by Anna Hann
posted on November 19, 2024
If you’re planning to drive in France with your UK licence, there are a few things you’ll need to sort out before setting off. It’s also helpful to brush up on some driving tips to ensure you’re following French road rules and complying with local laws. Here’s what you need to know to get road-trip ready for your journey through France.
Tip from the author: If you’re considering taking a Turo car from the UK into the EU, there are specific requirements you must follow. Visit Turo’s travel in the EU from the UK guide for essential information on the VE103 certificate, approval process, insurance coverage, and additional considerations.
All about UK driving licences in France
If you’re wondering, ‘Can I drive in France with a UK licence?’ the answer is yes. Drivers with a full UK driving licence can drive in France but must be at least 18. You don’t need to carry an International Driving Permit (IDP), as required in some countries when driving with a UK licence, but you’ll need to bring your UK driving licence with you. It’s a good moment to check the expiry date in case it needs to be renewed.
How do you know if you hold a valid UK driving licence?
If you’ve got a pink driving licence because you’ve passed both your driving test and driving theory test, you hold a full UK driving licence, which is also valid in France. Provisional licences are not accepted. However, if you book a car on Turo, you must be a minimum age of 21 with a full and valid driver’s licence to be approved to drive, so this meets the legal criteria to drive in France.
What you need to take to France – and what to leave at home
While the driving licence situation might be simple, driving in France isn’t just a case of hopping on the next ferry or train crossing and hitting the road. There’s a list of items you need to make sure you have with you and prohibited items you’ll need to remember to leave behind.
A checklist of what to take when you’re driving in France
In France, there are items you’re legally required to carry when you drive that aren’t required in the UK. Here’s a checklist of all the items UK drivers need, although some of them, such as the requirements for a Crit’Air sticker and snow chains, will depend on where you plan to drive in France.
- Your full UK driving licence in its plastic photocard licences format (paper licences aren’t required on top, so don’t worry about digging that out!).
- The vehicle logbook, or, if you’ve booked a car on Turo, your host’s VE103 form.
- A copy of the motor insurance certificate for the car, provided by your Turo host.
- At least one reflective jacket.
- A warning triangle.
- Headlamp beam deflectors.
- Snow chains or winter tyres, if you plan to drive in a designated snow zone.
- A UK sticker, if required.
- A Crit’Air sticker, if required.
- Valid vehicle insurance. If you book a car on Turo, third-party liability insurance is included in your trip, and a choice of protection plans is available.
And, of course, don’t forget your passports with at least 6 months validity left!
The mandatory safety items you need to have
In the UK, it’s not a legal requirement to carry a reflective jacket, a warning triangle, and headlamp deflectors, but these are legally required in France. You can buy a European driving kit that contains most of the items you’ll need, including the safety equipment and a UK sticker.
Along with the mandatory items you must take, other items are suggested, including a first aid kit, spare bulbs, and a fire extinguisher. Happily, you can probably leave the France map at home, with most modern cars featuring built-in sat nav or connecting your phone to the car via Bluetooth to access apps like Google Maps or Waze.
What are headlamp beam deflectors, and why do you need them to drive in France?
Headlamp beam deflectors move the beams produced by the headlights so they don’t dazzle oncoming traffic. Headlamp beam converters are legally required in most European countries, including France. Remember, when driving in France, you must also use dipped headlights in poor daytime visibility.
What not to take when you’re driving in France
There’s plenty British drivers need to remember to take with with them when driving in France. But you also need to make sure you’re not taking any restricted food items over the border – worth remembering if you were considering an in-car picnic!
- Meat or meat products
- Milk and dairy products
It’s not just certain foods that are banned. Carrying or using speed camera detectors in France is illegal. If you’re caught with one, you may face a hefty fine. These devices detect speed cameras and warn other drivers of their location.
Does a UK car need a GB or UK sticker to drive in France?
We’ve all seen cars with a GB or UK sticker – a telltale sign that a car has been driven abroad. However, the rules have changed slightly since 2021. GB stickers are a thing of the past and have been replaced by UK identifiers. Here’s what you need to know:
- If vehicles registered in the UK have a car number plate with a UK identifier on the number plate with a Union flag or Union Jack, it doesn’t need to display an additional UK sticker.
