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

Susan & Richard from the US
This trip was amazing, and Laura did such a fantastic job at planning it for us, with us. Wow, the detail and care the whole team put into our package was astonishing.
Liz & Bruce
We definitely experienced a new way of traveling : out-of-the-way places, local markets and quaint little restaurants. We met a lot of French people and other travelers and always had a great time ! We had already gone to France twice in the past, but thanks to Emily and Guilaume we rediscovered this fabulous country in a whole new way. We are …
Steve
Emilie, set up an outstanding itinerary that met all our desired needs, created a wonderful schedule with built in flexibility to handle planned and unplanned changes. Her suggestion for special sites to see and foods to sample were right on and an enhancement from the normal tourist recommendations. The attention to detail was greatly appreciated …

Our Travelers’ Photos

Phyllis, Gyu & the boys
from Korea
in Nice
Rory
From the US
Enjoying a croissant at the B&B in Burgundy
Mita & Bip from the US
In Biarritz, Basque Country
Judy & Rich
from the US
in Giverny, Normandy
Ginette, Craig, Bev & Dan again
from the US
Having breakfast on their private terrace near Aix en Provence
Muriel & Michael
from the US
In Utah Beach, Normandy
Kate & Jake
from the US
On their honeymoon in front of Chenonceau castle
Beth, Moira & Ron from USA
Enjoying a Wine Tasting in Burgundy
Steffi & Jeff
in Chenonceau castle....romantic !
Jilly & Marc
from the US
in Paris
Stéphanie & Vania
from the US
on the Aiguille du Midi peak in the French Alps (Chamonix)
Young Nam, Albert & Myoung from the US
In the Dentelles de Montmirail, in Provence

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