Driving in Europe (France)

sean72

Hi All I'm taking my own car to France with the family on holiday for 2 weeks. Never driven in Europe before and was wondering are there any specifics I need to be aware of (I know its the right hand side ). I have a full Irish licence and have fully comp insurance. Are there any other requirements?

Thanks in advance

AugustusMinimus

You'll need a set of headlamp beam converters to make sure you don't dazzle drivers on the other side of the road.

Mr. Manager

By law you need a hi-vis jacket and fire extinguisher in the car, NOT in the boot.

shar01

+1 reflective vest.

French police have been known to set up check-points on routes to / from ferry ports to make sure foreign drivers are compliant with ROTR.

Watch out for return journey - it's tempting to load up on cheap wine - but police will stop you if they think car is overloaded.

We came back through Roscoff a few years ago and they police were randomly checking cars while waiting to board.

Have fun!

dr.fuzzenstein

Once flew to Paris (Well, what Ryanair tells you is Paris), rented a car, drove to Versailles, Nantes, La Rochelle, Isle De Re (LOVELY!), Bordeaux (dump) and back again.
Not a single problem.
Unlike Ireland people adhere pretty much to the rules of the road, it is pretty civilised and no hassle whatsoever.
So, no blocking the outside lane just under the speed limit, driving on backroads at 35 km/h whilst blocking people from overtaking, breaking red lights, parking across three disables spaces or reckless overtaking and everything should be ok.;)

Berty

From Driving in France myself

2 X Hi Viz Jackets in the Cabin
1 X First Aid Kit
1 X Warning Triangle
1 X Spare Bulb Kit
1 X Headlight refraction kit

IRL Sticker on boot/rear window is NOT required. The License plate has the IRL/EU emblem already. The only reason your holiday company / ferry company gives you one is because their logo is on it and you can advertise for them.

Always check the DFA website for any country you ever plan on visiting. All the legal requirments are there.

http://www.dfa.ie/home/index.aspx?id=413

AugustusMinimus

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

Once flew to Paris (Well, what Ryanair tells you is Paris), rented a car, drove to Versailles, Nantes, La Rochelle, Isle De Re (LOVELY!), Bordeaux (dump) and back again.
Not a single problem.
Unlike Ireland people adhere pretty much to the rules of the road, it is pretty civilised and no hassle whatsoever.
So, no blocking the outside lane just under the speed limit, driving on backroads at 35 km/h whilst blocking people from overtaking, breaking red lights, parking across three disables spaces or reckless overtaking and everything should be ok.;)

I've sat in with a few French drivers. Mainly up in the Alps. Every single one of them were maniacs. Overtaking on bends and all sorts. Couldn't believe it.

dr.fuzzenstein

AugustusMinimus wrote: »

I've sat in with a few French drivers. Mainly up in the Alps. Every single one of them were maniacs. Overtaking on bends and all sorts. Couldn't believe it.

And I thought that was just Italy!:D

CiniO

AugustusMinimus wrote: »

You'll need a set of headlamp beam converters to make sure you don't dazzle drivers on the other side of the road.

That's not as straight as you say.
No one so far confirmed on this forum that it's a legal requirement in France.
I've been with my Irish car in Poland for over a month during a winter, and I can confirm that beam converters are not required there. (I checked regulations throughly). Even more - no one flashed at me that I was dazzling. If I really was, I would be flashed there all the time.
In that case I can't see a reason for them.

Most rules of the road are reversed. Give way to cars on the left.

Don't advice OP wrong.
On junctions of equal importance the rule of giving way to cars coming from the right apply.

CiniO

Beer Baron wrote: »

From Driving in France myself

2 X Hi Viz Jackets in the Cabin
1 X First Aid Kit
1 X Warning Triangle
1 X Spare Bulb Kit
1 X Headlight refraction kit

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From list above only warning triangle is required by Law. And I'm not sure about Headlight benders, as I've written above. I reckon it's not required.

According to Convention of Road traffic from Vienna 1968, every car in international traffic has to be equipped as required in country of registration.
By that French police can't expect Irish drivers in Irish registered car to have Hi viz jackes, first aid kit, spare bulb, fire extinguishers, etc.

Only what they can do, is to issue you with a penalty for non use of hi viz jackets when you leave you car in emergency f.e. on motorway.

AugustusMinimus

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

And I thought that was just Italy!:D

In fairness it was Chamonix and I drove into Courmayeur with one of them.

AugustusMinimus

CiniO wrote: »

Don't advice OP wrong.
On junctions of equal importance the rule of giving way to cars coming from the right apply.

Sorry if I'm wrong, but is the law in France about giving way completely the opposite to Ireland and the UK ?

