Here are some tips on driving in France

Before you go you will need:

Insurance (Inform your Insurance company that you are going to France)

You also need:

Your MOT Certificate

Vehicle Registration (Log Book)

Headlight deflectors

A parking triangle

Either a GP sticker or a “Europlate” with the GB built in.

It’s advisable to take out European Breakdown Cover and you can arrange this easily through either the RAC (www.rac.co.uk) or through the AA (www.theaa.com) It will cost around £75 for a family car with four passengers for 2 weeks.

You can plan your route through France using the excellent on-line planning tool at www.mappy.com. Mappy not only finds the best and quickest route to your destination but also tells you how much you will pay in toll charges and calculates your likely fuel cost. Of course most of the GPS receivers can also provide you with a route through France but www.Mappy.com is FREE!

When driving in France you need to observe the speed limits, there are now a profusion of speed cameras (fixed and mobile) particularly on the exit and approach to and from Calais.

French speed limits are:

31mph (50km/h) in built-up areas

56mph (90km/h) on normal roads

68mph (110km/h) on dual carriageways with a central reservation

81mph (130km/h) on motorways - though 68mph (110km/h) if it's raining

If you haven’t driven abroad before then you will need to concentrate that much harder for the first few hours, but on the motorway systems you should have no problems. On local roads the will need to be more careful and in particular be aware that the French system of priority from the right (Priorité à droite)is still prevalent, you must give way to cars emerging from the right.

When travelling on the motorway you will need to stop at toll stations (Pèage), the quickest way through is to head for the queue marked “CB” (for Carte Bancaire), you can use your credit / debit card to pay, otherwise there are manned toll booths where you can pay either by card or cash.

There are plenty of motorway services stations along the route and they also have excellent rest facilities including loos, shops and restaurants, you can look at www.autoroutes.fr) for further information (in English) about French Motorways.

When buying petrol “San Plomb” means unleaded and you will also see either diesel or “gasoil” .

Signs with a blue background are motorway routes (ie routes with a toll), signs with a green background are normal roads where no toll is payable.