On our recent trip to France we rented a car. This was my first driving experience in Europe. I will make some suggestions for those of you who have not driven in France. First study the traffic signs before you go. I did this and it helped. The cars and the roads are small so be prepared to encounter some close driving. There are strict speed limit laws but it seems that it only applies to visitors because they drive very fast, will tailgate you and get very upset if you slow them down. My rearview mirror was full of gestures I was not familiar with and one I was very familiar with. Get a good map and have access to GPS if you can, these will help but you still will get lost. Be prepared to park in odd places like sidewalks and watch out for darting cars pedestrians and bicycles they appear out of nowhere at anytime. My wife was an excellent navigator however I was glad that we have been married as long as we have or our marriage may not have survived the driving experience. there are roundabouts everywhere and these can be a good thing or bad if you make a wrong turn, learn how to navigate them some have stop lights in the middle. Renting a car is a good choice if you want the freedom to explore which we love to do but it is not for the faint of heart. My wife may disagree but I consider myself a good driver, however my defensive driving skills were put to the test. If you do not want to drive you can take trains and there are many tours available for day trips. It all comes down to choice. If you choose to drive be prepared for some challenges but also you will see some beautiful country side and many little small villages you would not be able to see otherwise. (See our trip report in another thread)
Bon Voyage!
Posted by
Somerville, MA
653 posts
Thanks for this. Could you note the places in France where you drove?
-Matt
Posted by
OP
13 posts
We first rented a Fiat 500 in Caen where we met a huge storm on the way to Mont St. Michel this is in the Normandy region of France. The driving was mostly on the freeway with the exemption of Bayeux and Caen. The driving wasn't too bad there although the streets were narrow in the towns. We then took a train to Arles in the Provence region and rented a car there. This is where the fun began, Arles is very challenging to drive in and hard to find parking. The car we drove in Provence was a VW Polo, which turned out to be a better car. We drove all through the hill country, the Cote De Rhone wine road, Aix en Provence, Avignon, Nice and Monaco. We had a mixture of freeway and back roads. The roads in France are well maintained. Also I had not driven a stick shift car in awhile but it all came back pretty fast. You will encounter some hill driving and some heavy traffic at times in the Provence region so a lot of shifting and clutch work is required.