Getting your car serviced in France.

European Commission Report. ec.europa.eu/comm/competition/sectors/motor_vehicles

www.rip-off.co.uk - Worthwhile link.

- Consumer guide to renting a car (PDF - downloads on click). www.bvrla.co.uk

Car Servicing - it's cheaper in Calais! (Car repair - dépannage)

We know from the e-mail's we receive that having a car serviced in France is much cheaper. If you have any experience of this please share it with us! e-mail

September 2008

I have my Mercedes serviced in a Mercedes garage in Vendome, they do a wonderful service and do exactly what they say they will do. The price is about 57 euro an hour. The last service I had in England five years ago was £70 per hour, and I have since found out they reguarly charged me for more oil than the car held. I find the service and dealings in France with all tradesmen is honest and fairly priced.

August 2008

I had my Peugeot 406 2.2Hdi serviced in July 2008 at Calais Nord Automobiles, the Main Peugeot Dealer. I estimate the work was done at nearly half the United Kingdom cost. The details are as follows:

48,000 mile service type C cost £140.95 (173.80 euros). Pollen Filter £28.69 (35.37 euros). Brake fluid change £36.63 (45.16 euros). New FAP filter and additive fill up £460.26 (567.51 euros)

I don't know what the current United Kingdom prices are but I was quoted over £800 for the FAP filter and additive fill up 2 years ago! I cannot speak or write French so I sent an email to the garage translated into French from the Babel web site telling them what I wanted and they sent me an email detailing the work with a full breakdown of cost. I would recommend anybody considering trying it to go ahead and do it.

France Dépannage - 24 hours, 7 days a week. Tel: 0033 321 96 47 98.

Repairing Marie Rose - 24 hours, 7 days a week. Tel: 0033 321 31 15 15.

AUTOSUR - 20, rue Gustave-Cuvelier, 62100. Calais. Tel: 0033 321 36 18 18.

Garage Vauban - 23, rue Vauban, Calais-Port. Tel: 0033 321 97 63 19.

May 2008

I had my 12000 mile sevice done in the United Kingdom for nearly £300 I had to go and work in Germany for a few months my Volvo reached a service interval while I was there - 24000 miles - this cost me 170 euro. A larger service was done in 3 hours they even labelled the spec coolant fitted on the header tank for half price all for half United Kingdom price and all work was Volvo main dealer.

November 2007

The fuel pump went in my 2004 Ford Transit while I was touring France in April. The price in Ireland was going to cost me 1300 euro and 700 euro to fit it. I got it done for 870 euro and had my van back in 2 days in a Volkswagon Garage in the south of France.

June 2007

I have my A class Mercedes serviced in Boulogne, it's far far cheaper and much more helpful! I paid 200 euro for an A service which is the full one and 107 euro for the B service which is the small one.

April 2007

Had a major (36000) service to my Vel Satis by Diffusion Automobile Calaisienne SA., 58, Av. de Saint Exupery. I booked it in by email and arrived at 9am. The job was complete by 1230 and cost 246 euro, half the price from a United Kingdom main agent. The saving paid for a couple of nights by the Normandy Beaches, not to mention the tank full of diesel!

February 2007

I have been twice within the last year to Boulogne to have my Mercedes A140 serviced. The last time was in December 2006 and it was for the B service which should be around £400 in United Kingdom but I only paid 200 Euro = £145. Perfect service even gave us a courtesy car!! Another bit of feedback!

December 2006

I had my Passat serviced by the main dealer in Calais for less than half the price quoted by my local dealer. The reception I got was better, they filled the screenwash but noted it as free of charge on the invoice and the car had been hand washed and valeted. I will never go back to a United Kingdom rip off dealer.

February 2006

I RECENTLY HAD MY CITROEN C5 SERVICED AT SUCCURSDALE CITROEN IN HELLEMMES (LILLE) France, COST United Kingdom DEALER £300+ IN France 209 EUROES (£146) WHILE I WAITED, HAD TO BOOK IN ADVANCE, THEY DO NOT SPEAK ENGLISH BUT GOOD SIGN LANGUAGE GETS YOU THROUGH. EXCELLENT SERVICE AND POLITE. Tel: 0033 320 79 81 81.

