LA POSTE is promising a digital stamp service that will let you write a code on your envelope and pop it straight into a post box for delivery.
The digital stamps will be available from next year and work via a mobile phone app that will create a short code of a mix of numbers and letters.
Then you write this code in the top right hand corner of your envelope – replacing the need for an ‘old fashioned’ stamp – before placing it in a post box.
Eco green stamp equivalent
The service will cover letters weighing less than 20 g and be charged at the same rate as the current Eco green stamps, currently €1,16, and will arrive at its destination two days later.
Developers have produced a system using algorithms to combat potential fraud and camera equipment installed in postal sorting offices will be able to read the hand written codes.
Don’t worry, normal stamps will still be available and the digital stamps come as part of a plan announced by La Poste to offer more services, despite them now delivering only a third of what they did fifteen years ago.
The postal service across France will see increased investment, totalling €800 million, in equipment such as digital screens and parcel collection points, with agreements signed with postal staff unions to boost job openings and provide training and support on the new technologies.
ROAMING charges on mobile phones are set to make a comeback for many UK holidaymakers in France, or for those people who still use a UK sim card whilst living here.
With our day-to-day lives increasingly reliant on using mobile phones, simple tasks such as checking restaurant websites, booking event tickets or backing up photographs from your phone could see you face ‘bill shock’ a couple of weeks later.
Brexit, and the failure of the UK and the EU to come to an agreement on data use across borders has allowed mobile phone companies in the UK to reintroduce roaming charges that cover regular calls, text messages and internet data use.
Before you even set foot in France I would check what your SIM card provider is currently saying about the payment plan you are on, as many companies seem to have split customers into different groups.
Roaming charges in France
For example, Vodafone customers who signed up with the company after 11 August 2021, or if you updated or changed your plan after this date, and you’re not on a plan with 4 Xtra benefits will face a charge of £2 per day to use your phone for data, calls and texts.
Three are using 1 October 2021 as their cut off date, before this you can use your daily allowance at no extra cost, but you can only use up to 12GB of data, which will come out of your allowance.
If you signed up with Three, or changed your plan after 1 October, then you will have to pay a daily charge of £2 to unlock your UK allowance for 24 hours’ use in France.
Clear and simple it is not.
UK mobile phone companies currently have a £45 (excluding VAT) per month cap on data roaming charges, and you should receive an alert message when you reach 80% of your data allowance and then another once you have exhausted the limit completely.
Beyond this point, providers must stop charging for data roaming unless you opt-in to continue.
How to avoid roaming charges in France
1. Double, and triple check, what your current contract with your mobile phone company provides you with if you intend to use your phone in France.
If you have not already I would install the company app that should let you manage and measure data usage whilst overseas, you can always delete it once back in the UK.
2. Learn how to turn off data roaming within your mobile phone settings, it can usually be found under Network or Mobile Data.
If you don’t have a deal offering data use overseas then I’d make sure it is turned off before you leave the UK, you don’t want your phone trying to connect whilst in your pocket as you arrive in France.
3. Use wifi to access websites, download email and WhatsApp friends and family when in France.
This is much easier than it was especially as most gites and holiday homes now have speedy internet access, whilst many restaurants, museums and visitor centres will provide internet access as well.
4. You can cut your phone off any data connection, including wifi, by going into Airplane mode and this again is an option found in settings.
But you can still listen to music stored on your phone, take photographs and use apps that don’t require a data connection to work.
5. Ensure you are manually updating apps, or that backups such as photographs are only using wifi, because most phones are constantly downloading new messages, checking for updates and eating through your data allowance without you being fully aware.
6. Download maps in advance whilst using regular wifi, and it is a useful option in France as data coverage can sometimes be a bit patchy in the more offbeat areas of the countryside.
Google Maps allows you to download an area direct to your mobile phone so you can still track down places without any signal, although up to the minute traffic info won’t be available.
And whilst you are doing this, pick up an ‘old skool’ map book to stick in the car.
Bottom line on roaming charges
It is a major frustration that people will have to make some preparations in advance of travelling to France to avoid the risk of a hefty bill from their mobile phone company following a holiday away.
Just be aware of how your mobile phone is set up to ensure it doesn’t connect to networks if you don’t have a special deal, and get up-to-date with the costs of what your mobile phone company now charges.
Ultimately, if you have any doubts turn off data roaming and stick to wifi access – and don’t forget to enjoy the peace and quiet of not being ‘always on’.
FROM 1 July 2022 and until the end of August the 50 déchèteries across the Dordogne will reduce their opening hours over the summer holiday period.
