Travel Tips: Driving in France

After a long talk of breakfast recently with some guests I thought I’d try to compile our advice on driving in France.

Right of way

Called priorité à droite, this is one law you must remember. Cars coming from the road on your right have the right of way – even if you’re on a main road and the other car is on a minor road. The exception is at intersections when the road on the right has a stop sign, solid white line, yield sign or there’s a roundabout.

Priorité à droite intersections are common in the countryside and in villages. Often, but not always, they are indicated by this sign kind of sign:

Yield to right

 If you see the following sign, it means you have the right of way at the next intersection only.

right yields to you

When arriving in a village or town, look for a yellow diamond on the village’s name sign.

priorité à droite suspended

If you see one it means priorité à droite is suspended and the main road traffic has the right of way until you reach the end priority sign, which is usually on the “now leaving” sign.

 

If you don’t see one (our village, for example) priorité à droite is still in effect.

No yellow diamond. Priorité à droite in effect

Confused? Who wouldn’t be? When in doubt, let the car on the right go first.

Road numbers

The French don’t attach much importance to road numbers, with the exception of motorways and major national highways. They don’t navigate by them. Instead, they use place names. For example, if you’re heading to a small town that’s on the way to a larger city, follow the signs for the city. When you arrive in the vicinity of the town, you will start seeing signs for it, but not before.

Some portions of road can have anywhere up to three numbers, especially around Paris where bits of national highway have been integrated into motorways. You’ll also notice that some main roads also have an E road number. Pay no attention to it.

To make matters more confusing, a few years ago France’s central government handed over responsibility for 18,000 km of national (N) roads to local authorities. In their infinite wisdom many authorities decided to re-classify and re-number some of the roads. Be aware of this if you have an older map or haven’t updated your GPS maps recently. Also, the locals haven’t assimilated this fact, so if you ask for directions chances are they’ll use the old road numbers (if they use them at all).

Road system

The French road network is a hub-and-spoke system, not a grid. So, if you make a wrong turn, you’ll end up miles from where you want to be. Unlike in some countries, a wrong turn will never put you on a parallel road. Turn around as soon as you can.

Tolls

The roads of France’s vast motorway/highway network are of the highest quality (in most places) but aren’t cheap. They are toll roads. Tolls are per car and depend on the distance driven.

Picnics

The food at the motorway service areas is usually bad and expensive. Think ahead and picnic at the benches and tables available in the service area. However, avoid picnicking at ordinary rest stops. The Turkish toilets will put you off your meal.

Speeding

Radar speed traps are common in France. If it is a manned one, you could be hit with an on-the-spot fine. Radar and laser detectors are forbidden in France. GPS speed camera detectors are allowed.

Gas/Petrol

Diesel is less expensive than unleaded petrol/gas in France. Gas stations on the highways are expensive. Supermarket pumps are cheapest, as are Elf stations. Unless indicated otherwise, you fill up your car then pay. WARNING: supermarket pumps are in automatic mode outside of business hours, which means you have to pay by credit card (but not all foreign cards are accepted).

Paris traffic

Avoid it if you can. If you can’t, try to time it right. Traffic is lightest in late morning and early afternoon. Rush hour is 7-9AM and 17-19PM. If you’re coming from the Channel, take the western route via Rouen, even if your GPS tells you to go around Paris. If you’re renting a car in Paris and heading anywhere but north, pick it up at Orly Airport. You’ll avoid the worst of the traffic.

Holiday traffic jams

France is plagued with seasonal traffic jams, mainly in spring and summer, when vacation-goers are heading to and from their destinations. The worst are the 2^nd and last weekends of July and the first weekend of August. Traffic can also be very heave on the other weekends of July and August and the first and last days of any long weekends. There is also a direct correlation between sunshine and Paris traffic: the nicer the weather the more Parisians head to the Normandy coast, fouling up traffic on the A13.

Mandatory equipment

All motorists in France are legally required to carry spare bulbs, a first aid kit, a warning triangle and a fluorescent jacket in their vehicle. The jacket must be inside the car, not in the trunk. If driving a right-hand drive car, the headlights must be adjusted.