French Drivers
French drivers are generally less agressive than drivers in Italy, but more agressive than drivers in Belgium.
On the fast Autoroutes, you are expected to drive on the right and pass on the left. If you are in the left lane, cars will approach within a couple of car lengths. There is nothing you can do about this, so try to avoid getting fixated on your rear view mirror and move to the right as quickly as you can.
Fueling up - the Essence of Driving in France Where is gasoline cheaper?
Hypermarkets, those huge markets on the outskirts of large cities and towns. You can expect at least a 5% savings.
Signage
Green direction signs point to "free roads," as opposed to the blue signs that say "peage" which amounts to "pay up for the toll roads."
A sign on the right pointing left generally means that you go straight ahead. The same sign on the right pointing right means "turn right" at the first opportunity. Think about this for a minute. It requires a different mindset to understand.
Traffic Circles
A thousand times more efficient than stop signs, the traffic circle is easy to navigate and gives you a second chance to read the signs. You can go around as many times as it takes, as long as you do so on the inner lane. Upon entering the circle, check for traffic from the left, enter the circle and go toward the center until it's time to exit, then signal, check the inner lane for traffic, and make your turn.
Speed Limits
Generally, speed limits are around 90-110 on the red roads on your map (the free roads between major cities) and 130 on the good parts of the toll roads. Town limits very between 30 and 50, but are never higher than 50 kilometers per hour.
Parking
Much of the parking in larger cities is parking you have to pay for. Look for machines in the middle of parking lots. They are quite sophisticated, often taking coins, bills, and sometimes credit cards. Parking is generally free during lunch--from 12-2 m. Otherwise, you will often need to pay in a pay lot from 9-12 and 2-7 in the evening. Check the signs.
