News, Traffic Information and Road Works

If you are visiting the vineyards of France to buy your favourite wines, the notes below will help you avoid traffic problems. If you want to visit some of the 111 vineyards on our lists, then check out the Routes in our member's Premier Pages section.

If you don't want to drive all the way to the vineyard, Winedrive members living in the UK can order great French wine from home at low vineyard prices and have it shipped to Calais, then take a cheap day return from Dover to collect it.

For more detailed information including advice regarding delays, diversions and speed restrictions and for monthly reports from the vineyards, see Premier Pages. Click the Join Now! button above.

Stay off the bottle
When you are visiting the vineyards, taste but don't drink, or get someone else to drive. Breath tests are far more prevalent in France and the limit is lower than UK.

Ain:	All open
Alpes du Hautes Provence:	Cayolle, Champs and Col d'Allos Passable with oligatory special equipment (snow chains).
Alpes-Maritime:	Lombarde, Restefond la Bonette
Ariege:	La Core, Pailheres and Pradel
Cantal:	Pas de Peyrol.
Drôme:	Bataille, Carabes, and Tournol
Hautes Alpes:	Agnel, Echelle, Noyer and Izoard
Haute Garonne:	All open
Hautes-Pyrennes:	All open
Haute-Savoie:	Colombière, Joux Plane, Joux Verte
Isere:	All open
Jura:	All open
Puy de Dôme:	All open
Pyrenees-Atlantiques:	Tourmalet
Savoie:	Cormet de Roselend, Croix de Fer, Galibier, Glandon, Iseran, La Madeleine, Mont Cenis, Petit Saint Bernard
Vaucluse:	Col des Tempetes
Vosges:	All open

Radar Detectors
Anyone caught with a radar detecting scanner will be banned from driving in France for up to three years and have it confiscated on the spot.

Unless there is another driver in the car, you will be turned round at your port of entry and put back on the boat. If you are stopped anywhere in metropolitan France, you will have to get your motoring organisation to repatriate your car or get someone from England to collect it. Ports and airports are notified if a visiting driver is banned and anyone who continues to drive can expect severe consequences, including a possible prison sentence - LEAVE YOUR SCANNER AT HOME!