Driving in France: Tips for road trips
Are you taking your car to France? Then you'll need a bit of preparation to stay on the right side of the law, and the road.


Words by: Andrew Woodhouse
Published on 19 July 2024 | 0 min read
Driving in France after Brexit
You don’t need an International Driving Permit or an official translation of your licence either. The only thing to keep in mind post-Brexit is that you need to display a ‘UK’ sticker on your car’s rear as opposed to the previous ‘EU’ and ‘GB’ sticker or have a number plate with a UK identifier. If you live in France or are planning to, you may still be able to use your UK driving licence depending on when it was issued. If you have a plastic photocard licence which was issued before 1 January 2021, you can use your UK licence till that time it’s still valid. Once your UK licence expires or has less than six months left to expire, you can exchange your licence for a French ‘permis de conduire’ (driving licence) without taking a driving test. Most paper licences issued before 1 January 2021 are valid until you turn 70. If your licence was issued after 1 January 2021, your UK licence will be valid for one year from the date of your residency permit in France, after which you’ll have to exchange it for a French licence – you won’t have to take a driving test for the exchange. Once you meet the requirements for exchanging your UK licence for a French one, you can apply online on the 'ANTS' Agence Nationale des Titres Sécurisés website.
Driving in France requirements:
You’ll need a full UK licence and basic vehicle documents like insurance and proof of MOT in case you’re stopped by the police.
Driving in France checklist: documents you’ll need
To drive in France, you’ll need: • Valid driving licence • Proof of insurance • Proof of ID (such as a passport) • Car registration (V5C) • MOT certificate You’ll need a Crit’Air sticker to drive through low emission traffic zones called ZCR – Zone à Circulation Restreinte and ZPA – Zone de la Protection de l’Air. These are similar to the LEZ and ULEZ zones we have in the UK. This sticker acts as an air quality certificate and tells the category of air pollution your car falls in. You can order your sticker on certificat-air.gouv.fr. If you’ve hired a car, you’ll need a VE103B certificate instead of a V5C document to prove you’re allowed to drive the hired the document. Although not a legal requirement, you may want to consider getting a European breakdown cover to ensure you can get help immediately in case your car breaks down.
Driving in France checklist: what to carry in your car
• A reflective jacket for each occupant, stored on or under the seats – not in the boot. You need to wear the reflective jacket and step out of the car in case of a breakdown. • Warning triangle (for vehicles with four wheels or more) • Headlamp deflectors to adjust the beam as UK cars are built to drive on the left and vehicle in France drive on the right • Spare headlight bulbs (recommended, not necessary) Certain regions in France, like Ain and Haute-Savoie, make it mandatory to carry snow chains or have inter tyres, usually between 1 November – 31 March.
Rules for driving in France
Driving on the right side of the French roads
In France, cars overtake on the left. Roundabouts can be confusing because traffic flows in a counter-clockwise direction, and on motorways, you’ll join the traffic in right lane, as opposed to the left lane like we do in the UK. If you hire a car in France, it’s likely that it’ll be a left-hand drive car, so you’ll sit on the left-side in the car and change gears using your right hand. This can be confusing and may take some practice initially.
French speed limits
When driving on motorways, you can drive at: • 130 km/h in normal traffic conditions • 110 km/h when it’s raining When driving a single carriageway with two uni-directional lanes, you can travel at: • 80km/h in normal traffic conditions and when it’s raining • 90 km/h in normal traffic conditions when there are two uni-directional lanes When driving on built-up areas, you can drive at: • 50km/h in normal traffic conditions and when it’s raining • If the visibility is less than 50m, you need to drive at 50 km/h or less, no matter where you’re driving.