The controllers first words were “what kinds of service would you like”… reply “um…a good service…??” …. LMAO.!!!
Unfortunately that was completely wrong, as the first words from Bristol Controller would be “Remain outside controlled airspace…” 
Flying in France is a lot more relaxed than flying in the UK.
In most cases, you call up the controller with your proposed route (parts of which can be in CAS) and the reply is “radar contact”. The words “cleared to” are never used IMHO.
But there are many little variations which take time to discover. Some airspace you never get into e.g. the Paris TMA (below FL200) is 99% refused. Military airspace likewise, especially in the eastern France region, and it looks strongly like ATC are afraid of asking them; you get strange stuff on the radio.
Also, quite unlike the UK, French ATC can always get hold of your flight plan. The FPs get distributed to all units immediately.
A lot of UK pilots do bad stuff (often really cringeworthy) and could really benefit from a) reading EuroGA and b) getting some simple training on France. Oh wait, who from? The FI has never been there either, apart from LFAT
In the UK when flying VFR, nobody cares what altitude you fly at, so long as you’re outside of controlled airspace.
In France when flying VFR, the controllers usually expect and want you to fly at an appropriate VFR cruising altitude based on your track, and will often ask you to climb or descend to one if you are not.
Peter wrote:
Also, quite unlike the UK, French ATC can always get hold of your flight plan. The FPs get distributed to all units immediately.Since when is this the case? In my experience, it depends on area control, but it has become better and better over the last 5 years. Several stations still require to pass all main flight details by radio, even when flying on an active FPL.
In France when flying VFR, the controllers usually expect and want you to fly at an appropriate VFR cruising altitude based on your track, and will often ask you to climb or descend to one if you are not.Never noticed that before, even when flying the “wrong” cruising altitude due clouds or so.
A lot of UK pilots do bad stuff (often really cringeworthy) and could really benefit from a) reading EuroGA and b) getting some simple training on France.Many pilots fly and operate the radios as they do in their own country. That’s not only for Brits in particular.
Also quite a few YouTube movies nowadays show “how not to do it”, while others think it’s a nice video to learn from. (There are also many good videos btw, but a beginner won’t see the difference.)
Since when is this the case?
For the 21 years I’ve been flying.
We need a French ATCO and a UK ATCO to discuss details, but they are very hard to find 
Not sure if @Guillaume is still around these days; he knows the French system. We’ve had many threads on this since we started > 10 years ago and basically France has a “known traffic” system, with almost total radar coverage. One ATCO there told me all controllers are radar qualified so you don’t get tyhe daft UK London “info” which is done with FISOs to save money and, to keep the ATC unions happy, they are not allowed to say anything on the radio indicating they can see you.
I am hoping this is the right thread for this.
This REX has been posted this week. No conclusion from FFA safety officers have yet been drawn so I post it here as a possible example of how French and UK pilots think when it comes to dealing with ATS. You may need to read a little between the lines.
Description of the event:
Refusal of clearance in a class C TMA
Comment from the declarant:
Refusal of clearance by air traffic control before entering a class C TMA.
Reminder: SERA 8001: ATC shall be provided to all VFR flights in airspace classes B, C and D.
A clearance is an authorization issued to an aircraft to maneuver under conditions specified by an air traffic control organization for the purpose of providing it with air traffic control service
Educational summary:
Several reports are recorded for these clearance refusals for this particular TMA.
The regulations do not provide for carrying additional fuel for detours following a refusal to enter class C airspace.
I thought it might be an interesting discussion point of how ga pilots in their country relate to ATS.
I think the answer for VFR is the simple if cynical one: if you are VFR then everything is your problem! ATC have no obligation to let you into CAS, ever. CAS is to protect “important” traffic and that will always come first.
ATS should indeed be provided for VFR traffic in CAS but you still need a clearance to enter the said CAS to start with.
The UK CAA runs a reporting system for CAS entry refusals. I don’t know whether the data is used for anything because the controllers can always say the transit was refused due to workload.
No VFR pilot can argue that he planned his flight on the assumption of a CAS transit being granted. Of course I know that often these are granted (much more so in France than say the UK) but that is a wholly different argument.
@gallois wrote:
@NicR that is true above 3000ft. The semi circular rule is in ICAO so its not just France .
000 to 179° is odd thousands +500ft and 180° to 359° is even thousands + 500ft.
This rule can actually vary between ICAO states. For example in Spain it’s even thousands + 500 ft between West and East (so going “up”) and odd going “down”.
Details can be found in the AIP ENR 1.7 (Altimeter Setting Procedures). At least for Spain it’s 1.7. For Poland for example it’s 1.4..
