![]() If you get a speeding ticket while driving through France, the easiest way to pay is online with your credit card at website allows you to change the language to English. Signs for fixed speed controls in France How to pay a French speeding ticket Watch out for speed cameras! There are many speed checks along French roads (and the rental company will make sure you get the fine at home!). Remember that French people tend to drive faster than drivers in the Americas or in Asia. 80 km/hour out of cities (55 miles/hr) on roads that do not have a median strip.This limit applies as soon as you pass the white and red sign with the city name. Unless specified otherwise, these are the speed limits you have to observe when driving in France: ![]() However, rental agencies may not hire a car out to people under 21 to 25, or with less than a year's driving experience, depending on the agency. The minimum age to drive in France is 18 years old. Is my Driver’s license Valid in France?Īs long as you are a tourist and have a valid driver’s license written in the Roman alphabet from your country, you don’t need to carry an international driving permit to drive in France. If you can't use Waze or Google Maps, bringing a portable GPS from home with an updated map of France is highly recommended. So save yourself money and stress by bringing your own GPS! You can download the map of France onto it before your trip. Another reason to bring your own GPS is because car rental companies often charge an additional fee for this service. Alternatively, you can use Google Maps or Waze on your cellphone : it's always better to bring your own devices with you, as you'll know how they work, and your experience driving in France will be easier (or at least less stressful!). Don’t worry the car will start up again quickly! GPSĪlthough car rental agencies in France will give you the option to rent a GPS, we recommend bringing your own from home so you feel more comfortable using it. To restart the car, you only need to push on the brake pedal again. The way this works is that when you stop - at a red light for example - as you push down on the brake pedal, the engine will stop after a few seconds, to save gas. Some cars are equipped with another type of “Start & Stop” mechanism. Be careful not to leave the card inside the car when you leave. In this case, you need to insert the card and push the Start/Stop button. Some car keys are actually more like a card. You might also have a manual option ('M') where you can pinch on the stick to change gears. On the stick-shift, 'R' means Reverse 'A' means Drive and 'N' means Neutral. As automatic cars are not that popular in France, the car manufacturers have not invested much in this technology for domestic cars. You might literally feel the gears shifting as the car changes gear. The automatic gearshift might not feel as smooth as the one you're used to back home. With regards to security, it's fine to leave some bags on the back seat but we recommend leaving your valuables in a hotel room (or at your premium B&B accommodation if you're traveling with us) or hiding them in the trunk. (Don't worry - if you book a tour with France Just For You, we will take care of the car rental - all you'll have to do is pick up the keys). But don't worry - take a deep breath, and with our help, everything will be fine!įrench cars are smaller than your average American car - be sure to rent a car that will meet your needs, based on the number of travelers. That said, in France even automatic cars are different from those in other countries. ![]() On our tours we always reserve automatic cars for our travelers unless they tell us they prefer to drive a manual car. Most people in France drive a stick shift/manual car, so although it's possible to rent an automatic car, they're not that common. Alternatively you can find out more about the car rentals we include in our self-drive tour packages. Here we share information, tips, and recommendations on driving in France that we have accumulated over many years of working with foreign travelers. But if you want to explore all of France's hidden gems, including some of the most beautiful villages in France, driving is your best option. We know that driving in another country can be a daunting prospect, especially if you don't speak the language or you usually drive on the other side of the road. ![]()
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