Driving in France

Driving in France is a lot like driving in the U.S., except for a few minor differences. Here are some points to keep in mind:

• Speed: the Frenchman considers it his God-given right to drive as fast as possible from point A to Point B, in order to have more time to linger over his pastisse in the café, or perhaps to visit his amie before going home to his femme. So if you see a car appear in your rear-view mirror, just assume that he will pass you as soon as the road is reasonably clear, which in his view might be much sooner than you would judge, due to …

• Allowable space: the Frenchman is quite used to having only three inches between cars, both on the front and the sides of the car. Therefore, he is adept at passing when there doesn’t seem to be enough room, because he will just cut in front of you with about an inch to spare. To you, this may seem rude, but to him, it is normal, so why get angry about it? A corollary of this rule is that it is OK to park at the curb, touching your neighbor’s bumper. Many French cars have dents in their bumpers and fenders as a result of this rule.

• Stop signs: these are discretionary, depending on traffic. So are speed limits. The normal posted speed for an urban area is 50 kilometers per hour (30 mph), but if the road is clear, most Frenchmen will exceed that speed. On the Autoroute or divided highway, the normal driving speed is about 120 kph (72 mph), or so it seems.

• Passing: it’s generally done when there is a dotted line on a two-way road, or in the left lane on a divided highway. Stay in the right lane unless you are passing; it is considered impolite to stay in the left lane as if you were on the Santa Monica Freeway. And there will certainly be someone going faster than you — count on it.

• Road signs: they’re generally quite good in France. Roads are numbered according to size (e.g., A100 is a bigger road than D973), and these numbers tend to appear every kilometer or so. But not always. Your companion/navigator must be aware not only of road numbers, but of which towns are in which direction from your current position. If you see a sign that says “Cavaillon/Avignon,” it probably means that the road will take you to Cavaillon first, and later to Avignon. So it is essential to have good maps. There will generally be road signs, brown in color, directing you to various hotels — this is generally the easiest way to find your hotel in a new town.

• Good maps: these are an important key to success. Study them carefully before setting out on your day’s excursion because this will save you hours of frustration when you come to a roundabout where two or three different signs, pointing to different roads, have the same city name on them. Buy the smallest-scale maps you can find.

• Good navigator: it’s important to have a good map reader helping you as you go. Frequently you will come to a roundabout, or traffic circle, with several roads leading out of it. A good navigator will be ready to tell you which exit to take. On occasion, you may have to go around the circle twice to be sure, but there is no harm in that. Better to be sure than to go 10 miles out of your way by mistake, even though that will undoubtedly happen once or twice. Sometimes the only way to know where you are is when you come to the next town or village and can locate yourself on the map. This process can put strain on a marriage, so breathe deeply and try to relax when you find yourself temporarily lost.

• Driving in Paris: don’t if you can avoid it. Lane markings are routinely ignored, traffic is terrible, and it’s a drag race from stoplight to stoplight all day long — very hard on one’s nerves. Use the Metro, or the busses, or walk — it’s healthier in every way.

• Finding parking: most French towns and all cities have paid parking lots, in addition to paid street parking and free parking. Frankly, it’s easier to head for one of the pay lots. They’re usually easy to find, marked with a big “P” blue sign, conveniently located near the middle of the town, and frequently guarded. It generally costs about the equivalent of $1.50 per hour to hour-and-a-half, well worth it because of the time saved not trying to find free street parking. If you do find on-street parking, it may be marked for up to two hours only. Here is where that little cardboard clock, which should be in your rental car’s glove box, comes in handy. You display the clock showing the time you’ve arrived; then you’re good for two hours of parking.

• Pay roads: the Autoroutes or freeways usually require that you take a ticket when you enter and pay based on how far you have driven when you exit. Sometimes you’ll come to a tollbooth that requires you to pay before proceeding further. This is somewhat foreign to those who live in the western U.S., but not for those used to the Pennsylvania Turnpike and other toll roads in the eastern U.S.

• Auto Grill: there are frequent gas + restaurant stops on the Autoroutes. At the ones with “Auto Grill” signs, the food is surprisingly good.

• Fuel costs: gas will set you back over $5 per gallon. Expect to shell out $60 or more to fill your tank. Get over it — you’re on vacation.

• Driving in the countryside: this is for the most part a pleasure. The roads are well kept, and the drivers are mostly very skilled and reasonably courteous. Having a car is by far the easiest way to see many parts of France, including Provence, the Loire valley, and Normandy. And besides, the countryside is beautiful, so get out and see it by car.

For more information on your trip to France, contact your AAA Travel professional.