Whilst flying and taking the train are great options for getting where you need to go quickly, driving can give you the freedom to go where you want and at your own preferred pace. We’ve put together everything you need to know to help plan your drive to France.
(This guide is based on petrol/diesel cars. We will be posting a guide for electric vehicles soon. If you are planning to rent a car in the UK and take it to France, check out our other guide).
Don’t miss our other helpful guides for France:
Please note that some links on this page are affiliate links. If you choose to purchase through these links, we may receive a small commission at no cost to you. This helps us to keep the site running. Thanks!
Documents you will need
- Driving licence: A must have wherever and whenever you are driving.
- Proof of ID such as passport.
- Motor insurance certificate.
- V5C or vehicle registration document: If yours has been lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed you can get a new duplicate on the UK Government website.
- Car insurance: You should make sure that your car insurance covers driving in France, including European Breakdown Cover.
- Travel insurance: Ensure that you have the correct travel insurance which includes traveling and driving in France.
- Clean air stickers (Crit’Air vignettes): You will only need a Crit’Air sticker displayed on your car when driving in certain cities when there is a risk of dangerously high air pollution. Cities include Paris, Annecy, Grenoble, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Strasbourg, Toulouse, and others. It is not expensive, but drivers will face a large fine if they don’t have one. To find out more visit the French Government website.
Equipment you will need
- Headlamp beam deflectors: Depending on your car you will either need deflector stickers or have to adjust the beam manually.
- UK sticker: All vehicles registered in the UK must display the letters ‘UK’ when driven in France. Some cars may already have this for example in their registration number plate, if not you will need to purchase one. (Vehicles displaying the letters GB are no longer valid).
- A warning triangle: Compulsory in every vehicle.
- Reflective jackets: Each person travelling within your car will need a reflective jacket in the event of a breakdown or emergency.
- Breathalyser.
You can purchase all of this equipment in one kit. Here are the best options:
- AA Euro Travel Kit – The Automobile Association (AA) is the UK’s leading provider of roadside assistance and their all-in-one kit provides everything you will legally need to drive in Europe and includes handy extras such as a European Driver’s Handbook and a map of the UK roads.
- Family Motoring and Leisure European Travel Kit – a slightly cheaper kit which provides all of the essentials.
How to take your car to France
Train
- Folkstone to Calais via the Euro Tunnel (just 35 minutes).
- Prices vary starting from £77 for one way. Taking the Euro Tunnel is our preferred method as it is quick and convenient.
Ferry
- Dover to Calais (approx. 1h 30m).
- P&O Ferries have up to 15 sailings a day. Prices vary starting from £39.50 for one way.
- Portsmouth, Plymouth or Pool to Cherbourg, St Malo, Caen, Le Havre or Roscoff (shortest crossing approx. 4h 30m).
- Brittany Ferries offer crossings to a choice of destinations the shortest of which is Pool to Cherbourg . Prices vary starting from £89.00 for one way.
Cost
Taking the toll roads in France is probably your best option if you are travelling long distance as they can cut down the amount of time you spend driving considerably. They are also very quiet with hardly any traffic which makes for a nice driving experience. However, the toll roads can be expensive, particularly if you are using one after another.
- For example, driving to Annecy from Calais cost approximately £50 in tolls.
Of course, if there are a few of you in one car you may be able to split that cost between yourselves making it great value for money. You also do not need to take the toll roads and can choose to take other roads. This will certainly be the better option if you have plenty of time, plan on making lots of stops rather than one long distance drive, and want to see the scenery (not great from the toll roads).
Time
France is a huge country and if you’re used to driving in the UK, then the distance it takes to get from one place to another in France may shock you.
- For example, diving from Annecy to Calais using the toll roads and taking a few quick stops along the way took about 9 hours. We would certainly recommend you break up this journey with an overnight stop somewhere (we found Troyes to be a lovely town).
French road regulations
- Alcohol limit: For drivers that have less than three years of experience, the alcohol limit is 0.2 grams per litre. If you have more than three years’ experience the limit is 0.5 grams per litre. Both are lower than the English, Welsh and Northern Irish limit of 0.8 grams per litre (the Scottish limit is 0.5).
- Headphones: All drivers and riders are prohibited from wearing headsets and headphones whilst driving, be it for music purposes or for phone calls. However, this does exclude motorcycle helmets that have integrated systems.
- Low emission zones: Paris has a Low Emission Zone which means that petrol and diesel cars registered before 1997 are banned from 8am to 8pm on weekdays. As of 2020, only vehicles made in or after 2011 are allowed. Diesel and petrol lorries and buses made before 1997 are banned in Paris as well.
What not to take in your car to France
- Meat or products containing meat.
- Milk or dairy products.
- Fresh fruit apart from bananas, coconuts, dates, pineapples and durians.
- Vegetables.
- Plants.
- Plant products.
Pros and cons of driving to France
Pros
- Freedom to go where you want, stop where you want, and see more.
- Travel at your own leisure.
- If there are lots of you in one car, it may be cheaper than each getting plane/train tickets, plus renting a car once at your destination (if needed).
- Comfort of your own car rather than a rented car.
- You can probably fit more bags and equipment in your car than you would be able to take on a plane or train. Particularly useful if you plan on skiing or camping.
- Depending on your car type and if you get the Euro Tunnel it may be much more environmentally friendly to drive rather than take a plane.
Cons
- It may take more time to reach your destination than if you flew or took a train.
- It can be expensive if you take the toll roads.
- It can get tiring particularly if one person drives the whole time.
