Driving into Paris.What sticker for diesel cars?

[Billy Boy]

We are driving into Paris next month and are unsure as to what type of sticker we now need for a diesel car.Can anyone give some guidance as the official website is not clear but there again it could be me!! Also as Brexit has not happened yet,I assume we do not need either a green card or IDP.Is that correct?

Many thanks

[Cabin-boy]

Hi, you are correct about the IDPs (although some of us have already got them but don't now need them) and the green cards as long as you will not be out of the country on 31st October in case it's no-deal after all. As for the Crit'Air stickers, try this site:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crit%27air&ved=2ahUKEwi2naj77evhAhXnDGMBHZQ2DycQFjAFegQIBxAB&usg=AOvVaw3vOKm1MomCO-m97mjJhnYh

Ed

[Paully]

11 minutes ago, Billy Boy said:

We are driving into Paris next month and are unsure as to what type of sticker we now need for a diesel car.Can anyone give some guidance as the official website is not clear but there again it could be me!! Also as Brexit has not happened yet,I assume we do not need either a green card or IDP.Is that correct?

Many thanks

I think this is the site you need to apply through  https://www.certificat-air.gouv.fr/en/ Although I understand you need to be a computer buff to know how to reduce your V5 to the required micro size...Just a shame they wont accept applications by post. As for the driving documents, well who knows what and if or when..For the cost I`d get the IDP from the post office and your green card and your`e good to go

[wortley]

If you are driving inside the Paris peripherique you will need a Crit Air sticker. Google that phrase and it will tell you how to get one, but you are correct in saying you do not need an IDP or green card at the moment. 

[David Williams]

The website in Paully’s link is correct, don’t Google it !

The simplest way of getting the V5 is to scan as a Jpg file and then use most photo editing software to reduce the size.

[Paully]

27 minutes ago, David Williams said:

The website in Paully’s link is correct, don’t Google it !

The simplest way of getting the V5 is to scan as a Jpg file and then use most photo editing software to reduce the size.

Thanks David..any suggestions re the software to reduce it, bearing in mind that I really dont know much, if anything, about this sort of thing, but any assistance will be appreciated

[Gareth]

We got our sticker in Spring 18 for our trip to the Vendee (prompted by the high-profile discussion on here at the time).

During our week in the Vendee, we did not see a single French car with such a sticker in the windscreen...!

[cvabishop]

I'm not surprised really. But had you ventured into a restricted zone without one I'm sure the Gendararmie would have been happy to enforce the law.

Edited April 25 by cvabishop

[Gareth]

The Vendee is a restricted zone.

[Gareth]

(And we were happy to be immune from gendarme attention in spite if the apparent lack of local enforcement! 😉)

[cvabishop]

Some restricted zones are only restricted in times of high pollution as announced by the authorities.

It's all too complicated! Best just to buy the disk and be reassured is what we thought - but only been to France once since!

(I've still got two time expired breath testers sitting in the glovebox! Plus two yellow vests which might be dangerous to wear now.)

Edited April 25 by cvabishop

[Cabin-boy]

8 hours ago, Gareth said:

The Vendee is a restricted zone.

It only applies in La Roche-sur-Yon I believe and I doubt you went there - no-one does. Ed. 

[colin]

11 hours ago, Paully said:

Thanks David..any suggestions re the software to reduce it, bearing in mind that I really dont know much, if anything, about this sort of thing, but any assistance will be appreciated

FastStone image viewer is free and fairly simple. You reduce size on the tools menu, convert selected files. Try a % and experiment a bit.

[David Williams]

12 hours ago, Paully said:

Thanks David..any suggestions re the software to reduce it, bearing in mind that I really dont know much, if anything, about this sort of thing, but any assistance will be appreciated

Colin's suggestion is a good one if you are comfortable with it, most image editing software allows you to reduce the file size, I personally use Irfanview which has loads of options, one of the file 'save as' options allows you to specify output file size.

There are also loads of web sites that allow you to upload files and reduce them (eg http://www.imageoptimizer.net/Pages/Home.aspx), however I would not be comfortable with uploading any documents to websites !

Re the Critair zones, I think that Paris (inside inner ring road) is the only permanent one, the other ones are emergency zones that are unlikely to be in use.

 

[Billy Boy]

Thanks everyone.I will give it a go but may need some help from my younger work colleagues re the V5!!

[Cabin-boy]

Let us know how you get on. Don't forget that you won't need one at all if you are not planning to go anywhere inside the ring road or if your visit is at a weekend. Ed. 

[neilcvx]

14 hours ago, Cabin-boy said:

It only applies in La Roche-sur-Yon I believe and I doubt you went there - no-one does. Ed. 

I think we’re getting the train from there to Nantes I have the sticker but we’re cycling from the camping.

If you email it to yourself you can reduce the size and then save it.

Edited April 26 by neilcvx

[Paully]

32 minutes ago, neilcvx said:

if you email it to yourself you can reduce the size and then save it.

That sounds like a plan..I`ll give it a go...thanks

[neilcvx]

11 minutes ago, Paully said:

That sounds like a plan..I`ll give it a go...thanks

The last car I posted it to a closed Facebook post then saved it again and deleted the post , it’s all a bit of a hassle but it’s cheap and they post it out quickly, our 12 plate Focus diesel was a 2 and our petrol Leon is a 1 I don’t suppose it makes any difference to where you can drive though. 

[Solo]

Just about to do mine, am I right in thinking it's just the second page of the v5 that is needed?

[neilcvx]

Yes just the one page.

[Solo]

Thanks Neil, I thought that is what I'd seen on different forums but it doesn't make it clear on the application.

[Billy Boy]

Thank you Cabin Boy! Did not realize weekends were exempt so nothing to worry about.Hopefully a stress free trip now.

Cheers

[Cabin-boy]

It's a very complicated arrangement as there are plenty of other regions where restrictions could be applied if pollution levels rise above certain thresholds. Quite how the money raised by the stickers will help to reduce pollution is unclear. All they really achieve is to guarantee the government makes money in advance and can recoup fines (so even more cash) if people don't have one. As Gareth says above, I see very few cars with such stickers. One measure they can apply if air-quality levels are extremely low is to allow only cars with registrations bearing even numbers on one day and odd numbers on the next. That has applied in Paris in the past. If you fancy reading more about it all and finding out about other areas you might visit click here:

https://www.crit-air.fr/en/information-about-the-critair-vignette/french-environmental-zones-zcr/french-environmental-zones.html

Ed

[David Williams]

3 hours ago, Cabin-boy said:

All they really achieve is to guarantee the government makes money in advance

I don't think that they will be making money, they have to pay people to process it. 

It only cost €4.21 including postage.

I actually think that it is a good idea, it is a shame that Europe can't create consistent rules for the stickers.