Part 2 and 3 of this self-driving France series, covers the French Toll system, everything you need to know about parking in France as well as a spotlight on more gorgeous regions of France. Be sure to subscribe so as not to miss these!
Part 1 – Self-driving France: Paris to Alsace and the French Riviera
Many people find the idea of driving on the European Continent a daunting prospect – right side of the road, unfamiliar surrounds and road rules, small laneways and autoroutes with much faster speed limits than we are used to here in Australia. However, for my wife Narelle and I, we just wouldn’t do it any other way.
We’ve done a few European trips including a seven-week trip with our three adult sons in 2023 and most recently in April to July 2025 – a 10-week trip where we were joined at times by our eldest son.
Why do a Self-Driving Holiday?
Each trip to Europe, going back to our first in 1994, we have had a vehicle. A car provides flexibility and makes for the best experiences in our view; total freedom to go where we want, when we want. To see so many places many don’t get to, to allow changes for the weather, to go shopping as we see fit or to change our plans one day to the next. However, it is most definitely those journeys on back roads through the most extraordinary countryside and to the most beautiful villages and waypoints that make driving yourself an absolute must.
I get it! It’s daunting – and it’s an extra expense. On our recent trip we were in and out of France on three occasions travelling also to Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Italy, Spain and Portugal. I’m going to cover the French experience: a somewhat brief description of our journey in the amazing country that is France. Along the way I’ll share what we’ve learned about parking, speed limits, petrol, the do’s, don’ts and challenges…. but of course, all the benefits too!
Self-driving Paris to Alsace
Our preference is to travel in and out of Charles de Gaul Airport: we love Paris and whether it’s a stay at the start or at the finish (or both) we will always navigate back to this most wonderful of cities. On our most recent trip we arrived early morning and as we weren’t staying in Paris till the end of our trip, it was a matter of collecting our vehicle for the 470km drive to the beautiful, “chocolate box” town of Riquewihr in the heart of Alsace.
Self-driving France – The Car
A hire car is a popular and easy option however, if you need a vehicle for longer than 15 days the lease program that is available in France is just brilliant. We use Renault Eurodrive. This is a lease system for non-European citizens including Australian passport holders. The benefits are as follows
- They are owned by Renault
- You deal with an Australian office who in our experience are very professional and respond straight away.
- You get a brand spanking new vehicle, literally only 8 or 9km on the dial
- Fully insured with no deductable
- Unlimited mileage
- Additional driver allowed
- And the biggy; it is considerably cheaper than hiring. Substantially.
On this trip we ordered a Renault Arkana. The process is to advise Eurodrive of your flight arrival time and ring them when you have got through customs (they speak English). They will pick you up in their shuttle bus from the private car collection point at Charles de Gaulle to take you the 1.5 kms to their car yard.
The car is waiting, a small amount of paperwork to complete and a familiarisation of the vehicle, and you’re on your way. The Arkana had 9km on the odometer – and the new car smell to start our trip created a level of expectation! The Arkana cost us around AU$4,700 for 66 days. No small amount, but considerably less than a hire car for the same period. On our previous trip we had a brand new Koleos. We had to fit in all the luggage and three adult sons! There is only enough fuel to get to nearby petrol stations but if that’s a downside, it’s the only one we experienced.
The Road to Riquewihr – Driving on Autoroutes
Our trip to Riquewihr was mostly on an autoroute in order to cover the distance quickly. As a rule we set way points into the GPS (which comes with the vehicle- use a phone if you wish but a new car has good European maps which we utilised) to take us on back roads and through the countryside and small villages. However, some time on autoroutes in Europe is a given.
Autoroutes are easy as long as you stay in the far-right lane until you become familiar with the car, driving on the right-hand side of the road and with the steering wheel and controls on the left and the ebb and flow of the traffic. Don’t sit in a middle lane! It’s annoying here in Australia but it’s totally unacceptable in Europe!
Self-driving France: Speed Limits
In France the speed limit on Autoroutes is 130km/h however, signage indicates that if it is snowing or raining, the limit reduces to 110km/h. The roads are so good it is not difficult to sit on 125-130km/h, though the hybrid Arkana performed with much better fuel economy when driving below 115km/h and we often stayed on or about this speed.
Other roads will indicate a limit of 90km/h or 70km/h depending on the status of the road. When traveling the rural ways the limit will often be 70 and occasionally 90. When entering a village – and this happens a lot as you are in and out of villages frequently – the sign which names the town on entry represents a speed limit of 50km/h. Similarly, as you exit town you will see the name of the village with a red cross through it – this means you have left the village and the 50 zone is complete and the default speed limit of 70 or 90 has recommenced.
