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By car through France - the main routes for driving to the south or west of France: ► click map for enlargement and details.
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Quiet country roads....
Motorway driving in France is normally quite relaxed...
Related pages:
Public
holidays in France.
The following days are public holidays ("jours fériés") in France, when all or most shops tend to be shut.
Note that on public holidays, hypermarkets will generally be shut, so unless you have a chip and pin credit card that works in French automatic petrol pumps, you'll need to fill up on the motorway or in normal filling stations.
The following days are public holidays ("jours fériés") in France, when all or most shops tend to be shut.
- January 1st, New year's day
- Easter Monday (though not Good Friday except in Alsace),
- May 1st, Labour Day, Fête du Travail
- May 8th, Armistice Day
- Ascension Thursday
- July 14th, Bastille Day, Fête Nationale
- August 15th, French August bank holiday
- November 1st, Toussaint, All Saints' Day
- November 11th, Armistice, first world war.
- Christmas (though not Boxing Day)
Note that on public holidays, hypermarkets will generally be shut, so unless you have a chip and pin credit card that works in French automatic petrol pumps, you'll need to fill up on the motorway or in normal filling stations.
DRIVING IN FRANCE, 2012 - Info and tips for motorists
►FRENCH ROADS:It is generally accepted that today's France has an excellent road and motorway network; compared to the UK, France has the same population spread over twice as much surface area, which tends to mean less congestion on the roads, easier driving than in the UK, but longer distances to cover.
► Travel documents, things you must have before driving in France: Click to visit "Before driving to France - a checklist". ► Children in the car, seatbelts. Children under 10 years old are not allowed to travel in the front seat of a car, unless there are no back seats. Children under 10 years of age must travel in the back, using an appropriate child seat or booster seat. Babies are allowed to travel in the front passenger seat, but only when placed in an approved rear-facing baby seat and the airbag is turned off. Seatbelts must be worn at all times when driving in France, by both adults and children, and both in the back and front seats. Rear passengers can only travel without seatbelts in the back of older cars in which they are not fitted (Article R412-1 of the French Highway code). ► Avoiding problems. When driving in France, in spite of the cost, it is generally worthwhile taking motorways (autoroutes) unless you have time to go at a more leisurely pace. However, there are some useful tips to help you cut down on the cost of your trip across France. a) Petrol (gasolene) (fr. essence): don't fill up on the autoroute! Wait until a major intersection near a town or city, and come off the autoroute. You will almost certainly find a hypermarket / superstore within a kilometer or so of the exit, offering cut price fuel. The saving can be us much as 15 centimes per litre. b) Anyone who intends to do lots of driving in France could find it in their interest to have a diesel car, particularly a modern fuel-efficient model. Diesel fuel in France (often called gasoil, pronounced gaz-warle) used to be about a third cheaper than unleaded, but that is no longer the case; today - 2011 - diesel retails for about 20 centimes a litre less than unleaded, but it also goes further. Very few service stations now stock the old leaded petrol, known as "super". See petrol prices in France below for recent updates. c) Use free autoroutes or dual-carriageways where they exist. See below for details. ► French road signs: Signs indicating a motorway route (whether on the motorway or pointing to it) are indicated with white lettering on a blue background, as in the picture below left. Signs indicating a non-motorway main route (route nationale or other) are indicated with white lettering on a green background, as in  ►FRENCH MOTORWAYS:French motorways, known as autoroutes, are designated with numbers preceded by the letter A (for Autoroute). Thus, when driving to the south of France from Calais, you can either take the A16 autoroute towards Amiens and Paris, or (normally an easier solution) the A26 motorway via Rheims. Most French autoroutes are toll motorways, and entrances to them are marked as such with the word "Péage" (pronounced pay-arje). The normal procedure is to pick up a ticket from a booth as you enter the autoroute (just press the button); tolls are paid either when you leave the autoroute, or else when the toll section comes to an end. In a few places, there are fixed toll points on the autoroute, notably in urban areas or toll bridges. Signs on French toll gates: Red cross: closed - Green arrow: open, all methods of payment Blue rectangle : debit or credit cards only Orange T : Télépéage slow down only, no stopping - only for vehicles fitted with toll charging sensors. The "Liber-T" charging sensor is now available in the UK, but it only adds to the cost of using French motorways. Sanef, the French motorway operators' company, charges higher rates for users applying via its English language website than for