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The French Roads And Driving In
France
Some helpful driving tips and guidelines for the French roads in France to hopefully keep
you out of trouble, when touring, and make your camping holiday in France that more
enjoyable.
French Road Speed Limits
The speed limits are different from the UK and are actually slightly faster, but these are
also always shown in kilometres rather than miles per hour.
The speed limits on motorways are 130km per hour, but this is reduced in bad weather down
to 110km per hour.
A duel carriageway is 110km per hour and main roads are 90km per hour, with the periphery
being 80km per hour. But in bad weather the same rule as a motorway applies, where
the speed limit is reduced.
In towns and on minor roads there is a maximum of 50km per hour, although you will find
that some roads posted at lower speeds.
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The above speed limits are for
private cars even if towing a caravan providing that the total gross weight of the whole
outfit is less that 3,500kg. If you are above that weight, then the speed limit is
reduced as you are classed as a heavy goods vehicle. For example, the maximum speed
on a motorway is 110km per hour and again this is reduced down in bad weather conditions.
Do make sure you watch your speed! If you are stopped for speeding you can be fined
on the spot and the fines have to be paid in cash there and then, which can be quite
expensive. If you cannot pay or you are travelling more than 25km/h above the speed
limit, then your car can be impounded and you could end up with a very hefty fine or even
lose your licence.
Be very careful, especially when on the toll roads as the time from entering and leaving
is calculated as you go to pay and you do not want your camping holiday in France to come
to an abrupt end!
The French Government do publish information on exactly where speed traps are located and
this is one of the reasons why it is illegal to have a radar detector fitted to your
vehicle and even if you have a Sat Nav system with this capability you must not have it
turned on. You could end up with yet another hefty fine.
Zebra Crossings
Yes you will see lots of zebra crossings, especially in towns!
You must always stop at a zebra crossing when someone wishes to cross, which is enforced
by law and in fact many people just step out expecting you to stop. However, as a
pedestrian you should always be very careful, as the French do not seem to obey this rule
as much as they should!
La Priorité à Droite
You will no doubt come across the term La Priorité à Droite at some point on your
travels, which basically means that the vehicle coming onto a road has priority from the
right. This is even the case when a minor road is entering a main road, so do be
careful, especially when in the towns and villages as you would need to give way, even if
it is you on the main road.
Officially this rule no longer applies unless clearly sign posted yet it still causes
confusion and in Paris it is still widely practised. So you could end up feeling
like you are being cut up, even though this may have been how the French were taught to
drive when the Priorité à Droite rule was still widely used!
Overtaking and Passing on Narrow Roads
If you see a solid single line or a double solid line then you are not allowed to
overtake, but if you do and you are caught out, then the penalties are severe!
When you are on a narrow road or going down a steep gradient then there are
regulations you would have to abide by. For obvious reasons, if you are towing, then
the other person that is not would have to reverse. However, if you are not towing,
then it is the smaller or lower weight vehicle that has to reverse.
Flashing your lights are a way of saying I have the right of way or looking to pass
another vehicle, which is something you will notice quite frequently on the motorways as
mentioned above.
If you are towing and on a road that has three lanes or more, then you can only use the
two right hand lanes, similar to the rules within the uk and therefore you cannot use the
third lane to overtake.
Parking
It is illegal to spend a night on the roadside with your caravan.
When it comes to parking, obviously every area is different, but as a general rule,
parking on a street is limited to two hours. Many places are pay and display,
although in Paris you do need to have a credit or prepaid card to park, rather than
putting cash into a meter.
Stopping on the left hand side of the road is prohibited unless it is a one way street and
normally if you see a yellow line (s) on the road side (just like in the UK) then you are
not allowed to park.
Now when it comes to disabled parking this is very different from the UK.
You still cannot park on yellow lines, no waiting zones, etc and even if in a designated
disabled area within a car park, you will find that you still have to pay the same fee as
everyone else.
But by planning your camping holiday in France prior to travelling will give you more
peace of mind and with these few general rules out of the way, just enjoy the experience,
the beautiful scenery, the French wine and food
and have a great family vacation at one of the many lovely French campsites.
However, please do bear in mind that driving
regulations can change all the time and these are a general guide, so it would be
advisable to always check everything in detail prior to your journey abroad.
Traffic Lights
The traffic lights in France are quite different from the UK and you will often find these
positioned high overhead, which does take a bit of getting used to.
There is also no amber light after the red light as it just goes straight to green,
however, if you see an amber light that is flashing, it means that you can still go ahead,
but you must give way to any vehicles coming from the right.
If you see a red flashing light it means no entry and this is also the same for things
such as level crossings.
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Toll Roads
There are quite a lot of toll roads in France, which are actually most of the main
motorways and the prices of each toll will vary depending upon the distance you have
travelled on it and the type of vehicle.
When coming up towards a toll road you will see a sign stating Péage. Upon reaching
the exit of a toll, you will come up to lots of booths and you need one that shows green,
but that is also manned for ease, however, do bear in mind that all tickets and boohs are
located on the left hand side, so if you are in a right hand drive car, then it is the
passenger that has to deal with these.
The maximum time you can stay within a toll is normally 24 hours, but some are 48 hours
and this will be shown on the ticket you get at the start of the toll.
The laybys and service stations on these roads, which are known as Aires, are of excellent
quality and are great places to have a short break. All will have toilet facilities
and many have picnic areas and childrens play areas as well.
However, it is not advisable to stop overnight on one of these for security reasons as
they do tend to be target areas for thieves, which is something we found out to our
horror! Always leave the motorway and find a campsite or plan and book a specific campsite in France
to stop at, prior to your journey.
There are also toll bridges in France and one that many of you will have heard of is
called the Millau Viaduct, where, again you have to pay a fee for travelling over it and
this does depend on what vehicle you have or if you are towing, etc.
We hope that this article has helped you, but an obvious thing is remember to drive on the
right hand side of the road and go round the roundabouts to the right, also always make
sure you give way to traffic already on a roundabout.
So now you can just enjoy your camping holiday in France once you reach your destination
safely.
More Information - General
Regulations for Driving in France
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