Normandy, Brittany & the Best of the North_ With Paris (Fodor's) - Fodor's [180]
Roadside Emergencies
If you have car trouble on an expressway, go to a roadside emergency telephone. If you have a breakdown anywhere else, find the nearest garage or contact the police. There are also 24-hour assistance hotlines valid throughout France (available through rental agencies and supplied to you when you rent the car), but don’t hesitate to call the police in case of any roadside emergency; they’re quick and reliable, and the phone call is free. There are special phones just for this purpose on all highways; you can see them every few kilometers—just pick up the bright orange phone and dial 17. The French equivalent of the AAA is the Club Automobile de l’Ile de France, but it only takes care of its members and is of little use to international travelers.
Emergency Services: Police (17).
Rules of the Road
Drive on the right and yield to drivers coming from streets to the right. However, this rule does not necessarily apply at traffic circles, where you should watch out for just about everyone. You must wear a seat belt, and children under 12 may not travel in the front seat. Speed limits are 130 kph (80 mph) on expressways (autoroutes), 110 kph (70 mph) on divided highways (routes nationales), 90 kph (55 mph) on other roads (routes), 50 kph (30 mph) in cities and towns (villes and villages). French drivers break these limits all the time, and police dish out hefty on-the-spot fines with equal abandon. Do not expect to find traffic lights in the center of the road, as French lights are usually on the right- and left-hand sides.
You might be asked by the Police National to pull over at busy intersections. You will have to show your papers (papiers)—including car insurance—and may be submitted to an alcotest (you guessed it, a Breathalyzer test). The rules in France have become stringent because of the high incidence of accidents on the roads; anything above 0.5 grams of alcohol in the blood—which, according to your size, could simply mean two to three glasses of wine—and you are over the limit. This does not necessarily mean a night in the clinker, but your driving privileges in France will be revoked on the spot and you will pay a hefty fine. Don’t drink and drive, even if you’re just crossing town to the sleepy little inn on the river. Local police are notorious for their vigilance.
Some important traffic terms and signs to note: SORTIE (exit); SENS UNIQUE (one-way); STATIONNEMENT INTERDITE (no parking); and IMPASSE (dead end). Blue rectangular signs indicate a highway; green rectangular signs indicate a major direction; triangles carry illustrations of a particular traffic hazard; speed limits are indicated in a circle with the maximum limit circled in red.
TRAIN TRAVEL
The French national train agency, the Sociète Nationale de Chemins de Fer, or SNCF, is fast, punctual, comfortable, and comprehensive. Traveling across France, you have various options: local trains, overnight trains with sleeping accommodations, and the high-speed Trains à Grande Vitesse, known as the TGV.
TGVs average 255 kph (160 mph) on the Lyon–southeast line and 300 kph (190 mph) on the Lille and Bordeaux–southwest lines and are the best and the fastest domestic trains. They operate between Paris and Lille/Calais, Paris and Brussels, Paris and Amsterdam, Paris and Lyon–Switzerland–Provence, Paris and Angers–Nantes, and Paris and Tours–Poitiers–Bordeaux. As with other main-line trains, a small supplement may be assessed at peak hours.
It’s usually fast and easy to cross France without traveling overnight, especially on TGVs, which are generally affordable and efficient. Be aware that trains fill fast on weekends and holidays, so purchase tickets well in advance at these times. Otherwise, you can take a slow overnight train, which often costs more than a