applications from its French website - which can only be used by people having a bank account in France. Unless you are using the French motorways on a very regular basis, there does not seem to be much point in using the Liber-T system for the few minutes you will save in a year. Far better use the CB channels at the tool barriers, since they are far faster than the booths for payment in cash. 2012 Motorway tolls in France - Updated with new tolls valid from 1st Feb. 2012 The cost of motorway travel for a car without caravan or trailer is about 1 €uro for 10 miles. For example, in February 2012, motorway tolls on the 1060 km trip from Calais to Marseille, via Reims, almost all of it on toll motorways, cost 82.40 €uros, about £67. Here are the toll costs for a selection of other common journeys that use toll motorways over long distances:
The average cost per kilometre depends on what proportion of the journey involves free motorways or other roads. Drivers wanting to avoid French motorway tolls should remember that it is not necessarily the best solution to avoid all tolls, particularly in fairly populated areas. using other roads, with their traffic lights, speed restrictions and roundabouts will mean longer journey times and more stress. ... even if you have a satnav to help you along... Alternatively, check out this low-tolls or no-tolls route to Southwest France and the Spanish border. ► TIP
: Ways to save on motorway tolls when driving to southwest France
Though it is usually easiest and in the end worth it to take direct motorways and pay the tolls, there is one journey where you can make an appreciable saving for just a few extra kilometres. If driving from Paris to Bordeaux and southwest France, do not follow the A 10 motorway all the way. Leave the A10 at Orleans, following A71 > A20 Toulouse. At Limoges, follow N141 > Angoulême. At Angoulême, follow the N10 for Bordeaux. All but about 60 km. of this alternative route to Bordeaux is on autoroutes or dual carriageway, but after Vierzon, it's all free. Saving: about 36 €uros less in tolls, for a distance of about 15 miles extra.... and cheaper off-motorway petrol if you need it. Alternatively, check this low-tolls or no-tolls route to Southwest France and the Spanish border. Click here for a zoomable detailed road map of France. For more information on French motorway tolls, follow this link to the French motorway network website in English: this site provides a form to fill in, to calculate the cost of a motorway trip through France. For a detailed route, use the route-finder map and distance calculator page on About-France.com. ►Free motorways and routes avoiding tollsThere are a few free motorways in France, and some long-distance dual carriageways that are up to motorway standard. It is even possible to drive right through France avoiding all tolls - though this is not necessarily the best nor the most economical solution. The two links below show our recommended routes to the South of France avoiding most tolls - and alternatives avoiding all tolls.
Among free motorways note in particular
► TRUNK ROADS :These in France are still popularly known as "routes nationales". However, in the framework of "regionalisation", responsibility for most roads has been devolved to local authorities, and the concept of "routes nationales" has largely disappeared. The only "N" roads that now survive are ones that - in the absence of an "autoroute", form part of the strategic national road network, such as the N21 from Limoges to Tarbes, or the N13 from Cherbourg as far as Caen.Road numbering in France"A" roads, such as A71, are motorways, or Autoroutes"N" roads are strategic trunk routes - the National network. "D" roads are roads whose upkeep is paid for by the local Department, or county. They can be anything from busy local routes or former National routes now downgraded, to the quietest of country backroads. When driving in France, it is always best to follow destinations rather than road numbers. Following the regionalisation of responsibility for many roads, the result - if you want to travel by following road numbers - is a classic state of confusion; Drivers following the N13 south from Cherbourg lose it at Caen, as it becomes the D 613 thereafter! From Evreux to Mantes the "N 13" signs reappear, but after that it's the D 113....For another example, anyone wanting to avoid the toll motorway and drive along the old "route nationale" to the southwest corner of France, from Chartres to Biarritz, will follow three disconnected sections of main road known as "N 10"; but in areas where the old N10 is now close to a parallel motorway, the road is now signed as "D 910" or the "D 1010". Some old "N" roads now blithely change their number each time they pass from one department to another !! This is all very confusing for foreign visitors driving in France, but not so much for the French, since with the exception of motorways, they follow a destination, rather than a road number. Destinations via main trunk routes are indicated by the names of towns in white letters on a bright green background, as shown above.  Note that France also displays European
route numbers where appropriate; these are marked with a white number
on a green background, and are in addition to the French road number.
