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

Patricia
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 …
Bobbi
We like to travel independently and Emilie was fantastic in providing us everything we needed to do so. We had wonderful information to read beforehand and received maps and GPS coordinates to get us where we needed to go.This is a great service to use to set up your hotel and car arrangements along with suggested itineraries that can be modified …
Deirdre
My husband and I spent one week visiting Normandy and the Loire Valley on a trip planned by France Just For You. The trip was amazing....We stayed in beautiful accomodations,had the BEST private guides,utilized many suggested itineraries---and all while keeping within our budget! For anyone who does not have the time or inclination to plan a trip …

Our Travelers’ Photos

Sue & Chris
Romantic night in Montecarlo
Kathy & Bill
From the US
Biking in Burgundy for a day - near Chateau de la Rochepot
Theresa & Bill
From the US
Between the vineyards & the lavenders in Provence
Amy
from the US
Enjoying a great view in Burgundy
Karen, Theresa, Mike & Bill
From the US
Dinner with view...
Sharon & Gary
from Canada
In Chambord castle - Loire Valley
Ginette, Craig, Bev & Dan again
from the US
Having breakfast on their private terrace near Aix en Provence
Alan & Lucelle
From South Africa
In Mont Saint Michel at the border between Brittany & Normandy
Elizabeth
From Canada
At her B&B in Normandy
Stuart
from Australia
Who stumbled upon Alice Cooper rock star in Galeries Lafayette in Paris
Greg, Laurie, Laura & Jeff
From the US
With their B&B host near Mont Saint Michel
Mary-Ann & Ruth
From the US
Meeting Emilie in Normandy

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