Bonjour,
Je viens d'apprendre par la sté de location que j'ai été verbalisée à Florence (27 novembre 2009), pour circulation en zone ZTL.
Bien sûr, je ne m'en suis absolument pas aperçue. Quelqu'un peut-il me conseiller ? Est-ce possible d'en recevoir d'autres (même rue ou rue qui prolonge celle de la première infraction). Quels sont les recours ?
Payer la première OK, mais je n'aimerais pas voir débarquer ses petites soeurs !!
Merci à tous pour votre aide.
le plus important est de voir avec ta banque pour que l'agence de location ne débite pas ta cb pour payer
ensuite en l'état actuel du droit , tu n'as pas à payer tant que tu n'es pas condamnée par un tribunal français , même si les flics français y vont à l'esbrouffe , comme les flics étrangers quand un étranger est verbalisé en france ( principe de réciprocité)
le plus important est de voir avec ta banque pour que l'agence de location ne débite pas ta cb pour payer
Sauf si l'interessé a signé qu'il autorisait ce type de debit et c'est tres frequent sur les contrats des loueurs et dans ce cas ce serait une fausse declaration
... mais les banques sont bien au courant rassure toi !
Bon voyage et surtout voyagez zen!
Michel France (85)
Merci pour votre réponse, c'est ce que je pensais faire.
En fait, ce qui m'inquiète surtout c'est qu'on en ait plusieurs, c'est manifestement fréquent et ce même pour une infraction dans la même rue à 30 secondes d'intervalle... C'est véritablement une arnaque.
Cela m'est arrivé aussi au cours de l'été 2009, 4 contraventions pour des infractions du même type commises avec un véhicule de location.
Les autorités locales pouvant prélever sur votre compte directement à partir des coordonnées bancaires laissées à l'agence de location, il faut:
- payer
- fermer vite le compte en question 😕
C'est un souvenir très désagréable de l'Italie. Se faire attraper parce qu'on a pas compris les panneaux d'interdiction, dont acte, je ne conteste pas.
Mais quand on voit la façon dont les italiens conduisent, deux ont failli nous envoyer au fossé...
De manière générale, sans même parler des contraventions, ce pays m'a laissé un sentiment assez mitigé sur l'accueil des gens.
Bonsoir,
Cela signifie qu'ils ont vous aussi débité directement votre compte ou vous avez choisi de payer ? Ces 4 contraventions étaient elles pour la même rue ou des rues consécutives
N'avez vous eu aucun recours ?
Sur beaucoup de sites, voire même des sites juridiques, j'ai lu que ces panneaux étaient très peu explicites et surtout parfois implantés uniquement à l'entrée de la rue, c'est à dire si on la prend au milieu, on ne voit pas ce panneau, bien évidemment.
Tout comme vous, je trouve que ces pratiques sont quasi de l'arnaque car elles concernent principalement les touristes alors que dans certaines villes, on risque de se faire renverser par les voitures, motos, etc...
Merci en tout cas de votre avis.
Cordialement.
Non, j'ai payé.
J'exerce une profession qui ne me permettrait pas d'être convoqué par la police pour ne serait-ce qu'une audition sur des PV.
Mais l'Italie, pour cette raison et d'autres, j'éviterai à l'avenir; j'ai l'impression que dans ce pays, les amendes, c'est d'abord pour les étrangers.
Et puis, vu la qualité du service...
Je suis aussi tentée de payer, vu que pour l'instant je n'ai qu'une contravention. Mais si elles viennent à se multiplier, on peut malheureusement vite arriver à 500euros, je pense que ce fut votre cas.
C'est surtout cela qui m'inquiète d'autant plus pour une question de ZTL ! Nous n'avons pas fait du 130 en ville et n'avons mis la vie de personne en danger !!
Merci encore pour votre témoignage.
Cordialement.
La meilleure arme dont vous disposez ici, c'est de donner de l'écho à cette embrouille, et de faire peser sur les commerçants et hôteliers locaux la menace réelle d'un discrédit en matière touristique.
oui, effectivement, beaucoup de touristes sont écoeurés de ces pratiques, mais je pense que le tourisme italien a encore de beaux jours devant lui et que malheureusmenet cette ZTL n'y changera rien !
Cordialement.
J'ai partagé, contre mon gré, le type d'expérience décrit ici.
J'ai une seule question: Que font les organisations touristiques italiennes pour informer, prévenir les touristes ?
