Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
day periods and over long weekends, roads throughout France also get backed up
with traffic jams
(bouchons)
.
There are four types of intercity roads:
Autoroutes
(highway names beginning with A) Multilane divided highways, usually
(except near Calais and Lille) with tolls
(péages)
. Generously outfitted with rest
stops.
Routes Nationales
(N, RN) National highways. Some sections have divider strips.
Routes Départementales
(D) Local highways and roads.
Routes Communales
(C, V) Minor rural roads.
Information on autoroute tolls, rest areas, traffic and weather is available from
www.autoroutes.fr
.
The websites
www.viamichelin.com
and
www.mappy.fr
(in
French) plot itineraries between your departure and arrival points.
Note that theft from cars is a major problem in France, especially in the south -
CAR HIRE
To hire a car in France, you'll generally need to be over 21 years old, have had a
driving licence for at least a year, and have an international credit card. Drivers un-
der 25 usually have to pay a surcharge
(frais jeune conducteur)
of €25 to €35 per
day.
Car-hire companies provide mandatory third-party liability insurance but things
such as collision-damage waivers (CDW, or
assurance tous risques
) vary greatly
from company to company. When comparing rates and conditions (ie the fine print),
the most important thing to check is the
franchise
(deductible/excess), which for a
small car is usually around €600 for damage and €800 for theft. With many com-
panies, you can reduce the excess by half, and perhaps to zero, by paying a daily
insurance supplement of €10 to €16. Your credit card may cover CDW if you use it
to pay for the rental but the car-hire company won't know anything about this - veri-
fy conditions and details with your credit-card issuer to be sure.
Arranging your car hire or fly/drive package before you leave home is usually
considerably cheaper than a walk-in rental, but beware of website offers that don't
include a CDW or you may be liable for up to 100% of the car's value.
International car-hire companies:
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