Does anyone know where we can get info (in English) on road signs and driving rules in France?
We will be hiring a car in France, mainly for country side driving next month. As it will be our first time driving in France, we would like to familiarise ourselves with the local road signs and rules before we get there. We couldnt find anything on this in English on the internet.
Many thanks in advance.
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Road signs are internationally standard and very easy to understand. Here are a few pointers:
1. Purchase a map in book form (1:200,000 scale). GPS has become a popular rental option but European maps might be available for the portable GPS unit you are currently using.
2. Request a diesel; it will save a great deal of money in operating costs. Diesel fuel is sold everywhere gasoline is sold. You may check current fuel prices at any French city.
3. The luggage compartments on French cars are quite small, make sure the car you select meets you needs.
4. You may want to either carry car seats for you children or ask the rental agency. Child seats are required for children under 10 years of age.
5. For planning your trip, the following offer a great deal of information about time, distance, and cost between two points:
www.mappy.fr
www.viamichelin.fr
6. Never exceed the speed limit. There are radar detectors everywhere, some are marked and some are not. Here is a radar locater site:
http://www.radars-auto.com/
Mappy also lists radar sites.
7. Familiarize yourself with the basic speed limits: 50 km/h (within city limits), 90 km/h (country road outside of city limits), 110 km/h (divided roads), 130 km/h (auto route). Speed limits are not always posted in numbers, you are expected to slow to 50 km/h when passing a city limit sign. You may resume 90 km/h when leaving the city limits.
8. A word of caution about priorité a droite. If a car approaches from the right and enters the road in front of you, he probably has the right of way.
http://www.americansinfrance.net/Driving/
This old rule is being phased out but there are still many locations (always known by the locals) where the rule is still practiced. If you happen to see a yellow diamond sign along the side of the road, you can rest easy as you’ll have the right of way as you proceed along the main thoroughfare. If you see a red slash across the face of the yellow diamond, beware as vehicles on the right now have right of way.
9. Magnet strip credit card, while accepted by cashiers when purchasing fuel, will probably not work in pay at the pump locations. Plan your gas purchases ahead of time. Don’t get caught on a holiday with an empty fuel tank.
10. One advantage of the Autoroute; there is always clean restroom facilities available near by.
11. Never drink and drive. Never. French police set up check points in the most unlikely locations and at the most unlikely times just to catch people who do. If you consume more than 2 glasses of wine, you’ll most likely exceed the legal limit. The legal limit in France, or rather, the beginning of the illegal “zone,” is .50 grams of alcohol per liter of blood. From this level to .79 grams, the penalty is a fine of 135€ to 750€, and for French drivers, a loss of 6 of 12 license points. From .80 grams and up, the fine, fixed by a court, can be as high as 4,500 €, with a suspension of license for up to three years. A person weighing 80 kilograms, or 176 pounds, will be at the .50 limit after drinking two glasses of wine, though the peak level of alcohol in the blood when consumed with food occurs from one to two hours afterward.
12. To find the best restaurants/hotels purchase a Michelin Red Guide, you’ll need nothing else to find the best accommodations.
13. In the glove box of your rental car, this is a paper call a Constat. In the event of an accident, both parties must complete this form. On the back of the Constat is the English translation. Carry a pen in your car at all times.
14. When a car is turning left in front of you, do not pass on the right unless you are already in an outside lane (not an option on 2 lane roads).
15 An International Drivers Permit (IDP) is not required in France.
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This site gives you the road signs in colour. They are mostly what you would be accustomed to in Oz.
www.ideamerge.com/motoeuropa/roadsigns/
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Road signs are very good in France but there is one thing that catches everyone initially. Whe you see a sign on the right pointing right, then turn right, however when you see a sign on the left pointing right, go straight through. Similar for left pointing signs.
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Hi Travelmaker, Please post a report when you come back and let us know how you went. We are hiring a car in Provence in Sept. and it is the only thing that I am nervous about so you mae be able to share some tips.
When you are booking a hire car is there anyway that you can specify a diesel? and also emphasise that you need an automatic car as there have been reports of booking an auto but getting a manual. I don%26#39;t want to have to be thinking which side of the road I should be on %26amp; also changing gears with the %26#39;wrong%26#39; hand.
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Hi Aussiemerc
Here is my experience driving in Europe over many years, and thinking back to the first time I drove there.
So long as you are OK driving manuals, you shouldn%26#39;t have a problem with a manual in France. Initially, there may be the odd time you try to change gear with the %26quot;window winder%26quot;, but it will be rare. If you are driving around Provence, you will not want a big car (Merc, Volvo) and it is quite difficult renting a small - medium automatic, even harder with a diesel. For the first few km, turning right will feel strange and you may clip the curb a couple of times, then it should all settle down. You do need to keep your wits about you when backing out of an angle park in a shopping centre carpark, but driving on the road isn%26#39;t too big a deal. Keep your side mirrors slightly low so you can easily check your position on the road using white lines as there may be a tendency to drive a little further to the right than you would normally do.
My only other advice is to try to pick up the car where you can get to the open road without too much city stuff. The first time I collected a car in France was at Calais, so I spent the first 5 mins driving it around the port car parks and roundabouts.
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One thing that needs to be emphasised is that speed limits are often not signed. It is expected that you will know that the limit on two-lane rural roads is 90 km/h.
In particular, as you come to the outskirts of a town or village, you will see a quite small white sign showing the name of the place. This marks the start of the 50 km/h speed limit: there may not be a specific speed limit sign.
As you leave a town or village, you will see a similar name sign with a red diagonal stripe. This is the end of the 50 km/h limit.
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Thanks for you feedback, suggestions and heaps of valuable information.
Aussiemerc,
When we booked with Europcar, we went through their online options and looked for a car with features we want ie automatic %26amp; diesel. Before actually booking the car, we contacted them to confirm if it also comes with GPS, which is another useful gadget to have onboard for visitors. With all requirements confirmed, we booked the car. However, these guys never guarantee we%26#39;ll get the exact car booked. They always allow themselves the option of providing an equivalent car. In our case, we booked a mercedes but may get an audi instead!
If I forget to post a trip report, please feel free to send me a reminder. Will be back in Oz in July.
Cheers!
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Here is a web site that gives the road signs:
americansinfrance.net/driving/SelectedRoadSi…
Many guide books and english to French translation books also contain the sign and tell of road rules. My langenscheidt Jiffy Phrasebook French also contains road sign info.
We took many photos of unusual road signs ie %26quot;wild Boar%26quot; sign.
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Here is a good printable road sign site and you can also read up on French driving rules here:
french-at-a-touch.com/Newsletters_and_Articl…
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I bought this little book through Amazon: The Essential Driving Guide for France (amazon.com/Essential-Driving-France-Guides-E…)
Nothing extraordinary about it, but useful, if only to feel more confident about driving for the first time in a foreign country (in my case...)
Have a great trip!
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