During the last week and a half, my wife and I drove from Paris to the Normandy Region of France, to Bruges and Gent in Belgium, then back to Paris.
I’ve motored across the US several times, throughout Scotland and the UK, in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, and many other countries. They were easy compared to France and Paris, and it has nothing to do with language.
For Americans, and others, if I can give you just one tip about driving in France, it’s get a GPS. Paraphrasing the American Express tagline, “Don’t leave home without one.”
We’ve been to Paris before and were aware of how quickly street names change here, sometimes right in the middle of blocks. It can be very disconcerting, and confusing, especially if you’re trying to drive and simultaneously read a map. Add in difficult traffic and the free-for-all atmosphere of the roads here, and you can quickly find yourself in trouble.
Oh, did I mention the motorcycles here?
In Europe, fuel is very expensive. If you haven’t been out of the US, you have no idea how inexpensive our fuel is. I had a little car, and paid as much as $100 to “fill it up.” To save on fuel costs, motorcycles are heavily used in France, and the rules of the road are apparently suspended for them. Driving in Paris, and elsewhere in France, you’ll encounter motorcycles rocketing down crowded streets and highways, on both sides of cars, in between lanes, on the wrong side of the road, and weaving all around.
Until you’ve driven in that chaos, you have no idea how crazy it can get.
Use a GPS to lead you through the streets and highways, to make finding your way easy. I used my Garmin Nuvi with a Western European chip. Bring backup maps, just in case, but hope you never need them.
France’s highway designators are similar to the US’s. France’s Autoroutes, mostly toll roads, are numbered with an “A” prefix, like the US’s “I” for Interstate highways.
France has N designated National routes, similar to the routes in the States designated with “US.” France’s “D” routes are similar to “State” routes in the US. And of course, France, like the US, has many country roads, of which some are one lane wide.
In driving more than 1,100 kilometers on the “A” roads I have only three complaints.
First, “A” route shoulders are generally too narrow to pull your car over to safely change a tire, for example. There are periodic extra wide portions of the shoulder, but in this columnist’s opinion they are too few and far between.
Second, the toll system itself is confusing for non-European drivers. Each “toll plaza” is a mishmash of some combination of human toll takers, credit/debit card machines, toll ticket (t) issuing machines, and télébadge (automatic electronic payment transponders like EZ Pass in the States and apparently unavailable for rental cars) lanes.
You never know which types of “toll booths” will be available to you at each toll plaza. I can’t tell you how many times I saw travelers back out of a toll lane because they were in the wrong one, or because their credit cards didn’t work. That’s really dangerous.
• I encountered a couple of toll plazas which hadn’t closed an unmanned toll booth lane and had to back out myself to pay another way.
• US credit cards aren’t like the European “chip and pin” cards. Ours only have magnetic strips. While my cards worked, I’ve heard from other Americans whose cards didn’t work in “A” route toll booths.
• The “A” route ticket system is great, but it doesn’t always work for non-Europeans. You get a ticket at one toll plaza and pay the appropriate amount at the next. The problem is when you’ve got to pay, if there are no manned booths what if your credit card doesn’t work? You’ve got to sit at the toll booth for at least several minutes waiting for help. It’s not a good situation.
When driving on the Autoroutes be prepared with Euros, a credit or debit card which works in Europe, and carefully read the electronic signs designating open toll booths and their type.
Third, there doesn’t seem to be any enforcement of speed laws on either the “A” or “N” roads. I didn’t see a single police vehicle on these roads during my entire trip. The speed on the “A” routes is generally 130 kph (81 mph) which is what I traveled at. I’d estimate about 25% of the cars were going at least 25 kph more, and 10% traveled at less than 90 kph. That’s a 65 kph (40 mph) difference, way too much for a safe roadway.
In my opinion, France needs to start writing tickets for speeding, driving too slowly, and reckless driving (motorcycles), permit télébadge for rental cars, and widen their road’s shoulders.
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Most of what is said simply does not hold water and is the reponse of some one that is just driving trough..
I’m an Americain and have lived in France for over 40 years.
I can get along driving in Paris without a GPS, never owned one. Outside of Paris in the country they are not needed. I say this with one cavaet; you have to know how to read road maps.
