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Navigate France with Confidence: Key Car Rental Information

This is an elegant state with a long history, with ups and downs, a unique and original cuisine, rich culture, beautiful nature, France is a country of contrasts. From bustling Paris to extreme sports in the Alps, from the frigid Atlantic Ocean to the paradise beaches of Corsica and Nice.

As in almost any city in Europe, France will suit any type of traveler. Here there are contrasts not only in geography, but also in the country itself. Lovers of gastro-tourism, history, culture and nature, football fans, lovers of shopping, fashion and ski resorts of the Alps will find a great pastime in the state.

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About renting a car in France.

It is best to rent a car in advance, as there are simply no free cars to be found during the high season. But rental companies are usually located in the city center, at railway stations and airports.

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Things to see.

France is full of places to visit. The country is rich and full of them. First of all, of course, the capital Paris. The city is one of the most popular in the world, a symbol of the 5th Republic. Well, how could it be without its main attractions: Eiffel Tower, Louvre Museum, historic city center, Disneyland , the Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Champs-Elysées and much more.

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Further there are two options: go west or east. In the east of France you will enjoy the unique nature, cities and, of course, the Alps. Don't overlook Lyon, Dijon, Grenoble .

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In the west of France, visit La Rochelle, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Arcachon. In Bordeaux be sure to check out Bourse Square, St. Andrew's Cathedral and the Tour Pey Berland Bell Tower. In Toulouse, don't miss the local town hall, Pont Neuf bridge and many ancient cathedrals. France 5

The south of France is fabulous and unique. These places include azure Nice, Marseille, Montpellier, Perpignan. France 6

Experience the Heart of France on These Unforgettable Road Trips

France, with its diverse landscapes, charming villages, and rich cultural heritage, is a perfect destination for road trip enthusiasts. Exploring the country by a rented car allows you to discover hidden gems and experience the authentic French way of life at your own pace. Here are some unforgettable road trips that will take you through the heart of France:

The Loire Valley Château Route

Embark on a journey through the picturesque Loire Valley, known for its stunning châteaux and vineyards. Start in Orléans and make your way through:

Chambord - home to the largest château in the Loire Valley
Blois - with its impressive royal château
Amboise - where Leonardo da Vinci spent his final years
Chenonceau - the iconic château spanning the Cher River

This route offers a perfect blend of history, architecture, and scenic beauty.

The Provence Lavender Trail

Experience the vibrant colors and fragrances of Provence in your rental car. Begin in Avignon and follow this route:

Gordes - a beautiful hilltop village
Sénanque Abbey - surrounded by lavender fields
Sault - the lavender capital of Provence
Valensole Plateau - for breathtaking lavender vistas

Best visited in June and July when the lavender is in full bloom.

The Alsace Wine Route

Discover the charm of Alsace, its picturesque villages, and world-renowned wines. Start in Strasbourg and drive through:

Obernai - a well-preserved medieval town
Ribeauvillé - known for its three castles
Riquewihr - often called the "gem of the Alsace vineyards"
Colmar - with its colorful half-timbered houses

Don't forget to stop at local wineries to taste the region's famous Rieslings and Gewürztraminers.

These road trips offer a unique way to experience the heart of France, allowing you to immerse yourself in its diverse culture, cuisine, and landscapes. Remember to book your car rental in advance with Bookingautos to ensure a smooth and enjoyable journey through this beautiful country.

French traffic rules.

When you travel to another country, you must take into account the traffic rules. You also need to pay attention to the character of local drivers. Naturally, there are toll roads in the country, the driver must be sober, with an international driver's license. France is a country with right-hand traffic. In general, the rules are similar to other European countries.

About the speed limit.

Take a close look at the speed limit in France. Its observance will save you from unnecessary expenses and nerves. The main points are presented below. Be aware that there are many control systems on the roads. Driving regulations:

speed on highways is 130 km/h;
on highways with a dividing strip - 110 km/h;
in cities and towns — 50 km/h;
outside built-up areas on other roads, the maximum speed is 80 km / h.

About the roads.

France has both toll roads and free roads. Their total length is about 29 thousand km. Let's talk about free roads first, and then about paid ones.

