Hi… first time here & looking for some advice if you could please. Just started driving and am working for a TV company doing on-course TV at golf events - driven out to Lisbon, back into Spain and then home. Bit nervy as first time, but as there were two trucks I had moral support so it was fine.
Now, the part I need advice on. I’m on my own this time driving down to Milan, but I’m heading out on a Saturday and have to be at the course on Monday - but I know that there’s some sort of ban on driving in France on Sundays - can anyone enlighten me please? I’m taking an 18ton truck with a large trailer so I’m assuming any ban will be applicable to me. I know that TV broadcasting can get an exemption from the ban, but, as it’s France, I’m also assuming that this has to be an offical document as opposed to a ‘just show them the equipment in the back’ approach. I’ve raised this with the company, but I need some definite advice as to my potential position before I go back and point out that I won’t be able to run on Sunday (or not, depending on advice!!).
Thanks for any help.
HI WHAT time are you leaveing your base yard,also how are you getting over by ship or by shuttle, does it matter which way you go and reference
being able to drive saturdays get them to ask the french embassey in london what you need in the way of permits if any, i do belive that as a TV ,productions outside broadcasting vehicle you can drive but i would not like to put you in the proverbial cesspit so check with them,what about italy i think it is the same answer as for france only this time ask the
italian embassy in london, this may be too late then you will have to leave FRIDAY to ensure that you are at the place where you are to work from
on time.
FIRST POINT:: IF you do not need toworry about the way when arriveing in
CALAIS head for troyes. useing these roads, the A26 all the way tothe A1
by TROYES ;;Here go on to the A5 in the direction of LANGRES---- and—
DIJON:: WHEN you reach the A31 you need to head towards DIJON:CHALON-S-SAÖNE-- MARCON—LYON;;;
AT MARCON you take the A40 in the direction of ““GENEVE”” this takes you once you past the city of geneve on wards to the tunnel ““MOUNT BLANC”” here you have to stop and get a ticket for the tunnel and join the queue to drive through the tunnel after a safety check,
once on the other side you hed for ““AOSTA”” USEING THE A5 and then
for MILAN you take the A4. do you know if you can park safely at the golf
field or do you have a secure parking all ready organised,
NOW…How long will this take I belive two driveing shifts 2x10 hrs plus
a 9-11 hour break plus the time for the FERRY or SHUTTLE let us say
3hours and now we add the MURPHYS FACTOR for any delays say4-6hrs
and we have a time of38-40hours, THIS may BE that you are early at the
MILAN GOLF CLUB but i do belive that is better than being late.
NOW we wait and see what if any other suggestions come to help you on your way, AS THE MORE WHO CONTRIBUTE THE CLEARER YOU MAY FIND WHAT IS RIGHT FOR YOU:
Hi…thanks for your reply.
Haven’t been told a time yet, but I’m thinking as early as I can to get a 10 hour day in. Going over by ferry, so it’ll take that much longer. Route doesn’t matter, but you’ve pretty much detailed the way I had thought to take - although thanks for the detail on the tunnel - didn’t know about that.
Parking is secure (ish) at the Golf Course so I don’t have any worries on that score - just finding the thing in the first place (got directions so I’ll hopefully be OK with that).
I’ve spoken to the RHA who have kindly confirmed that the 22.00Sat - 22.00Sun ban will apply - but I didn’t know that it could be the same in Italy. Trouble is that the firm have only run 7.5t smaller trucks before and so have driven whenever they wanted - trying to explain that there are restrictions on the larger trucks is proving problematic.
My thought was to leave Friday to ensure getting there, but as I’m working on a freelance basis they would have to pay me for an extra day!
Thanks very much again for the info.
I forgot to say youare allowed to do 90kms in france on the motorway,
and in ““ITALY”” do not go over80kms as the fines if they catch you are high, also sparebulbs,warning triangle,hi.vis vest, papers firstaid kit, yourlorry,driveing licence.passport. euros, some food in case of delays,
try tostay within the law in regards to speeding,overtakeing etc as the fines are HUGE and will be felt in your pocket,
MAKE sure that you have very good padlocks for your vehicle and fuel tank.
and try to do the journey stress free,
by MARCON NORD IS A TRUCK STOP NOT SURE HOW GOOD IT IS:
YOU CAN CHECK WITH ----RHA or FTA ON THE LOCATION OF SECURE PARKING IN france and italy; they do have a list of places,
There is no mention of an exemption to the driving ban in France for television vehicles. In Italy there is an exemption for ‘radio/television vehicles used for urgent services’ but I don’t think what you are doing would be classed as urgent. The times the RHA gave you for the ban in France are correct and at this time of year the ban in Italy is from 08:00 - 22:00 (summer months, June - September it is 07:00 - 24:00)
Leaving Saturday you would be unlikely to arrive on the course on Monday and if you did it would be late in the day, you haven’t said where you are leaving from in the UK so I can’t guess how many hours driving you will need for the journey. Leaving Friday you could be out of France on Saturday giving you the option of driving in Italy on the Sunday before the ban kicks in at 08:00
No, nothing we are doing is ‘urgent’!
