Driving in France can be a delight. Away from huge cities like Paris and Marseilles there is surprisingly small traffic and all kinds of stunning French scenery. If you’ve never driven in France before there are just one or two rules you should know that will make life simpler.
I won’t go into driving on the right versus the left. If I you’re from the UK, Australia or any of the other places that drive on the left then driving on the right will be quite a change for you but really it’s not as hard as you might dread. All you really need to concentrate on is the direction people are coming at you at junctions, autoroutes (motorways) and when you leave car parks – that kind of thing. The rest of the time it’s pretty obvious where you need to go because everyone else is!
If you come into France via the English ferries you’ll probably come across all kinds of things that the stores claim motorists need for driving in France. Spare bulbs, fire extinguishers, dog guards, who knows what. A lot of it is untrue. What you need is a warning triangle – many cars have these built into the boot lid (trunk), but do check – and a reflective yellow safety jacket. A lightweight sleeveless one is perfectly adequate. If your car is right-hand drive you will need to adjust the headlamps or use those sticky plastic “beam-benders”. The last thing you need for driving in France is a sticker stating your country of origin. If your car is a recent model from the European Union this will probably be incorporated in the license plate, if not, the ferry companies usually give you a sticky one for free.
I haven’t mentioned documents because if you’re licensed to drive in your own country you are licensed to drive in France. Comprehensive insurance is not mandatory but probably a excellent thought and most insurance companies will probably be able to upgrade you for a limited period. If you do not have a photo license you must carry your passport at all times. You should also have your insurance and ownership documents with you in the car.
Any other French driving rules and regulations?
Well seat belts are mandatory all the time, unless you have a really ancient car and they weren’t fitted as standard. Children younger than ten are not allowed to travel in the front seat. Speed limits are usually clearly signed but if in doubt it’s 50 kph in any built up area, 90 kph in the country and 130 kph on autoroutes – although in terrible weather you must slow down so the limit on open roads becomes 80 kph and autoroutes 110kph. There are plenty of speed cameras in France, usually with huge, obvious black and white sings just before, but there are also spot checks so be careful. If you get caught by the roadside by one of those you can expect an instant fine – and they’re not cheap.
Beware also of having a glass of something with lunch and then driving. There are always tales about drunk French peasants trundling down some ancient back lane in their rusty ancient 2CV but the fact is French drink driving rules are very strict. If you fail a roadside test you will be taken to jail, right then. A certain way to wreck your French holiday so why take the risk?
That just about covers it for “rules”. Next time I’ll have a look at driving in France from the point of view of a few useful French phrases and some of the things that French driving might throw at you.
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