woman traveling alone in france and speaks basically no french...

Yes, it's perfectly fine (whether you feel "safe" driving really depends on your driving ability and confidence). There is no stigma whatsoever about a woman traveling alone anywhere in Europe. Learning a few basic phrases in French before you leave (and having a phrasebook or equivalent with you) would still be a really good idea.

I spent 89 days in France last year, none of it in Paris. I found English much, much more widely spoken that I was expecting. I don't think you'll have any trouble. Just research French road signage and traffic rules carefully. I didn't drive, but I wandered all over the place by myself and felt totally comfortable as a 65-year-old female.

For your trips by train, I assume you know that you'll save a lot of money or TGV (and similar) tickets if you buy them early.

Nothing to worry about no problem you will find most people you need in the service industry speak English. A lot of signs are in English and French after all the British are 2 hours away on a train. A lot of people rent cars and drive in France too you see in the response you will hear on the forum,

I think France is a lot easier than Italy in most respects, and you'll be fine.

A lot depends on your attitude. Rick Steves has a chapter in ETBD called "Hurtling the Language Barrier." If you have anxiety about language 9which is understandable to feel), that chapter is worth the price of the whole book.

I’ve certainly felt very safe in and around Paris travelling solo as a 64 year old woman. This includes late evenings after special events. One needs to remain aware of their environment of course. Knowing where you are going before hand is a good idea so you don’t appear uncertain/vulnerable. This is as true in any Canadian city as in France though. Locals and other travellers are so helpful as well! May I ask what community you are staying in? Sounds like it could be a handy tip for others. Great tip to become familiar with road signs ahead of time!

You'll be fine, but as other posters wrote, do read Rick's chapter on language barriers in ETBD and do learn at least the five basic phrases:
Hello,
Good-bye
Please,
Thank you,
I'm sorry I don't speak French. Do you speak English or __________.

And remember to always say good morning and good evening, sir or madam when you enter a place of business. It's considered rude to leave out the salutation and just ask for something, also to omit the monsieur or madam. Pimmsler has a very good introductory tape.

A few years ago I spent a month traveling around France before spending a month in Paris. I'm a senior woman (67 at the time) who travels solo. I don't speak French other than the basics - hello, good-bye, please, thank-you, etc. and I got by just fine. I used a combination of trains and rental cars to get around and found both quite easy in France. Learn the French road signs and rules and driving is easy. If you're driving alone, without a navigator/map reader, even with GPS, be prepared to get lost or take the wrong road off of a roundabout. It happens, but easy to fix, just backtrack and try again.:) I found traveling solo around France to be quite safe and I never felt uneasy by myself. I just always planned my days so that I was at my destination hotel before dark, which is easy in the summer since it stays light so late.

The French are very proud of their history and their language, and appreciate it if you make an attempt to speak to them in French. It's good to know the basic phrases (already mentioned in this post), so get a phrase book, learn a few phrases, and take the book with you. Especially when you walk into a shop, the French expect eye contact and a friendly bonjour (or bonsoir if it's the evening).

That said, you shouldn't have trouble, because everybody in the hospitality industry speaks English, and many people not in the industry have also learned some English in school. Hand gestures work when all else fails, lol.

We drove in France and I found it to be a pleasure. Some of the autoroutes (expressways) have tolls and these can be high, but some of them are free. Just stay under the speed limit and you'll be fine. And in urban Paris, you don't need, and don't want, a car.

If you have a smartphone, you can have it do the translating for you. Get Google Translate (free), download the French set, and you don't even need to connect to a phone tower. You say English into the phone, and it talks out (and types out) in French.

Learn and understand the yellow diamond sign and especially the yellow diamond with a line through it. Priority to the right, need to know it well and when it doesn't apply; and when it does.

You will also require an IDP.

I agree with Nigel -- learn about priority to the right (priorité à droite) -- you can reduce your risk of collisions in rural areas and small towns substantially.

