Entry rules, getting across the Channel, driving in France and the basics, for travellers from the UK.
Check before you travel. Entry and driving rules change. Everything here was read on 11 October 2026, and each rule is attributed to its source. Confirm entry rules with GOV.UK and times and prices with the operator.
From Service-Public.gouv.fr, verified 29 December 2025. Local authorities can raise some two-way limits to 90 or lower limits elsewhere, and visibility under 50 m means 50 km/h.
| Road | Dry | In rain |
|---|---|---|
| Motorway | 130 | 110 |
| Dual carriageway with a central divider | 110 | 100 |
| Road with two or more lanes in the same direction | 90 | 80 |
| Two-way road without a divider | 80 | 80 |
| Built-up area | 50 | 50 |
Justice.fr says the taxe de séjour is due per person and per night, paid to the host or hotelier, and that only some communes charge it. Rates are set by each commune. The Paris ceiling for unclassified accommodation rose to 15.93 euros on 1 January 2026, but that is a Paris example only.
GOV.UK says you need a GHIC or a valid existing EHIC for medically necessary state care, that it is not an alternative to travel insurance, and that state healthcare in France is not always free. Call 112 and ask for an ambulance.
We could not confirm from an official source motorway tolls, headlight and breathalyser kit rules, tipping custom, tap water, flight routes, or dress and dining norms at chateau hotels, so we do not give them here. See also when to go and getting married in a chateau.
GOV.UK says you can travel without a visa to the Schengen area, which includes France, for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, for tourism, visiting family or friends, business meetings and some other short stays. Check the GOV.UK page before you book.
The EU Entry/Exit System registers non-EU travellers at the border. GOV.UK says you may need to register your fingerprints and a photo, that it costs nothing, that the record is valid for 3 years and that it is replacing manual passport stamping. GOV.UK says it started on 12 October 2025.
GOV.UK says the EU is expected to start the European Travel Information and Authorisation System from autumn 2026, with a 20 euro fee for UK travellers, and that the start date will be announced before launch. Check GOV.UK for the current position.
Le Shuttle gives a planned crossing time of 35 minutes from platform to platform. DFDS gives 100 minutes for Dover to Calais, with up to 30 sailings a day. Eurostar gives 2 hours 17 minutes between London and Paris.
Service-Public says a Crit’Air sticker is mandatory in a low-emission mobility zone, with a fine of up to 450 euros without one, and that foreign-registered vehicles apply online only at certificat-air.gouv.fr. GOV.UK adds that vehicles in central Paris, Lyon and Grenoble must display a pollution sticker from 8 am to 8 pm on weekdays. We do not quote the sticker price because two official pages give different figures.
Facts on this site come from gov.uk, Atout France, regional tourism boards, UNESCO and the operators named, each listed at the foot of the page. Check dates, prices and entry rules with the provider before you book.