Car Hire in France

Tourist information - France

France (French République Française) is a republic in western Europe, bounded on the north by the English Channel, the Strait of Dover, and the North Sea; on the northeast by Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany; on the east by Germany, Switzerland, and Italy; on the southeast by Monaco and the Mediterranean Sea; on the south by Spain and Andorra; and on the west by the Bay of Biscay.

Principal Cities

The capital and largest city of France is Paris. Other major cities include Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse, Nice, Strasbourg, Nantes, Bordeaux and Montpellier. More than 25 other cities have populations over 150,000.

Paris is the capital and largest city is in north central France with extensive tourist attractions, too many in fact to document here.

Marseille or Marseilles is a city in southern France and the second largest city of France after Paris. Many of the city's residents are descendants of immigrants from Italy, Spain, and North Africa. Marseille was also a major resettlement point for former colonists who returned to Europe when Algeria became independent in 1962.

Lyon, also Lyons is a city in east central France and the third largest city in France, after Paris and Marseille.

DRIVING LICENCE

EC licence accepted.
Minimum age for driving a car 18.

Drive on the right, overtake on the left.
Use dipped headlights at night, never drive on sidelights only.
Flashing your headlights means I am going first, not I give way!
Do not overtake or cross a solid white line in the centre of the road.
Funerals and Troops may only be passed at a very slow speed.
Do not overtake trams when passengers are disembarking or boarding.
Horns to be used for emergencies only.
Flashing amber on traffic lights means proceed only if safe to do so.

Warning Triangle is compulsory if car not fitted with hazard lights or if towing a trailer/caravan. Spare Bulb Kit recommended.

MOTORWAYS

Most motorways (auto routes) are toll roads (peage). Take a ticket on entering, and produce it later for payment according to the distance travelled.

Sometimes you enter without a ticket and pay a set amount on leaving. Payment may be made by credit card or cash.

Emergency phones (orange) are located every 2km.
Rest areas are frequent on motorways with minimum facilities including parking, toilets and picnic areas. Beware some rest areas still have the older fashion "squat" down toilets and are far from representative of the majority of personal facilities in motorway services.

Cars Only
Built-up areas, 50 kph
Major roads outside towns, 90 kph
Motorways (non toll), 110 kph
Motorways (toll), 130 kph
Motorways minimum left lane, 80 kph
Motorways in rain, 110 kph

The only thing to concern one self with regarding speed limits on the motorways is nobody told the French (or Germans) - speeds in excess of 160kph are commonplace so if you cannot deal with this stay out of the fast lane.

Lower speed limits apply to drivers who have held a licence for less than 2 years and cars pulling trailers or caravans.

SEAT BELTS

Front = Compulsory
Rear = Compulsory if fitted
Children = Under 10 years must be in the rear using an approved seat or harness.
Babies = Up to nine months can be in an approved rear facing seat in the front

FINES

Speeding offences attract an on-the-spot fine of up to 750 Euro or 3,750 Euro and 3 months imprisonment. An official receipt should be issued.

DRINKING and DRIVING

Blood / Alcohol limit is 0.05%.
Drink Driving fines range from 750 Euro to 4,500 Euro and confiscation of the vehicle.

EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS

Police
17

Fire Service
18

Ambulance
15

From a mobile phone dial 112 for all services

Road Signs

Aire de repos - Rest stops
Allumez vos lanternes (or feux) - Turn on your lights
Attention au feu - Beware of traffic signal
Attention travaux - Beware roadwork's
Autre directions - Other directions
Barrière de dègel - Trucks not allowed
Chaussèe dèformèe - Bumpy road ahead
Cèdez le passage - Give way (Give priority to the other road)
Centre ville - Town center
Chambre de Hôtes - Bed and Breakfast
Col - Mountain pass
Ferme - Closed
Gendarmerie - Police station
Gîte Spartan - bed and breakfast; many serve food
Gravillons - Loose chipping's
Haute tension - Electric line
Interdit aux piètons - No pedestrians
Nids de poules - Potholes
Ouvert - Open
Pas - Mountain pass
Prochain èchangement gratuit - No toll at next exit
Rappel - Remember
Route barrèe - Road closed
Sens-unique - One-way
Serrez a droite - Keep to the right
Sortie - Exit
Suivre - Follow
Sur - On
Toutes directions - All directions
Vitesse adapteè sècuritè - Adapt your speed for safety
Voie unique - One lane road
Voitures - Cars

PARKING

A Blue Zone system operates in most major towns and cities. Discs are available from police, tourist offices and tobacconists. Parking meters and Pay and Display systems also operate.

Wheel clamps and the impounding of cars for illegally parked cars is usual especially in Paris.

FUEL

Unleaded Super 95/98 = Essence sans Plomb
Diesel = Gazole or Gas-oil or Gaz-oil
LPG, Gaz de pétrole liquéfié (GPL) is also available

Major credit cards accepted for fuel payment, however at many garages you will need to know your 4 digit PIN which may be used in place of a signature.
A maximum of 10 litres of spare fuel may be carried in an approved can.

MasterCarsDirect offers car hire in the following locations in France

Carcassonne Airport, Avignon Airport, Avignon, Bayonne, Beaune, Beauvais Airport,  Bergerac Airport, Biarritz Airport, Bordeaux  Airport, Bordeaux, Boulogne Sur Mer, Caen Airport, Calais (Frethun), Calais (Hoverport), Calais Ferry, Cannes Airport, Cannes, Cherbourg,  Cognac, Dieppe, Dijon, Epernay, Fontainebleau, Geneva Airport, Grenoble Airport, Le Havre Airport, Le Mans, Lens, Lille Airport, Lille,  Limoges Airport, Lyon Bron Airport, Lyon Part Dieu Tgv Gare, Lyon Perrache Gare, Lyon Satolas Airport, Macon, Marseille Airport, Monte  Carlo Airport, Montelimar, Montpellier Airport, Nantes Airport, Nice Airport Terminal 1& 2, Nimes Airport, Orleans Paimpol, Paris Charles  De Gaulle Airport Term 1& 2, Paris (Gare De Lyon), Paris (Gare Du Nord), Paris Invalides, Paris Orly Ouest Airport, Paris Orly Sud Airport,  Perpignan Airport, Reims, Rouen Airport, Saint Nazaire Gare, Saint Raphael, Saint Tropez, St Etienne Airport, Strasbourg Airport, Toulouse  Airport, Tours, Valence Airport and many more locations, both airport and city.