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.

If your license is not in Roman letters, then you will need an International driver’s license.

For instance, with a valid American, Canadian or Australian driver’s license, you do not need an international driver’s license.

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.

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Elle
Laura and Emilie planned such a professional, authentic and fantastic trip that it has become one of my favorite vacations! Excursions, accommodations, and suggested activities were flawless -- such that the only difficult decision for us was what to select from scrumptious French cuisine. I was hesitant at first to trust an unknown online trip …
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This was a perfect holiday put together so personally for us by Emilie of France Just For You. Every B&B was exceptional with charming hosts. Our personalised tour book was excellent and everywhere that was suggested we visit never disappointed. We travelled through Burgundy, Loire Valley and Normandy over 17 days. So many highlights,two in …
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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 …

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