French free roads mainly pass through settlements, through fields and mountains, near beaches, restaurants and cafe. Experienced tourists advise driving along free roads, since all the beauty is concentrated to the left and right of them. the speed on them is 70-90 km/h, but you get unprecedented pleasure from a leisurely ride!
Toll roads in France are mostly motorways. Usually indicated by the letter “A” on a blue background. They are in excellent condition and good quality. Payment is made by credit card or cash. You have to pay at the entrance to the track. In front of him is a barrier and a cash register.

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In addition to toll motorways, there are also 4 tunnels, at the entrance of which you need to pay. These are: Mont Blanc Tunnel (11.6 km. Cost: 46.6 euros one way and 58.2 - in the other), Fréjus Road Tunnel (13 km. Cost: 46.6 euros one way and 58.2 - to another), Tunnel du Puymorens (cost - 7 euros) and Maurice-Lemaire-Tunnel (fare - 6.2 euros). All of them pass between the Alps, so at the entrance to them a wonderful and unique view opens up, the power of nature and indescribable beauty!

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French drivers.

Going to France, you need to know the mentality of the French, and especially local drivers. They are similar to the Spaniards or Italians: they are just as crazy, emotional, they often like to violate traffic rules, and especially to exceed the speed limit. Do not favor onlookers and those who linger. Get ready for it.

How to rent an electric car.

All over Europe is going to replace classic cars with electric cars. In addition to Elon Musk's Tesla, other cars appear. For example: Audi e-tron, Mercedes EQS and French electric cars Citroën Ami and Renault Zoe.

France is one of the leaders in this policy. Several electric car rental companies operate here. For example, "Taketesla". It operates in the following cities: Paris, Lyon, Marseille and Cannes. The main cars are, of course, “Tesla”: Tesla Model S, Tesla Model 3, Tesla Model X, Tesla Model Y. In Paris, the price of a Tesla Model 3 starts from 250 euros per day. The most expensive is the Tesla Model X. The price for it starts from 350 euros per day. Tesla Model S and Tesla Model 3 cost the same: 300 euros per rental day. But keep in mind that these cars are rented in different configurations and the price depends on them.

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About electric filling stations.

France has a relatively well-developed network of electric stations. There were approximately 25,000 of them across the country in 2019. This is facilitated by the state policy aimed at attracting investments in the environment and nature conservation. Two-thirds of the stations are three-phase with a current of 11-22 kW. In this country, the network of electric charging stations “Ionity” is well developed. In Paris, mostly stations from the "Paris Recharge Charging Station". Toulouse has a lot from "Charge And Drive Charging Station" and "Renault". And in Nantes, from “ChargePoint Charging Station”.

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Good to know

Monthly price chart. Approximate prices for 7 days rental

January

€193

February

€211

March

€237

April

€293

May

€289

June

€308

July

€289

August

€213

September

€156

October

€134

November

€105

December

€181

The most popular cars in France

Fiat 500

€17 / Day

Citroen C1

€18 / Day

Ford Fiesta

€23 / Day

Ford Focus

€30 / Day

Opel Astra Estate

€36 / Day

Audi A4

€42 / Day

BMW X1

€43 / Day

Ford Foxus Estate

€43 / Day

Mercedes C Class

€56 / Day

BMW 5 series

€59 / Day

Ford Tourneo

€72 / Day

BMW 4 Cabrio

€85 / Day

Audi A6

€91 / Day

Audi A5 Cabrio

€98 / Day

Mercedes Vito

€104 / Day

Popular car rental places in France

Brest airport

Grenoble airport

Lille airport

Montpellier airport

Mulhouse Airport (France)

Nantes Airport

Nimes Airport

Rennes airport

CDG Airport (Paris)

Bergerac airport

Cannes Airport (Mandelieu)

Perpignan airport

Limoges airport

Brive airport (Souillac)

Chambery Airport

Strasbourg

Rouen

Champs Elysees (Paris)

Lyon

Marseille

Montpellier

Mulhouse

Calvi

Beziers

Perpignan

Nimes

Lorient

Reims

Le Mans

Aix-en-Provence

Documents required for car rental

Driving license

Credit card

Voucher

Passport

A valid international driver's license is required!

TOP-10 car rental Tips:

Download desired area of Google maps for offline access

The presence of an offline navigator allows you to save on roaming. It is enough just to download the necessary maps from Google Maps and get directions even without a network connection. To do this, enter the phrase "OK MAPS" in the application, select the desired area and download offline maps to your smartphone.

