cbl30911

Does anyone have any tips on driving in France ... roundabouts ... rules of the road ... "gee, that's different than in the U.S."?

Travelnut

Two suggestions:
- do a search on this forum - someone just posted a couple of days ago
- do a search on Google - wealth of information there

Try these:

<>Road Signs:
http://www.alltravelfrance.com/Franc...Signs.htm#warn

<>Terms/glossary:
http://www.france-pub.com/french/french_traffic.htm

<>General driving tips:
http://driving.drive-alive.co.uk/driving-in-france.htm
http://www.discover-france.info/gett...ing_safety.htm

<>Recent FODORS post:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34533995

ira

Hi,

justretired has a thread on this topic.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34533995

Underhill

Our main tip: be aware that road signs are often some distance before the spot where you're supposed to turn, not right at the corner.

ebfrank

Tolls were very expensive! We drove from Paris up through Normandy - the tolls started off at a lower rate (2 or 3 dollars) - but eventually we were paying 8 -10 dollars a toll - and they were quite frequent. Make sure you have plenty of cash onhand. Also, the first few tolls we went through we didn't see the signs beforehand saying how much they were - not as obvious as here in the US. I think you could maybe charge at the tolls - but we always ended up going to a person to pay.

tomboy

Just back from 19 days. If renting a car at CDG, get an EXCELLENT map of Paris & environs. The route(s) to the airport are not well marked.

The French, by comparison to USA at least, seem to have the philosphy that, since you are on street ___X___, you must know where you are, so why would you want to know the name of it?
Makes it hard to navigate when you are unsure where you are. Maybe they can't afford the extra letters on the signs.

Don't look for street signs, the street names in muncipalities are usually on a building on one corner of the intersection (but not always). There seems to be no convention as to placing said sign always on the NE, or SW, or NW, or SE corner of the intersection.

ira

Hi all,

What about getting gas?

Rick Steves did a show in which he stopped for gas and they only took credit cards and his wouldn't work because it didn't have an embedded computer chip.

Any experience with this?

StCirq

Unless you have a Carte Bleu, you can't buy gas with a credit card at supermarket gas stations, but other than those, I've never had a problem.

ira

Thanks, StCirq

Michael

You <b>can</b> buy gas at a supermarket with a credit card as long as there is an attendant, and usually there is one except during lunch time. I've been doing it for years with my MBNA card. Attendants at the toll booths also accept credit cards. We always went to attented toll booths because I was never sure if the automatic booths required the chip in the card.

RonZ

Toll amounts are included in the mappy directions.

cigalechanta

they have taken our credit cards there.!

Ailinn

I don't know if you are going to be in the French Countryside or in Paris. I recommend not driving in Paris. Traffic is very chaotic, people dodn't seem to pay attention to lanes, and street signs are on buildings and are hard to find. In Paris, you can go almost anywhere by train, bus or taxi. If you are planning to drive in the countryside, driving is fine. If you are staying in Paris and going on daytrips, I would take a train to a town outside of Paris and rent your car there.

wren

I love driving in France. It is quite easy to get around. If you miss a turn at the roundabout, then just do a 360 and catch your exit the next time around! One big difference is the placement of the traffic lights. We are used to seeing them in front of us, but theirs are more on the side, and you need to stop a little sooner than in the US. My husband is usually the navigator, and I am the driver, and we work really well together on the French roads. Don't be intimidated...just expect to really love the difference. I do!

peteram

have been driving in France past 14 yrs (even had bad rta).Most freeways are toll-free in north, all freeways in south are toll (autoroutes de sud france), all accept cash or c card.Local drivers ignore speed limits - do'nt do it.French cops are fantastic, locals even better - I put a nationality sticker on back of car - even had bus drivers stop and show me way to hotel - enjoy driving in countryside - a step back in time.

Sue4

I have driven on my past 3 trips to France - in the Loire Valley, Provence, and Burgundy- only on the secondary and country roads, not the autoroute. I think the roads are wonderful, and I love the roundabouts. The signs are great, and not confusing at all, although I would suggest familiarizing yourself with the maps before setting out. This would be especially to get to know the names of towns and cities on your route, as the signs use names mostly instead of route numbers.

The main negative I found was that they drive too fast, and too close up to your tail! I tried to stay within the speed limits (difficult to do, with all the impatient drivers in back of you).

A big positive, however, besides the good roads, is how helpful and kind people are when you are lost and need directions (which will happen!). I had people really go out of their to help me. I also like all the marked areas where you can get off the road easily to reorient yourself, or just to take a a breather from the fast drivers.

I'm an older woman, and was solo on each of these trips, navigating myself.
I say,if I could do it (and enjoy!) then ANYONE can!

tomboy

Ah, StCirq, that explains why the pump didn't work!

Ailinn's comment reminded me of another caution: the drivers seemed to use the solid line on curves as an approximation of a boundary, rather than an absolute. So, stay well to the right on curves on two lane roads. You can expect to have oncoming traffic veer one, even two feet beyond.

Underhill

About supermarket gas stations: you can buy gas there IF there is a booth with an attendant. Otherwise, with automatic pumps, forget it unless you have a credit card with a smart chip, as St-Cirq says above.

FauxSteMarie

The last poster is correct. The problem mostly occurs on Sundays when there is no attendant. Just be sure to fill up before Sunday and you will be OK.

I agree on French stop lights requiring an earlier stop than American ones. I got stopped for running one once accidentally because I was looking for it in the wrong place. I immediately switched from fairly good French into horrible exaggerated American accent French and just got a warning. It is the kind of thing that can happen early on in a trip when you are adjusting to the different way of driving.

Also, for directions, you often need to know the name of the next town as that is what will be on the exit sign (not route numbers with North, South, East or West).

Make sure to have a detailed map and you should not get lost--well, only occasionally. When you get lost, there are always plenty of alternative tourist sites to see!

moxie

3 rules which should help:

when merging you have no rights; EXCEPT on the peripherique in Paris where you have the right of way (you ll have to fight for it)

If there is no stop or yield sign on the street/road to your right (ie no solid white line painted on the road) YOU MUST yield - priority to peeps coming from your right.

Many Parisien drivers admit to never looking behind them -- drive very defensively =)