En effet, par définition, les touristes sont moins bien informés des arcanes de ces interdictions que les habitants des communes concernées (Florence, Rome, ...).
Ma compréhension personnelle de la réponse est: rien.
Cette absence de prise en charge de ce sujet par les responsables évidents génère un gros ressentiment général que je ressent personnellement.
Revenus d’Italie le 15 août 2015, nous constatons quatre mois après, 6 retraits effectués sur notre compte bancaire et ceci sans préavis par la société de location «Europcar» (6 x 45 € = 270 €), pour des infractions commises au coeur historique de Florence. Puis, février 2016, 3 procès-verbaux de la police municipale de Florence de 123 euros (majorés malgré nous).
Celle-ci nous apprend que nous sommes entrés en ZTL (zone à circulation limitée) ce qui motivent l’accumulation de contraventions. Nous avons visité sept villes d’Italie du nord et sommes arrivés en soirée à Florence à la recherche de notre hôtel préalablement loué par une agence de voyage française. Lorsque nous sommes arrivés à Florence, nous avons dû chercher longuement sa position dans la ville. C’est durant cette recherche que nous avons été la cible privilégiée pour des amendes répétées et cela pour une visite de Florence de 12 heures. Le 4 août à 16h57 puis à 21h18 et le lendemain matin en repartant à 9h45. Notre hôtel «Il Duca» se trouvant à l’intérieur de la ZTL, personne ne nous avez prévenu qu’il fallait un macaron spécial délivré par la police sur demande de l’hôtel.
Les méthodes adoptées par la ville de Florence sont défavorables aux touristes. Les forums internet français pullulent de cas similaires au mien où les touristes étrangers cumulent des infractions liées à une mauvaise information ou compréhension de ces règles particulières à certaines villes italiennes (Rome, Florence, Pise, Lucca...). Il y a soi-disant des petits panneaux en italien qui précise cela mais lorsque que l’on cherche un hôtel et l’on nous colle sans cesse au pare-choc, il devient plus difficile d’y porter attention et encore plus de le traduire.
A ce jour, j’ai circulé en voiture de location dans une quinzaine de pays et je n’avais jamais eu la moindre contravention. Aujourd’hui, notre séjour de huit jours en Italie se solde par le cumul de trois contraventions en 24 heures alors que nous essayons au maximum de respecter les codes de la route adaptés à chaque pays.
A aucun instant nous n’avons pris conscience de la faute reprochée. Si nous avions été physiquement intercepté pour
infraction, nous aurions immédiatement prouvé que nous nous rendions à l’hôtel situé en «ZTL» . Malheureusement, je nous n’avons rien vu qui aurait pu nous signifier nos erreurs. De discrètes caméras, haut perchées, nous photographies à notre insu. Le bilan est lourd : 370 € d’amendes à payer auquels s’ajoutent 272 € déjà retirés par l’agence de location qui profite bien de ce «système» en évitant de nous informer de l’existence et des dangers de ces «ZTL». En réalité, les agences de location fournissent les noms et adresses des personnes en faute et pour cela, ils ont le droit de nous facturer des frais de dossier (272 € pour faire de la délation)...
Face à cet imbroglio et devant ce que je considère comme une injustice, voire un vol manifeste, j’ai fait de multiples courriers auprès des ambassades, consulats, contentieux et autres mairies. Une seule réponse du service contentieux de Florence qui reconnait l’erreur de l’hôtel qui n’a pas fait son travail en ne déclarant pas notre arrivée auprès de la police et qui me conseil de faire un recours auprès du préfet de Florence tout en sachant que si celui-ci refuse le recours, l’amende peut-être tout simplement doublée. Je ne vais pas engager une procédure interminable avec avocat, interprète et tous ce qui s’en suit. Comme la grande majorité des «victimes», je vais limiter ici les frais, totalement démuni face à ce que je considère comme une énorme injustice.
Vous comprendrez que ce séjour dans un pays que l’on rêvait de découvrir nous laisse un goût amer et ne nous motive plus pour y découvrir prochainement le sud. Aujourd'hui, par l’intermédiaire des forums je dénonce ces faits avec le secret espoir de vous prévenir si toutefois après cette lecture vous tenez toujours à vous y rendre...
Heureusement, les déceptions restent rares... 😠
Hi there,
I know there are similar topics here and elsewhere, but they’re a few years old, and I need an up-to-date answer to make sure I don’t throw over 1000 € out the window. Thanks for your patience.
