Car Rental in France

Car Rental in France with Sixt

We offer over thirty locations in Paris and you can find our affordable services at convenient airport, city and train station locations around the country. Use this page as a guide to help you plan your trip. Keep reading on to find out more about our car rental deals in France and gather helpful travel tips. We give suggestions for top natural and architectural sights you can explore with your car rental in France, plus we provide some advice on how to optimize your driving experience.

Our Service

Our premium fleet includes a diverse car category selection and hosts an array of up-to-date vehicles. With our attractive rates it's easy to drive in comfort and style at the wheel of a BMW or Mercedes-Benz among other prestige manufacturers. Whichever model you select for your car rental in France you can tailor it to your needs with our useful add-ons. Extra features include additional driver coverage, insurance protections, child and baby seats and navigation systems.

What vehicle class is right for me?

• Compact cars are great for shorter city trips and are better for finding parking and navigating narrow streets.
• Sedans can offer more comfort and class when on a longer road trip or traveling between cities.
• SUVs and minivans are a good option for family vacations as they give you plenty of leg and luggage room.

Driver's license

The renter and driver must present a valid driver's license and an identity card or passport upon collection. If you have a visa in your passport you must have either an EU driving license or been in Europe less than 6 months.

Age restrictions

To rent a car in France the minimum age is 18 years and you must have held your driving license for at least 2 years. There are further restrictions based on vehicles classes, which will be shown to you on our booking engine.

Payment Methods

All internationally recognized credit cards such as MasterCard, Visa, Diners Club and American Express are accepted as forms of payment for our car rental deals in France. We do not accept prepaid cards or debit cards such as VISA electron. You must present your payment card when picking up your vehicle and it must be in the name of the driver.

Accidents

In the event of an accident, please inform the police immediately for insurance purposes. It does not matter whether the rental car is only slightly damaged, the accident was self-inflicted or if no other vehicles were involved. In addition, any damage to the rental vehicle must be reported directly to Sixt during the rental period. Please fill out the accident report is enclosed with the vehicle documents. In France you can use the European emergency number 112 to connect to all emergency services.

FAQs

TIP: It is generally cheaper to rent a car at least three months before any high season. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before collection is almost always possible, but is dependent on the chosen tariff.

Driving Tips

With its excellent motorway system and well maintained secondary roads, driving a car rental in France is a pleasure. While you will find rush hour congestion in most major cities (and slightly more aggressive drivers!) you will find traffic less of a problem on the open road. Tolls are frequent on major routes so be sure to have your card or some spare cash to hand. On the spot fines are in force and can be up to EUR750.

Some important rules of the road in France:

• Driving in France is on the right hand side, as a general rule overtaking is done on the left.
• Generally at intersections you give way to oncoming traffic from the right.
• Using headphones or earphones is illegal as of March 2017.
• Wearing of seatbelts is compulsory, it is the drivers responsibility to make sure all passengers are wearing their belt.
• In normal traffic conditions speed limits are 130 km/h on motorways, 110 km/h on other roads with a central reservation, 90 km/h on other roads and 50 km/h in built up areas.
• In rainy conditions the limit is reduced to 110 km/h on motorways, 100 km/h on other roads with a central reservation, 80 km/h on other roads and 50 km/h in built up areas. In poor visibility of less than 50 m the limit is reduced to 50 km/h on all roads.

Places of Interest

Top 4 Architectural Sights

• Eiffel Tower
• Mont Saint-Michel
• Arènes de Nîmes
• Château de Chenonceau

The Eiffel Tower is still one of the tallest manmade structures in France, even after over 100 years since its construction. You can view Paris from three platforms on the wrought iron structure, and even if you have seen countless pictures of the Eiffel Tower it never fails to impress when you are at the foot of it. Mont Saint-Michel is a tidal island commune that despite having over 3 million annual visitors, is still a functioning town with a population of 44. The Abbey is the architectural crown of the island and below it is a monastery, houses and store rooms, then farmer and fishermen cottages outside the walls - the whole commune reflects the structure of feudal society. The Arènes de Nîmes, or Arena of Nimes, is an impressive roman amphitheater dating back to 70 AD. Throughout its history it has had many architectural reincarnations and is still used for large scale public events. Built on the foundations of an old mill, the Château de Chenonceau forms a bridge over the River Cher. The house and gardens are open to the public, the late gothic/early renaissance building has been classified as a historic monument by the French Ministry for Culture.

Top 4 Natural Sights

• Gorges du Verdon
• Dune du Pilat
• Mont Blanc
• Porto-Vecchio

Easily accessible by car the Gorges du Verdon are also superb for climbing, hiking, kayaking or just taking in the views. The giant limestone walls of the Gorge descend into the bright turquoise waters of the Verdon. The Dune du Pilat is the largest sand dune in Europe, often reaching over 100m in height. At the summit you have fantastic views of Arcachon Bay and the large pine forest behind the beach. At 4,808 meters the Mont Blanc is the highest peak in the Alps. The Mont Blanc massif is a popular area for winter sports, underneath the mountain there is a tunnel forming a major trans-Alpine transport route. The beaches around Porto-Vecchio in Corsica are famous for their beauty. The Palombaggia, Tamaricciu and Santa Giulia beaches are the most well-known while there are many fantastic secluded beaches to be found.

Top Filming Locations

"Amelie (2001)" was predominantly filmed in Paris and many major tourist destinations are featured. For example, a key scene was filmed on the Post des Arts by the Louvre. Other notable films shot in France include "Midnight in Paris (2011)", "The Da Vinci Code (2006)" and "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006)". Sofia Coppola's 2006 "Marie Antoinette" had unprecedented access to the Palace of Versailles and the film also features Ladurée's famous macaroons.

Crossing Borders

You are allowed to travel to other countries in the European Union with your Sixt rent a car in France. However, some restrictions apply and these are outlined in more detail here: Rental Information.