Want to drive in France?
Just before you hop in the car, you might want to consider travelling around by public transport as France has some of the best public transport options in Europe. You can read all about them in our guide to public transport in France.
Here are all the things you’ll need to know about driving in France including the rules, laws and requirements that may differ from your home country.
Speed limits in France depend on the type of road and the weather. Unless signs say otherwise, the limits are:
The lower wet-weather limits apply automatically as soon as it rains, even if the signs don’t change. If you’ve held your licence for less than three years, the lower limits apply to you at all times.
Speeding in France really isn’t worth the consequences. Going 40 km/h or more over the limit can see your licence suspended on the spot. Since 29 December 2025, driving 50 km/h or more over the limit is a criminal offence, punishable by a fine of up to €3,750, up to three months in prison, a criminal record, six points, a licence suspension of up to three years and the confiscation of your vehicle.
It’s never a good idea to have an alcoholic drink and then drive. France’s limit is 0.5 grams of alcohol per litre of blood, which is lower than the 0.8 limit in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, so think twice before enjoying a beer or a glass of wine with lunch. If you’ve been driving for less than three years (two if you learned through accompanied driving), the limit drops to 0.2 grams per litre, which in practice means not drinking at all.
You can’t hold a phone while driving, even when you’re stopped in traffic, and you can’t use headphones, earbuds or headsets to make calls or listen to music. The fine is €135 and three points. Hands-free systems built into the car are allowed.
Any device, app or navigation system that detects radars or speed cameras is illegal in France. Remove or disable these features on your phone or satnav to avoid a fine of up to €1,500, the loss of six points and the confiscation of the device. Apps that warn you of general “danger zones” rather than exact camera locations are allowed.
Many French cities have low emission zones, known as ZFEs (zones à faibles émissions), to cut air pollution. To drive into one, your car must display a Crit’Air sticker on the windscreen. This applies to UK and other foreign-registered vehicles too. Zones are in force in the Greater Paris area, Lyon and Grenoble, among other cities, and each one sets its own rules about which vehicles can enter and when.
You may have seen reports that France was abolishing its low emission zones. Parliament did vote to scrap them in April 2026, but in May 2026 the Constitutional Council struck that measure out of the law, so the zones and the sticker are still mandatory. In Greater Paris, older Crit’Air 3 vehicles can still enter using a pass until the end of December 2026.
There are six sticker categories, from Crit’Air 0 for electric cars to Crit’Air 5 for older diesels. The category depends on your fuel type and your car’s Euro emissions standard, which you’ll find on your V5C logbook. Some older vehicles don’t qualify for a sticker at all, and which categories are banned depends on the zone. Read more about how the emissions rules affect UK drivers.
Only buy your sticker from the official government website, certificat-air.gouv.fr. It costs under €5 including postage to the UK, while unofficial reseller sites charge €20 to €40 for the same thing. Order it well before you travel, as it’s sent by post. If you drive in a zone without one, you risk a fine of €68.
Before you get behind the wheel, you need a full, valid driving licence. Licences issued in the UK, the EU and the EEA are accepted in France.
If you’re visiting from the United States, you can drive on your US licence, but it’s strongly recommended that you carry an International Driving Permit or an official French translation, as police and car hire companies expect one. If you move to France, your US licence is accepted for one year from the date you become resident. After that, you’ll need to exchange it for a French licence. Whether you can do this without taking a test depends on the state that issued your licence.
Drivers from other countries should check the rules before they travel, as each country has its own agreement with France on which licences are recognised and for how long.
You don’t need an International Driving Permit (IDP) to drive in France with a UK photocard licence, or with a licence from an EU or EEA country. You may need one if you only have a paper licence, or if your licence was issued in Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man.
If you’re living in France with a UK licence, the rules depend on when you passed your test:
You don’t need to take a test to exchange a UK licence. Applications are made online through the ANTS website. Remember that once you’re resident in France, you can no longer renew or replace a UK licence. Find out more about moving to France after Brexit.
When driving in France, always carry your driving licence, your motor insurance certificate, your V5C registration document and your passport or other ID. If you’re driving a hire car or a company car, take the hire agreement or a letter of authorisation from the owner.
The EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) now applies to UK travellers, including at the French border checks at Dover and at Eurotunnel in Folkestone. The first time you cross after it’s introduced, you’ll have your fingerprints and photo taken, so allow extra time at the port. The EU’s separate online travel authorisation, ETIAS, hasn’t started yet and isn’t expected before 2027.
Bringing your UK car to France is straightforward as long as you meet a few requirements:
If you move to France, you’ll need to register your car in France and get French number plates within a month of becoming resident. The process is done online, in French, through the ANTS website.