- You do need to display a UK sticker on the rear of the vehicle if a car’s number plate does not display any of the following:
- A GB identified with the Union flag or Union Jack
- A Euro sign
- An England, Scotland, or Wales flag
- Only numbers and letters, and no flag or identifier
Double-check with your Turo host that the car has everything you need before driving in France, including a UK sticker. If you need a UK identifier, these are also available in magnetic form, so they can be easily removed after returning from France.
Do you need an International Driving Permit to drive in France?
No. An International Driving Permit is not needed to drive in France. UK drivers just need a valid UK driving licence.
Do you need a Green Card to drive in France?
No. A Green Card isn’t required to drive a car in France or other EU countries. A Green Card is a document provided by motor insurers that shows you have vehicle insurance when driving abroad and is required in countries including Albania, Azerbaijan, Moldova, Turkey, and Ukraine.
What car insurance do you need to drive in France?
When driving in France, you must have car insurance with at minimum third-party liability cover. When you book a car on Turo, this is handled under a third-party automobile liability insurance policy, and your host will leave a copy of the motor insurance certificate in the car. Separately, you can choose which protection plan best suits you when you book a vehicle, and this protection plan also covers driving in France.
If your Turo host approves you to drive in France or beyond, your Turo protection plan is in effect in any EU country, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Montenegro, Norway, Serbia and Switzerland, including Liechtenstein.
What’s a Crit’Air sticker?
Since 2017, cars in France are legally required to display a clean air sticker, known as a Crit’Air sticker, in some French cities to identify a vehicle’s emissions levels. Crit’Air classifies cars into categories and cars with a Crit’Air 4 and 5 are banned from the wider Paris altogether.
You can get a Crit’Air sticker for a few euros from the official Crit’Air website, which is the best place to check the most up-to-date low-emission zones, particularly if you know you’ll be driving in busy French cities like Paris, Lille, Nice, Marseille, Reims, and Toulouse. If you’re driving to Disneyland Paris, it’s handy to know that the park isn’t within a zone where a Crit’Air sticker is needed, but you’ll need to make sure that your route doesn’t take you through a low-emission zone. It’s always worth double checking the latest information on the official Crit’Air website, too.
If you decide you need a Crit’Air sticker (and many British drivers choose to get one, just in case), remember that a Crit’Air sticker can take up to six weeks to arrive.
Where are the snow zones in France?
In some areas of France where there’s the potential to drive on snow-covered roads, such as the Alps, Massif Central, and the Pyrenees, drivers must have their vehicles fitted with winter tyres or carry snow chains. Otherwise, they face a fine. Snow zones apply between 1 November and 31 March.
You can check an up-to-date map of areas where snow chains are required and learn more about the accepted equipment.
The rules of driving in France
Perhaps the biggest difference between driving in the UK and France is that the French drive on the right-hand side of the road and overtake on the left. Roundabouts are counterclockwise and work the same way as in the UK, except you’ll give way to road users on the left. And, just like in the UK, on steep hills, vehicles travelling downhill give way to those driving uphill.
It might not be obvious what all the local road signs mean, so it can help to get familiar with some of the most common ones. In particular, look out for the priorite à droite sign, a yellow diamond, which means you must give priority to traffic coming from the right.
What’s different about driving in France from the UK?
It’s worth remembering that driving on the right-hand side of the road is not the only difference you’ll find.
- Children under ten can’t sit in the front seat of a car in France.
- The maximum legal blood alcohol limit for drivers in France is lower than in the UK, and you’re 20 times more likely to be stopped for random breath tests than in the UK.
- Traffic lights are slightly different in France. There is an amber light before the red. If you spot a yellow arrow, you can go ahead, but you’ll need to give way to other vehicles travelling that way.
What is the law in France about children’s car seats and booster seats?
French law requires children under ten to sit in the back seats of cars and children under 15kg to be secured in a child seat. If they are over this weight, they can use a booster seat instead of a full child seat until they are over 36kg.
What are the speed limits in France?
