It is now compulsory to have a high visibility jacket / vest and a warning triangle in your vehicle. Common sense would suggest that a high visibility jacket is required for every occupant. The minimum age for driving is 18. In built up areas, the old rule of giving priority to the right still applies. On roundabouts, you generally give priority to traffic already on the roundabout, coming from the left. Most insurers give automatic third-party cover. Please check with your insurers that you are fully covered for driving in the countries that you plan to visit. All car occupants must wear seat belts. No child under 10 is allowed in the front, unless using a special rear-facing child seat. French drink -drive laws are very strict (0.5mg/ml) however our advice would be: if you are driving don't drink. Dipped headlights must be used in poor daytime visibility. Headlamp deflectors must be used if you are driving at night. It is illegal to talk on a mobile phone when driving, even with a headset. Radar speed traps are common, and fines are paid on the spot. Drivers in the oncoming lane flashing their lights will often warn you of an approaching speed trap. Think twice about returning the favour: it is illegal. Leaded petrol is usually sold as super/super 97, and unleaded as sans plomb 98 & 95 or Eurosuper 95. Diesel is known as gas-oil. The cheapest fuel is usually found at the large hypermarkets. It pays to remember that few rural garages are open 24 hours, also that they are liable to be closed for up to two hours at lunchtime, and all day on Sunday. Sometimes you can drive for many miles in rural France without seeing a garage, so don't let your tank get low. If you have never driven on the right before, don't worry. French signposting is very good once you understand it, with place names rather than road numbers being prominent. If reading a road map of France, you can assume that anything shown in bold capitals will be signposted from a great distance. A common sign is TOUTES DIRECTIONS (literally meaning 'all directions'). It is frequently used for diverting traffic around a particular town or village, so unless this is your destination, follow the sign. A variation is AUTRES DIRECTIONS (other directions). This will always appear in conjunction with a second sign indicating a specific place. So for instance, if you see ROUEN and AUTRES DIRECTIONS, unless Rouen is on your route, go the other way. Further along you will find signs to wherever it is you are heading for. Positioning of signposts can sometimes confuse - the sign that means go straight on is often tucked very close to the junction, on either side of the road, pointing across rather than straight ahead. Unless on main highways, priority can be given to traffic joining a road from the right, so keep an eye open for the warning sign PRIORITE A DROITE. France's network of autoroutes are unlike motorways in Ireland and the UK and congestion is rarely a problem. However, this comes at a price, and there is a charge for using these roads, payable by cash or credit card at the frequent tollgates (p ages). This may seem expensive, but if you are intent on covering large distances as quickly as possible, it is the only realistic way. If you have lots of time on your hands and aren't in a rush, take the RN roads to enjoy some of France's spectacularly beautiful countryside. Speed limits (figures in brackets are for wet weather conditions): motorway 80mph (68); dual carriageway 68mph (62); other roads 56mph (50); built-up areas 31mph (31). When you enter a town designated by a sign with a place name bordered in red, reduce your speed to 31mph, even if the speed limit is not shown. A driver flashing his lights behind you on the motorway means he is coming through- and he means it. Before you leave home, buy the few breakdown items that are required by French law to have in your car:Compulsory: High visibility jacket / vest, warning triangle, headlamp deflectors, GB or IRL sticker (if your vehicle does not have Euro plates), replacement bulbs set.
Recommended: First aid kit, fire extinguisher.
Documentation: Driving licence, Vehicle registration document, Insurance document. If your driver's licence does not incorporate a photo, you must carry your passport at all times. If the vehicle is not registered in your name, you must carry a letter from the registered owner giving you permission to drive..