March 2003

Mercedes service - MB E220CDI 'A' service 155 euro (£106) United Kingdom price £249 both at franchise dealer. Dealer 15 minutes from Eurostar exit, easy to find.

GORRIAS AUTOMOBILES, ZA de la Canardière. 62360. ISQUES. Tel: 0033 321 92 18 24. Fax: 0033 321 31 43 18.

March 2003

Just wanted to say how impressed I was with having my Peugeot 206CC serviced in Calais last week. I booked my car into CNA Peugeot via e-mail for last Thursday 27th March. The staff were very polite and courteous. The price quoted 93 euro, was what I paid.

I was quoted £192 at a Peugeot dealers in Surrey and with the above price equating to around £60 even with the day crossing and petrol. I still made a substantial saving.

Garages in Calais

- Alfa Romeo. www.groupedelesalle.com

- Audi. GROUP SNAB, rue Gustave Corbet, ZI Beau-Marais. Boulogne Tel: 0033 321 10 30 10. Tel: 0033 321 19 76 80. Fax: 0033 321 34 64 04.

- BMW. PBM, 229 BIS, Bd. Victor Hugo. Boulogne Tel: 0033 321 80 95 15. Tel: 0033 321 85 55 00. Fax: 0033 321 97 82 10. www.pbm-sa.fr

- Citroën. 326, Av. de Saint Exupéry. Tel: 0033 321 34 81 60. Citroën Eurocassion, 1950, Av. Toumaniantz. Tel: 0033 321 19 61 61.

- Fiat / Lada. SODIMO FIAT, 66, Av. Louise Blériot. Tel: 0033 321 96 60 38.

- Ford. FORD Calais, 550, route de Saint Omer. Boulogne Tel: 0033 321 46 23 00. Tel: 0033 321 46 23 00. Also at Tel: 0033 321 46 23 11. www.groupedelesalle.com

- Jeep. ESPACE DETROIT AUTOMOBILE, Zone du Virval. RN 43. BP 3. 62100. Calais. Tel: 0033 321 34 05 06. Fax: 0033 321 97 50 51. www.nieppe.jeep.fr

- Honda. C L STAR AUTOMOBILES, 200, Bd. de l'Egalité. Tel: 0033 321 34 07 08.

- Hyundai. Littoral Auto, ZI du Beau Marais, Rue Gustav Courbet. Tel: 0033 321 96 14 41.

- Mazda. Automobiles Mazda, 484 Route de St Omer. 62100. Calais. Tel: 0033 321 46 23 32. www.groupedelesalle.com

- Mercedes.

- Rover. Littoral Auto, rue Gustave Corbet, ZI Beau-Marais. Tel: 0033 321 96 14 41. Also Tel: 0033 321 31 25 26. www.mg-rover.com

- Opel. EUROP'Auto, 40, rue de Lille, ZAC Curie. (A16, exit 44). Tel: 0033 321 85 85 85. Fax: 0033 321 85 87 20. www.prioplus.com

- Peugeot

Calais Nord Automobiles & Company, 361, Av. de Saint Exupéry. 62228. Tel: 0033 321 46 05 05. Fax: 0033 321 46 05 04. www.peugeot.fr/concessions/calais-sas-calais-nord-automobiles-et-cie.htm

Garage George V, 2 - 4 Bd. Clémenceau. Tel: 0033 321 34 40 04. Fax: 0033 321 97 62 27.

Garage du Moulin, 845, Av. Charles de Gaulle. 62231. Coquelles. Tel: 0033 321 82 24 94.

- Renault. Diffusion Automobile Calaisienne SA., 58, Av. de Saint Exupéry. Tel: 0033 321 19 15 11. Fax: 0033 321 19 15 58. Also Tel: 0033 328 02 24 24.

- SAAB. Autostar, 67 Quai Wilson, Saint Pol sur Mer. Tel: 0033 328 60 06 00. www.saab.fr

- SEAT. Seat Concessionnaires, 157 Bd. Egalite. Tel: 0033 321 19 63 63.

