A bit of a mundane query really. I guess we can “get by” and deal with situations as they arise, but sometimes to be forewarned is forearmed . For car parking in the general area of Normandy, mostly rural townships and a few slightly larger, what are the general rules , and what to look for in those you have to pay ?
Also is it the gendarmerie who police parking, or another faction ?
many thanks
Further South… I know that many towns have their own Municipal Police, who deal with such things as parking et al …
We have the blue discs… in each car. Thus, we can take advantage of the Disque Bleu free-parking bays… (not to be confused with the Disabled Parking bays… ooops)
Ok…just stay out of any marked Blue bays 
Be extravagant … and buy a Disque Bleu… they are only a few euros at the Newsagent (and last for years)… and the DB entitles free-parking for 2 hours in our nearest town… although each town can set its own time limits…
Oh marvelous Stella, I presumed you had to be entitled to obtain one…ie resident or something similar… well there you go 
tvm
The time you can park in a blue bay is always shown on a sign to be found in or near the bay(s). It can be as little as 15 minutes, usually the maximum in Normandy (Basse) is an hour.
The time-display discs are sold in all Maisons de la Presse, most supermarkets and mini-marts etc
Most towns in Basse-Normandie have ample free parking and it is much less of a problem here than it has become in UK. Also cheaper.
…and the Disque Bleu can be used all across France… which is why we keep one in the car… so very useful…
Thanks both, I shall have to pop in somewhere during the first morning off of the ferry in Ouistreham
You’ll probably see more “parking-payant” than the free ones though… it’s all a learning curve… 
As anyone can get one do you know what the point of these are?
You have to display the time of arrival… and if you exceed whatever time the Local Council have set for a free-park … you face a Fine (and flogging?) There will be someone (Municipal Police etc) who checks the windscreens to see that folk are not taking advantage… the idea is to help folk who want to make a quick stop for local shops… that sort of thing…
Yes I’ve still got mine. They are used in the UK as well.
Usually the blue bays are time-limited to 15 or 20 minutes or whatever the local rule is. In the area I used to live the time was painted on the floor of the bays or on a metal sign post.
Although this says Perigueux… it explains what DB is all about… each Town sets their own times/days…
They just provide a parking place for people who want to pop in to a shop in town for a newspaper, a baguette, some charcuterie, a bunch of flowers or to do a pee (not to pee in a shop). Turn-over seems to be brisk, so chances of nipping in to a vacant one are quite good round here (Vire, 14).
Except market day in Vire (Friday) when the town centre is choc-a-bloc with market stalls.
Thanks for all the info peeps, i’ll still get one for popping in here and there. Have also wondered how busy those towns who have market days get. Visiting Gorron on market day to gain an insight.
The three local markets in my area close the central area’s to traffic including the car parks, which are normally covered in market stalls.
We used to have a chart on a kitchen-cupboard door… which showed days of the week… and where the markets were being held… and how far from home for each destination
We would park on the outskirts … and walk into the market area… of whichever town we had decided to visit… 
Thanks for the advice , i will be prepared to park on outskirts