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[quote user="cajal"]I phoned them only to be told I now have to complete a "forgotten security details" form and post that ! I think you will find the reason for this procedure, to obtain a temporary password, is a residential issue.[/quote]   Of course it's a residential issue, that's what I'm annoyed about! If I lived in UK it wouldn't happen, so I feel I'm being penalised unfairly. As I said earlier I've had NS&I investments for 60 years. They're quite happy to send the occasional (VERY occasional!) Premium Bond winnings warrant to me here, so why can't they accept that I am the same person, without all this interrogation? DWP send my State Pension, the bank send my statements;  and I don't understand why they can't simply send me another password. But that's a side issue; what I wanted was an allocation of 65+ bonds without all this red tape. They were happy to send stuff to me here when I dealt with my late mother's estate; no identity checks then, and we're only talking a couple of years ago. This is NOT rocket science, it's just daft beyond words. AND they've had my money for a month now, so I wonder who is earning the interest? Answers on a postcard.  

Mint, My cheque was cashed a month ago!

Mint, that's interesting that you were successful with the notaire; I had been told that a "notaire wouldn't do", it had to be a lawyer (not a government tax collector effectively. The latest on my saga is that today I received a letter informing me that my complaint was being passed to the complaints department. I still can't find hard information on the money laundering regulations, although some time ago, when I bought a new car, I was told that it applied to amounts over £10,000 but I've since seen 15,000 euros mentioned (I guess that's going to be the same thing anytime soon!). I'm really miffed as one of my premium bonds was one of the first issue; I remember using my pocket money (4 week's worth @ 2/6 !!) to go and buy it at our local PO in Manchester! I have another gripe now about the NS&I online system. I needed to register; you go online and complete the form but then have to PRINT it and post it to Glasgow! That's VERY online! They are supposed to send a password, again by post, but mine never arrived. I phoned them only to be told I now have to complete a "forgotten security details" form and post that ! I can't forget something I never knew in the first place. They don't appear to have thought any of this through very well.

I'm not so sure about the 1 in 10 gradient. It would be unwise to try to mow across the slope on a ride-on mower, but up and down may be OK. I think I'd go for a self-propelled one but not a ride-on.

I applied on 17th January. 4 weeks later I got a letter requesting "documentary proof of identity". They'll only accept a certified copy of my passport if witnessed by the Embassy, Consulate or a lawyer. By the time I've paid for any of these it will not be worth my while. I wrote back and told them to send my money back. As already pointed out by Q a Life Certificate signed by the mayor is good enough. I've also had NS&I investments for 60 years!! Someone has got it in for us ex-pat pensioners. They use the blanket excuse of EU Money laundering. Pah!

I don't often contribute to the forum these days having been shot down too many times, but having recently been through the dental "wringer" I thought I should add some comment here. We have an excellent dentist and he also speaks good English which is a tremendous help when you get down to important detail. I've had two problems on opposite sides of my mouth. I asked about implants and he said that whilst he could refer me to a specialist, he thought that there were ways of dealing with my problems by use crowns, bridges or small palettes. In the end I went for a bridge, effectively crowing two teeth and filling the gap between them. This has restored my "bite" and my mouth feels so much better and of course I can now chew properly. On the other side I had a continual problem caused by an infection at the tip of the root. He advised a minor surgical procedure (résection apicale - removal of the tip of the root and general cleaning up) in order to save the tooth. I've had this done (not at the dental surgery but at a clinic, I think because, like the implants, it's a specialist job and needs to be done under sterile conditions) and I will have a bridge on this side once it's all settled down. I must point out that I'm a dental "wuss" and was dreading all of this, but in fact it all went off very easily. One of the main considerations for me was not wanting "false teeth" in the old-fashioned sense; I recall my mother and father telling me that they had ALL their teeth removed in their early twenties; apparently it was quite common back then (c1935)! Horrific! The cost of all this is another factor. You should ask how long an implant is likely to last. A bridge should be good for 10 years at least, and I have two crowns which were fitted in the 1970's, so I know they can last well. The French health system doesn't reimburse very much for bridge work and neither does our mutuelle (but that's our choice of plan v premium) so it's a hefty investment. Good luck!