Here are a couple of resources:

https://www.france-pub.com/forum/2012/04/14/la-priorite-a-droite%E2%80%8E-priority-to-the-right/

https://www.drive-france.com/faqs/get-your-priorities-right/

The most useful thing I've found is don't stress about remembering which sign you last passed, but be careful when approaching an intersection in a rural/small town area, and look for the paint markings for the road you're crossing to the right. If there's a solid white line, the traffic on the other road is supposed to stop. If there's a dashed line, they're supposed to yield. If there's no line, they have the priority and you would need to yield to them.

Also, in small towns and rural areas, finding English speakers is not that common except for tourist-oriented places such as information offices, hotels, and some restaurants. If you're not near an area frequented by tourists, you may not find an English speaker readily.

Since you will be spending a month in France (how wonderful!) this summer, it's time NOW to do something about the "I speak basically no french". It's March -- you have at least 3 months to learn the french basics so you can get around and enjoy your trip that much more. Put in the effort and you will reap the rewards.

Look at online courses/study like Berlitz. Put the time into LEARNING the language basics. This will only make your trip that much BETTER. People you meet will be more willing to speak with you (maybe in the bits of English they know) if you MAKE THE TIME to start learning their language.

Be sure to have LOTS of change for the toll roads, but my husband found driving in France to be easy. Of course, we went there after Ireland!

If you rent a car, spend the extra money to ensure you have GPS and make sure the rental agency changes the language on the GPS to English BEFORE you leave the lot. Also, be aware that manual transmission cars are the norm and it can be difficult to get an automatic car, so if you don't drive a stick shift, you'd best practice before you go (maybe you can listen to language tapes in the car while you do!). I found a lot of helpful YouTube videos about driving in Germany, I'm sure there are similar offerings for France. Have a wonderful time!

I'll get grief for this but I will add a caveat. There are certain neighborhoods in European cities that have become largely Muslim populated. If I found myself in one of those areas, I might have some concern as a single woman, especially at night.

As far as speaking French is concerned, it's much more important to be polite than to speak French. Polite has a clear definition, start every conversation with a formal greeting, "Hello sir" or "Excuse me ma'am," before asking a question or making a statement. After your interaction, be sure to end with a thank you and good bye before walking away. French consider it the height of rudeness to walk up to a stranger and ask a question without greeting someone first or to walk away without saying goodbye. That's true of shopkeepers, cashiers, waiters, hostesses, hotel concierges, etc. Say hello first, interact, end with thank you and goodbye. With children you don't need to be as formal but follow the same pattern.

It doesn't take long to learn some basics in French: hello, goodbye, sir, ma'am, please, thank you, excuse me, do you speak English?. A relatively few words can go a long way.

Roads are good, not much different than driving here. I've found that my credit/debit cards are hit and miss at RER/Metro ticket machines and toll booths on highways. Often, if I try a second time, they work. I've only had to pay cash a few times at toll booths after trying every card I had twice. It pays to have some cash on hand when you're driving. Speed limits are enforced more closely and there are lots of speed traps. Stick very close to the posted speed limit and watch for limits dropping quickly as you enter town or near a pedestrian center.

I'll get grief for this but I will add a caveat. There are certain neighborhoods in European cities that have become largely Muslim populated. If I found myself in one of those areas, I might have some concern as a single woman, especially at night.

Okay, I'll give you some grief. In my opinion, and it's just my opinion, there are a couple of things wrong with a statement like this on a forum like this. 1. There is the possibility that some posters, and indeed even the OP, may be Muslim and therefore may be mightily insulted by your comment. 2. Indeed there may be some areas in many cities in Europe (or America, or any other country) that are not particularly safe for women alone, especially at night. There is no need to attribute this status only to largely ethnic/minority neighborhoods.

What Nancy said.

What Bob and Nancy said.

The small towns/villages in France I've been in are for the most part not tourist frequented places...Cambrai, Chateau-Thierry, Neuville St Vaast, Gravotte, Meaux, Douai, Albert, etc.

