We get questions in my France Travel Planning Facebook group (you can join here if you aren’t a member) regularly about driving in France. Should I drive in France? Is it difficult to drive in France? Can I use my drivers’ license to drive in France? Do I need a car in Paris? And so many others…..So I’ve decided to come up with a post to address all your questions about driving in France and cover off all the driving in France tips you need to know.
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Do you need to rent a car in France?
First up, let’s resolve this question. And my answer is – “it depends.” It depends very much on your specific itinerary and what exactly you want to do in France. For a trip to Paris only, you do not need or want a car. Similarly, if you are only visiting cities and large towns, you do not need a car. I can’t be clearer about this.
Driving in big cities in France (including but not limited to Paris, Lyon, Nice, Marseille, Bordeaux and even Avignon) is not a pleasant experience. Traffic is awful, many streets are either one way or blocked to vehicular traffic. Unless you are willing to stay on the outskirts of the city and commute in, most hotels don’t have parking, and car parking is particularly expensive. And most importantly, public transport is just so efficient, convenient and cheap.
France Travel Planning travel tip
Where a car is of benefit is to explore the countryside and visit those oh so quaint villages and small towns. While the train and long distance bus network is excellent for travel between cities and to large towns, local trains and buses to small towns and villages can be either very limited or non existent.
Most visitors to France will find a car will work well in the following destinations for touring the more popular small towns and villages:
Normandy, including Mont Saint Michel (possible by public transport, but easier and more flexible with a car);
The Dordogne;
Provence if you want to visit any of the smaller towns and villages;
Burgundy;
Loire Valley (possible by public transport, but easier and more flexible with a car);
Nice and Cote d’Azur but only if you want to visit the small inland hilltop towns. Coastal towns are generally readily accessible by local train and buses sufficiently to make a car redundant.
Should you rent a car for travelling between cities and large towns?
Again, it depends. While the train can be easy, and indeed much quicker than driving if you are travelling on the TGV (very fast train), there are certainly times where it may be appropriate to consider renting a car. If you are travelling in a group or as a family, a car may be more cost effective. Similarly, if you have a lot of luggage you may manage better with a car – although I do have a big caveat on that, that I will discuss further below.
If you are travelling from France to another country and not returning to France to drop the car off you will certainly find travelling by train cheaper than getting a car – international one way drop off fees are extortionate.
If you do want to rent a car and drive across two or more countries, there is a way to reduce your costs. Drop the car off near the border, take the train across the border and rent another car on the other side. It is likely to be much cheaper. For example, if you are travelling from France to Spain via the Mediterranean coast, drop the car off in Perpignan and take one of the frequent trains from there into Spain. Pick your car up either across the border (somewhere like Girona or Figueres would be convenient) or following your first destination in Spain (you don’t need a car in Barcelona for example). You can easily do the same when you cross the border into other countries.
France Travel Planning travel tip
How to compare the price of train tickets and renting a car
To obtain the price of your train tickets use a booking site such as the official SNCF website or a reputable booking site like Rail Europe. I personally prefer Rail Europe to the SNCF website as it is much easier to use. You can find Rail Europe here >>
Make sure you add in a specific date, and look at the cost for the time you are likely to want to travel. Days of the week and different times can cause the price to vary significantly. Both Trainline and the SNCF website will automatically include any seat reservation fees (required for the TGV). Add in a few Euros booking fee for Rail Europe.
To get the cost of renting a car, I use and recommend Discover Cars which easily allows you to compare different pick up/drop off options as well as different companies. Put your dates in for your required itinerary and the costs will come up, then progress a booking (but don’t finalise) so you can see insurance and any extras (such as child seats). Allow around 20€ per day for autoroute tolls for each day of long distance travel, the same for car parking plus the cost of fuel. There are numerous websites where current fuel prices are available, such as this one.
Auto Europe is another comparison site I use and recommend:
Compare and book vehicles with Auto Europe here >>
Renting a car in France – tips to know about renting a car in France
Here are my top tips for renting a car and driving in France (in no particular order):
Which is the best company to rent a car in France is a question that comes up frequently in the Facebook group. To be perfectly honest, I don’t think there is any “best company” for every fan of a particular company there is an equal number of members who had a terrible experience and will never use them. It seems to depend very much on customer service and whether there were any issues with the rental. So my advice is to use a comparison site such as Auto Europe or Discover Cars to compare you options and to check the conditions of the rental carefully. Then book with the company you feel most comfortable with.
Most companies will charge a one way drop off fee if you want to pick your car up in one place and drop it off in another. There is a difference between companies, so it is worth comparing options before you book. Both Auto Europe and Discover Cars are very good for this.
Check insurance options carefully. Rental companies are ruthless in the application of excess charges. Be very clear about what you are and aren’t covered for. Yes, insurance is expensive but so are vehicle repairs and towing costs.
Are you planning a trip to France? My France Travel Planning Facebook group is a vibrant and friendly group where you can ask questions, learn from others and get great advice. You can join here >>
Book the smallest car you can manage with as parking spots are tiny and roads in the countryside and in small towns can be very narrow.
Pack light. Luggage storage areas (whether you call them a trunk, a boot or something else) are smaller than you may be used to – you can check luggage capacity on the vehicles when you are comparing and booking. Make sure any vehicle you are considering has a cover over the luggage area. Do not leave any items visible in the car – break ins do occur, particularly in tourist areas.
