Drive in France

Any driver’s license written in Latin characters is accepted by car rental agencies for tourists – as long as it is valid.

If your license is not in Roman letters, then you will need an International driver’s license.

For instance, with a valid American, Canadian or Australian driver’s license, you do not need an international driver’s license.

Unless specified otherwise, the speed limits are :

  • 50 kms/hr in cities
  • 90 kms/hr in the countryside
  • 130 kms/hr on the highways

In miles per hour, this is about :

  • 30 miles/hr in cities
  • 55 miles/hr in the countryside
  • 80 miles/hr on the highways

Yes, car renters are obliged by the law to provide your driver’s information in case there is an infraction during the rental period.

The car renters will also charge an administration fee for about 25 to 30€ per fine.

It is in your interest to pay the fine online as soon as received to avoid any late fees.

We are sorry but highway toll pass is not available to foreign travelers in France.

You will need to pay each toll when you go through it with either coins/bills or with a credit card.

We are sorry, it is not included. We warmly recommend getting one from home and testing it before departure.

 

You will find gas available everywhere in France.

Please note that gas is much more expensive at highway resting areas, so fill-up before getting on the highway.

Gas is cheaper at supermarket stations (Leclerc, Super U, Auchan, Carrefour…) compared to traditional gas stations (Total, BP, Shell, …).

We highly recommend using the Waze phone app, which is the best at including traffic, roadwork, and navigation options.

If you are used to Google Maps or Maps, they also work well in France.

Portable GPS like Garmin will not be as updated as the above and will end up being more expensive, so we do not recommend them.

Should a GPS be built into your rental car, we still recommend using Waze as many of these systems are not fully up-to-date and do not take into account roadwork and traffic.

Go back to frequently asked questions

Our Travelers’ Reviews

Duncan & Myrna
This is our second trip with France Just for You. The expertly organized trip we experienced the first time, brought us back again. The B&Bs and the activities planned for us were diverse and totally enjoyable! Picnic in an active winery in harvest, cooking in a French kitchen, dune buggy ride in the vineyards at the base of Mont Ventoux all …
Kim, Eric & Family
We had a great vacation thanks to you. Your arrangements and attention to detail were unsurpassed. We got to enjoy such a wonderful experience of France because of your little details and suggestions; things we did and saw we would never had been aware of or done if we traveled on our own itinerary or had a canned tour. Thanks so much for all of …
Tony & Carolyn
We had the most wonderful two week trip planned by France-Just For You and it delivered more than we expected The quality of the travel package was amazing and every detail was designed to be most helpful for us. We had never stayed in B&Bs before but this trip has opened up more exciting travel options for us than we could have imagined. I would …

Our Travelers’ Photos

Myrna & Duncan
from Canada
In Eze gardens on the Riviera
Beth & Joe
From the US
Enjoying breakfast at the B&B in Southern Provence
Bridget & Tyler
from the US
In Monet's house kitchen in Giverny
Sue & Chris
Romantic night in Montecarlo
Pam & Mercer
From the US
At the B&B in Giverny
Yvette & David
from the US
on the French Riviera, near Nice
Fiona
From the UK
At a restaurant in Le Mans
Kathy & Steve from the US
Having dinner at the B&B in the Loire Valley
Young Nam, Albert & Myoung from the US
In the Dentelles de Montmirail, in Provence
Lytha & Ron
From the US
Canoeing in the Dordogne region
Linda
From Australia
Making Chou-Buns at Valerie's
Elisabeth & Randy
From Canada
In Vimy Ridge Memorial