This is worth knowing if, like us you want to do the right thing and avoid speeding fines. When we first encountered this, we would stay at the 50km/h speed waiting for signage that advised we could go faster again, and often, it just isn’t there! This of course can lead to frustrated locals behind you who want to get their foot down!
Within the very heart of the villages there are often 30km/h zones which will last a few hundred metres due to schools, or shops, or tenuous parking zones on the side of the road, or simply a narrow section of the old road forming part of the route through an old village. Speed cameras are seemingly plentiful though the GPS generally identifies these. Still, we felt certain that despite our best efforts we had transgressed several times over our ten-week trip (in several countries) and yet, at the end, not a single fine. Maybe we were just lucky!
The last hour of our trip to Riquewihr did take us onto one of those magical rural roads and we found ourselves driving along a stream through Alpine landscape. That route was via the Colmar tunnel and the forested slopes that we traversed were a great way to start out our day!
Stunning Riquewihr in the Alsace Region
Riquewihr is a stunning medieval town of cobbled streets and laneways. Old, rustic and beautiful houses are surrounded by the magnificent vines of Alsace! It is well patronised by tourists, however, a car means you can – at your leisure – travel to the many other local villages and towns. And they are all stunning, different and breathtaking!
We stayed in a house in the heart of Riquewihr owned by the same lady we rented from on our 2023 trip though in a different house. Below us was a wine bar and a cheese shop and as we came out our front door on to the cobbled main street of the town, the patrons at the table of the local “winestub” got a bit of a shock to see the door open right in front of them! Take a look at the pictures of this village: beautiful houses, wonderful restaurants and a feeling of a bygone era.
During our visit in April there were large photographic features throughout the streets of the town depicting events of the liberation in 1944 by the Americans; just one of the many, many war events that this area has seen. Indeed, the feeling is as much German as it is French and whilst some English is generally spoken, German will get you just as far, if you have no French.
Residential Parking in Riquewihr
The house rental included a parking space in a private car park near the entrance to the town. It is often the case in French towns and cities that access for vehicles is limited to certain times, or only to those with resident permits: but often it’s banned completely and the designated old town is just for pedestrians and bikes. The car park cost us 20 Euro for three days and it gave us a secure park with a barrier entry, and the ability to come and go. It was just a two to three minute walk from our house.
The weather was marginal during this part of our trip so we made some adjustments to our daytrips – because we could! Other towns we visited included Eguisham, Obernai, Turckheim, Kayserberg and Colmar. All simply wonderful!
They were full of artisan shops featuring chocolates, liquor, cured meats and pates and cheese. Typically, they were surrounded by ramparts and built along a beautiful stream or river.
Easter was the previous weekend, and each town had substantial decorations established for the celebrations, including no shortage of live rabbits to pet!
Did Someone Say Wine!?!
Wine is a huge part of Alsace. When we were there in 2023 it was Autumn and the vineyards were changing colour and preparing to throw their leaves. It was just spectacular, but this time it was spring and there was budburst.
In Riquewihr all the famous names are around but right in the middle of the old town is Hugel, perhaps the most famous of them all. Throw away any preconceived ideas you have about Riesling and enjoy some of the finest crisp dry wines made in the world. Or try Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Gewürztraminer.
At the time of our visit asparagus had come into season and as is the case in a lot of Europe, it is revered. We happened upon a full degustation menu with every course, including desert, featuring asparagus and it was a highlight!
Obernai Markets
In Obernai we visited the local food market which is a must when in France (or anywhere in Europe). The produce is unbelievable and it is extraordinary how many purveyors will sell the same thing! It is not unusual to see several dozen fruit and veg stalls selling their wares, all with extraordinary produce and the offerings of the season. Along with asparagus, strawberries were in season at this time.
There are always multiple and comprehensive offerings of meat, seafood, cheese, bread, spices and olives – to name a few. The Obernai markets were notable because they are held on the old ramparts of the village. You walk along the ramparts and eye each of the offerings. Many locals shop this way, ducking in with their baskets, and choosing fresh and quality products for that day and perhaps the next. What a way to live!
After three nights in Alsace the next couple of weeks we explored Austria, Italy, Slovenia and Croatia. They were all amazing but too much detail to go into here! Eventually, on day 22, we drove back into France via the Italian border and made our way to Cagnes-sur-Mer, on the outskirts of Nice.