I have a Britline account and I got this message too. I did the simple thing and contacted them directly. As mine is supposed to be an account for English speaking customers I expected it to be understandable, ie in English, and whilst my French isn't bad I'd rather answer technical-type questions in my own language. The reply was "This is an anomalie in our system you should click on "Plus tard" and ignore or only respond to it if you some part sociales or a compte titre.". Almost English I guess.

Well of course, if you want to be a complete prat, yes I feel great thanks!! When did I ever try to make you look an idiot? Go back to bed and get out the right side. I remember now why I left here THREE times before. Thank you and Goodnight

Teapot,   Why does any thread about travel have to turn into a Ryanair bashing post? I don't get it. If you don't like Ryanair, don't use it! Simple. For someone who seems not to want to leave France at all (I refer to your post on the latest thread about Spanish traffic laws) it seems unlikely that you have the necessary experience to criticise Ryanair, let alone any other operator! As for docking at 3am, well, if you want to get somewhere early in the morning it seems to be one reasonable way of doing it, otherwise you could cross at a "respectable " time (read "more expensive") and spend the night in a hotel perhaps? [blink]    

[quote user="Théière"]Only twice, with all that france has to offer why leave france. [/quote] Yes, quite. But many of us actually like Spain too, especially in those cold winter months when it is much milder in Spain than here. The bit about the policeman observing the alleged offence is worrying, but the same thing applies already here in France. If a Gendarme observes someone driving through a village (say) at what he thinks is excessive speed, it can be the basis for a fine. I wonder if these changes are due to the many immigrants who don't follow the rules, and I really mean ex-pat Brits; we know there are loads of them in Spain avoiding the authorities in UK. It makes it hard for all the law-abiding people who DO try to fit in.  We've seen recent problems with EHIC cards. I'll still be taking my Spanish break next year. Thanks, Bugsy, for bringing it to our attention. Duly noted.  

I was away on holiday when this thread was active so I missed it. I wrote the earlier post which Jay refers to. (Thank you, Jay). I think in this instance it will be more difficult to complete the registration. VanRoyce, as Powersdeal correctly remembers, was an expensive and HEAVY caravan, and the inclusion of "Royce" in the name was I think meant to imply a high quality. In fact they were lovely 'vans, and very nicely equipped, but far too heavy for our cars at the time we looked at them. The main thing with registration is getting acceptable documentation; this goes a long way towards satisfying the French authorities, even if it the 'van is old. When I did our 1989 caravan in 2006 Lunar were very helpful in providing 2 letters, in English and in French, certifying the standards applicable to the caravan. DRIRE (as it was then) accepted these without question.  This is not going to be possible with a company that has gone out of business, so the only way will be to submit to the full DREAL inspection. You need to be patient and just take it one step at a time. It is best to make an initial appointment (without the 'van) to see the DREAL inspector and get him to tell you exactly what will be required. As it seems to differ from place to place, this route is far better than trying to guess what might be needed. Sunday Driver gave me some very good advice (as he did to so many others on here)... he said to make a proper folder for the registration task, with as many photographs of the caravan and its running gear, including any identification plates etc, and also include ALL the documentation you have. It helps if you also have a proper cover sheet for the folder with something like "Immatriculation d'une caravanned britannique" and your contact details and main identification details of the caravan. SD reckoned this shows you are going about the job in a professional way. I can vouch for the inspector's reaction on seeing mine, and he got straight down to business and listed all the things I needed to change on the caravan (lighting mods, reflectors, ID plate) and the inspections I would need to attend once I had completed the changes. None of this is rocket science, it happens with a lot of French procedures (eg Carte Vitale); you just have to do what they ask. As Powersdeal has already said, it's better to get the requirements from the horse's mouth rather than second-guessing it and complaining afterwards that it didn't work as you expected. If you decide to sell the caravan the best market is without doubt back in UK unless you can find someone who wants to park it on the property here in France solely for use as extra accommodation for friends or family, and not for road use. If you have a specific question, please feel free to email me. Good luck.  

