Driving in France: Tips for road trips and the Paris Olympics

France welcomes millions of Brits each year, many of whom take their cars, either by ferry or through the Channel Tunnel. But, as with any foreign country, there are differences to UK rules and regulations that you’ll need to know about, including several things you’ll need to have before you travel.

If you hold of a full UK driving licence, then you’re allowed to drive in France - even 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.

Special "Olympic routes" will be in effect from July 15 to September 11, with access limited to individuals accredited by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Major motorways like the A1 and A13 will be affected, with detailed information available on the Légifrance website.
From July 18 to 26, 2024, road access near the site of the Olympic opening ceremony will be restricted. If you want to drive here, you’ll need to register online at Pass Jeux – Official Website (pass-jeux.gouv.fr). Car access around these areas will be granted only to certain categories of people who have a legitimate reason to do so. Throughout the Olympics, expect increased traffic, especially during peak hours and near event venues. Temporary road closures will be in place around Olympic venues and along the marathon route. Routes to the key Olympic venues include: • Stade de France: Accessible via the A1 motorway. • Parc des Princes: Reachable through the A13 motorway. • AccorHotels Arena: Connected by the A4 motorway. During the period of the Olympics, street parking will still be available, with tariffs based on the length of stay and arrondissement that you park in. You may also be able to sort parking with your hotel or reserve a spot in certain car parks ahead of time. With an anticipated 15 million visitors, reserving your parking spot ahead of time is sensible.

The minimum legal age to drive in France is 18. All drivers also need to drive on the right-side of the road, and you need to give way to traffic approaching from the right.
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.

Make sure you carry all the essential documents when driving in France or you could end up losing thousands of euros.
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.

In France, it’s a legal requirement to carry the following items in your car at all times:
• 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.

Since the French drivers follow a right-hand traffic system, you need to be familiar with how it differs from driving on the left-side on the UK 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.

The following speed limits apply to all cars, vans and motorcycles on French roads.
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.

Road signs such as ‘Stop’ and ‘No Entry’ are the same in the UK and France. However, there will be some road signs in France that you won’t be familiar with, so make sure you do your research before you start driving on French roads.

In France, there is no amber light after a red light. Flashing amber lights mean caution, slow down and give way to vehicles coming from the right. Flashing red means no entry.

All road users, including cyclists and e-scooterists, need to have a blood alcohol content level of less than 0.5g per litre. The fine for surpassing this limit and driving is €135.

It is illegal to use your phone while driving on French roads. This includes even holding your phone in your hand or using earphones to receive a call. You are only allowed to use your phone with a Bluetooth hands-free set. You can end up with a €135 fine if caught using your phone while driving without hands-free access.

All children up to the age of 10 need to be in an approved child seat to travel in the car. They also need to use a child restraint if sitting in the front seats. Children weighing 13kg or less should sit in a rear-facing seat and airbags should be off if sitting in the front. When sitting in the rear, babies must be in a carrycot. If your child weighs between 9-18kg, you need to use a child seat with a five-point harness or a protection tray. Children above 15kg can sit in a booster seat or cushion while using a seat belt or a harness.

It is always mandatory for all passengers to wear a seat belt when driving in France unless exempted by law.

You can find a parking ticket machine (horodateurs) in most cities. Parking is free in majority of the places between 7-9 pm and on weekends unless specified otherwise. You can find the allowed time limit and the parking fee on the machine. If you don’t pay the parking fee, you can be fined €17.

If you break down on a motorway in France, call for assistance from an orange emergency telephone. As the French motorways are privately owned, you are not allowed to be collected by your own breakdown provider. Instead, an official breakdown service will tow you to an area when your breakdown provider can meet you. Charges vary but usually start from around €130.

Radar detectors to spot mobile speed guns are illegal, and if you have one – even if you’re not using it – you risk a very large fine. Similarly, sat navs that show fixed speed cameras are not allowed, so disable your speed camera alerts before you travel. You should familiarise yourself with the French highway code before you drive in France.

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