French driving rules change, and a wrong fact can mean a fine, a refused Crit’Air zone or a ruined day. This is how we research, write and keep every guide on Driving France accurate.
The sources we use
- French government sources first. Speed limits, fines, alcohol limits, equipment, Crit’Air and low-emission zones come from Service-Public (service-public.gouv.fr), the Code de la route, Sécurité Routière, certificat-air.gouv.fr, Légifrance, government answers to questions in the French parliament, and official city sites such as paris.fr.
- UK government sources for UK rules: driving licences, the UK identifier, trailer registration, pets and child seats come from GOV.UK.
- Operators’ own information for tolls, breakdown prices on autoroutes and crossings: the motorway companies, Bison Futé (the French government’s traffic service), and the ferry companies and LeShuttle.
- When sources disagree, we go with the official source closest to the rule: the French government for French law, GOV.UK for UK rules, and each company for its own services.
- Our own data. Drive times and distances are calculated by us from OpenStreetMap routing data, from each port to each destination, without traffic or stops.
How we check
- Every fact is checked against a source before it goes on the site. If we can’t confirm something, we leave it out, or tell you to check before you travel.
- We don’t copy AI search answers or other websites. Figures that appear in search results, such as fines, prices or limits, are only used if we can confirm them from an official source. Where a common claim is wrong, we say so.
- First-hand experience is labelled. Tim’s tips appear in a marked box, in Tim’s own words, and are never edited to say more than he said.
- We write everything in our own words, including pages that mention companies we work with.
- We’re not lawyers. Our guides explain the rules for drivers; for a specific legal problem, take professional advice.
Keeping pages up to date
- Every guide shows the date it was last checked.
- We recheck the pages regularly and when rules change, such as new speed limits, fines, toll systems or low-emission zone rules.
- Prices, such as tolls, fuel and the Crit’Air sticker, are shown with the date we checked them.
Corrections
If you spot something that’s out of date or wrong, please tell us. We’ll check it against the source and correct the page.
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