Minimum Age for drivers

Drivers must be aged 18 or over and hold a full, valid driving licence to legally drive in France

Speed camera detection is NOT permitted in France so if your satnav can show fixed speed cameras, then you must disable alerts before you drive in France. If caught using detection you could have to pay a massive fine of €1,500 !

Children in vehicles

Children under 10 years or age are not permitted to sit in the front, and all children under 10 must have appropriate seats.

Drink driving limits

For drivers and riders that have less than three years of experience, the alcohol limit is 0.2 grams per litre. If you have more than three years’ experience the limit is 0.5 grams per litre. Both are lower than the English, Welsh and Northern Irish limit of 0.8 grams per litre (the Scottish limit is 0.5).

Headphones

All drivers and riders are prohibited from wearing headsets and headphones whilst driving, be it for music purposes or for phone calls. However, this does exclude motorcycle helmets that have integrated systems.

Motorway Breakdown

Because French motorways are privately managed, you cannot request your own assistance company to attend to you if you break down. If you do break down, you should use the orange emergency telephones that are situated every 2km along main roads and motorways to call the police or the official breakdown service operating in that area. Alternatively, if no orange telephone is available, you should call the emergency services by dialling 112.

You will be towed to a safe designated area where you can then be met by your chosen breakdown provider. Charges for assistance on a motorway are fixed by the government and are reviewed and revised each year. For the most part, the government-appointed towing service that tows you from the motorway allows your breakdown provider to pay it directly (if applicable with your chosen cover) – however, it’s at the towing company’s discretion. If you are asked to pay, please keep your receipt in order to claim under your breakdown cover (if applicable).

The cost for recovery is:

• €124.83 for vehicles 1.8 tonnes or under or €187.25 between the hours of 18:00 and 08:00, weekends and bank holidays
• €154.36 for vehicles 3.5t or under or €231.54 between the hours of 18:00 and 08:00, weekends and bank holidays
• For vehicles over 3.5t, the cost is at the towing service’s discretion

Low Emission Zones

You can apply for a Crit’Air sticker at certificat-air.gouv.fr. The sticker costs €4.76 (€3.11 for the sticker, plus €1.65 for postage outside of France). Watch out for high charges on intermediary sites. A lot of them will charge you £15 to £20 for your Crit’Air sticker, which is really easy to apply for yourself.

Low Emission Zones have been introduced in Lyon, Aix-Marseille, Toulouse, Nice, Montpellier, Strasbourg, Grenoble, Rouen, Reims and Saint-Etienne. From 2025, all cities and agglomerations with more than 150,000 inhabitants will be required to introduce a Low Emission Mobility Zone and you cannot drive in these cities without displaying a sticker in the windscreen showing the rating of your vehicle. On certain days those vehicles with a high rating cannot be driven in the centre of Paris – https://www.certificat-air.gouv.fr/

WHAT NOT TO TAKE !

Be aware that you cannot take the following with you into France:

• Meat or products containing meat
• milk or dairy products

You cannot take the following unless you pay to have them inspected before you leave and get a ‘phytosanitary certificate’:

• fresh fruit (apart from bananas, coconuts, dates, pineapples and durians)
• vegetables
• plants
• plant producLow emission zones
  

  You can apply for a Crit’Air sticker at certificat-air.gouv.fr. The sticker costs €4.76 (€3.11 for the sticker, plus €1.65 for postage outside of France). Watch out for high charges on intermediary sites. A lot of them will charge you £15 to £20 for your Crit’Air sticker, which is really easy to apply for yourself.

  Low Emission Zones have been introduced in Lyon, Aix-Marseille, Toulouse, Nice, Montpellier, Strasbourg, Grenoble, Rouen, Reims and Saint-Etienne. From 2025, all cities and agglomerations with more than 150,000 inhabitants will be required to introduce a Low Emission Mobility Zone and you cannot drive in these cities without displaying a sticker in the windscreen showing the rating of your vehicle. On certain days those vehicles with a high rating cannot be driven in the centre of Paris – https://www.certificat-air.gouv.fr/