I’m planning a trip from France to Alberta/British Columbia, and I’m unsure about which bank card to use for the security deposit with the rental company (I’m thinking of going with AVIS).
I contacted Avis Canada, and they told me a credit card is absolutely required. I asked my bank for a credit card (a *real* credit card), but they only offered me a deferred debit card.
My question: For a rental with Avis Canada, is a Gold International Mastercard deferred debit card usable for the security deposit needed to finalize the rental? Is the "CREDIT" label enough? (Some cards say "CREDIT" and others say "CARTE DE CREDIT"—seems minor, but it’s actually a big deal in how the card works.)
I’ve seen conflicting info everywhere I look... My bank says it’s *usually* okay (the deferred debit card), while Avis Canada insists it *must* be a credit card, not debit—even when I mention the deferred debit card.
I know the whole credit card concept is already confusing, and on top of that, some sites say a deferred debit card counts as a credit card, while others say it doesn’t.
Thanks to anyone who can share a recent experience!
Have a great day
Hi there,
I’m heading to Senegal in January for a month and was wondering if I just need my French driver’s license or if I should get an international permit?
Thanks!
JL
Hi,
I’m bringing Seresta, an anxiolytic (tranquilizer) from the benzodiazepine family,
to help me sleep.
I’ll have the prescription with me.
Will this be a problem at customs, and do I need to declare it?
Same question for antibiotics?
Thanks a bunch!
I’m heading to Laos next spring, but I have a question about the Thai arrival/departure form. I’ll be flying PAR-BKK, then taking the train to Laos (so exiting Thailand), and later re-entering Thailand by train to catch my return flight. Do I need to fill out two forms in this case?
Hi there,
I have a 9-seater passenger vehicle that I use for my business in Paris, transporting people.
I’m planning to go to Algeria with my family.
The vehicle registration lists my company as the owner.
Can I get a TPD (Temporary Admission Document)?
Will I need a KBis extract or a power of attorney?!?
Thanks for your help.
Worst case, I can add my personal name as a co-owner on the registration, but that would be a real shame!
Hi,
I’m writing to ask for some info—I’ve heard that you **must** have travel insurance to land in Zanzibar.
What’s the process, and which insurance should I get?
Thanks in advance for your feedback!
Best,
Seb
Hi, are there any travelers who’ve recently crossed the border between Karakalpakstan (Uzbekistan) and Beineu in Kazakhstan?
It was closed for a while.
Thanks for any info!
I bought a one-way flight (Ryanair) and a return flight (EasyJet) to spend a week in Morocco in April.
My passport expires 3 weeks after the return date.
Some websites say the passport must be valid for 3 months at the time of entry.
However, it will still be valid both on entry and return, but its validity will only be 1 month at the time of entry (and 3 weeks on the return date, everything prepaid).
It's an individual family trip.
The consulate can't give me an answer—they're still looking into it (really!)
Last year, we stayed for 3 months in Thailand, north of Khao Lak, and were able to benefit from the 2-month visa exemption, renewable for one month by going to Takua Pa to validate a 1-month extension (1,900 baht).
This year, it’s a disaster for us—not only were we planning a 4-month stay, adding a visa run in between (which some say is quite risky), but the law is apparently changing in the coming months with the return of the 1-month exemption (plus the usual 1-month option). So, we looked into applying for a 6-month multiple-entry visa, allowing a maximum of 60 consecutive days in Thailand. However, I can’t find anywhere the minimum time required outside Thailand between two stays—do any of you have an idea?
Thanks for the info! If you’d like tips on Khao Lak and the surrounding areas, we’ve got some experience, though things change fast!
Cheers,
Bruno.
My partner, our 8-year-old daughter, and I are going on vacation to Gex.
We’ve decided to spend one day in Switzerland and another in Italy. Will we need ID (national ID card or passport)? Do we also need ID for our daughter?
Hello,
We’ll soon be moving to Madagascar long-term.
As a French national, I need to obtain a short-stay visa that can be converted to a long-stay one. To do this, I have to send the required documents to the Madagascar embassy in Paris.
No issues with that procedure so far.
If I get this visa, once I arrive in Madagascar, I’ll need to provide the same documents to the Ministry of the Interior in Anosy. I’m trying to find an email address or website for the Ministry to check which documents I need to submit (I think they ask for additional ones).
