Tools
Driving in France
The rules of the road as our desk recorded them, native unit first.
Right
50 / 80 / 130 km/h · 31 / 50 / 81 mph
urban / rural / motorway
Not required
EU, UK, US and most other licences are valid for visits; an IDP is only needed for longer stays or licences not in the Latin alphabet.
0.05% (0.02% for drivers with under three years of licence)
Extensive tolled autoroutes - Paris to Nice is around €90. Take a ticket and pay at the exit, or use a télépéage badge.
Not mandatory by day, though recommended and required in poor visibility.
Mandatory under 10 years or 135 cm; rentals stock them.
The rural speed limit dropped to 80 km/h on undivided roads in 2018, though some departments reverted to 90 - the signs are what count. Low-emission zones (ZFE) now restrict older vehicles in Paris, Lyon, Grenoble and others; a Crit'Air sticker is required and must be ordered in advance.