In terms of credit cards, the US is way behind the times for still using magnetic strips (where the rate of fraud is higher). All Europe is on intelligent credit cards with magntic pins. I would suggest that perhaps the US should catch up. Second while traveling the autoroutes, my wife and I use a french AMEX card which ONLY contains a magnetic strip. We have never had the slightest problem in the past 10 years or more.
Most speed is controled by radar, either auitomatic units or hand held units by the police. The increasing rate of tickets attests to this.
With a speed limit of 130 km/h a tolerance of 5 km/s is permited. Official figures are much less then the 25% stated by the author.
The only point on which the author was right, is that there is no minimum speed limit on the highways. I reiterate my fisrt sentence.
I have to agree with Richard: I don’t have a lot of experience with driving in France, but the last time I drove there, I remember thinking that the French road system was one of the best I’d ever seen.
I didn’t try paying by credit card, but I had similar credit card problems elsewhere. I wouldn’t blame the French for this though. Rather, I think the onus should be on the credit card companies to have “Europe-ready” versions of their cards available and to educate their customers on the need for these cards. (Such education is also appropriate for travel columns such as appear on this website.)
As for the speed issues mentioned, the math just doesn’t add up to me: Here in Georgia (USA), the speed limit is 70 mph (with a general tolerance for 80 mph without fear of getting a ticket), with a minimum speed of 40 mph. This coverts to a speed limit of 113 km/h (tolerance up to 129 km/h) and a minimum of 64 km/h. It’s pretty much the same range as mentioned in the column, albeit a little slower, but it doesn’t equate here to the terrible situation that the author describes in Normandy.
If I were comparing European roads to those in the U.S., my only strong recommendation to Europe would be for emulation of the U.S. protocol of establishing that roads are always considered to be east/west or north/south. If I want to go from Atlanta to Washington, I know that I just need to look for I-85 North; I don’t need any awareness at all of the cities it passes on the way. If we followed the European system, I would need to look for a list of cities when I approached the exit, but I would have no way of knowing whether those cities were tiny hamlets near the interchange (Norcross, Duluth, Roswell) or major cities (Columbia, Charlotte, Richmond). I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been driving, saying something like, “This exit is for Avignon; do we want to go through Avignon?” while the passenger furiously flipped through the map.
I have driven in France several times with no major problems and no GPS. I did have a friend alongside who could consult a map and advise. I found the roads to be in good condition and the signage clear and accurate. I did not drive in Paris except for the one day that I rented a car to drive out to Normandy. Unfortunately, that was one week after the Madrid subway bombing when the subway line from DeGaulle airport was closed due to safety concerns. That meant that all of the suburban commuters were also on the road and the traffic jams were horrific. However, what impressed me was the politeness and patience of the drivers. There were no angry exchanges of horn honking or obscene gestures. Whenever a bottleneck occurred, each driver took a turn and within minutes that particular problem was solved. I found driving in France to be no more difficult than driving in unfamiliar areas of the US (and I am far from fluent in French). Compared with driving in Italy, driving in France was not difficult at all.
While I have never lived in France I hace driven there extensively and have to agree with Mr. Trilling. Paris can be a challenge, and is not for the timid, it is quite possible to get around with the aid of a good map. Outside of the cities, Michelin or Recta maps are very detailed and it is very easy to get where you are going with a minimum of fuss. As for the autoroutes I never had a problem there either, although close attention to the electronic signage is a must. I’m surprised that Mr. Levi did not notice theunmanned radar units that are prevalent on the autoroutes and some N roads.
Toll booths are a challenge but a minor inconvenience compared to the continual possibility of a head-on collision due to motorists passing on blind curves, at top of hills, or anytime they feel the urge. Driving through Normandy was a non-stop day of playing “chcken”.
Ned: Welcome to the world of French driving where my heart was frequently in my stomach and I was delighted when I sold my car.
Re credit cards – I need to agree with Richard that I’ve never had a problem on the highway using ones without a smart chip. The same cannot be said at gas stations. Drivers had better gas up when there’re cashiers open. It’s wise to do it on Saturdays (as a precaution) if you’re driving in areas with small towns where stations may be exclusively self-service on Sundays.
The French are fast drivers – but it’s usually the Germans who come barreling down the French autoroutes. Do pay attention to speed traps. Plus there are frequent random breathalyzer checks where the police will pull over multiple cars and check all of the drivers. Do have a dedicated driver because the French don’t look kindly on drunk driving.
