| When going on your first driving holiday through | | | | In bad weather, fog etc, even during the day, it is |
| France, travelling at your own pace, stopping in quaint | | | | compulsory to use your lights but you do not have to |
| villages and historic towns to experience the local | | | | keep your lights on during the day at any other time. |
| French food and staying in family run guest houses or | | | | Obviously you must have deflectors fitted to your |
| hotels can just add more excitement to the whole | | | | headlights if you have a right-hand drive vehicle and by |
| holiday experience. | | | | law you must have a set of replacement bulbs and a |
| When touring by car obviously means that you will | | | | warning triangle with you at all times. But it is always |
| need places to stay and there are so many different | | | | advisable to check the regulations prior to your holiday |
| options to choose from, but this can be a great way | | | | in France, as they do change from time to time and a |
| of getting into the heart of the country and | | | | good place to access this information is the AA |
| experiencing the true traditional France whilst on your | | | | website. |
| driving holiday. | | | | You also need to have a first aid kit and a fire |
| The roads are very well maintained, especially on the | | | | extinguisher with you and because in France the law |
| toll roads that have fantastic lay-bys and the service | | | | states that if you are the first on a scene of an |
| areas are also of excellent quality, which makes the | | | | accident, you must stop and provide assistance, these |
| experience when travelling through a lot easier. And | | | | may well be required! And in the event of an accident |
| even when entering the local villages, the roads are still | | | | you would need to call the police, which is |
| very good quality, far better than some other countries | | | | accomplished by dialling 17 and they will also despatch |
| we have been in, yet just remember that you will be | | | | an ambulance or the fire brigade if these are also |
| driving on the right hand side of the road! | | | | needed. |
| But when you are driving through France there are a | | | | You will no doubt come across the term La Priorité |
| few things you need to be aware of. | | | | à Droite, which basically means that the vehicle |
| Did you know that the legal age to drive in France is 18 | | | | coming onto a road has priority from the right. This is |
| years of age and even if you have a full licence from | | | | even the case when a minor road is entering a main |
| another country and you are under that age, then you | | | | road, so do be careful, especially when in the towns |
| are still not allowed to drive in France? And every | | | | and villages as you would need to give way, even if it |
| passenger must wear a seatbelt and it is illegal for a | | | | is you on the main road. |
| child under the age of 10 to be in the front seat. | | | | Officially this rule no longer applies unless clearly sign |
| You must always stop at a zebra crossing, which is | | | | posted yet it still causes confusion and in Paris it is still |
| enforced by law and when going through a town you | | | | widely practised. So you could end up feeling like you |
| will find a lot of them, but you should be very careful | | | | are being cut up, even though this may have been |
| when you are the pedestrian, as the French do not | | | | how the French were taught to drive when the |
| seem to obey this rule as much as they should! | | | | Priorité à Droite rule was still widely used! |
| Watch your speed! If you are stopped for speeding | | | | Yet by generally planning your holiday prior to travelling, |
| you can be fined on the spot and the fines have to be | | | | this will give you more peace of mind and will help you |
| paid in cash there and then, which can be quite | | | | to locate all the tourist attractions that you want to visit |
| expensive. If you cannot pay or you are travelling | | | | whilst on your holiday in France. Also, when it comes |
| more than 25km/h above the speed limit, then your car | | | | to shopping, most places shut for at least two hours |
| can be impounded and you could end up with a very | | | | each day and most hypermarkets, etc are not open |
| hefty fine or even lose your licence, so be careful, | | | | on a Sunday, whereas museums and other attractions |
| especially when on the toll roads, as you do not want | | | | are, so you can make general plans for your whole |
| your driving holiday to come to an abrupt end! | | | | trip. |
| The motorways are 130km per hour, but this is | | | | Plus if you use a route planner such as Microsoft |
| reduced in bad weather down to 110km per hour and | | | | AutoRoute, it can provide you with lots of other |
| on duel carriageways and main roads the same rules | | | | information as well, like being able to calculate how long |
| apply where the speed limit is reduced in bad weather. | | | | it will take you to travel between one place and |
| A duel carriageway is 110km per hour and main roads | | | | another, and you can also find numerous different |
| are 90km per hour, with the periphery being 80km per | | | | hotels, petrol stations, restaurants and even cash |
| hour and towns or minor roads being a maximum of | | | | points to name but a few! |
| 50km per hour. | | | | The other good thing about using a route planner, is |
| The French Government do publish information on | | | | that if you do not have a sat nav system, you can get |
| exactly where speed traps are located and this is one | | | | fantastically indepth maps that will take you directly to |
| of the reasons why it is illegal to have a radar detector | | | | your desired destination without getting lost, and yes, |
| fitted to your vehicle. Also, with the amount of satellite | | | | getting lost can be fun, but it can also be daunting if |
| navigation systems available such as TomTom, you | | | | you do not know the area. |
| will find that many have a warning system for speed | | | | But with these few general rules out of the way, just |
| cameras, but it is also illegal to have this facility on, | | | | enjoy the experience, the beautiful scenery, the French |
| otherwise you could end up with a hefty fine if you are | | | | wine and food and have a great family vacation, whilst |
| caught out! | | | | on your driving holiday in France. |