Driving abroad
Driving in France means driving on the right, with a drink drive limit of 0.05 percent, and 0.02 percent for drivers in their first three years and motorway speeds of 130 km/h, dropping to 110 in rain. Everything below is the practical version, the things that actually cost visitors money or time.
Radar detectors are illegal, including the alert function built into some phone apps. Switch camera warnings off before you cross the border.
Once the paperwork is sorted, this is what you came for. Col de la Bonette, Col du Galibier, Gorges du Verdon, Corniche Sublime are among the highest scoring roads we hold in France, and all of them are open to any road legal car.
Motorway limit
130 km/h, dropping to 110 in rain
Outside towns
80 km/h on most two way roads, 90 on some
Built up areas
50 km/h, often 30 in town centres
Drink drive limit
0.05 percent, and 0.02 percent for drivers in their first three years
Checked by the Drivers Atlas desk
Scored and written by the Drivers Atlas editorial desk, drawing on driven routes across the UK and Europe, mapping data and member road reports. A planning summary, not legal advice. Check the national road authority before you travel. How we score roads.
Last reviewed 30 March 2026
The detail
Most autoroutes are tolled and take contactless cards. A liber-t tag saves queuing at barriers on a long tour.
Winter tyres or chains are required in listed mountain communes from 1 November to 31 March.
Crit'Air stickers are needed for Paris, Lyon, Grenoble, Strasbourg and a growing list of towns. Order one before you travel because it arrives by post.
A UK or EU photocard licence is enough. No international permit is needed.
Reflective jacket inside the cabin, Warning triangle, Clean air Crit'Air sticker for many cities, Headlamp beam adjusters
112
Now the good part
Alpes-Maritimes, France
A looping summit road above 2800 metres that circles the peak itself for maximum theatre.
Savoie and Hautes-Alpes, France
The spine of the Route des Grandes Alpes, a relentless climb to one of driving's holiest summits.
Var, France
Cliff hugging ledge road staring straight down into Europe's grandest limestone canyon.
Savoie, France
The roof of the Route des Grandes Alpes, a stark granite amphitheatre above 2700 metres.
Corse-du-Sud, Corsica, France
Impossibly narrow ledge road through blood red granite pinnacles above the Gulf of Porto.
Hautes-Alpes, France
Hairpins through larch forest give way to the lunar Casse Deserte, a surreal high altitude finale.
Common questions
Motorways 130 km/h, dropping to 110 in rain, main roads outside towns 80 km/h on most two way roads, 90 on some, and built up areas 50 km/h, often 30 in town centres. Lower limits are posted and always take priority.
Most autoroutes are tolled and take contactless cards. A liber-t tag saves queuing at barriers on a long tour.
0.05 percent, and 0.02 percent for drivers in their first three years. Roadside testing is routine and the safest approach on a driving tour is nothing at all before you drive.
Winter tyres or chains are required in listed mountain communes from 1 November to 31 March.
Reflective jacket inside the cabin, Warning triangle, Clean air Crit'Air sticker for many cities, Headlamp beam adjusters. Emergency number is 112.
A UK or EU photocard licence is enough. No international permit is needed.