Sud de France 3.6: Tips for the Foreign Driver in France

Even a sedate farmer will speed up going home at the end of a day

Since I hope that some of my readers might want to visit or live in France one day  I’d like to offer these tips to make your driving--and parking--experiences more pleasant and less life threatening. Take these tips to heart and perhaps they will help you keep that heart in one piece. 

Sang Froid: Driving in France requires Sang Froid or cold blooded-ness. You cannot let anything that happens on the road shake your cool. For example, the other day I was behind  a car turning left. I slowed down and after he turned drove on. But, aha, the guy behind me had driven up on the sidewalk on my right to pass me. Did I blink at the sight of him suddenly there on my right? Zuts alor never! My sang froid held.

Small cars and Manual Transmissions: Cars in France are mostly small and have manual transmissions for good reason. They are small to fit the limited parking spaces and have manual transmissions to help you keep your mind on your driving. Never rent a big car with an auto transmission. You might be lucky enough live to regret it and then again you might not. 

Speed Limits: Speed limit signs say “Rappel” or “reminder the speed here is.” Most drivers are happy to be reminded of the speed limit just before they drive off as fast as possible.

On Passing: Everyone in France passes and often it's just for the hell of it. It is a communal pastime. German cars, like the Mercedes, Audi and BMW are required to pass all other cars at all times. 
You may be doing 150 kph (90mph) on a road marked 70 (42mph) only to look in your rear view mirror and see a Mercedes crawling up your tailpipe, flashing its lights and proceeding to pass you at over 200 (120mph). 
Don’t get angry, it doesn't pay, just get out of the way.

Freestyle parking: Parallel parking and angle parking are all options of choice on a French street. Park on either side pointed in any direction you want. Also freely mix angle parking with parallel parking as needed.

Parking lots: There are lots of lots and you’d think that it would make parking your car a breeze. Well yeah if you have a Mini Cooper, Smart Car or Fiat Uno. Built well over thirty years ago most lots have spaces sized for the tiny Citroen Deux Chevaux. Even an American compact like a Honda Civic would be too big for a typical French parking space. But at least let me offer this trick to help in a parking in a lot. Look for end spaces near side walls. Then park as far from the wall as you can. This assures you can get back in the car to leave. Parking in the middle of a row you will always be parked in on both sides and be unable to get into your vehicle  for days.

Boulangerie Parking: In front of any Boulangerie it is totally legal to double park or triple park or to simply stop your car in the street and run in to get you baguettes. No one honks or gets angry. Since the Revolution, the French have had the right to stop anywhere, at any time to get their pastries. 

The driver of this van parked as close as possible to his favorite boulangerie.

Speed Bumps: French mayors like to plant speed bumps the way vineyrons farmers like to plant grapes, as often and as much as they can. Often the speed bumps go unmarked and it can make for a bone jarring driving moment right in front of City Hall. Speed bumps are the fastest growing traffic control in France. What fun!

Roundabouts: The French love roundabouts. They are cheap and take up little land so they are all over the place. A friend of mine believes that there is a top secret factory in Lyon that stamps out roundabouts for shipment around the country. Since they are so prevalent you might consider practice driving in your a roundabouts before coming to France.

Narrow Streets: The Belle Époque construction boom was well over when the automobile arrived. Consequently many city and town streets are seriously narrow--think goat cart wide or horse and rider wide. Putting a big car like an Escalade on a village street reminds me of feeding a fly to a Venus Fly trap. After a few happy seconds of eating Fly Trap nectar--Squash!

This is a wide street in France

Never Drive In Paris: Finally the most important tip of all. Paris is the worst city on the planet to drive in. I have been with grizzled old Paris cabbies who now resort to GPS and onboard computers to help them figure out how to get around. And until you have been surrounded by two dozen cars in total gridlock haven’t really experienced driving.

None of these tips should discourage the brave from visiting France. It is a beautiful country and it is really worthwhile to have a car to travel through its lovely villages and countryside. Just be ready for some strange and unexpected driving experiences.

Photos and text ©2010 Steve Meltzer