We
have outlined on other pages travel by foot,
road, sea, air, hitchhiking, bike, train,
bus etc but there are other alternatives
if you want a really different holiday in
France.
MOTORCYCLE / MOPED / THREE WHEELER
A very simple method is to hire a motorcyle
(in large cities) or rent a bike. You could
also get access to a moped or even the farm
style three wheeler vehicles, for these
however your travel will be slow. France
is a superb country for motorcycle touring,
with winding roads of good quality and lots
of stunning scenery.
Motonline allows you to rent a bike throughout
Europe and there are pickup and drop off
points around the country (for additional
fees). Rentable bikes include Ducati, Aprilia,
Yamaha and BMW. www.rent.motonline.com rent@motonline.com.
Road Rules and Tolls
Helmets are compulsory for motorcyclists
and their passengers.
Tolls for motorcycles are, on average, 30
percent cheaper than tolls for category-1
vehicles.
Suggested Itineraries
You could use a motorbike instead of regular
public transport to see the places you have
in mind in France. Or you could use some
of the following suggestions for specific
motorbike routes:
Starting from Savines, you can have wonderful
motorbike rides. For example, you can go
to the Bonnette pass (the highest pass in
Europe). It is a unique trip with magnificent
landscapes.
This itinerary is detailed here:
IdeaMerge - dedicated to motorbike riders
across Europe. Italso has information about
driving cars and ride sharing. http://www.ideamerge.com/motoeuropa/
Motorcycle - Internet - www.bikers-engine.com.
Website for buying, selling & renting
property including motorbikes
http://search.bikers-engine.com/directory/Internet/more11.html
Emergencies Police, tel. 17
Fire, tel. 18;
Ambulance - call the number given on the
phone box or call the police.
Expressways and main highways have roadside
emergency telephones every 2 km.
If there is an accident involving personal
injury or substantial damage contact a
policeman
(agent de police) to make a report. On
country roads, contact a gendarme. If the
accident
involves damage only, contact a huissier
from the nearest town. A huissier is a
court
official who is part assessor and part
bailiff. The party requesting the huissier's
services
must pay the fee for completing a report
on the accident.
Accidents also should be reported to the
Bureau Central Français des Sociétés
d'Assurances contre les Accidents Automobiles,
36 ave. du Général de Gaulle,
93171 Bagnolet cedex, tel. 1 49 93 65 50.
Automobile Club de France, FIA member,
68
Place de la Concorde, 75008 Paris, tel.
1 43 12 43 12, office hours from 9:00 a.m.
to 6:00 p.m. on weekdays. Automobile Club
National (ACN), FIA and AIT member, 5 rue
Auber, 75009 Paris, tel. 44 51 53 99, office
hours from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and from
2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. (Friday until 5:00)
on weekdays.
TRUCKS AND COMMERCIAL VEHICLES
This is a form of hitch hiking but truck
drivers are often glad for a bit of company
on the road and commercial or delivery
drivers have been known to
take tourists along for a ride in return for some help on the job.
If you know of any other means of alternative
transport around France then please contact
us with the details france@backpackglobe.com
