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La Douce France, land of lavender fields, cheese, baguettes and some of the most beautiful towns in the world.
France is still the most visited country in the entire world and the best way to discover it is by renting a car and drive on l’Autoroute du Soleil.
During your drives in France you’ll come across medieval castles, sunflower fields, coastal cliffs and beautiful valleys. You can bet on it that you’ll want to park your car on the side of the road after every single turn. Especially if you’re driving in the South of France!
Within this guide you’ll find all the information that you’ll need to help you prepare for your trip to France and how to safely drive around the country.
Tips For Renting A Car And Driving In France
Why you should rent a car in France
If you’ve followed any of my previous travels then you know that I an absolute sucker for a good road trip. Renting a car gives you the freedom to go anywhere you want, whenever you want. You want to go on a sunrise mission to Grimaud in the South of France? You’ll need a rental car! You want to admire the sunset over the lavender fields in the Provence? That’s right, you’ll need a rental car!
The best way to get the most out of your time in France is to rent a car. You’ll have all of the flexibility that you can dream of and you don’t need to rely on public transportation. Honestly, I don’t think there’s anything I hate more than using public transportation. Even that’s it’s a more sustainable way of traveling, I simply hate it if I can’t explore every nook and cranny that a destination has to offer.
If you don’t have a rental car and you want to see certain parts of the country you’ll depend on taxi’s, busses and tours. These are either very expensive options or simply impossible to do sometimes if you want to visit a place very early in the day. It will take a lot longer to reach several destinations in one day and if you’ve booked a full day tour you’re also stuck if the weather turns out to be a complete disaster that day.
Renting a car will give you the possibility to go more off the beaten path , drive on coastal roads, pass by castles and lavender fields.
Where to rent your car
🚗 Rent a car in France by using SunnyCars. There’s never any hidden costs with them and free cancellation up to 1 hour before rental start. Their price is transparent and everything is included.
Book your rental car here.
What do you need to rent a car in France?
When you rent a car in France you’ll need the following requirements:
- Your driver’s license from your home country. An International Driver Permit is only necessary if the renter’s driving license is not in the Roman alphabet (is in a language such as Arabic, Greek, Russian or Chinese).
- You must be at least 21 years old or 25 years old (minimum age varies by rental agency). But some rental companies do charge more if the driver is younger than 25 years old.
- You need a credit card in your name
- Your ID (or passport)
Rental car insurance in France
When renting a car in France it is required by law that drivers carry unlimited third party liability insurance, and as a result it is automatically included in the price of all car rentals.
🚗 Rent a car in France by using SunnyCars. There’s never any hidden costs with them and free cancellation up to 1 hour before rental start. Their price is transparent and everything is included.
Book your rental car here
If you want to take your rental car to neighboring countries such as Monaco or Italy, make sure to check with the rental company first if you’re allowed to. Usually this shouldn’t be a problem though!
💡 TIP – Make sure you always carry your driver’s license, passport, insurance and rental papers with you
Is it safe or difficult to drive in France?
Driving in France is safe, but there are a number of things travelers should look out for. Stay safe on French roads with these travel safety tips.
- All speed signs are in kilometers per hour and the French drive on the righthand side of the road (same as the United States).
- You must check that your vehicle has the following in case of a breakdown situation: red warning triangle and hi-vis vest (for all occupants of the car and must be located in the car cabin).
- If you are road tripping, don’t forget to stop regularly for breaks to beat fatigue. Motorways have aires which can be as simple as a picnic spot or a service center with more amenities.
- Snow chains are mandatory in mountainous regions during winter so make sure you have a set with you or fitted beforehand.
- There are many ancient, towns throughout France that weren’t designed with modern vehicular traffic in mind, some with crazy sharp corners (as evident by the scrapes on some buildings) so drivers need to slow down.
Road rules in France
Like many other countries, France has its own road rules but here are some which may catch out any unsuspecting traveler on the road:
- As a general rule, drive on the right, overtake on the left.
- You must call the police in the event of an accident. The number to call is 112 which will put you in touch with all emergency services and English speaking operators.
- It’s illegal to use a cell phone while operating a vehicle even if it’s with headphones. Bluetooth is allowed. Penalty – €135 (US$153).
- The same goes for eating behind the wheel, pumping super loud music so you can’t hear other traffic and watching an entertaining screen when behind the wheel.
- At intersections, you must give way to vehicles approaching from your right, unless otherwise indicated.
- The fine for failing to wear a seat belt is set at €135, reduced to €90 if paid within 15 days.
- The international three-colour traffic light system is used France. However, there is no amber light after the red light.
The following national speed limits apply:
| Motorways | Priority roads and dual carriageways | Other roads | Built up areas | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normal traffic conditions | 130 km/h | 110 km/h | 80 km/h | 50 km/h |
| Rain or other precipitation | 110 km/h | 100 km/h | 70 km/h | 50 km/h |
| Visibility less than 50m | 50 km/h | 50 km/h | 50 km/h | 50 km/h |
🚗 Rent a car in France by using SunnyCars. There’s never any hidden costs with them and free cancellation up to 1 hour before rental start. Their price is transparent and everything is included.
Book your rental car here
Tips for renting a car in France
1. Make sure to check your rental car
This is my number one tip when renting a car in France, or anywhere else for that matters. It’s your own responsibility to check your rental car. Make sure to take many good and clear photos and detailed shots if there’s already some damage visible.
If you’re traveling in winter, see if there are snow tires on the car or snow chains in the trunk.
You will also receive a check-form before your rental officially starts. Make sure to see if all the damages are marked on the form. If this isn’t the case you need to tell the employee and have them add it to the check list before you sign anything.
🚗 Rent a car in France by using SunnyCars. There’s never any hidden costs with them and free cancellation up to 1 hour before rental start. Their price is transparent and everything is included.
2. Check what type of gas is needed for your rental car
This may sound pretty logical but it does happen. People put in the wrong type of gas at a petrol station and then of course the car won’t start anymore.
If you’re ever in doubt about which type of fuel you need, try to find the sticker in your rental car that provides that information. This can usually be found on the car key, on the dashboard, or on the fuel door.
There are gas stations everywhere in France. What I like to do is download the map of France from before on Google Maps. That way you don’t need any data when you’re searching the map for a nearby gas station.
3. Be prepared for toll booths in France
When driving on the autoroute you’ll definitely encounter a couple of toll booths. Some parts of the autoroute are free to drive but you’ll also notice that the roads are a lot less well maintained.
The rest stops here are also less modern.
But often you’ll come across a toll both called “péage” and you’ll receive a ticket. At the exit you then need to insert that card and pay a fee.
Highway tolls may be paid with euro coins and notes/bills, certain credit or debit cards, or by télépéage (electronic transponder).
- The green arrow means all types of payment are accepted.
- The t symbol means only payments by télépéage are allowed
Tolls are charged by distance, so a longer drive will require more and larger coins and notes/bills.
For instance our drive from Antwerp to St Tropez cost is €67 in péage.
💡 TIP – Google Maps often suggests toll free roads. These do take a lot longer but are usually also more scenic drives.
Where to rent a car in France
There are numerous options but I usually prefer to pick up my car as soon as I land at the airport. But if you’re planning on renting a car in France during high season make sure to do so well in advance.
🚗 Rent a car in France by using SunnyCars. There’s never any hidden costs with them and free cancellation up to 1 hour before rental start. Their price is transparent and everything is included.
Book your rental car here
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