I'm mono lingo and I sympathize. The good news is that there will be as many English speakers in France as in Italy. And most Europeans are helpful even if they don't speak English.

Take the time to look up the obvious: hello, good by, sorry, please, exit, entrance, stop, yield, no entrance, no motor vehicles, no parking, toll, cash, credit, track, exit, entrance, tickets, days of the week, bathroom. Knowing the names for street, road, alley, square, park, garden, castle, mansion, palace, lane, church, tower, etc is helpful. It's not just telling them apart but telling the distinguishing name from the generic. Imagine a Frenchmen in the U. S. looking for Avenue, when he wants Maple Avenue. You are talking about renting a car, but on public transport knowing the name of the metro, bus or train company helps too.

A good guide book will tell you what eateries of various kinds, drugs stores, groceries, etc are called.

What Nancy said.. and Bob and Nigel agreed with .. honestly!

Most of us speak little to no french .. and we all get by.. you will be fine..

Watch your money. Thats basically it.. or yeah.. getting dead drunk and wandering down dark alleys likely not a good idea either.. here or abroad. I have been solo to Europe and in particular France.. never felt unsafe .

I personally would not rent a car.. trains are so easy cheap and convenient..

You're going to have a great time! France is completely safe--the violent crime level is vastly lower than in the US (I think we rank somewhere in the mid-teens and they are in the 70 or 80s on the list), though petty theft is higher, so do take normal precautions with your purse when you're out (i.e., use a cross-body, don't set it on a table). There's certainly nothing wrong with renting a car to get around, but if I were traveling solo, I'd probably just use public transportation instead. Unless you are trying to visit extremely remote areas, there's really no need to have a car, and since you're just one person, it'll be much cheaper to use trains or busses. Plus then you don't have the headache of trying to park during peak tourist season.

And since it was addressed earlier, yes, there may be largely Muslim or other immigrant neighborhoods where you may "feel" unsafe if it is not something you happen to be used to, but remember that that would only be your own projections in an unfamiliar setting. I'm a woman who has lived in and travelled around France quite a bit by myself and other than some unwanted advances (which happen everywhere), have had zero problems. As a matter of fact, I almost always rent my lodging in the immigrant areas because its so much cheaper.

You will need to have a "breathalyzer" in your car.
You will need to have a "neon bright" vest in your car.
You will need to have an International Drivers' Licence.
I would not bother with Google Translate.

You will probably find that the French talk fast - too fast. So if you bend your ear you might be OK.
Why don't you take the train to Belgium and the Netherlands? There is a new service by Eurostar.

You will need to have a "breathalyzer" in your car.
You will need to have a "neon bright" vest in your car.
You will need to have an International Drivers' Licence.

The breathalyzer and neon vest and I think warning triangles to place on the road if you have a breakdown should all be provided in a rental car - do a checklist before renting to make sure they are all there - it's required of the rental agencies.

The IDP is required and easily acquired at any AAA office and I think also by mail from them - costs about $20 and requires two passport type photos (also available at AAA). It must be carried in addition to your valid home driver's license.

Sounds like a big deal but it's not. It's very easy to rent a car and drive in France. Don't be scared off if that's what you want to do. I loved having the freedom of a car when I was touring around France.

Europe isn't one place, each country has its own regulations and laws. Cars will come with what the law requires in the country they are from but are unlikely to have what other countries require.

For example French cars will likely have a breathalyzer but in winter (I know not you) almost never have snow tyres.

German cars will come with snow tyres in winter but won't have a breathalyzer.

It is up to the renter to know what is required, what the different laws are, in all the countries they will (or may) drive in.

Thanks for all the advice! It is very helpful and encouraging!

I agree with Brad. Being aware of the neighborhood is important. And simply ignoring facts is not sensible. There are places I would not go as a man, and as a single woman, doubly so.

