High-vis vest per passenger
RequiredOne reflective jacket inside the cabin (not in the boot) for EVERY person in the car. Police will fine €135 on the spot if you can't produce them.
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Country driving guide · 2026
Driving in France
Everything UK and EU drivers need before crossing the border into France: 6 legal requirements + 5 other things worth knowing.
6
Required
0
Recommended
5
Good to know
Tick before you go
Pre-departure checklist for France
6 legal must-haves. Print it, tick them off, throw it in the glovebox.
High-vis vest per passenger
One reflective jacket inside the cabin (not in the boot) for EVERY person in the car. Police will fine €135 on the spot if you can't produce them.
Warning triangle
One triangle in the car at all times. A breakdown without a triangle is a €135 fine.
Headlight beam-benders
Right-hand-drive cars need beam-deflectors stuck on the headlights so dipped beams don't dazzle oncoming drivers. Halfords and Amazon sell £5 kits.
Crit'Air sticker for major cities
Paris, Lyon, Lille, Toulouse, Strasbourg, Marseille, Grenoble all have ZFE (low-emission zones). You MUST display a Crit'Air sticker: order online, €5, takes 4 weeks. Driving without one in a ZFE is a €68 fine.
Source: Order Crit'Air →Pet travel: Animal Health Certificate
GB pets need an AHC from a vet within 10 days of entry into France. Valid for 4 months of onward EU travel and re-entry to GB. Pre-Brexit pet passports issued in GB are no longer accepted.
Source: gov.uk: AHC for EU travel →Crit'Air fines + expanding ZFE zones
Driving in a ZFE without a Crit'Air sticker or with a non-eligible class is a €68 fine (up to €450 if unpaid). ZFE coverage now includes most cities over 150k people.
Source: Official ZFE map →
Required equipment
Warning triangle
RequiredOne triangle in the car at all times. A breakdown without a triangle is a €135 fine.
Headlight beam-benders
RequiredRight-hand-drive cars need beam-deflectors stuck on the headlights so dipped beams don't dazzle oncoming drivers. Halfords and Amazon sell £5 kits.
Breathalyzer (no longer required)
Good to knowCarrying an unused NF-approved breathalyzer was required until 2020: now optional. AA still recommends carrying one for self-testing the morning after.
Emissions / low-emission zones
Crit'Air sticker for major cities
RequiredParis, Lyon, Lille, Toulouse, Strasbourg, Marseille, Grenoble all have ZFE (low-emission zones). You MUST display a Crit'Air sticker: order online, €5, takes 4 weeks. Driving without one in a ZFE is a €68 fine.
Order Crit'AirCrit'Air fines + expanding ZFE zones
RequiredDriving in a ZFE without a Crit'Air sticker or with a non-eligible class is a €68 fine (up to €450 if unpaid). ZFE coverage now includes most cities over 150k people.
Official ZFE mapTolls
Autoroute tolls
Good to knowFrench autoroutes are tolled: pay by ticket (grab at entry, pay at exit) or by tag (Liber-T tag works across France, Spain, Portugal, Italy). Budget ~£0.08/km.
Driving rules
Right-side driving + priorité à droite
Good to knowDrive on the right. In rural areas, traffic from your right has priority unless signed otherwise, including at unmarked junctions. Watch for the yellow diamond sign which gives you priority.
Speed enforcement
Good to knowMobile and fixed cameras everywhere. Radar detectors are illegal: even apps that warn of specific camera locations (Waze gets around this with 'driver-reported' framing). Average-speed enforcement on autoroutes.
Money
Customs allowance back to the UK
Good to knowFrom France, per person: 18 L still wine + 4 L spirits + 200 cigarettes or 250g tobacco + £390 of other goods. Anything above must be declared at the UK border.
gov.uk: customs allowanceDocuments
Pet travel: Animal Health Certificate
RequiredGB pets need an AHC from a vet within 10 days of entry into France. Valid for 4 months of onward EU travel and re-entry to GB. Pre-Brexit pet passports issued in GB are no longer accepted.
gov.uk: AHC for EU travelPlan your France road trip
We'll build the itinerary, estimate fuel + tolls, and show EV chargers along the route, and this checklist appears automatically on every trip that crosses into France.
Start planning →Popular destinations in France
Places to add to your France road trip.
Indicative budget
Rough cost for 1,000 km in France
A back-of-the-envelope estimate for a typical petrol car at 40 UK mpg, with 800 km of motorway driving. Real fuel prices move monthly: treat this as a ballpark.
Fuel
€131
~70.6 L · 1,000 km @ 40 mpg
Tolls
€80
800 km of motorways
Vignette
—
Not required
Total estimate
€211
1,000 km road trip
Don't get caught out
Watch out for these
Crit'Air sticker for major cities
RequiredParis, Lyon, Lille, Toulouse, Strasbourg, Marseille, Grenoble all have ZFE (low-emission zones). You MUST display a Crit'Air sticker: order online, €5, takes 4 weeks. Driving without one in a ZFE is a €68 fine.
Order Crit'Air →Crit'Air fines + expanding ZFE zones
RequiredDriving in a ZFE without a Crit'Air sticker or with a non-eligible class is a €68 fine (up to €450 if unpaid). ZFE coverage now includes most cities over 150k people.
Official ZFE map →On the way home
Returning to the UK
Customs allowance back to the UK
From France, per person: 18 L still wine + 4 L spirits + 200 cigarettes or 250g tobacco + £390 of other goods. Anything above must be declared at the UK border.
gov.uk: customs allowance →