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Car
Rental - South of France and Worldwide
Holiday
Autos offers the best fully inclusive car hire prices in over
4,000 rental locations UK and worldwide. (Located at Nice Airport)
Get cheap car hire quickly and securely online with holidayautos.co.uk,
the experts in online car rental.
Remember we have good rates on cars of all sizes to suit all
needs - from small 'runarounds' to minivans and convertibles.
So whatever the occasion, holiday autos has the car to match.
Click on the logo below
holiday
autos offer car rental in many locations in the South of France:
(subject to changes) Including Antibes -
Arles -
Avignon -
Cannes - Juan Les Pins - Marseillles - Monaco - Nice
-
Saint Tropez - Sophia Antipolis (airports,
stations, city centres)
General
Driving Tips (some of this information supplied by Holiday
Autos)
Speed
limits :
Built-up-areas: 31mph/50kmh outside towns: 56mph/90kmh priority
roads and toll-free motorways: 68mph/110kmh toll motorways:
81mph/130kmh
Speed
Cameras:  There
are more and more speed cameras in France (useful web site is
controleradar.org/) They usually have a warning sign a few
metres or so before you see the camera and it is often set on
a dual carriageway in the central reservation to capture traffic
on both sides of the road. They are much nearer to ground level
than those found in Britain and Ireland. They are often located
on motorways on more dangerous sections particularly when the
speed limit is reduced to 110 kmh. Remember if you are driving
a hire car your fine will be passed onto you by the car rental
company.
Drink
and driving: Blood alcohol limit is 50mg - barely 1 unit
of alcohol. (0.5 grams of alcolol per litre of blood) In the
UK it is 0.8.
Traffic
on major roads has priority. Where two major roads cross, traffic
coming from the right has priority as warned by the sign 'danger
priorité à droite'. Where there is no sign, give way to the
right.
Traffic
on a roundabout has priority and signs saying 'cedez le passage'
or 'vous n'avez pas la prioritè'. In some areas the old rule
of traffic entering roundabouts having priority applies so be
cautious where there are no signs
If
a driver flashes his headlights in France, he is generally indicating
that he has priority and you should give way. This can be confusing
as in the UK it usually indicates that a car is usually indicates
that a car is letting you out.
Stopping
for someone waiting at a zebra crossing is a fineable offence
for holding up traffic. The crossings indicate where is best
to cross.
Do
not overtake a tram when it is stationary with passengers alighting
or boarding.
Traffic
lights don't show amber after red. Flashing amber means continue
with caution.
It
is compulsory for front and rear seat occupants to wear seat
belts if fitted.
Carrying
hazard warning lights or a warning triangle is compulsory.
It is recommended that visitors equip their vehicle with replacement
bulbs. From July 2008 A reflective vest is also
complusory (like in Italy, Belgium and Spain - In Spain you
must carry reflective vests for all occupants).
Additional
driving Tips
Driving
Licence: A
valid driving licence - If it is issued in the UK and the driver
has passed his / her driving test at 17, you cannot drive a
car in France till you are 18. The minimum age for car rental
is 21.
Motor
Insurance: If
your vehicle
is registerd in the UK, you are not obliged to show an
international insurance certificate or green card, however proof
of insurance may be needed so take your insurance certificate
showing fully comprehensive insurance.
Vehicle
Registration Documentation: Take your vehicle registration
document with you, but don't leave it in the car (in case the
car is stolen). If the car does not belong to you you should
have a letter of authority from the registered owner and a copy
of the registration document.
Traffic
Lights: Traffic light sequences are like those in Ireland,
Spain, Belgium, Italy and many other European countries. They
are unlike the UK in so much as when the light has gone red,
instead of going to amber, they go straight to green. However
they go from green to amber to red to stop traffic. You will
often find that at night or at other quieter times some traffic
lights flash amber from every direction. This means that no
one has a right of way, but all drivers must proceed with caution.
Seat
Belts: It is complulsory to wear seat belts in front and
rear and children under ten years old are not allowed to travel
in the front seat (unless there are no seats in the rear). In
the rear they must use a proper restraint system - bolster cushion.
If you are driving with a dog, it is advisable to harness the
dog in using a special dog harness. A dog like a human that
is not secure in the back can cause serious injury(or death)
to the front seat people if it is not secured by a harness.
Warning
Triangles - First Aid Kits - Fire Extinguishers - Headlight
convertors: These should always be carried - many manufacturers
issue them as standard. In the event of a breakdown this should
be displayed as well as hazard warning lights. It is recommended
that a first aid kit be carried - again many manufacturers issue
them as standard and a fire extinguisher. If you are driving
a right hand drive car, you should put convertors on to stop
dazzling oncoming drivers.
Motor
cyclists: Motorcycles over 125cc must use dipped headlights
during the day. A crash helmet is compulsory for driver and
passenger.
Motorways
- Autoroutes: The motoway network in France is excellent.
The majority of the country is covered by pay autoroutes and
in most places they accept credit / debit card payments at the
pay points (Tolls) Péage. In many city areas the autoroute will
be free in the zone around the city (not in Nice for example)
and you will stop at a Péage to collect a ticket and stop at
another at then of that section's toll road to pay. Most autoroutes
are very well served by fuel stations, some with hotels. Approximately
every 15 kilometres you will find an Aires - This is rest area
with parking, tables and chairs for picnics and toilets, but
no fuel. There are normally emergency telephones on the autoroute
network every 2 km. These are orange and marked SOS.
It
is illegal to drive on a French motorway at less than 80km/h
(approx 50 mph) in the fast lane.
Fuel:
Petrol - Essence | Unleaded - Sans Plomb (Green on pump
handle)| Diesel - Gazole (Black on pump handle)| LPG - Gepel/GPL|
Please note that most larger petrol stations will accept credit
cards, however many of the automated ones will only6 accept
a French one.
Drink
Drive laws in Italy Update.
Italy Magazine's March 2009 edition reports that the new Codice
della Strada (The Highway Code) has stated that if you drink
more than three glasses of wine or more than one brandy you
will not pass Police alcohol tests. Apart from having the driving
license suspended up to a year, the vehicle can also be confiscated
and sold by the state. Take
great care if you take the car you rent in the South of France
into Italy for the day.
See
also: Driving in France and Monaco
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Before
you rent a car, have you thought about car rental excess insurance?
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You
will need Travel insurance for your holiday in the South of
France
 or
Looking
for a hotel for your holiday in the South of France? - Use
the search facilty below
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