Radar Detectors in Europe

[Mossman]

hide it rectally

[s0urce]

Update: A Pagani Zonda F just flew past me in Modena. Such a hot fucking car.

[Dirtbleed]

Hide it up your arse when you go thru customs.

[s0urce]

Well, North-west Italy has great scenery but terrible road quality (and drivers...); that's what I was getting at. The area around Verbania has horrid road surfaces.

I didn't make it to Stelvio when I was there but I did do the San Bernardino pass. That's a great road....but is in the Swiss side. Road quality is significantly better once you cross from Italy into Switzerland...it's really noticeable.

The scenery and twistiness is amazing on the Italian roads. I was saying the road surface itself is what sucks.

I'm between Modena and Bologna right now. The roads here are far superior to those in So. Cal. Tiny as hell, full of twisties, well paved and very scenic. I'm in love with this place.

I got a Fiat 500, really slow, but a blast to drive in the twisties!

[Bimmerman325i]

I have to politely disagree. Some of the most wonderful roads I've driven are in italy (around genoa)... also.. stelvio pass?

Well, North-west Italy has great scenery but terrible road quality (and drivers...); that's what I was getting at. The area around Verbania has horrid road surfaces.

I didn't make it to Stelvio when I was there but I did do the San Bernardino pass. That's a great road....but is in the Swiss side. Road quality is significantly better once you cross from Italy into Switzerland...it's really noticeable.

The scenery and twistiness is amazing on the Italian roads. I was saying the road surface itself is what sucks.

[JMil86]

So I'm leaving in a few hours to Italy. I'm renting a car when I arrive there and I was planning on taking my Valentine1 Radar detector. I decided to check on the laws for possession and use of radar detectors in Various Countries in Europe.

Heres what I found:

Possession and use of radar detectors in Europe

The possession and use of radar detectors is legal in the following European countries:

Italy

Bulgaria

Norway

Romania

Albania.

The possession of a radar detector is perfectly legal in the following European countries, but use of one is banned:

Spain

Germany

Denmark

The Netherlands

Latvia

Lithuania.

The possession and use of radar detectors is prohibited in the following European countries:

Belgium

France:hitler:

Switzerland

Austria

Luxembourg

Sweden

Turkey

Hungary

Slovakia

The kicker is I have a 5 hour layover in Paris, where possession of a radar detector is illegal. What do you guys think about traveling with this in my checked baggage? Will customs search my checked luggage and confiscate the v1, or do you think they'll just pass it on through to my connecting flight to Bologna?

Anyone have experience with this?

In Sweden they would probably literally saw please unplug that, and let you go. My friend was throwing glasses at a wall in a bar in Norway and they just asked him to go to the other section of the bar and stop. Didn;t even kick him out.
Useful info, thanks.

[Julien]

I wouldn't bother. The roads in Italy are craptacular.

I have to politely disagree. Some of the most wonderful roads I've driven are in italy (around genoa)... also.. stelvio pass?

[Bimmerman325i]

I wouldn't bother. The roads in Italy are craptacular.

[HiTheNameIsBJ]

call the hotel and ask them if they can receive a package for you, most will depending on size. If so ups the thing, shouldn't take long to arrive.

[Conki]

good info....I thought I was the one who noticed that they have subarus & bimmer bikes....and yes they do FLY after you if you're speeding. They're not @$$es though like they have a tendency to be here!

Well if you are going crazy on the highway, they will go after you.

[transatlantic0207]

eh... In Italy I never really cared, they annouce the speed cameras.. same story goes for france

IT: Controlo automatica de la velocita
FR: Controle De Vitesse Automatique

mappy.fr (or mappy.co.uk for english) will give you all the speed cameras for a given itinerary. Do watch out in france for subaru wrxs or BMW bikes on the side of the road.. they will chase you >:(

Julien

good info....I thought I was the one who noticed that they have subarus & bimmer bikes....and yes they do FLY after you if you're speeding. They're not @$$es though like they have a tendency to be here!

[Julien]

eh... In Italy I never really cared, they annouce the speed cameras.. same story goes for france

IT: Controlo automatica de la velocita
FR: Controle De Vitesse Automatique

mappy.fr (or mappy.co.uk for english) will give you all the speed cameras for a given itinerary. Do watch out in france for subaru wrxs or BMW bikes on the side of the road.. they will chase you >:(

Julien

[Conki]

My father has a radar detector in Hungary, it's not a big deal, just take it off when the cops stop you. Back in the day it was only a problem at the borders, but now in the EU you shouldn't be too worried. Also, they don't really stop people, if someone is speeding and the speed camera catches them, they get a ticket in the mail.
In countries where it's prohibited to possess one, it's better to hide it when stopped by cops.

Long story short, it's not a big deal.

Edit: I just read you are traveling through France. In that case, good luck with that, it would be easier to arrive to a country where it's legal:) Another way to tackle this problem is renting one where you rent the car in Italy. Is that a possibility?

P.S. There are lots of speed cameras in Europe, and most of the time they are placed where there is really unreasonable speed limit. I'm saying like going 130km/h on the highway, then for about half a mile it's 80km/h, then back to 130 again. If you don't look for it, you don't even see the speed limit change.

P.S.2 Radar detectors are good. Just think about it, if the purpose of the cameras is slowing traffic down, they are doing it wrong. If you don't know there is a camera, you won't slow down, you'll just receive a ticket in the mail 10 days later. If you have a detector on the other hand, you'll know if you have to check on your speed, and you will slow down if necessary.

[s0urce]

do it lol We are americans, we go places and do what we want. But watch out cause some of thoes other countries would love to bust your ass right about now. Why not just drive the speed limit though?

Who said I'm speeding?

[Mauiwowi]

do it lol We are americans, we go places and do what we want. But watch out cause some of thoes other countries would love to bust your ass right about now. Why not just drive the speed limit though?