I never had a GPS – how I wish I did. It’s not unusual for French taxis to have them now. But don’t count on them always being accurate since Paris’s Mayor is busy make streets into pedestrian areas.
Driving in France is an acquired art and taste. I sort of mastered it.
Spending many years driving in Boston before moving to France was good training.
Mr. Trilling is correct, that this is the response of someone who is just driving through, which is the audience for whom he is writing. Not someone like Mr. Trilling who has the advantage of years of familiarity with the idiosyncrasies of the roads in another country. As someone who has driven in France…and Italy, which is another tale…my first experiences taught me many lessons. I studied the maps, the road signs and read about the rules of the road but each country, and city for that matter, has its own unique nuances. If you haven’t lived there for 40 years, you probably won’t know it. It’s no different than someone from LA experiencing the rotaries of Boston for the first time. You can read about it all you want, but wait until you find yourself in one for the first time.
I don’t know what Mr. Trilling’s aversion to someone getting a GPS is all about, but if you have one, it can certainly help but shouldn’t be the thing you rely upon. Of course, if you are planning to drive in Europe for the first time, just enjoy getting lost. It’s a great way to discover wonderful places, as long as you have a map.
My question is why anyone would WANT to drive in a city like Paris, or any major European city. Just drive to the train station/Metro where you will undoubtedly find parking (which in a city like Paris or Milan is not something easy to do) and take the Metro system. You will get where you want to faster and cheaper. Just learn how the metro system works in the country/city you’re visiting before you get there (because in Paris you don’t want to mix up your in and out tickets). When you are ready to hit the countryside, your car is conveniently parked in a convenient place to pick up the main routes.
As for the highway toll system: it is an intriguing thing in Europe. The numbers do change, as can the speed limits. Don’t assume you can dawdle in the left hand lane, like in the states, as that’s taking your life in your hands. With regard to toll booths, always have enough Euros and when you get to Europe, go into the many banks and get a pre-paid debit card. My American Express usually seemed to work in the toll booths, but having the debit card saved me many times.
If you go with an attitude of expectation that it should be like it is in the States, then you will experience frustration. However, if you accept, and even enjoy the differences, you’ll have a wonderful time. Pack that with the GPS unit.
My wife and I will be traveling to Paris will our three daughters, ages 12, 9 & 6, on November 8th.
I keep going back and forth, back and forth, with the car rental. Since I made the car rental reservation so long ago, I am only paying 216 euros after taxes for the car for the week. With my family of 5, I cannot get transportation to/from CDG to our resort for less that 216 euros, so it would make sense to rent the car simply to get to/from the CDG airport to the resorrt. We are also thinking about visiting one of the castles outside Paris, so it would be nice to have a car for that trip. When we go into Paris we will only use public transportation, but I am still up in the air on whether we should rent the car. What do you think?
We drove quite a bit in France about two years ago, from the east Swiss border to the Loire valley in the west and up to Paris. Not my first trip to France, but the first time driving there. At least they drive on the right side. The only driving in Paris was to drop off the rental car the day we arrived in Paris. I agree with the above comments that navigating the A roads really isn’t too bad. We paid cash at toll booths so that was straightforward. Driving in the Loire region was pretty nice — on the back roads, there is little traffic and people drove reasonably. The hardest part of the whole trip was figuring out the exits into Paris. We had pretty good google map directions, but still… Biggest thrill/fear was navigating the world’s biggest traffic circle around the Arc de Triumph (once was enough!). Wouldn’t want to have driven any more in Paris, but I wouldn’t want to drive much in NYC either.
Don’t even think about trying to drive a car in Paris Jim. However well you may get on wth traffic/directions/maps/street names it simply isn’t necessary because the public transport is efficient.
As for going to a Castle, well it depends quite where you want to go. I’m not sure if you use the word “Castle” to refer to a “Chateau” but, for instance, Versailles is an easy train ride from Paris; there are two routes even.
When it comes to the general question of driving in France it’s a couple of years since I did it and then it was in the hills behind Nice and I simply don’t recognise the way Ned tells it. I’m a Brit so I have to deal with driving on the wrong side of the road quite aprat from anything else.