The organisation of the centres is overseen by the Syndicat mixte départemental des déchets de la Dordogne (SMD3) and they have a detailed page about the opening times.
You can narrow down your search by using the map towards the bottom of the page and finding the déchèterie closest to you, this then provides information on dates and times each centre is open.
SMD3 also say that all centres are closed on Sundays and jours fériés.
Dordogne déchèteries
The summer opening times for the déchèteries especially on Saturdays are often based around odd and even weeks of July and August, or impaires and paires with the gates open on alternate weeks.
For example, if I take a look at the opening times for Saint-Cernin-de-l’Herm the summer service for the déchèterie between 1 July and 31 August is open on Tuesdays from 7h30 to 13h.
And then it is open on Saturdays but only covering the odd weeks for the two months and again from 7h30 to 13h.
Finally to add a little more spice to the service, a card the size of a credit card has to be applied for through the SMD3 that lets you open a barrier at the entrance of the déchèteries and entitles you to a certain number of visits each year.
Not surprisingly local opposition to both this system for the déchèteries and the overall cost of recycling and refuse services in the département is pretty strong.
WITH the cost of petrol and diesel in France, as well as everywhere else, only heading up you can use an online service to help find the cheapest prices closest to you.
The Finance Ministry has a very slick and up to date website, Prix des carburants en France, that draws in prices from thousands of petrol stations across France.
You can start your search via département, commune or postcode, with the results displaying the name of petrol stations and supermarkets closest to your chosen location and the individual prices per litre.
It is possible to zoom in on individual towns and areas, and with a little bit of extra planning you could work out the best places to stop if you were travelling through France or around a region.
Best fuel prices in France
Often it is supermarkets that have the best price, even the supermarkets in smaller towns will be competitive, although many village pumps are extremely expensive.
These can often be more than 0.20 cents per litre extra than the supermarkets, if you really have to use one of these petrol stations it is almost worth just buying a minimum five litres and then driving to the nearest supermarket to top up.
Some stations will still have staff to take payment, but increasingly they are self service and open 24 hours a day.
Save fuel by driving sensibly
One of the advantages of driving in the French countryside is that the roads are usually quiet, with little traffic on them, so you can keep a steady pace and accelerate smoothly.
In towns and cities it is different, with much more stopping and starting you will be using more fuel, but again try to keep a light touch on the accelerator.
Car tyre pressures also play an important part in fuel economy, so I’d suggest keeping a small air compressor pump in the car as you can’t always be sure pumps at petrol stations will be working and often you have to pay.
Also keep an eye on the condition of your tyres as many roads in the French countryside can be poorly surfaced, with sections sometimes damaged after heavy rainfall.
You may also be forced into driving in and out of soft verges when passing oncoming traffic, resulting in you banging into dips and bumps you were not expecting, so cast an eye over your tyres if you’ve had such an experience.
Air con can cost
Remember the air con uses fuel when running, and whilst it is a necessity when temperatures head towards 40C, try not to have it running when temperatures are more bearable.
Also don’t drive around with your car boot full of heavy items and if you can, take roof bars and boxes off your car as these can cause drag and again see you use up more fuel than you need.
Anticipating what might happen on the road ahead is also a good skill to develop, plan to pass cyclists smoothly, be aware of when pedestrians might cross the road and keeping a sensible distance from the car in front will give you time to think.
IT is six years since the UK voted to leave the European Union, with its supporters promising a new future for the country and promising that ‘nothing would change’.
For many on this side of the Channel it has been a time of great unease, at first wondering what the future might bring, with rumours and possible scenarios leading to many a sleepless night.
As the weeks, months and years progressed it felt like the sands were forever changing beneath our feet as questions remained unanswered.
Constant questions day after day
Would British people retain the right to work in France and the EU? Would pensions and health cover continue? Would British children living in the EU have access to education in the UK?
How easy would it be to travel with your French family members to the UK? Could we ever move back to the UK? Would it be possible to bring older parents to France for long term support?
What changes would there be for those living in France and working in the UK? Would past qualifications be recognised as they were before? Could we still bring our dog on holiday?
Many of these questions have been answered, some not, but invariably it has resulted in more cost, increased paperwork and extended periods of time worrying about things that used to cause little concern.
Elections highlight the loss
And it was the recent French elections that brought home to me that for many they have no representation in the corridors of power, on either side of the Channel.
For years I have been writing about the 15 year rule and how British people lost their right to vote back in the UK.
And it feels that I’ve been writing for about 15 years that this rule would be quashed and that a right to vote for those who have been outside the UK long term would be able to vote once again.
The wait continues.
But the Brexit vote has also cut any representation British people had with local democracy, cutting them adrift from having any influence on their day-to-day life.