[quote user="AnOther"]I don't know what resistance to a Livebox is about. Sure the old book style Livebox 1 was rubbish but the Livebox 2 is a perfectly capable piece if kit and unless you really do need to get into the guts of a router for customising a Livebox 2 is more than adequate for the average home user. VoIP will definitely not work with an alternative router because Orange will not reveal the parameter you need to set it up. [/quote] For me this is exactly what the resistance is about. Once bitten, twice shy, and all that. I had so much trouble with my original Livebox and its three replacements! [;-)] This way I'm not stuck with Orange, not that I've needed to change so far! Old habits die hard.  

Chris, late reply, sorry.  I have done exactly this, replaced my ageing DG834 bought around 2000 and used over here until last year when I started having connection problems. I convinced myself that it was the line; we are on the edge of a small village and about 3.7km from the exchange. A technician came from FT and tested the line and declared it OK and he showed me the readings on his test meter. He pointed to my modem and said "That's the problem". I was unsure whether this was an attempt to get me to go Livebox, but as I've always used Netgear stuff from my working days I opted for the DGN2200. This time I bought the European version just for practical reasons (the power pack doesn't need and adapter). I'm away on holiday right now, so I can't give you the settings, but as with most equipment these days it really was plug and play and my line speed was restored immediately. It's been running now for about 8 months, no problem, and I never switch it off except when I'm away. There is absolutely no reason why any standard ADSL modem or modem router shouldn't work with Orange. Perhaps one disadvantage would be if you wanted the VOIP service, then I'm not sure without referring to the manual (which I haven't got here), but I think you'd need a Livebox for that as I don't remember seeing a phone socket. Could be wrong! For me it's just another instance of brand loyalty, but I worked in IT for nearly 40 years and our technical guys always used Netgear. That's not to say that other makes are inferior of course! EDIT Pierre ZFP has a valid point; the channel numbers normally used in France are different to UK so the defaults on a French bought DGN2200 are probably different, channel 11 from memory, but you know what my memory is like! What? I didn't tell you already? Well, there you go!  

I've flown Ryanair 10 times already this year. I think the improvements are good. Forget about Priority boarding unless you have a very particular need, (I can't think of one off the cuff) as you now have your seat automatically allocated AND it tells you which door to use. This has definitely helped to calm the crush as people scrambled to get a favourite seat. You can still book Priority boarding and you can also book one of a few seats with extra legroom, but these are generally near emergency exits, so you need to be fit enough to operate the door in an emergency, and not be unfit enough that you're a hindrance to others. Treat the journey as you would a bus ride. Expect little, and you won't be disappointed! [:)] In fact I've used Ryanair for about 8 years now and never had a bad experience; all of my grouses have been because of extremely unpleasant passengers. There are always those passengers who take an age to put their bags in the overhead lockers and hold up the queue! And the latest craze seems to be to dump their cabin bag in the first locker near the door and then proceed down the plane to their seat, thus depriving someone else of being able to store their bag above their own seat. Only the first 90 cabin bags will go in the plane the rest go into the hold. I've not seen this implemented yet.  

As I write this, sat in California (we may be here some time if the strike goes ahead!) I have to say that the AirFrance service on the outward flight was nothing short of first class (and we travelled economy!). Comfortable seats, on-time, great service from the cabin staff. We flew on the new A380 airbus and tickets booked last June were around the same as we would have paid from London or Manchester with Virgin. I wonder if the criticism is really fair? The proposed strike is not AirFrance of course, but the French pilots' union. It comes at a really bad time for Air France who may otherwise have actually made a profit this year!  

Johnnyboy, We're in 79 and we have friends in Charente (16) and we know that both of these départements work quickly. I think you're right, the usual "interpretation of the rules" angle (call it Lottery if you wish [:)] ). It is annoying, but there's always the opportunity to use another sub-prefecture once you hear that there are problems at a particular office. I'm surprised that they can produce a plastic card licence in 4 days, I don't think the UK can match that, so well done 16... Angouleme presumably?  

