Too true. I got through to the first layer of a recorded message offering me two choices. If my call is about exchanging an EU kicence, press 1 if it is about exhcanging a non-EU licence press 2.
That then transferred my call to another message that effectively said “we are too busy to answer the phone. Try later”.
Having got through the first message once, the phone system knows my number and now transfers me straight to that message. If I get through there is no longer any choice about EU or non-EU, just the “go-away, come back later”.
It’ll all get sorted in the end… the challenge is to stay calm in the meantime. 
It’s worth pointing out that it is not simply difficult or impossible for a French resident to renew a U.K. licence using their French address it is illegal for the to renew it using a UK address even if they own the property at the address given.
The French authorities announced about a year ago that, due to the backlog at Nantes, they were changing the rules re UK licences. Before it had been stated that after Brexit British Citizens resident in France would have to exchange their UK licences within one year. They changed it to say that UK citizens resident in France on the date of Brexit did not have to change their U.K. licences until their expiry date. Any Britons emigrating to France after Brexit will still have the one year to change deadline. There are circumstances when applications to exchange U.K. licences that are not about to expire will be accepted. They include;
Your licence has been lost or stolen
You have been awarded multiple points on your licence
There are also some subtle points worth noting about the U.K. photo card;
There is no need to exchange them just because you live at a French address not the given U.K. address
The expiry date on the photo card is the date that the photo expires not your right to drive. I believe that it is recommended that people who are approaching 70 whose licence exchange paperwork is tied up in the system contact the DVLA and ask for a Certificate of Entitlement.
All this information is clearly stated on the FB page that I posted links to yesterday. I can’t quote it directly because I’m not a member but used it when helping a British friend with the paperwork to exchange his licence. The help and advice they offer really is very good.
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If you don’t have a photcard U.K. licence, the paper one is all you have. The photo card licence is not compulsory.
Paper is always a good bet… the more the merrier in my view 
The paper UK licence is a red herring in this thread. I posted a photo from the DVLA about the difference between paper licences and the now irrelevant paper counterpart. I am well aware of the difference. The OP has a photo licence, my replies have been to help her and to cut through the confusing replies given.
Your post would have made more sense if you had replied to Martin Gray who wrote that you had to exchange your paper licence for a photo card. That was incorrect.
That’s a shame Dan… I was going to ask you to post some useful screen-shots of the FB information since not everyone uses FB. … and now you say it is a closed-group… drat. 
At least the world and his wife can wander through our Forum as freely as they please… 
It’s one of those sites where you have to answer questions to join. They have a huge membership and the woman who runs it is very well informed. She also appears to be able to contact Nantes directly and when I last saw it she had been gathering details of people approaching 70 to forward to Nantes through her contacts there.
Certainly does sound interesting… 
although some folk are worried about personal data and privacy … but I guess you have to take a flyer now and then…
It’s a bit like RIFT in that it is a focussed group to help people with a specific common problem.
Have you joined that FB group Dan? I tried a few times but after the 3 questions nothing happens. The screen refreshes and then I am back at the 3 questions wanting me to answer.
Dan has clarified my answer, and I meant exactly what I said that impossible for those who are non-resident i.e. they are French residents. I didn’t think I needed to say that UK residents are able to renew their UK licences😉
I haven’t tried joining it, I’ve seen it on a friends computer. The most recent FB page that I joined, one about historic buildings in France, asked two questions which I answered then the page reverted to the unanswered questions. I received an email about 24 hours later confirming that my application had been accepted. Did the same happen to you with the driving licence page?
The Facebook page suggested by Dan is excellent. Lots of useful focussed information.
There is now a new online query web site from CERT to chase applications. It is only for those licence exchange applications that need to be dealt with wuickly. E.g. To add penalty points, lost, due to expire in less than 6 months or expired.
Hi Martin… so, is there a link for this new “query” route, which you can give us… ??? or is it just another option on the ANTS site… ???
This is the link to CERT to query the status of an application to exchange a EU issued licence:
https://www.demarches-simplifiees.fr/commencer/cert-pc-epe-44-renseignements-europe?fbclid=IwAR3gw4BjerPdFp4VDSJz9O9e_gROq2LOGhFO4YKOVy5E9h6gwvnDQeXlSr8
It is not for everyone. CERT is clearly swamped and unabke to cope with the backlog. They are trying to get applicants with more pressing requests to raise a query, and asking others to be patient.
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Think I’ll zap that link on to other associated threads… might help someone…