Driving In France Tips & Info
France is one of the most visited countries in Europe and around the world. Being famous for its countryside landscapes and but also its coastal roads, many are choosing it for road trips.
Driving In France doesn’t have to be difficult, specially if you know the driving rules and the country specifics.
Road Info
The motorway in France is called “autoroute”. France road network consist of more than 11,000 km of motorway.
The autoroutes are numbered systematically as shown below:
- A1, A3, A4, A5, A6, A10, A13, A14, A15, A16 start from Paris
- A20’s are located in northern France
- A30’s are located in eastern France
- A40’s are located near the Alps
- A60’s are located in southern France
- A70’s are located in the centre of the country
- A80’s are located west of Paris
Here are the most important motorways in France
- A1 ~ Northern motorway
- A4 ~ Eastern motorway
- A6 and A7 ~ Motorways of the Sun, they connect the north to the south
- A8 ~ La provencale as it cross Provence
- A10 ~ L’Aquitaine connects Paris to Bordeaux
- A13 ~ Normandy Motorway
- A20 ~ L’occitane as it leads to the south-west of France
- A26 ~ autoroute des Anglais as it leads from Calais to Champagne region
- A29 ~ route des Estuaires, crossing the estuaries of the English Channel
- A40 ~ white motorway leads to Chamonix and other French winter resort towns
- A62 and A61 ~ the two seas motorway. They connect the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea from Bordeaux via Toulouse to Narbonne
- A68 ~ autoroute du Pastel connects south of France with Albi
- N104 ~ one of Paris’s beltways
Driving Rules in France
Seat Belt Requirements
The seat belt is mandatory both on the front and rear seats.
Not complying to these rules may lead to a fine of 135 euros and 3 points on your driving licence.
Travelling With Children
Children under 10 should be places in the rear. They are allowed also to stay on the front seats only if the rear ones are occupied by children under 10 or if there are no seat belts.
Children also must use restrain systems according to their age.
General Driving Rules
- While driving in France you must carry the followings in the car: reflective jackets, warning triangle, headlamp beam deflectors
- Sound the horn is allowed only in cases of absolute necessity
- At intersections, you must give way to vehicles approaching from their right
- Overtake on the left
- Talking on the phone while driving without a hands-free system is prohibited
- All the road signs must be obeyed
Wacky Driving Rules
When driving in France you are required to carry a breathalyser kit in your vehicle.
Speed Limits
- 50km/h in towns
- 90km/h (80km/h) on open roads
- 110 km/h (100km/h when is wet) on dual Carriageway
- 130 km/h (110km/h when is wet)
Driving Side
In France, you should drive on the right side of the road. When coming towards a roundabout, give priority to traffic already on the roundabout or coming from the left.
Alcohol Limit
For the learners or for those who passed the driving test less than 3 years before driving the level of alcohol permitted is 0.2 grams per litre.
For the drivers with more than 3 years’ experience the alcohol level permits is 0.5 grams per litre.
Driving Licence Requirements
The domestic driving licences are accepted in France as long as they’re written in Roman Alphabet. If your driving licence is written in any other language, you must have an international driving licence.
Emergency Numbers
As in the rest of the EU, In France also the emergency number is 112
Other emergency numbers in France are:
- 15 – medical emergency
- 17 – police
- 18 – fire brigade
- 115 – social emergency
- 119 – abused children
- 116000 – missing children
- 114 – emergency calls for deaf and people with hearing problems
Fuel Cost
Here are the fuel prices recorded in the beginning of June 2017:
- Super 95: 1.350 EUR
- Diesel: 1.210 EUR
- LPG: 0.753 EUR
We cover all major cities, airports and train stations so we can make car rental more accessible to you all. Car Hire without a credit card is not a myth anymore!
