Cars offer speed, freedom, access to the countryside, and an escape from the town-to-town mentality of trains. Many places in France—especially many of the most popular tourist attractions, like the Loire châteaux or the D-Day beaches—are best reached by car. Other attractions can be reached in no other way. Although a single traveler won’t save by renting a car, four usually will. If you can’t decide between train and car travel, you may benefit from a combination of the two; Rail Europe and other railpass vendors offer rail-and-drive packages . Fly-and-drive packages are also often available from travel agents or airline/rental agency partnerships.
Before setting off, know the laws of the countries in which you’ll be driving (e.g., motorcycle drivers and passengers must wear helmets in France). For an informal primer on European road signs and conventions, check out www.travlang.com/signs. The Association for Safe International Road Travel (ASIRT), 11769 Gainsborough Rd., Potomac, MD 20854, USA (☎+1-301-983-5252; www.asirt.org), can provide more specific information about road conditions. ASIRT considers road travel (by car or bus) to be relatively safe in France. French drivers, along with other Western Europeans, use unleaded gas almost exclusively.
If you plan to drive a car while in France, you must be over 18 and have a recognized driver’s license. French law allows travelers to drive with a valid American or Canadian license for a year, but an International Driving Permit (IDP) is also sufficient. It is helpful to have an IDP in case you’re in a situation (e.g., an accident or stranded in a small town) where the police do not speak English; information on the IDP is printed in 11 languages, including French.
Your IDP, valid for one year, must be issued in your own country before you depart. An application for an IDP usually requires one or two photos, a current local license, an additional form of identification, and a fee. To apply, contact your home country’s automobile association. Be vigilant when purchasing an IDP online or anywhere other than your home automobile association. Many vendors sell permits of questionable legitimacy for higher prices.
Most credit cards cover standard insurance. If you rent, lease, or borrow a car, you will need a green card, or International Insurance Certificate, to certify that you have liability insurance and that it applies abroad. Green cards can be obtained at car-rental agencies, car dealers (for those leasing cars), some travel agents, and some border crossings. Rental agencies may require you to purchase theft insurance in countries that they consider to have a high risk of auto theft.
You can rent a car from a US-based firm (Alamo, Avis, Budget, or Hertz) with European offices, from a European-based company with local representatives (Europcar), or from a tour operator (Auto Europe, Europe By Car, and Kemwel Holiday Autos) that will arrange a rental for you from a European company at its own rates. Multinationals offer greater flexibility, but tour operators often strike better deals. It is always significantly less expensive to reserve a car from the US than from Europe. Ask airlines about special fly-and-drive packages; you may get up to a week of free or discounted rental. Expect to pay €120-350 per week, plus tax (about 20%), for a tiny car. Reserve ahead and pay in advance if at all possible. Always check if prices quoted include tax and collision insurance; some credit-card companies provide insurance, allowing their customers to decline the collision damage waiver. Ask about discounts and check the terms of insurance, particularly the size of the deductible. The minimum rental age in France is usually 21, and drivers under 25 may have to pay a young-driver insurance fee. At most agencies, all that’s needed to rent a car is an International Driving Permit or recognized license and proof that you’ve had it for a year. A credit card, or additional personal identification, is sometimes also necessary.
Remember that, if you are driving a conventional rental vehicle on an unpaved road in a rental car, you are almost never covered by insurance; ask about this before leaving the rental agency. Be aware that cars rented on an American Express or Visa/MasterCard Gold or Platinum credit card in France might not carry the automatic insurance that they would in some other countries; check with your credit-card company. Insurance plans from rental companies almost always come with an excess of around US$5-15 per day for conventional vehicles. This means that the insurance bought from the rental company only applies to damages over the excess; damages up to that amount must be covered by your existing insurance. Many rental companies in France require you to buy a Collision Damage Waiver (CDW), which will waive the excess in case of collision. Loss Damage Waivers (LDWs) do the same in case of theft or vandalism.
National chains often allow one-way rentals (picking up in one city and dropping off in another). There is usually a minimum hire period and sometimes an extra dropoff charge of several hundred dollars. Car rental in France is available through the following agencies:
For longer than 17 days, leasing can be cheaper than renting; it is often the only option for those aged 18 to 21. The cheapest leases are agreements to buy the car and then sell it back to the manufacturer at a prearranged price. As far as you’re concerned, though, it’s a lease and doesn’t entail enormous financial transactions. Leases generally include insurance coverage and are not taxed. Expect to pay around US$1900-2200 (depending on size of car) for 60 days. Contact Auto Europe, Europe by Car, or Kemwel (above) before you go.
It is illegal for a person who does not reside in France to register, or therefore insure, an automobile in the country. However, if you do have a permanent residence in France, buying a car is an option. Check with consulates for import-export laws concerning used vehicles, registration information, and safety and emission standards.
Seat-belt use is mandatory in cars, and motorcycle drivers and passengers must wear helmets. Children under 10 years old are not permitted to sit in the front passenger seat. French police can fine anyone who does not comply with these laws. Always carry your driver’s license, a vehicle registration document, and proof of auto insurance on the road.
To receive directions, estimates of driving time, and toll and gas costs, check out www.iti.fr or www.prix-carburants.gouv.fr. L’essence (gasoline) prices vary, but they average about €1.60 per liter in cities and around €1.40 per liter in outlying areas. L’essence tends to be cheaper than l’essence sans plomb (unleaded fuel). Ask at a French Government Tourist Office for la carte de l’essence moins chère —a map of supermarkets close to highway exits, where gas is cheaper.
The Autoroute, or French highway system, has Paris as its hub. But the open road isn’t necessarily free; blue signs reading “péage” indicate an approaching toll, so be sure to bring your wallet. Speed limits range from 110-130kph (68-81 mph) on the Autoroute.
In France, the most dangerous aspects of driving include narrow streets, careless drivers, and high speed limits. Generally, the speed limits are 90-130kph (56-81 mph) on open roads and autoroutes and 50kph (30 mph) in towns. The French are known to make last-minute maneuvers and fail to yield the right of way, so beware. The legal blood-alcohol content limit is .05%, and driving under the influence remains a problem in France.
Exercise caution in mountainous regions, where roads can be narrow and unpaved as well as icy in winter. Almost all roads in Corsica are mountainous and narrow, so be extra vigilant about following the rules of the road. Most accidents occur during the tourist season, when streets are crowded with unfamiliar drivers. For more info on the driving conditions in France, see the website of Bison Futé (www.bison-fute.equipement.gouv.fr.), an organization geared toward reducing road congestion.
Many car rentals include 24hr. roadside assistance. If you find yourself in trouble on the Autoroute without such service, go to a nearby orange SOS phone. Dial ☎15 for an ambulance and ☎17 for the police.
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For 52 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.
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