Self-Driving France: Recommended Stops along The French Riviera
There had been a bad crash on the autoroute near the border and traffic was stopped for around an hour. I had a chat with the lady in the car behind us. She was in the film industry and was making her way to Canne for the film festival hoping not to be late for the Gala Ball that night!
We postponed our intended visit to Jardin Exotique d’Eze to the next day and that worked out brilliantly. Having your own vehicle means you can get to popular places early, secure a park and get access before the coaches and tourist hordes arrive. Seeing places without being hurried or packed in like sardines is a big deal in our view and the car allows us to make our own agenda.
Jardin Exotique d’Eze
These gardens, sitting high above the Med with views to Monaco, Nice, Cannes and as far as St Tropez, were extraordinary. They were established by the local mayor after WWII as a legacy for the people and they have been expanded upon over the years.
Parc Natural de la Grande Corniche
When we left, we meandered up the corniche and there we had one of those serendipitous discoveries. Narelle saw a small sign on a sideroad for Parc Natural de la Grande Corniche as we left the underground car park. We drove up there to see what we might see! At the top, was an old fortress that had housed Allied Airmen as POWs in WWII. History abounded, as did the views.
Much higher again than the gardens we had come from, the views were stunning and, at the back of the fortress we looked on to snow-capped mountains. Wow! We’d never heard of it, we never planned it, but it was there and we had the means, so we experienced this and pretty much had the place all to ourselves.
Cagnes-sur-Mer
From there we drove to the Musee Renoir in Cagnes-sur-Mer, the house Renoir lived in at the latter stages of his life. As everything does in France, the museum had closed for an hour or two for lunch. We arrived upon reopening and with only a few other visitors around at that time, we got a private tour with Caroline! So knowledgeable and so passionate…a treasure such as this place many won’t see when visiting on a tour or coach trip, or as a day tripper on a cruise ship.
One of the benefits of having a car on a European trip is that it opens up so many more accommodation options. The centrally located house we stayed in, Les Grimaldines, was marvellously quirky, with a swimming pool and an outside dining area that looks out to the surrounding mountains. Our room was very comfortable and had for some inexplicable reason, a massively overstocked medicine cabinet!
So many of the places we stayed in were extraordinary and, not overly expensive, much better value than here in Australia and in the large cities of Europe.
Saint Paul de Vence
Next day, we left Cagnes-sur-Mer early and stopped in to the beautiful town of Saint Paul de Vence. This is a magnificent fortified old town and well worth a visit. However, it does get busy – we knew this and arrived around 9am snagging a street park near the entrance and saw the town before it got too busy.
Self-driving France – Tips to help You Fill Up!
The Arkana was a hybrid and when driving slowly around villages gave us around 1000km for it’s small tank. On the freeways it started to guzzle exponentially above 110 and at around 130km/h it was certainly not economical. So, how you drive will affect the expense of the car.
Be warned petrol is not cheap. The standard is 95ULP (unlike 91 here) and 98 and even 100ULP are available. For 95, we were paying around 1.65 Euro but with world events at that time it sometimes encroached on 2 Euro a litre. The cheapest we paid was in the high 1.30s and that was not in France. This converts to over $3 a litre in AUD.
As petrol stations on the Autoroutes are much more expensive, buying in a town at the beginning or end of a trip is wise. Almost all petrol stations – whether large or small – have a pay before you fill system even if they have a shop with workers on site. Typically, you put your card in for a 200 Euro authorisation and then fill the tank. Upon finishing you are advised how much has been posted to the card. The pre-authorisation does not linger and is gone in real time. It works well; the pumps have a language option for the instruction and card details, allowing you to choose English, German or Spanish for instance. Just don’t expect to go inside to pay as it rarely happens and you’re more likely to get someone to fill your tank for you as you are to not get a self-serve pay before buy set up!
To Be Continued….
Part 2 of our self-driving France series will explore the French Toll road system, everything you need to know about parking in France as well as spotlighting more gorgeous regions of France. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss a thing!
Please note: all advice, observations etc are made in good faith and were our experience as best recalled. All prospective travellers should do due diligence on all matters relating to travel (and the subjects covered in this journal) and take responsibility for their own decisions.
John is a husband and is father to three adult sons. He spent 35 years in the wine industry and travelling to wine regions is a passion of his. A drive through vineyards in the great regions of the world is paradise for John. If asked, he says that a day’s drive through the Alto Douro in Portugal was his greatest vineyard experience – but it’s a tough choice!
