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

Lia & Grant
We had the most amazing trip to France which was so carefully curated by Laura at France Just For You. All of our interests were catered for with a fun and interesting itinerary! Laura took the time to find out where we wanted to travel in France and what we wanted to do there and made sure there were plenty of options. Everything was taken care …
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 …
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.

Our Travelers’ Photos

Ray & Jane
From Australia
On the French Riviera
Chris
from Singapore
Truffle hunting in Dordogne
Ron & Don
From Canada
In Burgundy
Chee Keong & Zack
From Malaysia
On Pegasus Bridge in Normandy for the D-Day celebrations
Nancy, Don, Jane & Ron
from Canada
In Honfleur, Normandy
Alan & Lucelle
From South Africa
In Mont Saint Michel at the border between Brittany & Normandy
Lorelea, Teresa, Diane & Chris
From the US
With their hostess in Lille, Northern France
Matt
from Singapore
Enjoy a cheese & cold cut platter by the pool at the B&B
Jane & Ron
From Canada
Visiting the Opéra Garnier, in Paris
Pam & Mercer
From the US
At the B&B in Giverny
Leslie & Bob
from the US
in Cassis Creeks near Marseille in Provence
Bruce from Australia
Cooking outdoor in Provence, bon appétit !

Last Blog Articles