France has one of the finest road systems, which was built following international standards. The excellent quality road network of over one million kilometers makes driving in France a thrilling experience for many tourists. Though driving in France is a thrill, it costs more than just the price of gas, as the major roads in France have toll system, and vehicles must pay according to their size to access the roads. This toll supports the cost of roadway maintenance. In France, toll roads are identified by blue signs and toll free roads are marked with green signs.

Driving in France follows the opposite system as the United Kingdom: the French drive on the right side of the road and overtake from the left. Any person who drives a vehicle and is not a citizen of France needs to have a valid international driving license according to the law of the land. Foreigners also need to carry their passports, insurance certificates, and vehicle registration and ownership documents along with a valid driver’s license.
It is compulsory that the driver and the passengers wear seat belts both in the front and rear seats. All children below ten years must sit in the rear seats of the car.

Other rules that one needs to follow while driving in France include the speed limits on roads in normal and wet conditions. In normal conditions, the speed limit on major roads is 110 kilometers per hour (kph), on motorways the speed limit is 130 kilometers per hour (kph) and for the roads in town the speed limit is 50 kilometers per hour (kph). When the roads are wet, these limits are reduced to 90 kilometers per hour (kph) for the major roads and 110 kilometers per hour (kph) for the motorways. There is also a limitation for the consumption of alcohol by drivers while driving in France. According to the traffic regulations in France, if any individual consumes more than 50 mg of alcohol he or she is not allowed to drive.

Being one of the nations with the highest number of cars, France has strict regulations for parking on the streets which should be very well understood by enthusiasts interested in driving in France. The parking is generally free on public holidays, weekends and for the complete month of August, but there could be situations when the traffic authorities can charge for parking so as to avoid the possibility of overcrowding.