All cars must carry a reflective jacket for the driver and a warning triangle, in case of a breakdown or accident. Keep the jacket within reach so you can put it on before you get out of the car. Driving without either can mean a fine of €135.
When it’s time to fill up, pull into any service station. Supermarket petrol stations are usually the cheapest, while motorway service stations tend to charge the most, so it’s worth planning your stops.
The pumps are labelled differently from the UK:
Most stations accept UK debit and credit cards, and many have 24-hour automatic pumps. These usually take a temporary pre-authorisation from your card before you fill up, which is released afterwards.
Driving rules in France may be different from what you’re used to. In France, you drive on the right and overtake on the left, so give yourself time to adapt. At junctions without signs or road markings, you must give way to traffic coming from your right, a rule known as “priorité à droite”. On roundabouts, you give way to vehicles already on the roundabout.
Most French motorways charge tolls (péages). At traditional toll booths, you take a ticket when you join the motorway and pay by card or cash when you leave. If you’ll be driving in France regularly, an electronic toll tag, such as the Emovis Tag for UK drivers or Bip&Go, lets you use the fast lanes and pays the toll automatically.
Some motorways now use free-flow tolling, with no booths at all. Cameras on overhead gantries read your number plate as you drive under them. This is the case on the A13 and A14 between Paris and Normandy, and on the A79 in central France. You must pay within 72 hours, online on the operator’s website or at a tobacconist displaying the logo. If you miss the deadline, a €10 penalty is added to the toll, and it rises if you still don’t pay.
Heading to Paris? Be prepared to sit in traffic as part of your travel time. If Paris isn’t part of your itinerary and you’re heading south, avoid passing through the capital to save time and headaches.
Children under 10 must travel in an approved child seat or booster suited to their weight and height. As a general guide, children shouldn’t use an adult seatbelt on its own until they’re at least 10 and taller than 135 cm.
Children under 10 must also sit in the back. The only exceptions are a baby in a rear-facing seat with the front airbag switched off, a car with no rear seats, or rear seats already taken by other children under 10. Failing to use the right child restraint can mean a fine of €135.
Breaking the rules while driving in France can lead to hefty fines, points on your licence and, for more serious offences, a suspended licence.
If you’re caught driving 50 km/h or more over the speed limit, driving under the influence, leaving the scene of an accident or driving without a valid licence, your vehicle can be confiscated and you could face a criminal prosecution.
Foreign drivers can be asked to pay a fine, or a deposit towards it, on the spot. If you can’t pay, the police can keep your vehicle until you do.
Parking can be a challenge in big cities. Some car parks and street parking are free, but always read the signs to check whether you need to pay and for how long you can stay. In Paris, you can’t leave a car in the same spot for more than 24 hours, and visitors with heavier cars pay higher on-street parking rates.
Parking is free where there are no markings, or dotted white lines. Many towns and cities have blue zones, where parking is free for a limited time. You’ll need a parking disc showing your arrival time, which you can buy at tobacconists and newsagents.
In residential areas, check the parking signs to avoid any surprises. Some towns allow parking on one side of the street for part of the month, alternating by the day or by the week. From 1 January 2027, parking within five metres of a pedestrian crossing will be banned everywhere, with a fine of €135.
Holders of the French disabled parking card (CMI stationnement) can park for free in any public parking space, including paid spaces, not just disabled bays. Local councils can limit how long you stay, but must allow at least 12 hours. The card is only available to people who live in France. If you’re visiting, your UK Blue Badge or EU parking card lets you use disabled bays, but check local signs about charges.
When driving long distances in France, plan for rest stops, unfamiliar roads, the weather and tiredness. French motorways have rest areas (aires) every 20 kilometres or so, and taking a break at least every two hours is recommended.
As a safety precaution, keep your doors locked in traffic and whenever you leave the car, even when it’s within sight, and don’t leave valuables on show. In an emergency, call 112, which works from any phone. On motorways, you can also use the orange emergency phones every two kilometres.
Once you’ve gathered your documents and bought your Crit’Air sticker, you’re ready for an adventure on French roads. Give yourself time to adjust to driving on the right, keep an eye on the wet-weather speed limits and plan ahead for tolls. Driving in France can be a real pleasure when you’re prepared.
Written by
Nick StoreyNick Storey is the Operations Director at tumaklata.sbs, where he leads platform operations, product delivery, and commercial strategy.
Having lived and worked in Spain for 14 years, Nick began his career as an estate agent on the south coast of Granada and brings first-hand market experience to his work.
He joined Kyero in 2007 and has since played a central role in scaling the business, shaping its product direction, and strengthening how international buyers connect with agents across Spain, Portugal, France, and Italy
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