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Book a car 6 weeks in advance

France is a popular tourist destination, so car rental is consistently in demand. The earlier you book a car, the more options there will be and the lower the prices will be. Choose transport online at least 6 weeks before your visit. Better yet, do it as soon as you start planning your vacation. If plans change, you can cancel your booking without penalty up to 48 hours before it starts.

Which car to choose for rent

Tourists who expect to drive only around the city and its immediate surroundings prefer to rent compact cars, Audi A1 or Ford Fiesta. For trips to the mountains, you need a car with increased power. You should go on such a trip with a full tank, as fuel consumption in the mountains increases one and a half to two times. An all-wheel drive crossover would be the ideal car for this. Renting BMW 5 Series Estate in France will cost €57 per day.

What you need to pay attention to when receiving a car

Before picking up, you are required to carefully inspect the car and point out to the rental company manager for scratches, damage and defects, such as dirty seat upholstery. You should check the ignition and the fuel level in the tank. You need to know the conditions for returning the car - where exactly, with what amount of fuel to return the car.

The rental agreement must include a telephone number to contact the rental company. It is designed so that customers can get help in emergency situations, such as when a car breaks down or in the event of an accident. A call to the rental company should be done first, even before the arrival of the police.

Insurance recommendations

Rental companies in France may offer different insurance options. They differ in price and set of options. Here are the basic types:

Third Party Liability (TPL)/Third Liability Protection (TLP). This is a third party liability protection. If you are the culprit of an accident, the insurance will compensate for the costs of the victims for you.
Collision Damage Waiver (CDW). This is to protect your vehicle from any damage. She works with a franchise. This is the amount that you will have to pay in case of damage in any case. The company will cover anything over the limit. The insurance does not cover theft.
Theft Insurance (TI)/Theft Protection (TP)/Theft Waiver (TW). This is car theft protection. Operates with a franchise.
Super Loss Damage Waiver (SLDW)/Theft Protection+Collision Damage Waiver (TP+CDW). Full protection against theft and damage, even if you are the culprit of the accident.
Personal Accident Insurance (PAI). This is medical insurance for the driver and passengers.

If you want to save money and choose the cheapest insurance, carefully inspect the car upon receipt. Make sure the machine is not damaged. France 12

Fuel prepayment terms

When renting a car, you should pay attention to the fuel policy of rental companies. Often, when renting, tourists have to pay the cost of a full tank of fuel. This option is suitable for long-term rentals and long trips. But if you're only renting France for a day or two, or if you're only planning short trips, such as to a small island, then you probably won't need a full tank. You can get acquainted with the fuel policy in the "Important information" section of the car you have chosen.

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Mileage without limits

The rental company may set a daily mileage limit. You will have to pay extra for exceeding the limit. Please check this condition before booking. It is possible that a more expensive rental option will turn out to be more profitable in the end: it will not require any additional expenses. To filter cars with unlimited mileage - use the "Mileage" filter in the search results.

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Compare prices and conditions from different car rental companies

When choosing a rental car in France, you should carefully read all the terms of the rental. This is due to the fact that different companies may differ not only in rental prices, but also in conditions for limiting mileage, the cost of additional services, and the amount of the deposit. To compare rental conditions, it is convenient to use the search and booking system on our website.

How to choose a rental company

It is recommended to rent a car in trusted companies, that is, in those whose services you have already used. You can also focus on the rating of our site, which is displayed next to the name of the company in the search results.

Ceteris paribus, preference should be given to larger companies that have a high level of service and a large selection of cars. The best rental companies in France are EUROPCAR with an average rating of 9.9 points and SIXT (rating - 9).

Car pick-up procedure

Before signing a car rental agreement, it should be carefully checked for damage and defects. Do not be shy to point out the identified problems and problems - then you will not have to answer for them. When returning, pay attention to the fuel in the tank. Its volume must correspond to that prescribed in the agreement.

Also, do not ignore the phone number provided by the technical support representative when concluding the contract. After all, even the most experienced driver is not insured against a breakdown, accident or other force majeure event. In such a case, contact a specialist before the arrival of the police.

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Based on 8255 reviews

Tony

4,8

Without a doubt, I will continue to use Bookingautos on a regular basis. Thank you very much for your assistance!

Michael

4,7

Excellent value for money. The pick-up process was a little confusing, but I would use it again!

Luna

4,5

The search was very simple to use, the price was really low, and there were no problems with the rental car company.

Jody

4,9

Everything proceeded as expected. The complete coverage compensation really worked.

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