I have just ordered an Air Quality Certificate online, since I plan to visit France including Paris this year. The oldest and dirtiest vehicles (pre-1997 cars, pre-2000 bikes) only get a category 5 sticker; the newest and cleanest (Euro6 cars, Euro4 bikes) get a category 1. Main restrictions are going inside the Paris Peripherique Mon-Fri. Air Quality Certificate Service - Ministère de l'Environnement, de l'Energie et de la Mer It cost Euros 4.80. If and when the sticker arrives, I'll post about it. It's a safe bet that a similar system will arrive in London and elsewhere shortly, maybe the same system. EDIT: Sorry, I got this the wrong way around. New/clean = cat 1; old/dirty = cat 5. Now amended. P
Go easy nr Troyes and esp Bar sur Aube as we got done for....ahem...126mph of the D396 (i think) or mebbe D619. Cost all 3 of us 750Euros each plus insta 6mnth ban in Franco which meant we had to pay to get bikes shipped back to UK (another £500 each) and impounded until the shipper arrived. Gendarme was cool, he said our pelaton was good. (?) Fortunately it was the last day of our annual Alpine blast. We were back 1yr and 1 day after though. Back there soon on 14th June.
According to this article there is. British motorists on the continent face £640 speeding fines from today I got flashed riding back from France the day after this came into play so, we'll see.
The Crit'Air sticker arrived promptly (mauve for Cat 1) and is duly displayed on my windscreen. I have also put four reflective stickers on my helmet, and made sure the waterproof over-jacket I carry is a bright yellow one. I already had a little pack of breathalysers, now a bit grubby from rattling around in my luggage in previous years. That will have to do, I think.
No one will trouble you for loud pipes unless you attract attention in other ways. They have never worried about the very loud noise of the pipes on my 848.
Realised I do not have a GB sticker at the rear. So I've obtained one ready to stick on. Booked on the Tunnel 12 July; hotel in northern Paris booked; planning to see the 14 July parades etc.
If you have the Euro number plate with the little blue GB corner then you don't need a GB sticker. If you have a plain number plate then I think that you can buy (ebay) the little blue corner as a sticker.
Previous number plates have mainly had the blue GB corner, but I realised that the new bike does not. Hence the need to get a sticker. Very cheap off eBay, rather dearer in Calais.
Ive been umpteen times with my 8x3 diddy number plate with no such GB or EU badges etc. No hassles. Not even when we got done for speeding.
Me too boots, been many a time to France, Italy and Spain with a 7x5, never had a blue blob on my plate, and never been hassled but as Pete says, they are cheap at least if you feel the need.
WHat is legally required and what you do are two different things. There are many things that no one takes any notice of. You should carry a reflective vest, we have never bothered but bought two last week. The wife has one under the seat on her ST2 but there is not room under the seat on my Supersport, I doubt that I'll ever get asked for it. If they stop me for riding like a hooligan then they might look for other things too. Now is a good time to visit as the Tour de France is on and most of the French police are involved from all over the country. It comes through my region on Tuesday so this is where most of the coppers will be that day.