CarrickMcJoe

Make sure you fill up in Ireland before boarding ferry as petrol is a fair bit dearer in France (due to road tax being included).
Try to use National roads rather than motorways to get to your destination as the tolls will mount up.
National roads will take you through the villages and they are as good as our motorways anyway.
If you stop to admire the scenery, dont forget which side of the road to continue on.
Overall, enjoy the trip, you will do it again.

problemchimp

Check with your insurance to make sure everything is ok with your policy with regards to driving in France. Don't hog the overtaking lane on dual carriageways/motorways. Remove the headrest from the front passenger seat so you can get a full swing to whallop the kids when they keep asking" are we there yet". Don't ask for directions if you are a "real" man!
Have fun, it's a great holiday.

wellbutty

Bring your insurance policy and car registration cert.

On small roundabouts, look left and right.....the way they drive, you'll be cleaned out if you assume that cars at the next exit are waiting for you.

If you make a mistake, continue with it, do not attempt to correct it halfway as you won't get any sympathy! The French hate all drives equally.

Always watch and listen out for motorbikes when you pull out to overtake on a motorway, bikes are VERY popular here and VERY powerful.

I'm 5 months in France, you'll really enjoy it

CiniO

AugustusMinimus wrote: »

Sorry if I'm wrong, but is the law in France about giving way completely the opposite to Ireland and the UK ?

I don't think there is a rule of giving way to the right on equal junctions in UK.
In Ireland indeed it is, as well as all over Continental Europe.
So generally speaking, it's Ireland which is opposite to everyone else

OP.
As someone wrote already.
Remember to bring your registration certificate as well as insurance certificate (disc is not enough) and make sure you carry it with you at all times when driving anywhere abroad.

Also make sure with your insurance company for how long your comprehensive cover stays valid when abroad, as this might be limited.
Your third party part of the policy will be valid anyway, no matter how long you stay.

wellbutty

As of late last year, if a pedestrian is making an attempt to cross a road (either by placing a foot on the road or raising a hand), they get priority unless it's close to a designated crossing point. Unlike Ireland, pedestrians can cross at designated crossing points which usually don't have traffic lights and they have priority.

It's not unusual for all cars at a crossroads in the middle of nowhere to be stopped at their own stop sign at same time, in which case the major road does NOT take priority, instead it's whoever arrived first at the stop sign!

cc

Keep an eye out for the sign below, it gives you priority over cars coming from the right, when you see the same with a line through it you must give way to all cars coming from the right at uncontrolled junctions of equal importance.

pred racer

Beer Baron wrote: »

From Driving in France myself

2 X Hi Viz Jackets in the Cabin
1 X First Aid Kit
1 X Warning Triangle
1 X Spare Bulb Kit
1 X Headlight refraction kit

http://www.dfa.ie/home/index.aspx?id=413

This is all you need.

Like some other posters said, be careful on roundabouts, nobody uses indicators, and if there is space for their car (or near enough:p ) they will enter in front of you, it just takes a bit of getting used to.
Also be very careful of roads coming from the right, they may have the right of way even if you are on the 'main' road, there may or may not be a sign.

Most importantly.........watch for motorbikes.......especially in Paris really look before you change lane or you'll have a biker in the car with you.
Apart from that it's easy, motorway discipline is excellent and the sign posts are great.
1 year living in Paris so far.........it's great:D

whiterebel

pred racer wrote: »

This is all you need.

Like some other posters said, be careful on roundabouts, nobody uses indicators, and if there is space for their car (or near enough:p ) they will enter in front of you, it just takes a bit of getting used to.
Also be very careful of roads coming from the right, they may have the right of way even if you are on the 'main' road, there may or may not be a sign.

Most importantly.........watch for motorbikes.......especially in Paris really look before you change lane or you'll have a biker in the car with you.
Apart from that it's easy, motorway discipline is excellent and the sign posts are great.
1 year living in Paris so far.........it's great:D

I haven't seen that on a French road yet......

shar01

And another thing - flashing the lights at someone over there means "I have right of way".

pred racer

whiterebel wrote: »

I haven't seen that on a French road yet......

If u want to visit, I'll show you 5 of them within 5 miles of my house!
Nearly got side-swiped a couple of times until someone explained it to me.
If I think of it I'll take a pic of one tomorrow.

There are supposedly some roundabouts left where the person entering has the right of way, haven't seen one yet.

Ninap

pred racer wrote: »

There are supposedly some roundabouts left where the person entering has the right of way, haven't seen one yet.

Etoile / Arc de triomphe is the best known example. Fail to give way there to oncoming traffic and you'll have a major shunt. Also to note is that on the Paris Peripherique most bikes travel between cars on the outside and second-from-outside lane; move between these two lanes with extreme caution!

Mo14

http://wikitravel.org/en/Driving_in_France

Quite a helpful guide.

