Then you need to buy chains such as Spikes spider / Polaire / Konig K-Summit, which don't have any part on the inner side of the wheel. 

Otherwise Michelin SOS Grip or Musher socks seem to be OK for 235/40/19.

20 minutes ago, Bap33 said:

Then you need to buy chains such as Spikes spider / Polaire / Konig K-Summit, which don't have any part on the inner side of the wheel. 

Otherwise Michelin SOS Grip or Musher socks seem to be OK for 235/40/19.

Yes, I have been looking at my options. The Polaire design now seems to be made by Michelin?

To be honest, I am not keen on the design of the attachment point, but they seem to work.

 

If the loi montagne does come into force, winter wheels/tyres may be a better investment, especially as my six year old daughter took to Skiing last winter. Yes, they are more expensive, but they are possibly safer than summer tyres in low temperatures.

I had CrossClimate + tyres on my BMW, and they were pretty good. These are of course another option, combined with “front mounting” chains. Quite possibly the best option, but I need to wear the existing tyres out first.

@CageyH I live in France too. Like you, I have 19" summer wheels. I've chosen the winter tyres (on 17" alloy rims) option from the very beginning I got my Mk3. 

I go to winter sports once a year, and often go to mountains for Xmas holidays. Besides, I regularly face temperatures below 7°C, since I live in 'Ile de France', which is for sure colder than Toulouse area , Thus, much more 'interesting' for me to invest in winter tyres, which definitely let me feel safer, when temperature drops down.

I have family in North Aveyron and the Cantal.

If you look at the weather map, the family in the Cantal are in the blue spot, which always seems to be the coldest area of France. 🥶

 

If I stayed in Toulouse, summer tyres would be fine. 
 

This winter, I will take the wife’s car, an X-Trail on CrossClimate+, with a set of chains.

I will see if I can pick up a set of winter wheels and tyres next year, when the finances have recovered from buying the car this year.

Edited 20 November, 20214 yr by CageyH

On 15/11/2021 at 21:16, patrolman said:

Don’t forget your Crit’air sticker usually only big city’s require them Paris , Lyon to name a few order here 

https://www.vignetteshop.co.uk/emissions-stickers/crit-air-france?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIgt7KqqWb9AIVkd_tCh0O5gNtEAAYASAAEgLprfD_BwE

 

If you go to the French government website https://www.certificat-air.gouv.fr/en/ it should only cost you €4.51, rather than the £18.50 Vignette Shop want. I don’t know what the difference in delivery times would be between the two places?

You only need the Crit air sticker if you are going into restricted areas in big cities.

If you are off on a ski holiday, chances are that you don’t need one, and you certainly don’t need to pay £18.50.

I have never needed one, but have one just in case.

3 hours ago, Ed-Preston said:

If you go to the French government website https://www.certificat-air.gouv.fr/en/ it should only cost you €4.51, rather than the £18.50 Vignette Shop want. I don’t know what the difference in delivery times would be between the two places?

I got one 2-3 years ago from the French Govt website

Arrived within a week, (I was expecting nearer 3 weeks)

 

We were  staying just outside Paris, and needed to cross through it, so decided safer to get one, it’s still on windscreen, but not been back to France since, but kept it in case we return.  

I think it is a €68 fine if you get caught without one.

That is very misleading, you should specify caught where, when, under what circumstances and that the price you quote is for a fine (which they wont get) that is not paid on time.

 

Like you I live in France, I do not have a Crit Air sticker (they are not obligatory) and have no intentions of getting one, all they serve to do is make yourself an easy target if you were to drive a class 4 or 5 vehicle within certain hours in a low emissions zone like the centre of Paris or Lyon. In any case stopping traffic to check would create major gridlock.

 

If their intention was to fine people then they would use ANPR as the emissions class of every vehicle is known to them via its immatriculation, as it is the sale of the vignettes brings in some money and the majority who fall for the con and  who display them would never dare drive within the areas so they achieve their aim which is to reduce the city air pollution.

