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

Howard & Darlene
What a wonderful trip with personal guides Emilie planned for us! I would recommend her without reservation on your trip through Normandy, Mt St. Michel and the Loire Valley. The guidebook, which was chock full of important information (be sure to read it all!) was invaluable to us and became our bible.
Susan
This was a wonderful way to travel in France! Our tours were wonderful and the guidebook was very helpful. Each day we had suggestions of things to do and we loved every suggestion! Our car and our accommodations were first class. Having the french phone made travel easy since we could use Waze and Google Maps. If we return to France, we will …
Dan
I am a planner by nature and my wife and I found that Emilie at France Just For You exceeded all of our expectations for our trip to France. The daily itineraries the restaurant recommendations things to see and even things not to see. The B&B's we stayed at were outstanding. She even planned a few surprises for us on some of our activities. Do not …

Our Travelers’ Photos

Beverley & John
from Canada
In front of the Louvre pyramid in Paris
Karen
from the US
Eating lunch at Jules Verne restaurant at the top of the Eiffel tower
Roberta & Terry
At their B&B near Aix-en-Provence
Dan & Kim
From the US
Romantic time in Paris...
Athena, Joanne, Don & Paul
from the US
Spending a day biking in the Loire Valley
Sonia & Peter
from Canada
in Carcassonne Medieval City
Ginette, Craig, Bev & Dan again
from the US
Having breakfast on their private terrace near Aix en Provence
Jill, Wayne & Varenne (the dog)
from the US
Enjoying Mont Saint Michel away from the crowds, Normandy
The Ko Family
from Korea
on the French Riviera
Sandy & Dennis
from the US
In Paris by Notre Dame Cathedral
Lytha & Ron
From the US
Canoeing in the Dordogne region
Young Nam, Albert & Myoung from the US
In the Dentelles de Montmirail, in Provence

Last Blog Articles