EVs are available to rent in France. There are EV charging stations throughout the country at petrol stations, and some car parks. There are numerous websites and apps that list EV charging stations.
There is an issue currently with bringing foreign registered vehicles into Italy. If you are planning on renting a car in France, and taking it into Italy (even just for a day trip) check very carefully with your rental company.
France Travel Planning travel tip
There are no problems with driving in the other countries that border France (apart from Italy), although as I have said, there is a significant premium to drop your car off in a second country. If you wish to drive in Switzerland, you will need a vignette to drive on Swiss express ways and motorways. You can find out about vignettes here >>
If you are planning on driving into some cities you will need to have a Crit’Air sticker. The Crit’Air system is designed to reduce vehicle emissions in certain cities. The system itself is quite complicated, with different rules for UK registered and European registered vehicles, so I recommend some thorough research on the topic. You can find out more about the Crit’Air sticker, including how to order one from outside France here >>
If you are planning on driving in any of the following cities you will need a Crit’Air sticker:
Paris and surrounding municipalities
Lyon
Grenoble and surrounding municipalities
Rouen
Marseille
Aix-en-Provence
Nice
Toulouse
Reims
Montpellier
Saint Etienne
Strasbourg
If you are planning on driving in a city not on this list do check with the local tourism office or on this website to ensure you have one if required. From time to time other cities will be subject to the Crit’Air system temporarily. If you don’t have a Crit’Air sticker where one is required you can be fined – fines can be over 100Euros in some cases. The cost of the Crit’Air sticker will vary depending on the type of vehicle you are driving.
If you require child or infant seats, I recommend booking them through the rental car company. That way you can be guaranteed that you have the correct, legal seat for your child, and that it is correctly fitted. Car seats and vehicle anchor points do differ between countries, and the seat you need for your child at home may not be the legal for your child in France. You can find out about French car seat rules in more detail here >>
Be creative with where you pick up your rental car. Taking the train to your first stop is often quicker than driving. If you are heading off from a larger city, look for where the drive may be easier than picking up in the centre of town. Look for pick up locations at airports and near the TGV stations (often outside the city) or on the outskirts of larger cities.
Convenient pick up locations outside Paris for popular destinations:
Champagne – Reims
Loire Valley – Tours or St Pierre des Corps
Normandy – Rouen (for Northern Normandy) or Caen (D Day beaches, Bayeux, Mont Saint Michel and northern Brittany)
Alsace – Strasbourg
Provence – Avignon TGV or Marseille airport if arriving by plane (noting you do not need a car in Marseille)
Nice and Cote d’Azur – Nice airport (even if you arrive by train, the airport is a good pick up spot)
Bordeaux and the Dordogne – Bordeaux or Toulouse airports
Driving conditions in France can be difficult at times. In addition to snow and other weather related issues, during holidays traffic, even on the autoroutes can be incredibly busy. There is a French government website where you can identify delays and traffic problems – you can find it here >>
Google maps is generally reliable for bigger roads in France, but do pay attention and trust your gut. If the road looks like a goat track or isn’t paved it probably isn’t where you want to drive and you shouldn’t drive on it (many rental agreements prohibit driving on unsealed roads). Similarly if the laneway seems a bit narrow – it will be. Just as it will at home, if you ignore Google maps’ instructions they will come up with an alternative route that you will feel more comfortable with.
Parking in cities is expensive and very limited so again plan to pick up the car as you are leaving. There is no big city in France (including and especially Paris) where having a car is an asset. If you insist on driving in Paris, or bringing a car into Paris make sure you have a Crit’Air sticker. This website has info on car parks in Paris >>
Driving in France legally
French road rules and signage are different to what you are used to home. To drive safely in France it is worth getting an understanding of them. Speed limits are ruthlessly enforced by both fixed and mobile speed cameras. There is no leeway – if you get caught, even a kilometre or two over the limit, you will get a ticket. Fines are big, and they will follow you home, courtesy of the car rental company.
To understand French road rules, and driving in France generally (including roundabouts, how to purchase fuel in France and use the toll booths on autoroutes) I use and recommend Tripiamo – a video series and downloadable cheat sheet that explains and shows you everything you need to know about driving in France with safety and confidence. You can find out more about Tripiamo here >>
We also get asked a lot in the Facebook group about whether you can drive with your home country driver’s licence. While there are always people who say you can, the law is quite clear. You must have a driving document that is written in French. While you are highly unlikely to be asked for it when you pick up your rental car in France (although it does happen from time to time), you will be required to show it if you are pulled over by the police or are involved in an accident.
The easiest and cheapest way to access a French language driving document is to obtain an International Driver’s Permit from your local auto association. Your alternative is to obtain an official translation by an accredited translator. Canadian readers who have bilingual licences should confirm with their local consulate if their province’s licence is acceptable – it seems to be variable.
You will need to show your home drivers licence when you pick up your vehicle and you should have your home licence with you when you are driving, as well as your International Permit.
Note there are different rules for UK and European driver’s licence holders and for those who are in France for an extended period.
This is the official French government website address to find out more about driving licence requirements in France https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/N19126?lang=en
Plan your driving trip to France now
Compare and book different rental car options with Auto Europe >>
Compare and book different rental car options with Discover Cars >>
Learn all about driving safely and confidently in France with Tripiamo >>
A hard copy planning map can be helpful in determining routes if you are wanting to drive longer distances:
Last update on 2026-10-15 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
