New post Brexit Number Plate logo

[JBell]

Plain plate and a magnetic GB badge if needed

 

[Slartibardfast1]

Plain plate and a magnetic GB badge if needed

I think my car is aluminium though

 

[SL63 Mark]

Cor, having read all that, I think I'll stay here. It's exhausting, and will probably change anyway.

 

[Oldspanners]

Rather than sign up to “what f£&*ing number plate monthly” (it’s easy to overthink things ) , I’m going with plain flat aluminium (who knew that’s an option) to go in my new slide in number plate holders .
The alu plate should bend nicely in the front holder .
No badges or country identifier, I’ll just stick a GB sticker on the back , so in fact a total reversal of my start position.

Don't think any option will be a problem if and when we can all travel again everyone will be happy to be able to move freely although not just as easily and cheaply as before.

 

[LostKiwi]

Don't think any option will be a problem if and when we can all travel again everyone will be happy to be able to move freely although not just as easily and cheaply as before.

Definitely not as cheaply. Especially if you have dogs....

 

[Wighty]

Definitely not as cheaply. Especially if you have dogs....

Or sandwiches !

 

[LostKiwi]

Or sandwiches !

We used to take a shopping bag with us with food for 2 days till we could get to a supermarket. That's now screwed.
We now have to stop en route at a supermarket to get food or starve.

I'm just waiting for the end of free roaming next...

 

[Wighty]

We used to take a shopping bag with us with food for 2 days till we could get to a supermarket. That's now screwed.
We now have to stop en route at a supermarket to get food or starve.

I'm just waiting for the end of free roaming next...

I’m going to create a hidden compartment for my egg sandwiches

 

[Rob7seven]

I’m going to create a hidden compartment for my egg sandwiches

I suspect that the ham and cheese sandwich finds that were publicised were the result of random checks. Given the way cars and trucks drive off ferries in a constant stream, unfriendly foreign customs can't possibly check everyone, often they don't even do a passport check. What's the penalty anyway, just losing a sandwich or two? Not looking for trouble, but I might think about risking that.

 

[Oldspanners]

Definitely not as cheaply. Especially if you have dogs....

Or car insurance, health insurance, but wine and good food are still worth it.

 

[Wighty]

I think my car is aluminium though

Put some metal the other side of the boot section ?

 

[Oldspanners]

Put some metal the other side of the boot section ?

Or I've a MIG welder and some aluminum wire if you like

 

[d215yq]

I suspect that the ham and cheese sandwich finds that were publicised were the result of random checks. Given the way cars and trucks drive off ferries in a constant stream, unfriendly foreign customs can't possibly check everyone, often they don't even do a passport check. What's the penalty anyway, just losing a sandwich or two? Not looking for trouble, but I might think about risking that.

It will be like when new detailed coronavirus rules come in here, for the first week the police are everywhere trying to find examples so they can "explain" the new rules or fine you. A few weeks later it's basically policed on a more common sense basis. No doubt some port heard that food and wine wasn't allowed as wasn't covered by brexit and told everyone to check for it for a day to make a point, and then of course the tabloids loved to pick up on the example and did their job for them of spreading the "word".

I will be driving to UK in Aug (covid permitting) in a spanish regd estate car and just me (so higher risk profile for smuggling i guess). I wont be trying to export/import anythign new boxed and expensive across the channel and won't have the car on the floor full of boxes of wine, not that i ever did anyway, but gifts and 3 weeks of personal/family consumption will be bought in as usual and I expect zero trouble in entry/exit as has always been the case. I've only ever had checks for traces of explosives and boot searched for migrants and nothing else. The customs guys take their positions seriously and they are unliklely to be searching for sandwiches or the odd wine bottle... they didn't even care about my unroadworthy looking (by UK rules/stds) old merc, lack of headlight adaptors or any other of that stuff that the ferry companies seem sure will land you a 100 pound fine the moment you drive off unless you purchase their handy kit of 3 bulbs and a sticker for only 34.99! I went back and forth 8 times in the last 4 years beofre covid so not just a fluke either. That said, other than the 80kmh in rural france which i found hard to keep to, i respected all speed limits and driving rules. My guess is a lot of those "picked on" for something trivial like a plate or lack of metallic badge or not adjusted lights, etc will have probably been excessively speeding or doing something else to warrant the attention. Certainly in Spain you would be very unlucky to get pulled over if you were driving sensibly without the "new" GB flag plate.

 

[Rob7seven]

My guess is a lot of those "picked on" for something trivial like a plate or lack of metallic badge or not adjusted lights, etc will have probably been excessively speeding or doing something else to warrant the attention. Certainly in Spain you would be very unlucky to get pulled over if you were driving sensibly without the "new" GB flag plate.

As I understand the new rules, all you really need to be "legal" are the letters "GB" somewhere on the rear of the car. An old out of date EU flag might cause problems, but theUK flag is up to you I think, I haven't read anywhere that it's a requirement. The ferry companies aren't a reliable source of information, they all tell travellers that they must have a current breathaliser kit to drive legally in France, but this is complete b0llocks, you don't. It may be "advisory" or "suggested", but a law making it compulsory was never ratified by the French Government, so there, you don't need them. Same thing with spare bulbs, anyone still bother with these? The LEDs on both ends of my new C Class, would probably cost a couple of thousand at MB prices for a set of spares, and aren't they more or less guaranteed to last forever?

 

[sonic]

Anyone know what the tax free prices are for spirits on the ferries? It should be about 40% cheaper.

 

[d215yq]

As I understand the new rules, all you really need to be "legal" are the letters "GB" somewhere on the rear of the car. An old out of date EU flag might cause problems, but theUK flag is up to you I think, I haven't read anywhere that it's a requirement. The ferry companies aren't a reliable source of information, they all tell travellers that they must have a current breathaliser kit to drive legally in France, but this is complete b0llocks, you don't. It may be "advisory" or "suggested", but a law making it compulsory was never ratified by the French Government, so there, you don't need them. Same thing with spare bulbs, anyone still bother with these? The LEDs on both ends of my new C Class, would probably cost a couple of thousand at MB prices for a set of spares, and aren't they more or less guaranteed to last forever?

Exactly, if they can identify the country of the car and you're not doing anything stupid then morally/practically they should and almost certainly will leave you alone. My favourite scare advert on the ferry are the AA/RAC ones where it states that a breakdown in europe typically costs €4,000 so make sure you're covered. Having nothing to do on the ferry I read the small print ***€4000 based on a family of 4s experience, having an unfixable problem in Malta and needing repatriation, hotels for themselves and vehicle from Malta to Northern Ireland!*** Quite the typical breakdown then. I'm really not sure how any of this scaremongering advertising is legal to be honest.... Most garages in France/Spain have their own tow truck and would pick up the car for under 100€ and then fix the car cheaper than they would in the UK anyway. The only problem is it might take a few days but a few nights in a hotel would probably be paid for by the cheaper labour rate anyway.

 

[JBell]

I think my car is aluminium though

Gorilla Glue

 

[Slartibardfast1]

Gorilla Glue

Yep, that would do it

 

[Wighty]

Yep, that would do it

Make sure it’s level before it dries

 

[Slartibardfast1]

Make sure it’s level before it dries

With my OCD, it would definitely be level!