We will be renting a car on our next trip (09/19) and are getting prepped on driving rules, etc. We have learned from this forum & other podcasts that French speed limits are serious but that they are not posted the way they are in the US. Here at home, WAZE shows the speed limit as it guides you to your destination so I was wondering if it works in France. If so, does it show speed limits and does it do a good job of navigating?
Thanks in advance for the group wisdom!
not sure, however we have driven many thousands of km's in france with different GPS units and at times they are wrong regarding speed limit. also the GPS only tells you the speed limit the exact moment you pass the sign. that may be too late?
I assume you have not driven in france?
there is one major difference, they rely on you to observe and know what the speed limit is. by that I mean when entering a small town the entrance sign to the town IS the speed limit sign and you have to know that the limit is 50km/h there is no sign telling you the speed.
the 'exit' sign for the town is the 'new' speed limit ( probably 90km/h) you have to know this. ie: it is not shown. that is where a GPS is handy as it at least gives you a guide to what the speed is until you see an actual speed limit sign. generally the GPS is good but by no means perfect.
I highly doubt that the WAZE would be perfect , as I can't imagine the french being that involved with it?? maybe they are?
the other difference ( compared to driving in the USA - from our experience) is they don't 'spoil' you by necessarily having a seperate turning arrow and lane at traffic lights. ( Although the roundabouts fix that)
in general you might find you have to be a 'better' driver in france, than what you possibly are in USA?
hope this helps.
Waze works perfectly well in France and it does accurately display the correct speed limit. Waze does not pinpoint the position of radar cameras which is illegal in France but it will announce control zones where cameras may be used.
Waze offers a very accurate picture of real time traffic patterns and suggests alternate route options allowing you to reach your destination with the least amount of delay. Waze, recently purchased by Google, was designed and developed in Israel and was used in Europe before it was available in the US.
I knew this community would have the answers! I love WAZE here in the US & was hoping it would be as useful there. Sounds like it will be.
I did do some reading about driving in France so I saw that radar detectors & speed camera detectors are illegal. He’ll be driving & I’ll be navigating so I guess I can always close the app if we get pulled over, just in case.
Anything else we should be cognizant of?
Anything else we should be cognizant of?
Do you have your IDPs? Or more accurately, since your trip is nearly a year away and they only last a year, be sure not to forget to get them before the trip.
One thing I have unscientifically surmised is that WAZE efficiency in finding the fastest route is dependent on the number of people using the app in a given area. For instance, it works great in Israel - everyone who has a smartphone and a vehicle uses it. It was excellent in LA, finding speedy routes in rush hour, not so much in Chicago where I rarely encountered anyone who'd heard of it. And it didn't outperform google maps in rural Illinois.
The issue I found in France is that speed limits are set by law and every driver is expected to know them. So the limit drops from 80 or 90 to 50 when you enter a town or village. You can always tell that you're approaching one, but there may not be a warning sign. Also note that on most interurban roads, speed limits are reduced when it's raining. I don't know if WAZE or any other system figures that one out. I think there may be a law about tailgating on the highways, but maybe I just remember signs about keeping a safe distance.
If you are stopped for speeding, you can always tell the cop you were doing your best to keep a safe distance between you and the car behind you.
(no guarantees it'll work)
Most radar zones are posted with a sign.
I would say the some radar zones are posted, many are not, and there are a few mobile units that are used by police to surprise the locals who generally have all of the camera positions memorized.
One thing I have unscientifically surmised is that WAZE efficiency in finding the fastest route is dependent on the number of people using the app in a given area.
It is my understanding that Waze uses mobile phone signals located on roadways to analyze traffic and does not limit its data to just those phones which may be using their app.
Autoroute speed limits, among other roadways, drop when it rains and I'll agree that no network will be able to make a determination when you speed should be lowered. Speed limits in France used to be relatively easy to follow: 50 kmh in towns, 90 kmh outside of city limits. However, now there is 30, 50, 70, 80, 110 and the autoroute speeds (130). It's sometimes difficult for the non resident to really know what the speed limit should be.
Speed limits are not the only rule one needs to know. There is the priorité a droite, and when on mulit-lane roads: no passing on the right and always maintaining yourself in the far right lane.
It is my understanding that Waze uses mobile phone signals located on
roadways to analyze traffic and does not limit its data to just those
phones which may be using their app.
Exactly right. Waze, while originally an Israeli company, is now owned by Google. So it has access to traffic data from anyone with a smartphone that has any Google app installed on it, regardless of whether they are actively using it or not; it runs in the background. While it's possible for users to turn off this sort of "snooping" in the settings, 99.9% of consumers don't bother. So the traffic data is very accurate no matter where you are.
Waze was great for me in France with one small caveat.
I am very familiar with the app and have used it in many countries.
In France in the small towns since the side road speed limits are all the same but the roads are not traveled at the same speed it often will route you on "shortcuts"
These shortcuts are not any shorter timewise and very confusing when you turn off a main road and onto some narrow, curvy side street and then make multiple turns.
Similar situations in the US ; 1.) the small side roads are not that small 2.) the minor side roads also have lower speed limits than the major side roads so Waze knows not to do this
Is only an issue going through small towns on back roads. is not going to route you off the highways for this.
Anyway, if you rely solely on Waze it can make driving take longer and be more confusing on occasion if you are staying in one of the smaller towns, so after a few days I tried to look ahead and ignore some of the minor side turns if they were bringing me back to the main road anyway.
Overall not a big deal, any other driving the app is great.
Yes, we tried to use it once on a drive from Paris to Turin and I felt like it was sending me way off into the country for not much overall gain in time vs. just staying on the regular route. Of course I have no way of knowing if that's truly the case or not.
My brother lives in LA and is a devotee so I know how useful it can be.
If you are caught speeding, you won’t be “pulled over.” Cameras catch you. The authorities trace your plate number back to the rental agency, which provides them with your information. They (the agency) charge you a hefty fee, around $40, on your cc, for this service. The notification of the infraction and what it will cost you comes later.
Here, Waze also tells you where the police are (based on users input)... does it do that in France?
Susan: If another user inputs it then yes. It is all based on the number of users. It is not nearly as common in Europe and I was using it mostly outside of the big cities so assumed any user input data was too old to be accurate so ignored anything like that when driving.
Knowing where a police was 60 minutes ago is rather useless rather than a user posted update from 2 minutes prior as you are probably used to in the San Francisco area.
Plus ; Police in Europe are very rarely out looking for speeders. The speed cameras are there for that purpose and WAZE does alert you in advance to their presence which can be a real saver. As mentioned though this technology may not be considered legal to be using while driving.
Thank you mreynolds, very helpful!
I appreciate all the feedback! Thanks, everyone :)
I don't think anyone has mentioned it, but make sure you have a decent international data plan on your cell phone. WAZE uses data and you'll want to make sure you don't end up with one of those giant phone bills on return.
Waze is a data hog. A friend recently returned from a week in Italy with a car. She accidentally learned how to "cheat the system." After about 5 minutes with Waze, turn off your mobile data and the app keeps working. I'm going to try it next month in Portugal. Or I could try it here at home (where it was invented :-). Just had to throw that last bit in.