If you have any info on this, I’d appreciate your replies.
Best regards,
M. Buisson Eric
I’d like to know if anyone has already applied for a private visa to Russia with an invitation from a Russian resident.
I traveled earlier this year with an e-visa, but since I want to stay longer, I’ll be visiting my friend who lives in eastern Russia.
For the visa application, does the invitation need to be on an official paper form issued by the Russian ministry? And most importantly, do I need to present the original for the application, or is there an electronic version that can be sent directly to the consulate in France?
Thanks for any info if you’ve gone through this process before!
I filled out the B2 form to apply for a visa, created an account on Atvis to pay the visa fees and schedule a meet-up, but every time I try to pay with my Boursobank Visa 1st card, they refuse the payment with a message telling me to check my details (address), even though everything is correct. Does anyone know why this is happening, or maybe they don’t accept Visa cards? Are you aware of this?
Thanks for your feedback!
Elisabeth
There are rumors going around about the ETA: it must absolutely be on your smartphone in the "ETA" app.
Paper documents might not be accepted.
Is this real or just a hoax?
Thanks, I’m leaving in 3 weeks. My passport is good to go and my ETA is still valid for a year, but I only printed the email I received.
Thanks everyone.
Hi there,
We need to apply for a B2 visa because we visited Iran in 2018. It currently costs $185, but they’re planning an additional $250 fee per person for the same visa—it’s been approved but not yet implemented. Does anyone know when this fee will take effect?
Thanks in advance!
Elisabeth
Hi there,
In November, we're heading off on a 4-month trip. We'll be landing in China and plan to leave the country via a land border into Vietnam.
I’ve read that China may ask for proof of exit within 30 days (flight ticket or other reservation). Since we’d be leaving by land, I’m wondering how this works in practice.
Has anyone here been in this situation recently?
Did the airline ask for an exit ticket before boarding?
Did Chinese authorities require proof upon arrival?
Is a train/bus ticket to Vietnam sufficient?
Is a cancelable or flexible reservation accepted?
Hi there,
Just a question that’s probably been asked before (though usually the other way around for my situation :))
My wife and I are heading to the US.
On her ticket, it only has her maiden name (e.g., Martine DUPOND).
On her passport, it’s written as Martine DUPOND épouse AVRY.
No issues for travel, I hope I did the right thing with the ticket?
Then for the ESTA, is just Martine DUPOND enough, or do I need to include the "épouse AVRY" part like on the passport?
Thanks in advance!
Hi there,
I’m spending a few days in San Pedro de Atacama (Chile) and would like to cross the Argentine border to make a loop toward Salta and then return to Chile to drop off the rental car.
I’ve heard that crossing the border can be tricky!
Is it possible with a rental company’s authorization? Which company, and at what cost?
Thanks for sharing your experiences!
Best regards,
Arnale
I saw on the French Embassy in Peru’s website and the Peruvian Consulate in Paris’s site that the rule is to have a passport valid for 6 months *after the arrival date* (not the return date).
I arrive in Peru on August 13, 2019 (for about twelve days), and my passport is valid until February 16, 2020.
That’s 6 months and 3 days after my arrival date in Peru. In my opinion, I’m good to go.
But could I still be denied entry if they say I don’t cover the return date or that I’m too close to the 6-month mark?
I read on the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs website that it’s possible to apply for a temporary driving permit in China, valid for 1 month.
I’m planning to rent a car (without a driver) to explore part of the country next August, so I was wondering:
Has anyone here already gone through this process upon arrival?
How long do the formalities take on the spot?
Is it possible to handle these steps in advance, before arriving in China?
Hi there,
My departure is slowly approaching, and now that I’ve got my Russian visa sorted, I’m fine-tuning the rest of my trip to Tajikistan. Since the Tajik visa is no longer required for stays under 30 days (for French nationals), I’ll need to visit the Ministry of Interior (OVIR) to register within 10 days of entering the country. No big deal, though, since I had to go there anyway to apply for my GBAO permit. 😉 However, I’ve *seen* several reports from travelers (mostly motorized) mentioning that you need an entry permit for Kyrgyzstan, which has to be arranged in advance at the Kyrgyz Ministry (consulate?) in Dushanbe. Otherwise, you’re *stuck* at the Kyzyl-Art border (with no Wi-Fi, of course, to try and sort it out). The most recent report was from a year ago, so I’d love to know if this is still the case and if it’s indeed at the Kyrgyz Ministry (consulate?) where you need to go for this pre-authorization.