Clearly the presidential and legislative votes of the past couple of months are only open to French nationals, but that vote on 23 June, 2016, has also stripped the vote many enjoyed at a local level.
The ‘shadow people’
The role of the mayor in local French politics is very different to that of the UK, they have much more influence and connection with the different levels of government in France.
They can be a helpful route to ensure the voice of local people is heard, especially in the countryside, but that is now gone for British people and it almost feels like we are ‘shadow people’ still with a voice that is not being heard.
Gaining French nationality is one way around this issue, but for many they are still worried about what changes to legislation might bring, especially if a future UK government changes pension and health rules for dual nationals or those who have left the country.
I already know of people who have decided to leave France and return to the UK due to the many questions and concerns that they were struggling to find an answer for.
Others have been hit by the 90 day rule, meaning they have to squeeze all they want to do into a shorter period of time, missing out on different experiences and being aware that they have a strict deadline by which they have to cross the border back to the UK.
It is easy for politicians and commentators to say that it is ‘time to move on’ as none of them have seen their day-to-day life filled with ‘what ifs and maybes’ whilst still trying to enjoy life in France.
Time may be a great healer, but for many the referendum vote remains a painful sore.
FLYING from the UK to Bergerac Airport opens up the Dordogne and all that it offers to you, as well as many of the surrounding départements.
For summer 2023 there are a number of flights from across England to Bergerac, but sadly nothing is available for those flying from Scotland or Ireland.
Ryanair is offering the greatest number of flights this year, with Jet2.com and British Airways also providing flights to Bergerac.
Bergerac Airport is still a small operation considering its popularity, especially in the summer, so you might face a short delay whilst going through passport control, especially now that British visitors will require their passports to be stamped.
There are a number of car hire options available at the airport, but its location on the main arterial road, the N21, means you can quickly be off driving into the Dordogne, or the surrounding Lot-et-Garonne and Gironde départements.
One thing to remember about driving either to or from Bergerac Airport is that the distances involved in driving across the Dordogne can make what appears to be a bargain flight, turn into a long haul trek across country.
Bergerac Airport flight map
Ryanair
London Stansted
Bristol
Liverpool
East Midlands
Bournemouth
Porto
Brussels-Charleroi
Jet2.com
Birmingham
Manchester
Leeds Bradford
British Airways
London City
Southampton (BA offers connecting flights from Southampton)
Transavia
Rotterdam
Airport parking
Car parking options at Bergerac Airport are available, with a larger area providing long-term parking, although if you are away for a long period of time it will most probably be better to get a taxi or a friend to drop you off.
There is also a short stay parking area that is suitable for dropping friends off, there is no longer the option to use a short section of road to drop off or pick-up people from directly in front of the doors into the departure area.
This has been closed off and can only be access by registered taxi drivers.
Cheap flight tips
You can make your search for cheap flights to France a little easier by being flexible on your dates of travel, and if possible book one to three months in advance.
If you are able to take a midweek flight they are generally cheaper then weekend travel, also travel early morning or around noon to get cheaper flights.
Remember if you arrive at your destination late in the day then public transport might be limited, and double-check that the day of your arrival is not a public holiday as again transport options could be limited.
Keep your eyes open for extra fees and charges especially when paying with a credit card, and if possible travel with just hand luggage as bags placed in the hold will face a charge.
Ultimately if you find a good price for a flight to France then book it, even if you change your mind later, it may be just a few pounds you lose.
THE popular Thursday evening farmers’ market beneath Loubéjac’s church tower runs throughout July and August, with other markets across the region also on offer.
Organised by the national Marchés des Producteurs de Pays you will be able to enjoy local food and drink from producers offering duck, breads, soups, salads, wine, fruits of all types and you can sit down with friends to enjoy a leisurely evening.
Night market in Loubéjac
The first night market in Loubéjac takes place on 7 July, running through to 1 September, and starts at 18h30.
Remember to bring along your own plates, as well as glasses for a dash of wine and knives and forks.
This southern corner of the Dordogne will host similar events, always offering a slice of real French life.
There is a farmers market every Tuesday during the summer season in Villefranche-du-Périgord, it takes place under the village halle from 5 July to 6 September and starts at 18h30.
On Fridays there is a farmers market in Besse from 18h30, starting on the 8 July until 26 August
DRIVING around France can be a real pleasure. You will find quiet roads with views across the countryside, very few vehicles to get stuck behind and lovely villages where you can stop for a break.
But there are some rules of the road that are worth considering, because despite the French countryside appearing to be a driver’s paradise there were, for example, 24 deaths and 199 accidents on the roads of the Dordogne in 2019.
