Car rental in France
France Car Rental Guide
On this page, you will find information about car rental in France. The page also gives an overview of the main car rental and driving restrictions valid in the country.
Rental Traditions
To rent a car in France, you must be at least 21 years old (age may vary by car category) and have held your license for 1 year. Drivers under the age of 25 may incur a young driver surcharge.
Cars rented in France are not allowed into the following countries: Albania, Bosnia, Belarus, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey, Ukraine and the countries of the former Republic of Yugoslavia.
Driving restrictions
In France, traffic is on the right and overtaking on the left. The minimum age of a driver is 18 years. Children must be at least 10 years old to sit in the front; those under 10 must be seated in the rear or in a fitted child seat.
The use of seatbelts is compulsory for all passengers. The legally allowed blood alcohol limit is 0.5‰.
Vehicles parked in poorly lit public places must have the parking lights on. You may only use a horn in cases of extreme and immediate danger. If a driver flashes their lights behind you, it usually means they want to pass you.
Broken centre lines show the section of road where passing is allowed.
Do not park where the curb is painted yellow. Parking on the left side of a street is only allowed on one-way streets. If not indicated otherwise, parking is free of charge from 7 pm to 9 am and on weekends, holidays and in August.
Speed limits:
| Area |
Limit |
| Expressways |
130-unlimited KM/H |
| Outside the City |
90 or 110 KM/H |
| In the City |
50 KM/H |
Emergency Numbers
Police/Ambulance Service: 17
Fire Service: 18
Road Tolls
In France, most of the motorways have tolls. Permission tickets are provided when entering the motorway and must be paid upon exiting. You can pay in cash or with any major credit card. The price of the ticket depends on the distance you are travelling and also on the on the type of the vehicle. Trunk roads do not have tolls.
Some useful expressions for tourists travelling in France
Car – voiture
Car rental – loyer de voiture
About France
France is the largest country in Western Europe. With the quality of its coastline, the mountains, countryside and historic towns, it is the leading tourist destination in Europe and in the world. It is a country of great diversity, ranging from the variety of its culinary delights to the climate and topography.
In France, every region offers something distinctive: Paris represents fashion, art and food; the provinces have their own landscapes and cultures – the vineyards of Bordeaux, the dramatic slopes of the Alps, the charming villages of Provence.
France has a rich cultural heritage – during the past millennium, many of the icons in philosophy, literature, painting, architecture and science were French, or expatriates living in France.
Population: 59,765,983
Area: 551,500 sq km
Capital City: Paris
Language: French
Time Zone: GMT + 1
Monetary unit: Euro
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