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French autoroutes are motorways, numbered with an A and signed in blue. There are 11,752 km of them, and most charge tolls. The limit is 130 km/h (81 mph) in dry weather and 110 km/h (68 mph) in rain, and they’re the quickest way to cover long distances in France, with service areas for fuel, food and rest. This guide covers driving on them as a British driver: joining, lanes and limits, breaks, traffic, and what to do if you break down.
Joining and driving on an autoroute
Autoroutes work much like British motorways, but on the right. You join from a slip road on the right, build up speed, and merge into the right-hand lane. Traffic already on the autoroute doesn’t have to make way for you, so look over your left shoulder, use your mirrors and wait for a gap.
When driving on dual carriageways and autoroutes, leave enough space so that anyone coming on from a slip road can do so without you getting flustered.
- Keep right. Drive in the right-hand lane unless you’re overtaking, and overtake on the left.
- Minimum speed in the outside lane: at least 80 km/h when traffic is flowing and conditions are good. Driving slower in that lane is a €35 fine.
- Keep your distance: French law requires a gap of at least two seconds to the vehicle in front. Count two seconds after it passes a fixed point. Following too closely is a class 4 fine and 3 points on a French licence.
- Missed your exit? Carry on to the next one. Never stop, reverse or turn round on an autoroute.
- The hard shoulder (bande d’arrêt d’urgence) is for emergencies only.
In a right-hand-drive car you sit on the wrong side to see past lorries, so hang back before overtaking, and let your passenger tell you when the road ahead is clear.
Speed limits on autoroutes
| Conditions | Limit |
|---|---|
| Dry | 130 km/h (81 mph) |
| Rain | 110 km/h (68 mph) |
| Visibility under 50 metres | 50 km/h (31 mph) |
| Driver on a French probationary licence | 110 km/h (68 mph) |
| Car and trailer or caravan over 3.5 tonnes in total | 90 km/h (56 mph) |
Signs often set lower limits near cities, at junctions and at roadworks, and fixed, average-speed and mobile cameras are common. More in French speed limits and speed cameras and fines.
Service areas and rest areas
There are two kinds of stop:
- Aire de repos (rest area): parking, toilets and usually picnic tables. Good for a short break.
- Aire de services (service area): fuel, a shop and usually somewhere to eat, as well as parking and toilets.
Signs before each area show what it has. The French government’s road safety advice is to stop for at least 15 minutes every two hours, even if you feel fine. Fuel prices vary between filling stations, so you may want to check them on the government’s prix-carburants.gouv.fr site before you fill up.
Fuel is much cheaper at supermarkets than on the autoroute services.
Traffic radio: 107.7 FM
Every French motorway radio station broadcasts on 107.7 FM. Each motorway company runs its own station for its own roads, so as you drive the station changes with the section you’re on. They give news of accidents, roadworks, queues and weather, in French. Set your radio to 107.7 before you leave the port.
Traffic and the busiest days
French autoroutes are at their busiest on summer Saturdays, especially in July and August when families head south, and at the start and end of French public holidays and school holidays. The government’s traffic service, Bison Futé, publishes a forecast for each day, rated green, orange, red or black, with black the worst. A day rated green nationally can still have local queues.
If you can, avoid driving south on a red or black Saturday, or set off very early. Our France route planner shows how long your drive is without traffic, so you can plan breaks and an overnight stop.
If you break down on an autoroute
Breakdowns on autoroutes work differently from the UK. According to the French consumer protection authority (DGCCRF), only approved breakdown firms may work on autoroutes and express roads, so your UK breakdown company can’t send its own patrol: an approved local firm comes, at a price set by the French government. This is what the motorway operator APRR tells drivers to do:
What to do
- Put your hazard lights on.
- If you can, drive to the next rest area. If not, stop on the hard shoulder, as far right as possible.
- Put on your hi-vis vest before you get out. Everyone gets out on the right-hand side, away from the traffic. Leave pets in the car.
- Get as far from the traffic as you can.
- Call for help from an orange emergency phone (at rest areas and at least every 2 km: signs show the way to the nearest one), with the free SOS Autoroute app, which shows them where you are, or on 112.
Don’t put out your warning triangle on an autoroute: the motorway operator APRR strongly advises against it.
