General
You must carry your passport, or other valid form of ID, at all times.
Driving
Carry your licence, hire or ownership papers and insurance documents. If you are stopped, spot fines can be imposed if you don't have your papers with you.
Cars drive on the right. Mostly.
The priorité à droite rule
means that vehicles give way to the right, even if the 'right' is a side road.
A yellow diamond indicates priority over vehicles to the right. If crossed with a black diagonal, it means give way to the right.
France has strict drink driving laws, the permitted blood alcohol level is lower than that in the UK (0.5 mg/ml rather than 0.8)
Front and rear seatbelts must be worn. Spot fines...
Children may not travel in the front passenger seat. Child seats are required for all children under 10-years-old. A seat if the child is less than 22kg (49lb), a booster seat for children 22 - 36kg (49 - 79lb).
If the child is tall enough for the belt to cross over the shoulder, not touching the neck, a seatbelt (without a booster) can be used.
Seats must correspond to EU standards. French Government childseats factsheet.
Speed limits throughout France are 50kmph (approx. 30mph) between the signs naming a town or village, usually denoted by a white name panel with a red border. This limit ends where the name panel has a diagonal black bar through it.
On the open road the max. speed for cars is 90kmph (reduced to 80kmph when wet); for trailers & new drivers 80kmph
On the motorway max. speed is 130kmph for cars (reduced to 110kmph when wet); 90kmph for vehicles towing trailers over 3.5t; and 110kmph for anyone holding a licence for less than two years.
