Rent a car in France

Driving in France
If you are going to be driving on unfamiliar territory you will most likely want to know the rules of the road for your destination. If you already planned a trip to France and you are renting a car then the information below will be more than useful for you.

General Information
France has nearly 25,000mi/40,000km of national highways, of which nearly 6000mi/9600km are four-lane superhighways, known as ‘autoroutes’. Many of these superhighways are toll roads, called ‘autoroutes a peage’. The French government also maintains a good network of secondary national highways, marked on maps by an ‘N’ before the route number or RN for ‘Route Nationale,’ followed by a number. Local governments maintain local roads, known as ‘Routes Departementales,’ which are often the most scenic and are labeled with a ‘D’ in front of the route number.

Traffic
Highways in France tend to be jammed in late July/early August and again in late August/early September, when it seems that all of France is heading to vacation spots. You should also avoid weekends.

Requirements
To rent a car, you must be at least 21 years old (age may vary by car category) and have held your license for 1 year. Drivers under the age of 25 may incur a young driver surcharge. Seatbelts are mandatory and children must be at least age 10 to sit in the front seat. In the rear they must use a proper restraint system appropriate to their weight, which means a child seat if they weigh between 9 and 15 kg. Over this weight they can use seat belts with a booster cushion. Child seats are mandatory for children up to age 3.

Documentation
Always carry your driving license, vehicle registration document (V5), and certificate of car insurance. If your license does not have a photo, ensure you carry your passport to validate the license. If the vehicle is not registered in your name, carry a letter from the registered owner giving you permission to drive his car.

Seat belts
Seat belts at the front and rare are mandatory in France.

Rules of the Road
Traffic travels on the right. Fines for traffic violations are collected on the spot in either Euros or travelers’ cheques. A flashing red light means do not enter.

Speed Limits
Speed limits in France are as follows: City 31mph/50kmph Open Roads 68mph/110kmph Highways 81mph/130kmph. In France, anyone caught travelling at more than 25kmph above the speed limit can have their license confiscated on the spot.

Radar Detectors
Radar detectors are illegal in France – they will be confiscated even if switched off. Moreover you will be fined for having them.

Gas
24-hour petrol stations are found approximately every 40km.Fuel is cheaper in France. Gasoline tends to cost more when you buy it at a station on the highway and is roughly 10% cheaper when purchased from a hypermarket.

Tolls
There are toll highways in France that are labeled as ‘Autoroute peage.’ These highways are marked by blue signs with the letter ‘A.’ You can pay by credit card – you just hand over the card, nothing to sign and often no receipt unless you request one. On many motorways you can use booths which display a carte bleu sign - insert your card, wait for it to be returned and drive off. Otherwise make sure you have plenty of change available so you can use the automatic booths, although manual booths are always able to provide change.

An easy option for France is to sign up for a Telepйage electronic device which is read as you pass through the toll. This requires a credit card for online purchase, a deposit of 30 euro and a fee of just 2 euro per month which is only charged for months used (plus of course the toll itself). The benefits are rapid passage through the tolls and no leaning across the car to pay at left-sided toll booths.

Road stops
“Aires” (stop areas) occur every 10 to 15 kilometers along motorways and generally have a wide range of facilities from WCs to picnic areas. Although you are not supposed to camp overnight in aires, people often do.

Parking
Pay parking meters are quite common in many small towns. Most large cities have ‘blue zones’ where you display a parking disc or ticket on the dashboard of your car when you park. These discs are available at police stations and tourist offices.

Drinking and driving
France has strict drink and drive laws. Blood alcohol levels are stricter than many other countries (0.5 mg/ml). Our advice is if you’re driving, don’t drink!