An approved breakdown firm will come, usually in about 30 minutes, and either fix the car at the roadside or tow it off the autoroute. For cars and light vans the price is set by ministerial order (8 December 2025):
| Vehicle | Weekdays 8am to 6pm | Nights, weekends and public holidays |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 1.8 tonnes | €151 | €226.50 |
| 1.8 to 3.5 tonnes | €186.72 | €280.08 |
The price covers the call-out and either a roadside repair or a tow to a place you choose, up to 5 km past the next exit. Longer tows cost extra. After that, your own breakdown cover can take over. Before you travel, check that your policy covers France and whether it refunds the autoroute tow: see European breakdown cover.
Tolls and free autoroutes
Of the 11,752 km of autoroutes, 9,211 km are run by concession companies and charge tolls. You pay at a barrier by card or cash, or with a toll tag. On the A79 and on the A13 and A14 between Paris and Normandy, there are no barriers: you must pay within 72 hours online, at a payment point or with a tag. The other 2,541 km are run by the state: much of the A75 through the Massif Central, for example, is free apart from the toll for the Millau viaduct. Everything about paying is in our French toll roads guide.
Mistakes British drivers make
- Using a télépéage lane without a toll tag. The barrier won’t open. Look for the card or cash signs.
- Not paying a barrier-free toll on the A13, A14 or A79 because nothing made them stop.
- Reversing or turning round after a missed exit. Carry on to the next one.
- Sitting in the middle or outside lane. Keep right unless you’re overtaking.
- Driving too far in one go after an early ferry. Stop every two hours.
- Calling their UK breakdown company first after breaking down on an autoroute. Use the orange phone, the SOS Autoroute app or 112.
French autoroutes: a driving guide for UK drivers FAQs
What is the speed limit on French autoroutes?
130 km/h (81 mph) in dry weather and 110 km/h (68 mph) in rain. In fog with visibility under 50 metres it's 50 km/h. Car-and-trailer or caravan outfits over 3.5 tonnes are limited to 90 km/h. Signs can set lower limits, often near cities and at roadworks.
Are all French autoroutes toll roads?
No. Of 11,752 km of autoroutes, 9,211 km are run by concession companies and charge tolls; the rest are run by the state. Much of the A75 through the Massif Central is free, but there's a toll to cross the Millau viaduct.
What should I do if I break down on a French autoroute?
Put your hazard lights on, get onto the hard shoulder as far right as you can, put on your hi-vis vest before getting out, and get everyone out on the right and away from the traffic. Call for help from an orange emergency phone (at least every 2 km), with the SOS Autoroute app or on 112. An approved breakdown firm will come.
Can my UK breakdown company recover me from a French autoroute?
Not directly. Only approved breakdown firms may work on French autoroutes and express roads, called through the emergency phones, the SOS Autoroute app or 112. They tow you off the autoroute, and your own breakdown cover can take over from there. Check whether your policy refunds the autoroute tow.
How much does a breakdown on a French autoroute cost?
Prices for cars and light vans are set by the French government. In 2026 it's €151 for vehicles up to 1.8 tonnes and €186.72 for 1.8 to 3.5 tonnes, plus 50% between 6pm and 8am, at weekends and on public holidays. That covers repairs at the roadside or a tow to within 5 km of the next exit.
Should I put out a warning triangle on a French autoroute?
No. The motorway operator APRR strongly advises against using one on an autoroute. Put your hazard lights on, wear your vest and get yourself and your passengers away from the traffic instead.
What radio station gives traffic news on French autoroutes?
Tune to 107.7 FM. Each motorway company runs its own traffic station on that frequency, so you'll hear the one for the section you're on, with news of accidents, roadworks and queues.
What are the busiest days on French autoroutes?
Summer Saturdays, especially in July and August, and the start and end of French holiday weekends. The government's traffic service, Bison Futé, rates each day green, orange, red or black by how bad the traffic will be, so check its forecast before you set off.
Do disabled drivers pay tolls in France?
Yes, but a class 2 vehicle adapted for a disabled person pays the cheaper class 1 price, according to the French motorway companies' rules. You need to use a staffed or intercom lane rather than a non-stop tag lane, and the rule relies on a mention on the French registration certificate, so check with the motorway company before relying on it in a UK-registered vehicle.