Headlights in France

Hi,

I was wondering if I could get a definitive answer about driving my Rav 4 Hybrid (2020) in France?

Toyota Swindon parts department are saying that there is a setting on the console for driving abroad. They put me through to the service department to confirm this ..... no answer, left message with my contact details. Two weeks later and after phoning the service department three times I have not had a response. Reading the manual does not provide anything precise on headlights while driving abroad.

Any help would be gratefully appreciated.

1 hour ago, Perry651 said:

I was wondering if I could get a definitive answer about driving my Rav 4 Hybrid (2020) in France?

I'm pretty sure (=absolutely certain) that the answer is 'no' ... 😉 ... you are not going to get a definitive answer.

I am equally certain that there is no "setting on the console for driving abroad".

When I asked at my local dealership, they said that bean deflector stickers were required - I'm confident that they were wrong - the beam from LED headlights is flat and won't dazzle oncoming drivers on the other side of the road in Europe.

But test for yourself ... park facing a wall in the dark, switch on dipped beams and look for any 'up-tick' on the lefthand side. I can't find one with my car - the beam is very flat - so I drive on the continent with the headlights exactly as they are with no adjustment.

I’m sure that I read somewhere that you don’t need beam deflectors or any adjustments because of the beam pattern, but I can’t for the life of me find where I saw it.

Unlike when I drove down to the South of France in 1975 we had to purchase Lucas Yellow Beam Deflectors 🤣

Thanks for the reply, I will check my headlights in the dark.

Failing that I will plat safe and put headlight deflectors on.

No need for any deflectors. I have been to France and Germany in the RAV4 mk5 several times and it does not blind oncoming traffic (not been flashed once).  Light pattern is very flat. As philip42h said, there is no "setting on the console for driving abroad"

Thanks Andy, that's the answer I was looking for 

Regards

Perry

Have you got your clean air sticker for France and it needs to be stuck on the drivers side ( apparently 🙄)

4 hours ago, ELD1970 said:

Have you got your clean air sticker for France and it needs to be stuck on the drivers side ( apparently 🙄)

The official French website is shown below and the price is €4.61:

: 

Got mine the other day for that price…lots of scam sites charging 50 Euros.

Sticking it on the right hand side lower down seems to be the French legal requirement but can’t see a definitive answer and thats after a lot of Googling 🙄

Also must be actually stuck to inside of the screen and not in a holder to stop car’s swapping stickers. Apparently they tear if peeled off after they are stuck.  If anyone knows better or anything useful let me know!

The French and German air certificates are applied to the glass (I put them to the top of the passenger side and never had an issue, four different cars). They are not transferrable: have the reg number printed on them, so will break if you peel them off. With the French one, you get the e-mail with the 30 days temp cert you can show on the dashboard.
Certs on my previous RAV4

Thanks for the heads up about the clean air sticker.

I did some research last night,  I am going to Calais for the Christmas market with the wife and of course to bring back copious amounts of booze.  It seems that Calais does not require the clean air sticker. But I decided to blow the 4.50 Euros and ordered a sticker as the sticker is is for the life of the car.

It is getting expensive to travel to France, what with the 4.50 Euros for the clean air sticker and city tax of 1.50 Euros per night, per person for staying in Calais 

7 minutes ago, Perry651 said:

Thanks for the heads up about the clean air sticker.

...  It seems that Calais does not require the clean air sticker. But I decided to blow the 4.50 Euros and ordered a sticker as the sticker is is for the life of the car.

It is getting expensive to travel to France, what with the 4.50 Euros for the clean air sticker and city tax of 1.50 Euros per night, per person for staying in Calais 

Remember if any of you decide to go the same route then this :

Official French Clean Air Sticker

Is the website to be on, because there are a gazillion of "service" sites charging up to 60€ for the same sticker, i.e. 4,61€ for the sticker including postage and 55€ service charge for doing it for you. (My technophobe sister in law got had, like that).

At least there's some logic to ULEZ cities in France, if you have a clean air car with the appropriate sticker then you are fine all over France, and Switzerland. The ZTL (Zona Traffico Limitato) Italians have to negotiated individually!

Anyone going to France or other eu countries can buy some headlights stickers and keep them in the glove compartment. In any event of police stop and check can add them on as necessary and avoid penalties. The little dot in the centre of the lens on the plastic cover is for that purpose to attach the circle stickers. 

4 hours ago, Perry651 said:

Thanks for the heads up about the clean air sticker.

I did some research last night,  I am going to Calais for the Christmas market with the wife and of course to bring back copious amounts of booze.  It seems that Calais does not require the clean air sticker. But I decided to blow the 4.50 Euros and ordered a sticker as the sticker is is for the life of the car.

It is getting expensive to travel to France, what with the 4.50 Euros for the clean air sticker and city tax of 1.50 Euros per night, per person for staying in Calais 

The others have the headlight and clean air stickers well covered by the looks of it.

And I have not been over for a while.

If I can offer a tip though on buying the booze if you don't know already.

The last time I went, and on few previous trips, staying at the formula one,or Campanile type motels, there were a good few British registered cars and vans targeted by the crims, broken into and all the booze stolen.

Obviously had done their shopping, then staying the night at one of these, usually edge of town locations.

So if you can, I would plan to not buy your booze until the same day as your return ferry, even then crims target the auchan and suchlike hypermarket car parks for the same reason although they are patrolled by security,so my rule was lunch first, then shopping, then ferry.

Bon voyage, and have a great time, fingers 🤞 that you have no bother.

Have a look here for booze, you can pre-order and then just collect on the way home
https://www.calaiswine.co.uk/
If this is your first time in France, try to stick to the speed limit. There are some hidden speed cameras around Calais, and police are known to target UK drivers. Speed camera tolerance over there is smaller than in UK: 5 km/h (below 100 km/h) or 5% (below 100 km/h)

I've never stuck a Crit'Air sticker on any of my cars - in just the same way as I have never paid a "congestion charge" - simply because I haven't found it necessary (or useful) to drive in such zones.

I trust folk aren't getting carried away with unnecessary bureaucracy for a simple day trip or short stay in France ... 😉

I’m intending visiting Normandy next year and Bayeaux is definitely under the clean air scheme and I believe is or soon will be camera enforced.

On 11/14/2023 at 5:15 PM, Perry651 said:

Hi,

I was wondering if I could get a definitive answer about driving my Rav 4 Hybrid (2020) in France?

Toyota Swindon parts department are saying that there is a setting on the console for driving abroad. They put me through to the service department to confirm this ..... no answer, left message with my contact details. Two weeks later and after phoning the service department three times I have not had a response. Reading the manual does not provide anything precise on headlights while driving abroad.

Any help would be gratefully appreciated.

 

I've had my rav 4 d4d series 2 in france fir over 5 years. Never changed headlights,  no need to. I even  upgraded bulbs  to 85w. And halogen fog lights perfect as well. French police do not check  headlight settings. Just be sure keep your uk MOT up to date as they can check it now. 

My Prius has a similar light setup as OP and was advised when i went to france that because the unit was “forward facing” rather than older cars that point “leftwards” to illuminate the pavement in UK it does not Need any adjustment or stickers.