British holidaymakers who are planning on driving in France during their holiday should educate themselves on the French driving laws in order to prevent some hefty fines. Driving from the UK to France has long been a favourite for tourists looking to take in gorgeous countryside landscapes while looking to get away.
However, motorists can’t just stick their keys in the ignition and head down the road to France without sufficient preparation.
On top of all the correct travel paperwork and identification, such as a passport, if holidaymakers want to holiday in France by driving their UK car, they need to complete a comprehensive car checklist to make sure they don’t end up in trouble with the law.
With all but a few pandemic travel measures gone, millions of Brits are expected to head abroad in the coming months, hundreds of thousands of which to France.
Here is a list of things that British drivers need to look out for if they plan on taking their car across the Channel on the Eurotunnel or by ferry.
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To enter some major French cities, motorists will need to display a clean air sticker, called a Crit’Air vignette.
This identifies the vehicle with a certain emission level.
These can be purchased from the French Government but can take up to six weeks to arrive.
The cities include Paris, Lyon, Lille, Marseille, Toulouse, Chambery, and Grenoble.
Drivers will also need a ‘UK’ sticker displayed clearly on the rear of the car unless the number plate already has the UK identifier on the left-hand side.
Driving in France without these stickers may land drivers with a fine of over €140 (£117).
Child seats:
Unlike in Britain, French rules on child seats are determined by weight rather than height.
If a child is 10 years old or younger and weighs less 15kg, they require a child seat.
Motorists may face a fine of up to €135 (£112), reduced to €90 (£75) if paid within 15 days if someone is not properly secured.
Turning off speed camera alerts:
It is illegal to have speed camera alerts on a satellite navigation device in France, so drivers should switch them off to avoid issues with French traffic police.
Motorists could face a whopping €1,500 (£1,250) fine if caught with a device that tells them where speed cameras are.