| I don't know what information you get if you fly in from, | | | | when driving through France don't do anything that will |
| for example, the USA or Australia, but if you come by | | | | get you caught! |
| ferry from England you get all kinds of dire warnings | | | | Drinking and Driving in France? |
| about essential things you need when driving through | | | | Don't. The legal limit in France is 0.05 percent. You'll get |
| France. | | | | a fine, you may even get imprisoned. Just because |
| To be honest, a lot of it is either misleading or just plain | | | | you see an old French car weaving down some rural |
| wrong. I suspect some of it is intended to persuade | | | | back road doesn't make it legal. It's the fastest and |
| you to buy stuff at highly inflated prices at the ferry | | | | easiest way to wreck your holiday, why take the risk? |
| port shopping area! | | | | Anything else? |
| Perhaps I'm being overly cynical but let's look at the | | | | You'll often see signs with RAPPEL on them. This |
| facts and some of the other driving laws in France. | | | | means "remember", as in "remember it's still a 50kph |
| If you are driving in France, whether it's your own or a | | | | limit". You might see "Acoutement Non Stabilise" which |
| hire car, you must have a warning triangle. Many cars | | | | is a warning of soft or unstable verges. There's |
| have these built into the boot lid (trunk for our | | | | "Allumez vos phares" - turn on your headlights and |
| American friends) but check. From 1st July 2008 you | | | | "Arret interdit" - no stopping. There's also STOP which |
| must also have a reflective jacket. If you have a | | | | means... stop. I asked a French friend why they use |
| right-hand drive car the headlamps must either have | | | | the English word. He thinks it's because it's fewer |
| "beam bender" type stickers applied or, on more | | | | letters than the French and therefore can be made |
| modern vehicles, have their headlamps adjusted for | | | | bigger on the sign. I don't know the truth of that. |
| driving on the right. If you are driving a foreign car in | | | | You'll also notice big yellow diamonds - particularly in |
| France it must have a sticker showing its country of | | | | towns. This means you have right of way. At first this |
| origin on the rear - unless it is a modern EU license | | | | seems a bit odd - especially if you're on a main road - |
| plate which already carries identification. | | | | why wouldn't you have right of way? |
| Incidentally, also from 1st July 2008 you must have a | | | | Well it used to be that when driving through France |
| reflective jacket if you are cycling at night in a rural | | | | you had to give way to the right in ALL situations. If |
| area. | | | | someone was going down a main road and someone |
| Seat belts, front and rear, are compulsory if fitted. | | | | came in from a dirt track on the right, the one on the |
| Children under 10 are not allowed in the front seats. | | | | dirt track would have right of way. Fortunately this is |
| Even in the back they must have a child seat if | | | | disappearing but still exists in a few places. The yellow |
| between 9 and 15kg. If you're on a motorcycle, crash | | | | diamond gives you right of way, but just be careful, |
| helmets are required at all times. I know sometimes | | | | especially in rural areas. Sometimes older drivers |
| you see a French rider without one but trust me, | | | | forget they don't have right of way anymore. |
| they're breaking the law. | | | | Roundabouts work just like anywhere else, except of |
| Fire extinguishers, first-aid kits and spare bulbs may be | | | | course if you're English because the priority is from the |
| a good idea but they are NOT a legal requirements for | | | | left, not the right. |
| driving through France. | | | | One other thing about general driving in France on rural |
| So what about documents? | | | | roads. If there isn't enough width for two vehicles don't |
| You must have your driving license, vehicle registration | | | | expect the French to stop or pull in to a convenient |
| document and a certificate of motor insurance. It's not | | | | gateway. All they'll do is drive with two wheels on the |
| a legal requirement to have fully comprehensive | | | | verge, often without losing speed! You have two |
| insurance but probably advisable. Your insurance cover | | | | choices, do the same or pull over and stop. If you don't |
| will vary depending on where you're coming from so | | | | know the road or the state of the verge it's often |
| it's just as well to check with your insurer before | | | | safer just to get as far out of the way as you can! |
| coming. | | | | Fuel shouldn't be a problem unless your car runs LPG. |
| If you do not have a photo license then you must | | | | You'll frequently find this at autoroute (motorway) |
| carry your passport at all times. It might avoid | | | | services but it's also where the fuel is most expensive. |
| unnecessary complications if you carry it anyway as | | | | In rural areas you may find it hard to get. You will also |
| some police look oddly at any license that's not French! | | | | find a lot of automated petrol stations that can be a bit |
| Speed Limits? | | | | fussy over the credit card they accept. Some of them |
| In built up areas the speed limit is 50kph. On major | | | | won't even take one of my French cards. |
| roads it's 110kph (90kph if it's raining) and on | | | | By the way, Petrol (or gas) is "essence". Diesel is |
| motorways it's 130kph (110kph if it's raining). | | | | "Gazole". Don't ask for "petrole", that's parafin. |
| But sometimes it seems like they're out to get you! | | | | So there you have it. A quick run down of driving |
| It's common to see 40kph or slower in built up areas, | | | | through France. If you normally drive on the right and |
| particularly near schools or hospitals. You can be | | | | you've never done it before, don't worry, just take your |
| cruising along a motorway quite comfortably at 110kph | | | | time. Concentrate particularly when you're coming out |
| or more and suddenly the limit will drop to 90 for no | | | | of junctions, petrol stations and shopping areas, that |
| apparent reason and then go back up to 130kph. The | | | | seems to be when we're most likely to forget we're |
| golden rule is to keep your eyes open. No excuse will | | | | driving on the left. |
| work and there are lots of speed cameras. If you get | | | | Apart from that, driving in France is a breeze. Big cities |
| caught by a manned radar trap you'll get an on the | | | | can get snarled up, of course, but compared to the UK |
| spot fine. | | | | there's next to no traffic in rural areas and driving can |
| By the way, most motoring fines in France are given | | | | once again be something you enjoy rather than |
| on the spot. You can contest it afterwards but not at | | | | something you have to do to get to work! |
| the time. Make sure you get a receipt - better yet, | | | | |