And before you set off during the holiday period you might want to drop in on the Bison Futé website, which offers up maps and pointers to potential traffic problems.
General rules of the road in France
You must be over 18 to drive in France and do not use a mobile phone behind the wheel, police officers are keen to put a halt to this habit and can issue heavy fines.
A key piece of equipment is the high visibility jacket, and you should have one each for all the passengers in your vehicle.
Also ensure you are carrying them in the main compartment of the car, not in the boot, as should you have to leave your car then you can quickly and easily put the jackets on and then move away from the vehicle.
Another important piece of equipment is a warning triangle that you can place about 50 paces behind your vehicle to warn oncoming vehicles that your car is at the side of the road.
What are the speed limits in France?
Speed limits are clearly signposted at the roadside and they are:
· Built-up areas 50kph (possibly even 30kph)
· Ordinary roads 80kph
· Dual carriageways 90kph
· Toll autoroutes 130kph
Driving the countryside roads of France
Many of the countryside roads in France will be a little worse for wear and have patches of repair work and soft roadside verges.
Be aware that after periods of rain many of the roads will have a sheen of damp across them that sometimes brings vehicle fuel and oil to the surface.
So look out for ‘GASOIL’ signs at the side of the roads, this will signify that fuel or oil has been spilt onto the road, often from farm machinery, that if not noticed by the vehicle operator could have been dripping on to the road for a few kilometres.
Slow down and take extra care around bends and downhill because any spills can be very difficult to see on the surface of the road.
Major road closures or diversions due to bad weather, forest fires or other dangerous situations might be something you cross, with this in mind the French authorities recently launched the FR-Alert system to warn of local dangers.
Stopping at the STOP sign
A comment on the site stressed the importance of coming to a stop at the STOP signs you will see at road junctions.
They are a favourite spot for gendarmes to catch drivers that roll through the junction even though there are no other vehicles on the road.
So the recommended procedure is to come to a stop, check that the road is clear and then change into first gear, ensuring you have taken the proper time at the junction and don’t run the risk of facing a stern lecture and fine.
Understanding priorité à droite
Another comment on the site mentions the importance of priorité à droite especially at a road junction with no markings, although some will have a red bordered triangle with a black X on it.
If you approach a junction and a car arrives from the right then it is this car that has priority over you, and so it is for you to slow down and let the other car drive away in front of you.
In the video above you will see an example of the driver giving way to a white van coming from the right as they both approach the junction (2 mins 50 secs).
Speeding on French roads
Remember at the start of this piece I mentioned the number of deaths on the Dordogne roads, one of the major causes is speeding and it is a problem across France.
Long sweeping roads can make driving a real pleasure, but some of the countryside roads are twisty and tight, often going in and out of wooded areas with bright sunlight, so if can be difficult to stay on the road and with soft roadside verges you can easily lose control.
Wild animals on the roads
You are very close to nature in France with deer and sanglier, or wild boar, often spotted in the fields and woods, but they also cover large distances and regularly cross roads.
Hitting any animal on the road is sad enough, but deer and sanglier can cause great damage to your vehicle and can be catapulted up into your windscreen.
So be on the look out for any animals early in the morning or around dusk as this is normally when they are on the move.
Deer can suddenly appear out of the woods at the side of the road, and if one passes in front of you be on the look out for others following swiftly behind.
Cyclists on the roads in France
If the quiet roads of France are an appeal to drivers, they also have a real attraction to cyclists.
France is a paradise for amateur cyclists and they should be given a wide berth by passing drivers, so give yourself plenty of time and space to get past individuals or groups.
Be aware of farm vehicles
Agriculture is an important part of the French economy so you will often see tractors and trailers piled high with straw, crops and fruit.
Again give yourself plenty of time to pass these vehicles, don’t be tempted to speed past them when heading uphill unless the road is completely clear and sharp bends can soon be on top of you and you will not know what is coming around them.
Stay right at all times
This is for UK drivers, but sadly almost every year there will be accidents on the roads of France due to a vehicle being driven on the wrong side of the road.
In the countryside this can be a real problem because many of the smaller roads have no central road markings so you can easily drift across and not be aware of your road position.
Stickers can be placed on your windscreen to ensure you stay right, like these on Amazon, and they are particularly useful at roundabouts.
But if you have been out all day and you are hot and tired, then just be aware of where you are on the road and remember to drive ‘with your bum in the gutter’ if you are driving a UK, right hand drive vehicle.
Petrol prices in the French countryside
Some smaller villages will have a petrol station, or a self-service station on the edge of the village, but you will often pay as much as 0.20 euros a litre extra in comparison to a larger town.