 

A UK visitor even if they drove a class 4 or 5 vehicle within the zones during the prohibited times risks nothing, even if the amende was sent to their UK address which they are not, like speed camera notifications they are not a fine but an invitation to make a payment to prevent a "possible" (impossible is the true word) pursuit in justice

 

 

Read the thread in context.

6 hours ago, CageyH said:

You only need the Crit air sticker if you are going into restricted areas in big cities.

If you are off on a ski holiday, chances are that you don’t need one, and you certainly don’t need to pay £18.50.

I have never needed one, but have one just in case.

 

3 hours ago, CageyH said:

I think it is a €68 fine if you get caught without one.

 

Is that clearer for you? Nothing "misleading" about my posts.

 

If you are in a Crit Air zone, and get stopped ny a Gendarme and you don't have the sticker displayed,  then you risk getting a fine.

 

If you don't go in the zones, you don't need one.

 

Basically what my last two posts said.

Edited 21 November, 20214 yr by CageyH

1 hour ago, J.R. said:

A UK visitor even if they drove a class 4 or 5 vehicle within the zones during the prohibited times risks nothing, even if the amende was sent to their UK address which they are not, like speed camera notifications they are not a fine but an invitation to make a payment to prevent a "possible" (impossible is the true word) pursuit in justice

 

 

 

That is pretty misleading and is actually incorrect.

 

Never seen the on the spot fines? Not from round here? No problem, we will escort you to the cash point.

 

If you don't have the Crit Air sticker, don't go in the zone when restrictions are in force. You risk getting a fine.... 

4 hours ago, J.R. said:

That is very misleading, you should specify caught where, when, under what circumstances and that the price you quote is for a fine (which they wont get) that is not paid on time.

€68 fine

5 hours ago, CageyH said:

 

That is pretty misleading and is actually incorrect.

 

Never seen the on the spot fines? Not from round here? No problem, we will escort you to the cash point.

 

If you don't have the Crit Air sticker, don't go in the zone when restrictions are in force. You risk getting a fine.... 

 

I have driven through the centre of Paris & Lille scores of times, I can assure you that they do not have roadblocks or stop vehicles, their aim is to reduce pollution & the system with its almost universal compliance works very well.

 

You are allowing your imagination to run riot and are creating unnecessary stress for foreign holidaymakers.

3 hours ago, CageyH said:

€68 fine

€45 if paid on time.

43 minutes ago, J.R. said:

 

I have driven through the centre of Paris & Lille scores of times, I can assure you that they do not have roadblocks or stop vehicles, their aim is to reduce pollution & the system with its almost universal compliance works very well.

 

You are allowing your imagination to run riot and are creating unnecessary stress for foreign holidaymakers.

My comments ate not based on Paris, or Lille.

There is a reason that the vignette is fairly large. So that it can be seen by Gendarmes. I have colleagues who live in the zone here in Toulouse. One of them is obliged to park down the road from where he lives time to time due to controls as he cannot get a Crit Air pass for his car. The zone is not enforced 365 days a year in Toulouse, so it does not inconvenience too often. It only comes into play during peaks of pollution.
 

For the sake of €3.67 in France, why take the risk of not having one?

I can see that you feel it is a scam. Well unfortunately, it is now a law. It is the same thing as a motorway vignette in Switzerland. I have never seen anybody getting checked, but you need one to drive on the motorways. You risk a fine if you are subject to a control and you don’t have one. It’s your choice.

 

As I want to be able to go into the centre of Toulouse when I want, I paid the €3.67. I can assure you that I am not imagining the law. I agree that you are very unlikely to get stopped on the périphérique of Paris if you don’t have one, and you are travelling through, but if you are staying inside a controlled zone during your holiday, you would be foolish not to have one. If you are not, then as stated earlier, you probably don’t need one. Don’t forget that the enforcement zone is only during certain times of the day, so if you are travelling outside of those hours, you are not required to have a Crit Air vignette.

 

I am causing unnecessary stress? Letting my imagination run wild? If you say so….

I have posted some information regarding a law in France. Next time I am stopped, I will tell the Gendarmes I don’t need to pay the fine as a bloke on the internet told me it was ok not to have one based on his experience.

 

Do you think that will work? 
 

 

Yes.