Motorhoming in France

Regulations

You will need a "UK" sticker for the rear of your motorhome; regardless of what size your vehicle is.

All vehicles and trailers weighing at least 3.5 tons must have Angles Morts stickers. The placement requirements for the Angles Morts stickers are as follows...

• The Angles Morts stickers must be visible on both sides and on the rear of the vehicle.
• They must be affixed in 3 places:
• At the front right less than 1m from the front of the vehicle at a height between 0.90m and 1.50m.
• At the front left, less than 1 m from the front of the vehicle, at a height of between 0.90m and 1.50m.
• Rear right at a height between 0.90m and 1.50m.

Mandatory items include...

• Reflective Jackets.
• Warning Triangle.
• Snow Chains or Snow Tyres when driving between 1st November to 31st March in mountainous 'snow zones'.
• The ability to lower your headlights' beam so as not to dazzle oncoming traffic (your vehicle may be equipped to do this without adjustment or headlamp deflectors).
• Full, valid UK driving licence.
• Proof of ID (passport).
• Motor insurance certificate.
• V5 registration document.

Low Emission Zones

France have a Low Emission Zone system which requires all vehicles, motorhomes, cars, motorbikes plus commercial vehicles, travelling in the zones to display a Crit'Air windscreen sticker. The zones are in a number of French Cities and Departments.

We recommend that you purchase your Crit'Air sticker from the official website as it costs very little and other unofficial sites will charge you much more and you may not even receive it... Official Website →

Speed Limits

The speed limits in France vary according to the total weight of your vehicle.

Under 3.5t

• Motorways = 130 km/h
• Dual carriageways and priority roads = 110 km/h
• Other roads = 80 km/h
• Built up areas = 50 km/h

3.5t to 12t

• Motorways = 110 km/h
• Dual carriageways and priority roads = 100 km/h
• Other roads = 80 km/h
• Built up areas = 50 km/h

Options for getting to France.

There are many ferry options to get you across to France and of course there is Eurotunnel. We have used Eurotunnel on many occasions and have found it to be a smooth process.

However, we discovered that a cheaper option was the Newhaven to Dieppe Ferry, which has a further discounted rate for the over 60s. In order to get this discount you will need to contact them by phone. The process of getting on and off this ferry was quick and easy.

Toll and Non-Toll Roads in France

There are 4 types of roads in France, they include...

Autoroute

These are toll roads and the signs will read Péage to indicate that you need to pay. You can use credit cards or cash to pay at the toll booths. France have recently introduced new Pay Online schemes for some Autoroutes so be aware of that and be prepared to pay online after your journey and within a specified timeframe.

National Roads

Labelled beginning with the letter N, these roads are free to drive on and are usually very good roads. When we are not in a hurry but still want to make good time we find that these roads are the best.

Departmental Roads

Labelled beginning with the letter D, often offering a more scenic route, but can lead you through small villages and towns with differing height and weight restrictions (as can all roads, but these roads in particular may have more of these restrictions).

E Roads

These roads form part of a network of roads which run throughout Europe.

Height and Weight Restrictions

Know your motorhome's length, width, and height and take into account any equipment protruding from the roof. You will need to know this for any height and weight restrictions on roads and for some campsites who require your dimensions. We carry a card in our motorhome with the dimensions of our vehicle for quick reference on the road.

Speed Camera Detection

It is illegal in France to have devices that are capable of detecting and providing speed camera warnings.

Best French Campsites

Take a look at our review of the best Motorhome Apps, many of which cover France and outline both free and paid stopovers, aires and campsites... See Apps →

You might like in particular the following Apps.

French Passion

With France Passion you can stay on land owned or managed by farmers, breeders and winegrowers, who invite you to park for free on their properties for 24 hours. You may get the opportunity to taste cheeses, wines from all vineyards, organic fruits and vegetables, olive oil, cold meats, honey and foie gras. You pay a fee for the book that entitles you to access these sites. See App →

Park4Night

Park4Night lists parking areas where you can park for the night, often for free. The places include pubs, aires, lay-bys and fields. This App covers the UK and many European Countries, including France. See App →

What Food Can I Take To France In My Motorhome?

According to the official website of the French administration the following food items are prohibited. See Website →

Meat, meat products, dairy products, fruit and vegetables without a phytosanitary certificate.

We took a load of non-perishables with us, like rice, pasta, cereals and biscuits.

Certain exceptions apply as fishery products, honey, snails, powdered milk for infants and pet food are allowed in certain quantities.

Only bananas, coconuts, durian, dates and pineapples are authorised to enter France without quantity limits and without phytosanitary certificates.

We stock up on non-perishables and at the earliest opportunity do a large food shop at a French supermarket.