Travel information

For non EEC members you'll need a visa, available from the French Embassy in your country, other wise for EEC members, you must have an identity card with photograph.

Autoroutes and roads

Autoroutes are the same as a freeway or motorway. In France, many of the main Autoroutes have a toll to pay ("Péage"). The price depends on the type of vehicle and kilometers. The autoroutes use a numbering system with the letter a at the beginning such as the famous A6 ("l'autoroute du soleil"). Traffic information and prices for the Autoroutes

Speed limits on the roads

In urban areas it is 50km, on other roads 90km, on autoroutes 130km. In the recent years there has been a large increase in the nmbers of fixed automatic and mobile radars. On the spot fines and even impounding of the car can be used against people for speeding.

Priority to the right

This strange rule of the French highway code still exisits, in both towns and on the countryside. So beware and be preapred to give way to traffic coming from the right.

Useful French phrases about roads and traffic.

Airline companies

Air France Flight information, flight arrival times

Trains

France has an excellent train system, it is run by the SNCF, there is a complet on ligne reservation system, so you can reserve and pay for your tickets now. The trains is basically split into four distinct areas:

  • T.G.V, Train grandes vitesse, high speed trains, this is an inter-city service, such as Paris to Bordeaux, Paris to Nice
  • TER, regional trains, between towns and villages to get across France.
  • RER, Transilien, the train system around Paris
  • Freight service, for transporting all across France, with trans-european connections

There is also the Eurostar trains, offering travel between France and the UK, via the famous Euro Tunnel.

Ferry companies to and from France

Brittany Ferries

Hoverspeed Fast Ferries

P&O European Ferries

SeaFrance Ferries

SNCM, ferries from France to Corsica, via Toulon and Marseille to Bastia or Ajaccio