Drive in France

Any driver’s license written in Latin characters is accepted by car rental agencies for tourists – as long as it is valid.

French law requires an International Permit to accompany valid driver's licenses that are not in French. Canadian licenses are in French, and there is an exception for UK licenses.

Unless specified otherwise, the speed limits are :

  • 50 kms/hr in cities
  • 90 kms/hr in the countryside
  • 130 kms/hr on the highways

In miles per hour, this is about :

  • 30 miles/hr in cities
  • 55 miles/hr in the countryside
  • 80 miles/hr on the highways

Yes, car renters are obliged by the law to provide your driver’s information in case there is an infraction during the rental period.

The car renters will also charge an administration fee for about 25 to 30€ per fine.

It is in your interest to pay the fine online as soon as received to avoid any late fees.

We are sorry but highway toll pass is not available to foreign travelers in France.

You will need to pay each toll when you go through it with either coins/bills or with a credit card.

We are sorry, it is not included. We warmly recommend getting one from home and testing it before departure.

 

You will find gas available everywhere in France.

Please note that gas is much more expensive at highway resting areas, so fill-up before getting on the highway.

Gas is cheaper at supermarket stations (Leclerc, Super U, Auchan, Carrefour…) compared to traditional gas stations (Total, BP, Shell, …).

We highly recommend using the Waze phone app, which is the best at including traffic, roadwork, and navigation options.

If you are used to Google Maps or Maps, they also work well in France.

Portable GPS like Garmin will not be as updated as the above and will end up being more expensive, so we do not recommend them.

Should a GPS be built into your rental car, we still recommend using Waze as many of these systems are not fully up-to-date and do not take into account roadwork and traffic.

Go back to frequently asked questions

Our Travelers’ Reviews

Hannah from the US
I cannot recommend France Just For You enough! We had a wonderful time as we customized a trip and experienced our French dreams come true! Thank you for the best experience!
Kelly
My husband and our friends spent two weeks travelling around Northern France, the Loire Valley and Paris. Emilie provided us with a detailed itinerary that exceeded our expectations. The accommodations were excellent and unique providing us with a variety of B & B's. Her recommendations for tours and sights took into consideration our interests and …
Laura from Canada
Words cannot begin to describe how pleased we are with the 22 day trip that the France Just for You team created for us as we celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary. We normally plan our own trips but when we looked at France we became overwhelmed with how much we could do. We found the FJFY team and saw that they had all 5 star reviews. You can …

Our Travelers’ Photos

Elisabeth & Randy
From Canada
In Vimy Ridge Memorial
Gary, Barbara, Lori and Ron
from the US
After a cooking class in Provence
Jilly & Marc
from the US
in Paris
Diana & Michael
A glass of wine in the Provence vineyards, what else ?
Pam & Mercer
From the US
In Paris
Ginette, Craig, Bev & Dan
from the US
Visiting a winery in Provence
Carol & Mike
from the US
In Pont du Gard roman bridge in Provence
Bridget & Tyler
from the US
In Monet's house kitchen in Giverny
Jane
from the US
Canoeing down the Dordogne river
The Loo Family
From Malaysia
At the breakfast table in the Loire Valley
Roy & Maureen
From Australia
In Biarritz Food Market, enjoying some white wine with oysters
Michele, Jacques, Nicole, Gaetan, Joanne & Keith
from Canada
In the Loire Valley

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