Driving in France: 1) There are speed zones, which are indicated by the "radar" sign on the high-speed roads
2) France has a lot of "rond-point" - roundabouts which are used in place of traffic signals. Small ones are easy. In big cities, with the 4 lane "rond-point", you have to learn the tricks of using them

Reading Brad's post made remember something. A few years ago, my husband, elderly mother, and I left Charles DeGaulle airport in a rental car in a torrential downpour. It was so bad that the periphery roads were flooded, cars stalled on the side of the road...so bad that I had friends text me the following day and want to know if I had been in the storm because they saw it on the news in the states!

We decided to get off the road and ended up who-knows-where, but it was definitely not a tourist area. We just chose not to worry about it, and drove to the first little restaurant we could find. The two men running the place were alone, and watched us come in looking like drowned rats and ask for a table. They had a kind of clothing on that indicated to me that they were not native French citizens, and they were super-welcoming, served us a wonderful meal, and let us wait out the storm. So, from my limited experience, I would say don't judge a book by its cover.

Like Wendy, I have a story about something like that. I went to school at U of IL in Champaign-Urbana. I did a lot of hitchhiking. I was hitching up to my house in the 'burbs near Ohare. My ride took me to the South Side of Chicago, and basically dropped me there. I was not aware of the racial mix - it was pretty much very very black. I went into a bar, to ask directions. They all said "Hey, fella, this is not a safe place for a white boy." and helped me to quickly find the 'el. Very kind, very helpful.

Hi Laura, I think Brad may have just been pointing out that one should be aware of where you are. There are many places, all over the world, where being a solo woman would not be a safe place. I've had that happen hear in the US while driving on the turnpike through Indiana with a sister. It was about 10 at night and we got off the turnpike wanting to find someplace to grab a bite to eat. The man at the toll booth told us that it wasn't safe for us and to get back on the turnpike and go back in the direction which we had just come in and go back to the last exit. He even took down some barriers for us so we could cross the lanes and get back going in the opposite directions. The point is, that for many different reasons, there ARE places to be aware of.
Regarding the car, manual or automatic. I have rented and driven both in Europe. While I love driving a manual car at home, I find it a bit annoying in Europe. Only because I don't know where I'm going and find it easier not to worry about the gear box while I'm turning around or backing up because of getting lost, overshooting a turnoff, etc. It's just one less thing to worry about when trying to navigate unfamiliar territory. If you contact the car rental agency early enough you should have no problem getting a automatic. I've never not been able to get one when booked in advance. Oh, and defiantle get one with a GPS and as someone suggested, make sure it's set to English before you leave the lot. You will probably have the choice of English with an American accent or a British one, we did!!

Hi Laura, I think Brad may have just been pointing out that one should be aware of where you are. There are many places, all over the world, where being a solo woman would not be a safe place. I've had that happen hear in the US while driving on the turnpike through Indiana with a sister. It was about 10 at night and we got off the turnpike wanting to find someplace to grab a bite to eat. The man at the toll booth told us that it wasn't safe for us and to get back on the turnpike and go back in the direction which we had just come in and go back to the last exit. He even took down some barriers for us so we could cross the lanes and get back going in the opposite directions. The point is, that for many different reasons, there ARE places to be aware of.
Regarding the car, manual or automatic. I have rented and driven both in Europe. While I love driving a manual car at home, I find it a bit annoying in Europe. Only because I don't know where I'm going and find it easier not to worry about the gear box while I'm turning around or backing up because of getting lost, overshooting a turnoff, etc. It's just one less thing to worry about when trying to navigate unfamiliar territory. If you contact the car rental agency early enough you should have no problem getting a automatic. I've never not been able to get one when booked in advance. Oh, and defiantle get one with a GPS and as someone suggested, make sure it's set to English before you leave the lot. You will probably have the choice of English with an American accent or a British one, we did!!

Hello,
If you have a iphone or smartphone, there are many Apps you can download- I use “Learn French” a easy to use mobile french phrase book. It has words, phrases that you would commonly need or use daily, and you can hear what they sound like in a regular tone or slow motion- ( press the snail icon). I think its a great free app!!

http://bit.ly/p7eZvy

Happy Travels✨💫