So if you know you are set to be driving a long distance, or filling up before heading back to the UK, head towards supermarket petrol stations where you will usually find the best prices.
Emergency telephone numbers
If the worst comes to the worst and you need to call for emergency assistance here are the numbers to use:
112 – European Emergency Number, available in English, for fire services, an ambulance or the police
18 – For the fire brigade, or Sapeurs Pompiers, who are often based out of larger villages in the Dordogne and can deal with medical problems and have the necessary equipment for road accidents
17 – Police and gendarmes if you are the victim of a crime such as robbery or assault
15 – Samu for non-urgent medical issues
RECYCLING your rubbish ensures that you leave only footprints when holidaying in the Dordogne, as we all try and reduce our impact on the planet.
The recycling system in the Dordogne uses large coloured containers, but with a twist for non-recyclable rubbish that goes in black bin bags.
The system is overseen by the Syndicat mixte départemental des déchets de la Dordogne (SMD3) and the containers for black bin bags can only be opened by the use of a card the size of a credit card.
This needs to be passed across a reader before the hatch opens allowing you to place your rubbish inside.
Steps for using containers for black bags
1. Press the round silver button
2. Place your card over the reader for at least three seconds
3. If valid you will hear a brief whirring noise, then pull open the rubbish chute
4. Place your rubbish sacks in the chute bucket either 2 X 30 litres or one of 60 litres
5. Close the chute back up ensuring it’s properly shut
The cards are only available to local residents who pay an annual fee, so if you are on holiday double-check with your property owner or management company that they will take away any black bin bags, because without a card you can not open the containers.
And sadly some bins have seen black bags left in front of them, which in the summer can create a smelly problem for the local authorities to deal with.
But you can do something about tidying up recyclable packaging, glass bottles and cardboard boxes that you may use whilst in the Dordogne.
What can you recycle in the yellow bins?
You will see large containers with yellow panels and flashes on them saying you can recycle emballages et papiers, this is packaging and papers.
So things like plastic bottles and containers, magazines and milk or juice cartons, metal trays, tins and crisp packets, yogurt pots and cheese wrappers, all these can go into the yellow containers.
You are best collecting them up over a few days and then emptying them into the container, but you will have to take them out of larger plastic sacks if that is how you have collected them because bars on the entrance of the bins prevent larger items being pushed through in one go.
What can you recycle in the green bins?
The green containers will take glass bottles and pots, so your beer and wine bottles can go in here.
First though take any plastic or metal lids off and place them in the yellow containers.
What can you recycle in the brown bins?
This is for larger pieces of cardboard for example items ordered for the home off the internet.
Recycling in towns
Many larger villages and towns in the Dordogne have door-to-door collection services for black bag rubbish, but some are trying to phase this out and move to a central location for such waste.
The problem is that many villages and towns are build along narrow roads and passageways and so it is proving difficult to set up the large bins and access for the vehicles that take the rubbish is limited.
Périgueux is facing such problem and has decided not to swap over to the new system, towns such as Bergerac and Sarlat are also considering whether to adopt the new arrangements.
And it is not just an issue of access, it is illegal in France to charge residents different rates for the same service, depending upon if they live in the countryside or a town.
So in Périgueux the authorities have said they can’t have the two systems running in tandem, and charge people two different rates for a rubbish and recycling service.
Using the tip for larger items
If you are on holiday then there is less chance you will need to get rid of larger items, or dangerous or polluting materials such as paints or building rubbish.
But if you are a property owner then these have to be taken to your local tip, or déchèterie, but again you need to prove that you are resident to the area.
This is achieved by requiring residents to apply for a second card via SMD3 that will open a barrier at the entrance of the déchèteries across the Dordogne, allowing you access and counting your use throughout the year.
Garden waste you don’t want to compost can be taken to the tip, but be aware that there are strict rules on burning garden waste and if you fall foul of them you can be heavily fined.
The déchèteries serving smaller villages are usually only open for a few days through the week, so it will be best to check with the local mairie for the opening times.
Recycling rates in France
France has made significant progress in increasing its recycling rates over the past decade. According to Eurostat, the recycling rate for municipal waste in France was 43.5% in 2018, up from 25% in 2001.
The recycling rate for packaging waste was 77.9% in 2018, which is above the European Union’s target of 70%.
However, there is still room for improvement. The French government has set a target of recycling 100% of plastic waste by 2025, but this goal will require significant investment in recycling infrastructure and public education campaigns.
Overall, the French recycling system has made significant progress in recent years, but there are still challenges to be addressed.
The government will need to continue investing in recycling infrastructure and public education campaigns to achieve its goal of a circular economy.