Soupagirl, I think you've had yet another variation of the theme! Your old licence is meant to be retained by the prefecture for return to UK and you get the attestation to allow you to continue to drive, and so that you have something to show the gendarmes, for example, if you are ever stopped at a control point. The new licence arrives within a couple of weeks, but if you live in 79 expect it much quicker... ours was 4 days. I'm not sure that the attestation is valid to drive abroad; if you're planning a trip back to UK I'd wait until you return before going for the exchange licence. I wonder if the new format ones (credit card size) take longer to produce; maybe that's why it's taking so long?  

Same experience here, Jay. It sounds as though the prefecture mentioned is being particularly careful ( = officious) and for a married woman they want to have proof of her birth name and then proof of marriage so that they can be sure that she is who she says she is!  This hasn't been our experience at Niort. Personnel change though....! The link I gave lists all of the things mentioned apart from the marriage certificate translation; it says that some prefectures may require a translation of the driving licence if it's in a foreign language. That part of the procedure works if the holder has a European format (plastic card) licence, because it's exactly the same as the French one. The paper-type licence is UK only. From memory we had to do something similar when registering our car in both names. The translation for a marriage certificate was 42€. For a birth certificate it's always best to have the full version showing parents' names and occupations rather than the shortened copy.  

You don't say whether your friend has a full UK licence already, but if that is the case it is a straightforward procedure to exchange the licence. You can find the information about what to take (pièces à fournir) and links to the downloadable form here:  http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/particuliers/F1758.xhtml    

I always take an interest in these registration threads. I've done it several times now without problem; cars, motorbikes and caravan. In view of the number of threads on here about pitfalls and what is the simplest way to go about it, I'm surprised that someone (OP) would buy a German car in the UK for use in France! Isn't it just causing unnecessary complications and delays? Stable door and bolts come to mind, but you can buy a car from Germany directly from France. I bought my last car from Belgium, and of course it has the added advantage of left hand drive! Good luck with that then.    

I second that request.... come on then, tell us where it's illegal and why!  

Steve, that comment was made over a year ago and the section is still here, but not very active. I've forgotten what made me post it now! Are you coming to live here permanently or just visiting your holiday home? There's not a lot you need to know any more than you would for a holiday, such as:-  carry your documents with you, always have your headlights on (dipped), and just enjoy the roads. If you're here to stay get your bike registered. If you have a specific query just fire away. Bonne route!

I second what Kathy says, and would suggest that collecting sandwiches at E Midlands as Betty suggests might be more convenient, or just bring a snack from home for later? Drinks however, won't be allowed on the plane (in cabin baggage) because of the security restrictions still in force. It's only about an hour and quarter from Limoges airport (Bellegarde) to Angouleme, by the way, now that the dual carriageway has been extended further, so they may be able to hold out that long?  

I can't give you the French terms, sorry, but at the builders merchants I've always bought sand by the grade number, usually 02 for mortar and then going up in stages for gradually coarser stuff: 06 is a fine gravel which is good for building stone walls because it has more aggregate (but not for the pointing), and 10 is what we use for paths. I'm presuming that the grade is some sort of sizing of the sieve that it passed through? All of it is referred to as "sable" here, which is confusing, but that's just "sand" generally. It's best to go to the builders yard and see what they've got and how they refer to it. Also tell them what you want it for. At our local yard the storage "boxes" (I don't know what else to call them - the big bins with 3 walls open at the front!) are all labelled. For sand itself there isn't a lot of choice here in the mortar grade; just two types of 02, one is more white, and the other is a deeper reddish/orange shade (which gives a warmer creamy looking mortar - and is more expensive!).   

Voilà, Sweet:   http://www.leparticulier.fr/jcms/p1_1556634/le-guide-des-impots-2014-est-mis-a-jour  [geek] Perhaps I've misunderstood, but the calendar showing the time limits for returning the forms has changed. It used to be by département number ranges. I'll read it again tomorrow when I'm more awake (or maybe not, after losing an hour's sleep [blink] )