- Skoda. same as Audi.

- Suzuki. C L STAR AUTOMOBILES, 200, Bd. de l'Egalité. Tel: 0033 321 34 07 08.

- Toyota. 1950, Av. Toumaniantz. Tel: 0033 321 19 76 60.

- Volkswagen. same as Audi.

- Volvo. SCANDICAR S.A., 484, route de Saint Omer. 62100. Calais. Tel: 0033 321 46 23 23. Fax: 0033 321 46 23 09. www.groupedelesalle.com

Tyres and Car Accessories (exhausts, brakes, oil change, shock absorbers, batteries)

- France's Autoglass firm, call them if you have a broken windscreen. Tel: 0800 800 223. www.carglass.fr

- Feu Vert. Nearest branch; 29 Avenue des Frais Fond, Centre Commercial Auchan. 62510 ARQUES. Tel: 0033 321 38 61 81. www.feuvert.fr

- Maxauto - Centre Auchan, RN1. Calais. Tel: 0033 321 34 48 00. Fax: 0033 321 34 46 55. Open: Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 12.00noon and 1.00pm to 7.30pm. Saturday, 9.00am to 7.30pm. www.maxauto.com

Midas, 112 Bld. La Fayette, 62100. Calais, Tel: 0033 321 82 38 80.

- Norauto, Centre Commercial Continent, Av. Guynemer, Calais. Tel: 0033 321 96 36 41. Fax: 0033 321 96 30 09.

We understand from the Manager that tyres are about the same price as in the United Kingdom Good buys apparently include roof racks and ski/luggage boxes, of which they have a good range. www.norauto.fr

- Speedy. Part of the Kwiksave group. Av. Roger Salengro, Calais. Tel: 0033 321 19 32 04. www.speedy.fr

SiliGom - 62, Av. de St-Exupéry, Calais. Tel: 0033 321 96 58 34.

When getting your car serviced why not spend the day in Calais itself enjoying a meal?

Batteries

Calais Batteries - 170, Bd. Gambetta. Tel: 0033 321 96 28 23. Fax: 0033 321 96 51 34.

Useful translations

Amortisseurs - shock absorbers, Batteries - batteries, échappements - exhausts, éclairages - lights, équilibrage - balancing, freins - brakes, pnue - tyre, vidanges - oil change.

Tyre Prices

- Pneus online. Useful site for finding a tyre and checking prices. www.pneus-online.fr

Buy in the United Kingdom (or use to compare prices). www.tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

- MyTyres. www.mytyres.co.uk

An easy way to solve your tyre problems is available from this European company now in the United Kingdom.

The simple selection process, (add in your tyre size, compare makes and prices and make your purchase safely through the encrypted credit card system) couldn't be easier. This company offers a choice of 52 different brands.

The tyres are on your doorstep the next day – and a mytyres approved fitting agent will fit them for a small extra charge.

mytyres is the market leader in Europe having been established for six years and now operates a network of 47 online shops in 21 countries.

Tyre care - some tips and advice

Each tyre has a contact area on the road of about the size of a large footprint which has to provide ALL of the grip for steering, braking and acceleration.

- Correct pressures are vital for balanced braking, maximum grip and maximum tyre life. If you look after them they will work more reliably and last longer. Neglecting them will mean expensive and premature replacement and could even cost you your life.

- Recommended pressures may vary according to load or speed, and information can be found in the vehicle handbook, or consult your garage or tyre dealer.

- If the pressure is too low, besides affecting the handling of the vehicle, there is the added problem of increased fuel consumption and consequently increased air pollution while higher than necessary pressures also give an uncomfortable ride and reduce grip due to a smaller area of the tyre being in contact with the road.

- Incorrect pressures are also viewed as an offence and could lead to a fine of £2,500 for each faulty tyre, with discretionary disqualification and three penalty points.

- Pressures should be checked at least every two weeks when the tyres are cold – a relatively simple operation with one of the inexpensive and accurate gauges available.