Does anyone have any recent info on this?
Thanks in advance!
Hi everyone.
I’m leaving for almost 3 months in the Philippines (11 weeks total) starting in early May.
I already have my round-trip ticket.
The problem is, I don’t have time to get a 2-month visa because the process takes nearly a month.
From what I’ve read here and there, I need a return ticket valid for less than a month when I arrive in the Philippines to prove my good faith.
After that, I can apply for a 30-day extension at the immigration office.
I’m planning to either buy a fully refundable ticket to the nearest country or a fake ticket.
For 3 months, I’ll need to extend my visa two more times before my return date to France.
My question is this:
Will immigration ask me each time I extend my visa by one month to show proof of an exit ticket matching the new visa extension date?
Is it possible to extend directly by 2 months before the initial 30 days expire?
Thanks in advance for your experiences and tips! 😊
I’ve been to Thailand several times, but it was about 20 years ago…
There’s a new system in place now, it seems.
TDAC – Thailand Digital Arrival Card.
Before arriving, I apply for a TDAC, okay.
If during my stay I cross the border to spend a few days in Malaysia and then re-enter Thailand,
do I need to submit a new TDAC application?
Do I use the same TDAC as when I first entered the country?
Or do I initially have to pay for a Thai multi-entry visa?
Thanks in advance for your insights—I can’t find the answer online.
My partner (Mexican) entered France on January 21st as a tourist. She was therefore entitled to stay for 90 days in the Schengen Area. She’ll be leaving for Mexico on April 16th, so she’ll have “used up” 86 days.
She plans to return to France on July 18th. According to the European Commission’s Schengen calculator, this new stay “may be authorized for a maximum of 90 days.” That’s not very clear ("may be," "for a maximum of").
The text of Article 6 of the European regulation (2016/399) states that for a stay planned in the territory of the Member States, not exceeding 90 days in any 180-day period, one must examine "the 180-day period preceding each day of the stay." That’s not very clear either.
My partner wants to return to France for a 90-day period starting on July 18th. Is this possible?
There are two ways to look at it:
1) The first day she spent in the Schengen Area was January 21st. That day will drop out of the calculation 180 days later, on July 20th.
From July 20th, she’ll get back 1 day of possible stay; on July 22nd, 2 days; and so on. All the days from her previous stay (January 21st–April 16th) need to be outside the 180-day rolling window.
The last day of her stay was April 16th. Looking 180 days ahead, that brings us to October 13th. From that date, she’ll be able to return for a full 90 days.
2) The number of allowed days is calculated for each day of the new stay. In other words: the 180-day window is recalculated every day, not fixed at the entry date.
If she re-enters France on July 18th, she’ll only have a “credit” of 4 days. But with each day of her new stay, one day from the previous stay (January–April) will drop out of the calculation. The rolling window allows her to “replace” days from the previous stay with those of the new stay, without ever exceeding 90 days in any 180-day period.
In this case, my partner could stay in France for 90 days starting on July 18th.
The Prefecture doesn’t provide any information, nor does Air France, and in the forums I’ve checked, opinions are divided. Thanks for any insights you can share!
Hello,
We’re planning to travel to Indonesia (Sulawesi with family) next July and August for a stay longer than a month (about 6 weeks).
I’ve seen that it’s possible to get a 60-day visa before departure, but I’ve also read about people having a lot of trouble getting it (some even didn’t manage and had to leave without it).
We absolutely need to have these 4 visas BEFORE leaving because once we’re in Sulawesi, I’m not sure we’ll be able to go to an embassy to request a visa extension after 30 days.
In short, how can we **100% guarantee** that we’ll get our 4 60-day visas before our trip this summer?
Hello, HAPPY NEW YEAR 2026!
We’re heading back in October for a trip through Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
I have a question: for our route, we’ll need to cross the Zambia and Zimbabwe borders twice each. From experience, I know we won’t have any issues with Botswana.
But for the other two countries, I can’t find a clear answer.
All your tips are welcome!
I’m currently a student on a gap year, and I don’t plan to go back to school right away. That said, traveling really interests me. But I’ve been wondering: does being a student come with any perks when you decide to go abroad? The real question is whether I should re-enroll in a program just to keep that status without actually attending.