Five tips for driving in France

I have decided to have a neutral day on the blog, so will post about driving in France, following my very long drive to the in-laws and back this weekend.

1. The French have a reputation for driving dangerously. If you replace the word 'dangerous' with 'different' you will have a much more positive experience. A French driver sees a space, no matter how small, he will get his car in it. This applies to parking spaces, using the bumpers to, well, bump, as much as it applies to whizzing along the motorway at 150kph weaving between cars. If you are aware that any space in front or behind you is likely to be filled at any moment, you'll feel a lot less terrified surprised when you are forced to brake suddenly when someone cuts in front of you. Remember: not dangerous, different. Repeat. Your nerves will thank you for it.

2. Speed limits. 130kph on the motorway in good weather; 110 kph in bad weather and on the motorways between Metz and Luxembourg all the time for some reason. 50kph in built up areas and 70-90 kph elsewhere. Speed limits used to pretty much remain in the imagination, but now they have started to put cameras and police officers all over the place. Dealing with police officers if you don't speak the language isn't fun. General rule - keep up with the traffic, but don't go crazy. If motorists in the opposite direction flash their lights at you they are warning you of a speed trap. Check you're under the limit immediately.

3. Motorway tolls. obviously these are on the wrong side of the car for British drivers so be ready and quick, if you're driving alone, to get the ticket from the machine. Unless you are in possession of a badge don't go into the zones at road toll marked as being only for 't' as you'll get trapped. More information on tolls here.

4. There are far more rest stops than in the UK. Make the most of them. But, as in the UK, the sandwiches often taste like cardboard, so buy your own off the motorway from the boulangerie. The loos stink of disinfectant and in the summer on the busy weekends can end up pretty disgusting. And there are no places to change babies at the rest stops which don't sell food and petrol. However, the restaurant food is often good, there are often play areas for children, even in the unmanned stops, and there is always plenty of space for dogs to go do what they have to do. Rest stops have, in short, vastly improved over the last decade or so.

5. Remember that rules which apply to French motorists also apply to non French motorists. So don't complain if at a police check they find you don't have hi-viz jackets and a warning triangle. It's the law. You will get fined. As would a French driver. The Daily Mail likes to do an article most years about how the French police hang around the motorways commonly used by Brits and stop British cars for fun. That is just Daily Mail frog bashing, and can therefore be taken to be a pile of steaming BS, but, as in the UK, ignorance of the law is no defence. So read up before you go, here for example, from the AA site.


Would anyone else like to share any tips?