Losing the keys of your hire car –  a warning.

We read this story  in the Daily Telegraph recently, and thought it would be useful to pass it on; we and many of our clients hire cars when in France, and we can all learn from the unfortunate experience of others. Read on…

A family on holiday in the south of France were burgled during the night, the thieves forced entry to their holiday property, took the car keys and stole the hire car. The next morning, when they discovered what had happened, the  holidaymakers reported the theft to the police and contacted the car hire company (National / Citer) who said that they would be liable for the excess - €1500. ( see our section below on insuring excess payments).

When they took the police report to the car hire company, the unfortunate people were told that they would have to pay the value of the car - a further  €15,000 –  as there was apparently a clause (in French) on their rental agreement saying that they would not be covered for theft if they did not return the keys and vehicle papers to the car hire company , unless they could prove that the keys had been taken from them under threat.

The story this time has a happy ending – after intervention from the Daily Telegraph journalist,  the broker (Car hire 3000) through which the customer had hired the car was successful in getting the charge waived; the case was helped by proof that the thieves had forced their way into the property to steal the keys. If, however, the thieves had just been able to get in through an unlocked door or window, the story may have had a different ending.

Remember – it is very important to take great care of your hire car keys when on holiday.

Insurance of excess

 Having read some of the horror stories in the press concerning alarming excess bills for people hiring cars abroad, when we go to France we take out excess reimbursement insurance with Insurance4carhire.com (annual policy) or Dailyexcess.com (short term policies). Car hire companies will offer this extra insurance when renting cars, but we have found their charges relatively expensive. (According to a recent newspaper article, the average price charged for top-up insurance by car rental companies is nearly £10 per day on top of the rental charge).

We have recently heard of another company offering pre-bought excess cover - www.iCarinsurance.com which, unlike Insurance4carhire.com will cover rentals made from within 150km of your home.

An added bonus is that excess insurance with the above companies may include items not generally covered, such as tyres, windscreen and the underside of the car.

Car hire for the over 70s

 Alamo / National  0116 256 5656 ( both the same company) do not have an upper age limit for renting cars in France.

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>Cycling

Cycling in France allows the perfect opportunity to enjoy superb scenery, rich cultural heritage and gastronomic delights at your own pace. Road cycling is so popular in France that drivers in general have a positive attitude; they expect to find cyclists around every corner, and so are less surprised when they do come across them. In addition, amongst the extensive network of Véloroutes crossing the country, there are many ‘Voies Vertes’ (specially designated tracks which are closed to motorised traffic) to choose from for more peaceful cycling. In the past few years, mountain bikes (VTT - Vélo Tout Terrain) have become extremely popular, and there are many trails expressly for mountain bikes.

Cycling in Brittany offers a wide variety of differing landscapes, from the undulating  alternately sandy and rocky coastline to the 172 miles Nantes-Brest canal - the towpaths provide an ideal inland cycle route. There are 100km of waymarked routes (9 trails) in the Blavet valley, 400km (40 trails) in Cornouaille, Finisterre and 300km (17 routes ) around the Crozon peninsula. Contact local tourist information offices for more details.   Cycling in Provence is very popular due to dramatically beautiful scenery and the agreeable climate. North east Provence (Alpes-Maritimes, eastern Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, eastern Hautes-Alpes) is mountainous - the views are spectacular, but the cycling is more challenging. Much of the Vaucluse, the Bouches-du-Rhône and the western part of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence is relatively flat, suitable for those not ready to take on the Alps.

 

Guidelines.

Children under 14 years of age may be transported as passengers on a bicycle.
Children under 5 years of age must be fastened in a special seat.

Cyclists must use cycle lanes where they are provided. Moped riders must use cycle lanes when indicated by an additional panel on the sign for the cycle lane.

Bicycles used at night or in poor visibility must also have a light at the front and at the rear.

The transportation of bicycles on a support fixed to the rear of a vehicle is permitted provided the lights and registration plate remain visible. When overtaking a bicycle, drivers must leave a distance of at least 1 m in built-up areas and 1.50 m outside built-up areas between their vehicle and the bicycle.

Most footpaths (Grandes Randonnées) allow cyclists.

Towpaths along canals tolerate cyclists at their own risks. Not all canals have towpaths, and some are not well maintained. Towpaths are indicated on the "Guides de Navigation par Voie d'Eau C.A.D. par Canal".

Bridlepaths are forbidden to cyclists.

Small roads shown in white on Michelin maps are recommended for cyclists.

Bicycle hire.

Most towns and large villages have bicycle shops where you can rent cycles (location velo). You can hire bicycles in railway stations, and certain sports shops, or make enquires at the local Office de Tourisme. At some of our properties in Brittany, our local agent may be able to organise bicycle hire for you.

Many, but not all, bicycle hire shops handle bicycle repair as well. Even if parts are not carried for your brand, the repair shops are often creative, and solutions can be found to get you on the road again. Tyres and innertubes will be French metric sizes.