For example the A
6 motorway from Paris to Lyon is also marked as E15
- E15 being a European route running
from Inverness to Algeciras.In the motorway sign on the right, the A43 autoroute is also indicated as being the E70; the main towns it leads towards are indicated in normal lettering; other destinations, such as airports, are indicated in italics. The word "Péage" at the bottom indicates that this is a toll motorway. "Bison Futé" and the backroads of France  Photo: In bygone times many great "alignements de platanes" - or avenues of plane trees - were planted to give shade to travellers on French roads, specially in the south of France. Though the plane-lined road remains one of the iconic images of France today, few remain, except for short sections on country roads, such as here in Languedoc. Sometimes you may see direction signs starting with the word Bis, in italics. These are the equivalent of the British "HR" (holiday route) itineraries, using less crowded main roads. Thus a sign saying "bis Lyon" is an alternative route avoiding the main roads, and generally with less lorry traffic. Bis, in French, means second (as in the prefix bi-). The "Bison futé" (in English the cunning bison) is the motorist who does not follow the crowd, but seeks out less crowded easier roads, the "routes bis", thus the "bis-on". If you see a bison futé sign, it will be directing you either to alternative routes themselves or to an information point. On summer Saturdays, being a cunning bison is often well worth it, unless you love driving in heavy traffic or sitting in traffic jams. Driving on the backroads of France requires a good map - or a Satnav that allows you to wander off the beaten track; but in many places, it can still make driving a pleasure, rather than a chore ► Avoiding Paris This is a good idea on most days. When driving from Calais to the south of France, use the A 26 motorway via Reims, Troyes and Dijon. If driving to south western and central France, avoid Paris going via Rouen, Evreux, Chartres and Orleans. There is no motorway between Evreux and Orleans, but the road over this section is currently being upgraded to dual carriageway, and over half of it is now complete. Avoiding Paris- click for details and route map ► Avoiding peak periods If you can avoid travelling on Saturdays between July 10th and August 30th, this is very advisable. On these days, many French autoroutes - and in particular all the main arteries to the south - are liable to reach saturation. The worst bottlenecks are in the Rhone valley south of Lyons, along the south coast, and around Bordeaux. In January and February, Alpine motorways can get hyper-snarled up with traffic. Check out the busy holiday weeks for 2012 However, outside these periods, Saturday and Sunday are the best days for driving in France, on motorways and arterial roads. Indeed, on these days, HGV's - lorries or trucks - are banned, meaning that unless you get stuck behind caravans or camper vans, combine harvesters or other various slowdowns, driving is relatively hassle-free. ►HGV restrictions in FranceMost heavy goods vehicles over 7.5 tonnes are banned from the French road and motorway network every weekend between the hours of 10 p.m Saturday and 10 p.m Sunday. This weekend truck ban is longer from early July to mid August, when HGVs are banned from Saturday 7 a.m. to sunday 10 p.m. HGV's are also banned on public holidays, normally from 10 p.m the night before, until 10 p.m on the holiday itself. The two big summer public holidays in France are 14th July and 15th August.Be warned: Trucks are banned from French roads for three consecutive days from Saturday 13th August at 7 am till Monday 15th August 2011 at 10 pm..... Best not to get blocked in the wrong place.... Note that trucks are also banned on summer weekends in Italy and Germany (full ban Sundays, part ban on Saturdays). Trucks are banned in Switzerland on Sundays. Paris area: Further restrictions apply for HGV access to the Paris area, (Mondays and day following a public holiday, from 6 a.m to 10 a.m), and for HGVs leaving the Paris area (Fridays and days preceding a public holiday, usually from 4 p.m). This means that trucks cannot transit via the inner ring road of Paris (boulevard périphérique) during these hours. There are also extra weekend lorry bans on Alpine motorways in February - though given the traffic jams that are possible here at the time, these routes are best avoided by anyone not needing to use them - lorries or cars, ban or no ban. ► Petrol (Gas) stations in FranceAlmost all petrol stations in France accept Visa and Mastercard; however take care with 24h automatic pumps in supermarket forecourts. Many of these do not accept credit cards without integrated chip and PIN number. Most UK cards now have integrated chip and pin, so the times when UK cards did not work in French petrol stations are now history for most travellers. However, if you think you may need to fill up in an emergency while driving in France, check your card out at a supermarket self-service pump well before you run out. If it doesn't work, nip round and join the queue for the pay-at-the counter pumps. Make sure that you don't have to fill up in an emergency using an untested card at an unmanned filling station at night or on Sundays.France Fuel price watch: The cost of fuel in France: France has suffered like any other country