Speed limits are displayed in km/h in France, so if your car has both km/h and mph metrics on your speedometer, remember to look at the correct one. On the digital displays of some modern and electric vehicles, you may be able to change the car’s settings to show your speed in km/h instead of miles per hour.
Look out for signs that indicate the speed limits on French roads – they’re in red circles, just like in the UK, but the number you see is in km/h. But if you don’t spot a km/h speed limit sign, here’s what to remember:
- 30-50 km/h speed limit in built-up areas like French cities and towns (NB: the Paris circular road, the périphérique is now at 50 km/h)
- 80-90 km/h speed limit in rural areas
- 100-110 km/h speed limit on dual carriageways
- 110-130 km/h speed limit on French motorways, known as autoroutes
Speed cameras are common in France, so stick to the km/h speed limits to avoid fines.
Fuelling up your car in France
There’s an extensive charging network in France if you’re driving an electric vehicle – typically, your in-car map will direct you where to go. If you’re driving a petrol or diesel car, remember that at the pump, you’re looking for sans plomb for unleaded petrol and gazole or gasoil for diesel.
Arriving in France unlocks endless road trip possibilities, from the lavender fields of Provence to the castles of the Loire Valley. With a Turo rental car, you can explore at your own pace, choosing from a variety of vehicles offered by local hosts. Hire your Turo car in France today.
If things don’t go to plan
Most of the time, car journeys go without a hitch. And when you’ve got the right measures in place, it helps keep things stress-free, even if your trip throws a curveball.
What happens if you’re involved in a car accident in France?
If you’re involved in a serious incident while driving in France, use the orange emergency telephones on French motorways to quickly connect to the emergency services, which can mobilise emergency vehicles. If you are not on a motorway, the European emergency number is 112.
If you’re involved in a minor accident and have booked a car on Turo, 24/7 roadside assistance is available to help, although you may be liable for any costs if you’re found to be at fault.
What happens if you break down in France?
If you drive in France with Turo’s and your Turo host’s permission, 24/7 breakdown assistance is included in your trip if you’re found not to be at fault.
If you’re involved in an accident or have a roadside incident in France, responsibility for the cost of roadside assistance depends on who is at fault, including the cost of a tow back to the UK, if necessary. When your host agrees to your travel abroad, they must provide a mechanically sound vehicle that can safely make the trip.
You may want to arrange additional coverage outside your Turo-provided plan to reduce costs if you are at fault for a roadside callout.
Driving a car hire in France
If you book a car through Turo, you must book your trip at least seven days before so your host has enough time to apply for a VE103 certificate. This certificate shows you’re allowed to use a hired or leased vehicle abroad.
After booking a car on Turo, you’ll need to message your host to let them know you’d like to travel abroad and get their approval. You’ll also need to contact Turo for authorisation to drive in France.
If your host and Turo approve your trip, you’ll be charged a £1,000 deposit, which is refunded 80 hours after the trip ends if there are no outstanding reimbursement invoices or damage claims. If Turo cannot approve your travel you’ll be fully refunded.
A recap of things to remember before driving in France
Finally, a quick round-up of everything you need to know when planning your road trip and driving in France.
A quick pre-trip checklist
- You legally need to carry a kit of safety items, including a warning triangle and hi-vis vest. You can buy kits that include everything you need before you travel.
- Find out whether your route takes you into a Crit’Air region, and buy a sticker from the official website, remembering it can take up to six weeks to arrive.
- Buy snow chains if your route takes you into one of France’s snow zones.
- If it’s not part of your number plate, buy and display a UK sticker.
- Make sure you have your valid driving licence, passport, a copy of the car’s motor insurance and a VE103 certificate.
And the important things to remember when driving a car in France
- You need to drive on the right-hand side of the road
- Speed in France is measured in km/h
- The legal driving alcohol limit in France is lower than in the UK, although it’s no longer a legal requirement to carry a personal breathalyser test.
Ready to plan?
If you’re thinking about a road trip to France, you’ve got a couple of options. Book a car in the UK and drive to France using a car ferry or taking Le Shuttle, a car train through the Channel Tunnel. Alternatively, you could travel on a passenger ferry, take the Eurostar, or even fly to and collect a car from a Turo host in France.
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