My grandson has arrived here in France without a UK sticker on the back of his van. He got here without being stopped but I am concerned for the return journey.
I have not been able to get one locally and Amazon do not have any in stock, so I thought I would make one. I downloaded the design but cannot get it accurate to the size. The best I can do with my printer is 24 x 16.5 instead of 15 x 13.2. I could shave the oval shape smaller but not the letters. I intend encapsulating it so it is waterproof but wonder if the larger size is going to cause trouble.
Unless anyone knows where I can get one in the Montauban, Castelsarrasin area which would be better, I would be grateful to know He returns next Wednesday so not a lot of time.
Size doesnât seem important. For the last couple of years Iâve had a much smaller than normalUK sticker (all I could get at the time) and for 5 trips no-one has said a word.
I doubt he would be stopped, but a home-made one is going to be indistinguishable from a manufactured one at Gendarme Viewing Distance. But as has been said if he has UK on his number plate itâs not needed.
OH was reading about hefty fines and as our grandson has come to help us out with jobs too difficult for us to do, we would hate for him to be stopped and fined.
He does not have a UK emblem on his number plate so I will be cutting out and encapsulating a âstickerâ. Whatâs a CritAir sticker?
Thatâs solved, now for the next problem, whatever that may be.
Hereâs a link to a site with information on CritâAir. I think Iâm right in saying that once youâve applied, you get a receipt that says yours is in the system even if it doesnât have time to arrive in France for your grandson.
itâs proof of the pollution category of a vehicle. You need one if you are going to drive into major cities - not always a problem, but if he is going back to the UK via Rouen, part of the ring road is included in their clean air zone and he might get his photo taken by an automatic camera.
Speaking for myself and OH, we bought Critâair stickers because they cost very little and because itâs not hard to stray into a Critâair zone on a ring road, say.
The very first UK sticker I saw was next to a GB sticker but - upside down !
Irrespective of whether the number plate has UK on it, the number plates of GB/UK cars are so distinctive that I think it would be a gendarme suffering from 'le grand ennuiâ to be bothered âŚ
Perhaps the driver of that vehicle was and Australian or maybe had very poor eyesight. Itâs best not to draw attention to yourself with some âmore than my jobs worthâ gemdarme.
However, Iâve sorted it out for him now. Just trying to make it as easy and uneventful as possible as he does not speak French, but thanks all the same.
Probably an anti-Brexit protest. I have considered doing the same with my UK sticker. I still have the GB sticker with the blue background and gold stars on my car.
Without doubt. And a protest at the pointlessness of it.
True enough but Iâve never had a UK sticker on the 3 vehicles with which Iâve come and gone across the Channel, when they were still on GB plates.
I think the gendarmes have better things to do, such as pinging the cheats who are driving Brit plated vehicles whilst being reg residents of FR - those people being illegal on the road both in FR [GB vehicle] and GB [FR resident]
I must admit that the lack of a UK sticker wouldnât cause me to lose any sleep at all and, if I were stopped, Iâd be pulling out my best Gallic shrug noting that it was there when I last looked. Though it was much easier when I had immunity
The last time I was in the queue for the ferry in UK there were several brit registered cars with no UK or GB sticker of any kind, either a separate sticker or part of the reg number plate. I would not recomment having nothing but if I had forgotten I wouldnt worry too much.
But as has been said if he has UK on his number plate itâs not needed.