from the recent sharp fluctuations in fuel prices. Prices have come down since earlier peaks., but rose in the latter half of 2010. Compared to the UK, there is not a big difference, except for diesel which is much cheaper (about 15%) in France. In mid January 2012 typical supermarket fuel prices in France were; Unleaded 98 octane 1.60 Euros – Unleaded 95 octane 1.52 Euros – Diesel 1.39 Euros. In non-supermarket and motorway filling stations, petrol prices can be anything from 5 to 20 cts. a liter more expensive, depending on the location. E10 graded fuels (containing 10% of ethanol bio-fuel) are a couple of centimes cheaper, where they are available. These are compatible with most modern cars; if in doubt check with your supplier. (There are 3.79 litres to 1 US gallon; but generally speaking cars in Europe are smaller and consume less fuel than cars in the USA.) ► Speed limits and other rulesHere are the normal speed limits for driving in France:
Over the limit? Generally, there is a small tolerance for drivers who exceed the speed limit - but be advised that it is best to observe speed limits which are there for a reason. Until recently, speed cameras tended to be stationary and visible; nowadays, the gendarmerie are using more and more mobile radars, in unmarked cars. Be warned ! Otherwise you may face an on-the-spot fine or - if your are caught driving more than 50 km/hr over the limit - an instant ban and an impounding of your vehicle. Speed camerasThere are now well over two thousand stationary speed cameras on France's roads and motorways.Unfortunately, the official French radar speed camera map was removed from the Internet on 11th May 2011, following a government decision to stop warning drivers of upcoming speed cameras. New radars are being set up all the time, so any unofficial maps that may be available on the Internet are unlikely to be complete, and in any case cannot include the mobile radar cars or the movable stationary speed cameras, of which there are currently about 1000. So the best rule - not to say the most sensible one - is "Do not drive over the speed limit". Average speed cameras : 2011 will see the introduction of the first average speed cameras, known in French as radars tronçon, on French motorways. These cameras, already used in several other countries, calculate the average speed of a vehicle driving between two points. Contrary to a sometimes-heard myth, toll tickets are not knowingly used to compute a car's average speed between two points. Mobile phones: it is an offence to hold and use a mobile phone while driving in France. Hands-free use of mobile phones is not illegal. Though many drivers ignore this rule, traffic police are clamping down on drivers holding phones to their ears while driving, and drivers are liable to an on-the-spot fine. Minimum age: The minimum age for driving a car in France is 18; thus no-one under the age of 18 can drive a car in France, even if he or she holds a valid licence in another country. Wining and driving Wine is available with meals in French motorway service areas - a fact that surprises a lot of visitors. But don't forget that the drink drive limit in France is lower than it is in the UK. The best advice is the same everywhere; don't drink and drive. ► Overnight stops. Motorway hotels or something else? France is very well equipped in hotels and other types of accommodation. Many of the chains , such as Novotel (3 stars) , Mercure (3 stars), Ibis (2 stars) , Etap (2 stars), and Formule 1 (1 star), have outlets clustered near motorway exits, notably near the exits from toll motorways and around towns and cities. The hotel links below list only the French motorway hotels that are really easy to find. Find and book an overnight stop
....
► Click here for hotels beside motorways to west and southwest France. ► Click here for hotels beside motorways to east and southeast France. ► For quiet B&B accommodation, check out the B-and-B in France website. ► Accident and breakdown informationDrivers taking their car abroad are strongly advised to have some form of breakdown cover that will ensure repatriation of the vehicle in the event of problem or immobilisation.► What to do in the event of a road accident in France If you are involved in any accident involving two or more vehicles while driving in France, you will be asked to fill in a "constat amiable" (an amiable declaration) by the driver of a French car involved. This is standard practice. If possible, call your insurance company at once on your mobile phone. They may put you in touch with a local French representative. If you are involved in an accident involving any sort of injury - even if it is not your fault - you MUST remain until the police have come. Click this link for further information about doctors, hospitals and using the French health service. Breakdown or accident: if your car is immobilised on or partly on the road due to a breakdown or an accident, you must set up your red warning triangle at a suitable distance behind the vehicle, to alert approaching traffic to the hazard. All cars driving in France must carry a red warning triangle, available from any motoring store, and also a yellow fluorescent jacket. Stop to shop... See the French shopping guide page for useful information if you are planning to stop to shop on your way back home...
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