SuperDude87

actualite_35.png
You should look out for this sign it means that the next junction to the right is priority and you reduce speed/stop to check/let other users pass as in my experience 99% of the time they wont stop/check to see if you are there!

slimjimmc

Re hi-vis jackets
From what I've read on various sites it seems every person who exits the car at the side of the roads must wear a hi-vis. In effect this means you need one hi-vis for each passenger in case you need to abandon/tow the car, but you only need to keep one inside the cabin (the driver can retrieve the other jackets from the boot).
Sling a hi-vis over the front passenger seat (don't obstruct the air-bags though), if the fuzz can see it they might be less inclined to pull you over.

Solair

Priorité a droite is the main thing to watch out for. It's being phased out, but is still popular in urban areas in France and it can be really dangerous if you're not expecting it and it's basically totally counterintuitive.




If you see that sign, you no longer have priority on the road and have to yield to traffic entering from the right.

There's a reason why you see a lot of cars with their front doors smashed in.

I've lived in France, and I still think it's a totally stupid system that should be abolished.

EU driving rules should be harmonised.

This article explains a lot :

http://www.vendee-guide.co.uk/priority-a-droite.htm

In general, despite what someone said further up the thread, do not expect that French drivers are polite. Also, don't assume that they are singling you out because you're a holiday-maker, they hate every other driver on the road!

Urban driving can be very agressive and it's common for drivers in Paris for example to plough through pedestrian crossings when the pedestrian light is green!

Also, rural driving can be fast and agressive and very dangerous.

French motorway driving is fast, but in general they know how to use them (although it's not always the case in the Southwest where they're a bit of a new fangled thing like in Ireland).

Just bear in mind that they do enforce things like anti-tailgating rules very heavily and also before you go to France, but even before you go to Cork on the M8, make sure you're familiar with the basic rules of motorway driving.

Oh yes, one other thing, don't drive in the overtaking lane. This is common in Ireland (and illegal), but it is actually enforced in busy motorway systems on the continent. Pass out, then return to your lane.

You may find overtaking very difficult in a right-hand drive car too, so make sure your mirrors are adjusted carefully before you set off from the ferry port.

You'll find your biggest challenges are in large urban areas and on D roads (which are the equivalent of Irish R-roads in pretty much every way) - Basically, assume every driver (even the old ladies) are capable of driving like a 17 year old Donegal teenager. That's about how crazy the driving was on rural roads in the Southwest of France.

NetDabbler

I was in France a few weeks ago with the car and noticed a few things. The Autoroutes (motorways) are excellent but are usually tolled. However, the surfaces on dual carriageways were treacherous in rainy conditions as the amount of spray meant it was impossible to see the road markings.

Avoid buying fuel at the expensive service stations on the major roads. Go to the hypermarkets for fuel - Carrefour, E.Leclerc, Intermarche etc. I was paying about €1.25 for diesel. Petrol was a good bit dearer.

Taltos

Only tips I have from driving over there are:

1. Roundabouts - remember they go the opposite way, had to keep repeating that to myself.
2. Take your time - I had no issue just driving at a reasonable speed and with due care - when cars cut me off or needed out - I allowed them to and waved them on. Some deep breaths and good manners and you will be surprised how easy it is.
3. Drive with intent - defensive driving is not really a goer here - you will just cause tailbacks and dangerous overtaking. I am not saying speed - far from it - just drive safely and as per 2 above - just keep being polite. I think my smiling and happy face diffused one or two nutters. A Finnish girl was amazed at how easy I took to driving there until she came to Ireland and I drove her along one of our country roads - thought she was going to break down in tears

Actually found it much easier driving there than here in a lot of ways. Until that is I drove into Paris for the first time - there all rules are out the window. Everyone drove like maniacs. First time shocked the hell out of me - 2nd time I just upped my drive with care but with intent - make it clear where you are going and follow through...

Best of luck - really once you get used to left hand drive it will be fine.
Cannot remember if you are taking your own car - but if not would recommend an automatic - takes that little bit of pressure out of driving around.

CiniO

Solair wrote: »

Priorité a droite is the main thing to watch out for. It's being phased out, but is still popular in urban areas in France and it can be really dangerous if you're not expecting it and it's basically totally counterintuitive.




If you see that sign, you no longer have priority on the road and have to yield to traffic entering from the right.

There's a reason why you see a lot of cars with their front doors smashed in.

I've lived in France, and I still think it's a totally stupid system that should be abolished.

EU driving rules should be harmonised.

.

They are harmonised.
In every EU country except from UK, on junctions of roads of equal importance, vehicles coming from the right side has a right of way.
That's really simple and easy.

Idleater

I'm just back (a week) from a bit of touring in France. I saw the junction of equal importance in one town where people on what I would have presumed was main (the "top" of the T) stopped to let me out.

The other thing was petrol: I filled up at 151.9 on the way out and paid 151-153 for 98 petrol with 95 being around 147. Thus cheaper than Ireland. diesel was 10c cheaper. The supermarkets are definitely the place to go: motorway was ~170 for same.

What I found handy was the "arrow" on the cabin door card stuck on the dash pointing to the right. just a subtle reminder when driving in odd places like car parks.