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Hi Everyone,

We are off to France on Monday and I am just getting all the documents out and I do not have the photo card to go with my licence.  I have the paper bit and it is all up to date, does anyone know if I can drive. 

It isn't a big problem if not as we are not planning on doing a lot of driving and hubby has his licence, just wanted to know if I am alllowed to drive or if it is best not to.

Many thanks

I don't have a photocard at all, and never had had, and do lots of driving in Europe, towing the caravan and not towing, so it's absolutely not a problem.

This year we even managed to get into France with no passports, just using our paper driving licence as ID for Norfolk Lines (all they required to prove we were the passengers they had pre-booked on - but they did say it was at our own risk and we could be re-patriated by the French should they so choose).  We weren't stopped by customs on either side.  Our passports (left at home) caught up with us whilst on holiday so we had no problems getting back in.

It's actually the paper part of the licence which is the legally required bit - ie where all the information about 'points', etc., is stored! 

Both parts of the new driving licence are legal not just the paper. The plastic part is now in common with european licences and comes with photo and catergories of vehicle. The paper counterpart does not have this. As to the legalities of not being able to produce it I couldn't say.

harryb