you one of those arrogant folk who believes that the laws of the country they are visiting don’t apply to them?


Except my perception is that the vast majority of French drivers don't have one. Don't get me wrong I have no problem with it, I've had one for a year, I spend most of my time here and have to drive through the Grenoble zone to get anywhere.

Just updating myself, vast swathes of France are now covered. I suspect much more will be by the end of the year.

Current zones ZPA = weather dependent restrictions, ZCR = permanent restrictions
Paris Zone ZPA
Paris Zone ZCR
Arve Valley Zone ZPA
Eure-et-Loir/Chartres Zone ZPA
Gers/Auch Zone ZPA
Grenoble Zone ZCR
Grenoble Zone ZPA
Haute-Savoie/Annecy Zone ZPA
Lille Zone ZCR
Lille Zone ZPA
Loiret/Orléans Zone ZPA
Lyon Zone ZPA
Maine-et-Loire/Angers Zone ZPA
Savoie/Chambery Zone ZPA
Strasbourg Zone ZPA
Strasbourg Zone ZCR
Toulouse Zone ZPA
Vendée/La Roche-sur-Yon Zone ZPA

More or less anyone driving to a ski resort in France will go through at least one.
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Many of us stopping overnight may also have to drive into the areas too. I saw a couple of French cars with stickers on in Beaune at the weekend.
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Quote:

Or are you one of those arrogant folk who believes that the laws of the country they are visiting don’t apply to them?


I have a car full of spare bulbs, headlight reflectors, warning triangles, reflective jackets, Breathalyzer and the like - it's hard not to be aware these things are a legal requirement when you leave the UK.

However - if it wasn't for this thread - I would have no idea at all that this was a (possible) requirement. Will I get one for Easter, probably, given the small outlay. But would be easier if they just made it mandatory - if there is no warning in place in the days before you travel, then it changes, you are a little stuck!
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Quote:

More or less anyone driving to a ski resort in France will go through at least one.


Again wouldn't it be easier all round if it was a France wide thing Puzzled
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@Boris, Savoie, Haute-Savoie and Grenoble (Lyon is city only) are tucked away in a corner and aren't that significant unless you ski Very Happy Suspect it could become nationwide though.
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Quote:

if there is no warning in place in the days before you travel, then it changes, you are a little stuck!


I think it is technically illegal to drive at any time in those zones without one. Restrictions apply when pollution levels are high and category 5 or 4 and 5 vehicles could be banned.
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