sx200i

Hi everyone - my first post

I recently moved to Paris and brought my RH UK reg car with me. I had problems with my bank who then closed my account so have no UK bank account. This then triggered my car insurance company to cancel my insurance 2 weeks later. I haven't driven the car since but want to go to the South of France for a couple of weeks in August and was wondering whether you know of any French companies who would insure my car for 15 days.

TIA

EuroTrash

Hello.

I presume you are talking about a UK insurance company who cancelled your policy.

If you are now living in France you need to re-register your car here, and also France has a continuous insurance policy (as indeed I believe the UK does now) so as the owner of an uninsured vehicle you are on dodgy ground in both countries, whether you are driving the thing or not. Apart from it being a prosecutable offence, it is irresponsible because somebody else might decide go for a joy ride in it and injure or kill another person, or set fire to the car and cause damage to property.... sorry but you can't just insure a car for the days when you want to drive it and leave it sitting around uninsured for the rest of the time, it ain't legal and it ain't wise!

If you are now living in France, the correct thing to do is to insure your car with a French insurer, who will issue you with temporary sticker valid for a month with the UK reg number on it, after which time they will expect you to have completed the reimmatriculation process and they will issue the annual sticker with your new French reg number on it. The process is not too complicated and not too expensive.

Sorry to give such a severe answer to your first post, but France has laws and it's best to obey them.

sx200i

Hi

No probs with the severe answer lol! I've just ranf a French insurer who will give me 45 days for 288 Euros (3rd party only) while I apply for French registration, etc... Does the price seem reasonable?

L'Acajou

It depends on what type of car you have, your age, driving record, occupation, etc etc etc so it is hard to say if that is reasonable! (I was an insurance clerk in a previous life ) You could hire a car for your trip but would still have the problem of insuring your car at some point....

EuroTrash

Well without knowing what your car is or how old you are and how much no claims you have, it's hard to comment - but if it helps you to judge, I have maximum bonus malus and I pay around 250€ a year for fairly low level cover on an old car restricted to I think 5000km a year - it is covered for third party claims, and windscreen damage, and breakdown insurance, but not much else.

If you did have some no claims bonus in the UK and you can provide confirmation from your UK insurers, your French insurers should take that into account.

Hope this helps.

sx200i

OK, ta. Had no claims for 10 years plus until I turned into a pillar in an underground car park at Xmas...grrrrrrrr. My car is 10 years old but very low milage and in very good nick so ideally I'd like to keep it, get it French registered.

I understand you need the below to drive a car in France.

1) Carte Grise,

2) Control Technique

3) Car insurance.

However, to get it registered, do you know the process? I've asked several French but they don't seem to know exactly or the cost. I think you have to get a certificate of roadworthiness (is that the same as the Control technique?) before registration. Help!

sx200i

Well, I'm 51, only one 'accident' in 20 years plus of driving but with a tendency to pick up speeding fines (1 a year on average).

EuroTrash

Here you go
http://britishexpats.com/articles/france/registering-motorcycle-car-france/


I think it is fairly up to date but come back and shout if you get stuck at any point, and I'm sure some clever person will help.

Basically it is a paperchase, and once you have collected all the right bits of paper together, your reward is that you get your carte grise.

You will need to know the puissance fiscale, this can be a bit foxing if it doesn't say it anywhere, but if all else fails there is a website somewhere that has most models on it.

PS - it isn't on your list but you also need a driving licence to drive a car in France to be carried with you at all times

sx200i

Thanks a lot!

wetwang

That insurance doesn't seem unreasonable considering that on impulse I bought a 50 cc motor scooter last week and was then shocked to discover that the insurance was almost €1 a day,about €300 p.a. Fully comp.

EuroTrash

Yes but that's because scooters stand such a high chance of being stolen. If you didn't want it covered for theft the premium would probably plummet. But you need it covered for theft, and they know you do.