I think I’m getting myself confused with exemption from EC Driver’s Hours Rules & individual country’s rules…
<<‘Quote’>> Drivers are exempt from the EC drivers’ hours rules and from the tachograph rules when engaged in the following transport operations anywhere in the European Community…Vehicles used in connection with … radio and television broadcasting <<‘Unquote’>>. I know that others on the tour providing TV services for Sky don’t run to tacho rules, but I’m not sure about the individual country rules.
What day does the ban operate in Italy? Sunday as well? I knew that there was a French one, but didn’t know anything about the Italian. I’m leaving from West Sussex coast, so a good 2.5 hours from Dover.
It sounds more like that I’m going to have to try and leave Friday, get as far as I can before 22.00 Sat and then cover the last section after 22.00 Sunday night to get there for Monday.
Praedo,
Can’t add much to the excellent advice given above, except when Pete says Marcon, he means Macon.
If you go to Marcon you’ll be nearer Le Mans than Milan - wrong event 
Also re the truck stop at Macon Nord. Don’t know that but if you come off the A40 J3 then turn left on the N79, you’ll come to the famous Bakehouse truckstop on the right hand side in the village of St. Cyr. A good place to lay over for the weekend, and an easy run over to Milan on Monday morning
Salut, David.
Many thanks for all your replies & help - I’ve told the firm that I’ve either got to go Friday or they have to accept that I’ll be there late Monday - I’m not risking trying to slip past unnoticed.
Off my original post so apologies, but are you now working out of France Spardo? Reason I ask is that in 3 weeks we’re quitting the dear old UK and relocating to the French Pyrenees - I’ve quit my IT career of 25 odd years, put myself through the HGV tests and have got this job whereby I’ll fly back, drive to/from events over a couple of weeks and then go back home for a couple of weeks. Not ideal, but I’m hoping to maybe be able to part-time drive in France covering driver shortage, sickness, holiday etc. (If this is covered elsewhere I apologise again)
Salut praedo,
Not another Brit moving over to France 
It’s not a bad life over on the other side of the Channel BUT please don’t hope to rely on your driving abilities straight away if you need to earn money - as some of the other ex-pats here will tell you the French have their own rules and a foreign driver can’t come here and expect to be driving a French truck the following week, or even the following month. Do a search for FCOS or FIMO on these forums for more information.
Please don’t take this as discouragement, more a friendly word of warning from another who’s been in that situation. You’ll need plenty of patience, and a good dose of determination to get on the road in ‘La France’ but the rewards are usually worth it.
Bon chance, et bonne route,
Craig
Thanks for the tip - I’ll have a search on the forums to find out more.
Not relying on driving as an income - my wife has already been offered an ‘official’ job and we have other local French income as we’ve been setting this up for the last 6 years or so - this was just a ‘top up’ idea. Maybe the current situation of coming back periodically to drive will work!
Incidentally, the company I’m to do the trip for have said that I can’t leave until Saturday, but have accepted that I’ll arrive Milan late Monday because of the Sunday driving restrictions, so many thanks for all those who have clarified the restrictions and suggested routes and stopovers. Greatly appreciated.
I hope you’ve make a diary of your trip Praedo, and will let us know how it all went. Your trip is a bit unusual for most of us, we are running freight across both ways and do more or less the same thing all the time. Your impressions will make interesting reading, particularly with the different type of job you are doing.
Simon:
I hope you’ve make a diary of your trip Praedo, and will let us know how it all went. Your trip is a bit unusual for most of us, we are running freight across both ways and do more or less the same thing all the time. Your impressions will make interesting reading, particularly with the different type of job you are doing.
It’s a TV outside broadcast unit for gawds sake. He could make a full length film about his trip 
warts an all
Wheel Nut:
It’s a TV outside broadcast unit for gawds sake. He could make a full length film about his trip
Exactly mate, not a run of the mill trip, and with any luck, a DVD diary 
Praedo:
but are you now working out of France Spardo?I was, for 3 years, before I took the chance to retire here. Craig has pretty much covered the points you need to know, but in your case FIMO is essential. With more previous experience I only needed FCOS, much cheaper and less time consuming, but it was paid for by the boss who had forgotten to make sure I had it when he set me on. I got the job pretty quick in the first place (within 3 months) but as is usually the case it was pure luck - I met the (future) boss in the street on the day when he realised he needed a driver tout de suite. Right place right time etc.
Best of luck though, it is a great place to live and work, I wouldn’t change a thing.
Salut, David.
Not sure about TV vehicles, but Race Transporters have an exemption if they are going to a FIA race or Official test. We mostly drive past the Police at the Tolls, but have been stopped once and just showed them some official looking paperwork with the curcuit name on it and they let us continue. Italy and Germany we have had to get the relevent paperwork to allow us to leave the curcuit on Sunday.
The F1 truckies get stopped all the time because everybody wants to look in the trailers and get free t’shirts and caps.