Simple rules of the road

• Before you head across to France make sure you know exactly what cover you have from your current insurance company.
• If you are a member of a breakdown scheme see if it can be extended to cover you whilst away, it could prove invaluable.
• If you are driving a right hand drive car in France make sure you have converted the headlights with the stick-on filters you can buy from any good car spares shop.
• Make sure you do this before driving in France either on the ferry or train for example and make sure you take them off when you are immediately back in the UK.
• The minimum driving age is 18, driver and all passengers must wear seat belts and children under 10 must ride in the back seat.
• Use full or dipped headlights, as in the UK, in poor visibility and at night but your sidelights only when the car is stationary.
• It is also a good idea to have a complete spare bulb kit, a red warning triangle in case you have to stop and a fire extinguisher.
• There are many roundabouts close to towns and you must slow down and give way to the vehicles already on the roundabout.
• Despite the French love for fine wine the drink drive regulations are stricter than the UK with the limit set at 50mg per 100ml of blood.
• When you buy fuel look for petrol stations at supermarkets, as they are much cheaper than regular ones.
• Speed limits are clearly signposted at the roadside and they are:

Built-up areas 50kph (31mph)
Ordinary roads 90kph (56mph)
Toll-free autoroutes and dual carriageways 110kph (68mph)
Toll autoroutes 130kph (81mph) in dry weather or 110kph in the wet

Useful information

To call France from the UK dial 0033 (international code plus France country code) then area code (eg for Paris = 1) and an eight-figure number.

Post offices are marked with a yellow or brown sign saying 'La Poste' or 'Les PTT' and open from 8am or 8.30am to 5pm or 6pm in the cities on weekdays, and Saturdays from 8am until noon. In provincial areas opening hours are often later, around 9am, with a two-hour break for lunch and closing times of around 4.30pm. The normal opening hours for shops are Tuesday to Saturday from 9am (or 10am) to 7pm.

Midday closing is traditionally a two-hour break for lunch, taken sometime between noon and 3pm, although many shops and supermarkets in larger towns and cities now open continuously. Sunday opening is uncommon in France.

Banks generally open from 8am or 9am, close between 11.30 and 1, and open again until around 5pm, Monday to Friday, or Tuesday to Saturday, but opening times may vary.