If you want to put a bit of spice in your driving experience try the city of Salta in Argentina. I will admit to being glad to have the additional eyes of my wife beside me there!
Don’t even think about trying to drive a car in Paris Jim. However well you may get on wth traffic/directions/maps/street names it simply isn’t necessary because the public transport is efficient.
As for going to a Castle, well it depends quite where you want to go. I’m not sure if you use the word “Castle” to refer to a “Chateau” but, for instance, Versailles is an easy train ride from Paris; there are two routes even.
When it comes to the general question of driving in France it’s a couple of years since I did it and then it was in the hills behind Nice and I simply don’t recognise the way Ned tells it. I’m a Brit so I have to deal with driving on the wrong side of the road quite aprat from anything else.
If you want to put a bit of spice in your driving experience try the city of Salta in Argentina. I will admit to being glad to have the additional eyes of my wife beside me there!
Should add great post! Looking forward to seeing the next one!
I prefer driving in France if for no other reason people stay on the right unless they need to pass, rather than the road hog over here tying up traffic at 5 under in the left lane.
I don’t speak French and my wife can’t read maps but we get along fine.
To all who have commented, whether you’ve disagreed with me (even those who disagreed strongly) or agreed with me, thanks for taking the time to write your comment. I appreciate your readership.
To those who said they didn’t need a GPS, please remember my columns are written for travelers, people with little or no familiarity with the country in which they are traveling. Mr. Trilling was right when he said, “(It) is the response of some one that is just driving trough.” In fact, that is exactly the point. This site is about travel, and travelers. My columns aren’t written for residents.
And yes, maps work. They are especially easy to use in the countryside, but frankly in Paris, where roads do change name constantly, and your attention must be focused on traffic, (those motorcycles are murder) I continue to believe that for a traveler driving in Paris, you definitely would be better off using a GPS. In Philadelphia, New York, Boston, and cities in the US in which I live or am a regular, I don’t need a GPS, just like a person living or frequently driving in Paris doesn’t need a GPS, but I’ll tell you a secret, I use one, even in my home city. I’ve found the technology extremely useful to much more quickly and easily locate a street address with which I’m unfamiliar and plot a route to get there. I often don’t follow the GPS’s route exactly, taking my own shortcuts, but at least I know where I’m going, and found out far more easily than checking map grid coordinates and locating the road, etc. I used to do that all the time before GPS technology, but with GPSs being so good and inexpensive, I’ve relegated maps to backup status. Anyone who reads my columns regularly knows I believe that if technology makes life easier and better at a reasonable cost, I use it.
GPS technology can do some other amazing things these days. For example, when I needed fuel, I just asked my unit to list gas stations within 10 K of my location at the time. I haven’t seen many maps with that information. In the Normandy area the GPS made it incredibly easy to get from place to place.
As to American credit card technology, I agree with Mr. Trilling that Europe is way ahead with “chip and pin” technology, nevertheless, Americans only have the old magnetic technology, and many Americans do have trouble with their credit cards in the Autoroute toll system. As I mentioned, I didn’t have any trouble. Perhaps it’s because like Mr. Trilling, I used my AMEX card.
As to speeding and going to slow, I reported what I observed over my more than 1,100 K of driving last week. It’s certainly not a scientific statistical analysis, however, 1 in 4 cars I encountered, passed me quickly, some going by so fast, I might have thought I was standing still. And while I’m sure there were police cars out there, I didn’t see them, nor did I see anyone pulled over. Had I been driving on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, or the New York Thruway, or the Garden State Parkway (all in the US), I guarantee I would have seen many motorists pulled over and issued tickets having driven more than 680 miles in a few days. While the speed differential between those going well below the speed limit and above the speed limit might be normal in France and other locations in Europe, and in many US states, it’s my belief that it’s nevertheless dangerous. For many drivers a 40 kph difference is too much when you’re not paying close enough attention and you’re coming up behind the car in front that quickly.
Finally, I’d like to say I drove in Paris because I rented my car from nearby my apartment for its convenience, and had to both drive out of, and back into Paris. While here, I use the Metro, one of the best public transportation systems in the world, if not the best. Since I’m not overly familiar with it, I use a great iPhone utility program which figures out the best route in the Metro system for me to follow. I use public transportation in big cities in the US and Europe whenever possible. It’s normally much easier than driving.
Regards to all,
Ned