Living in the Languedoc:   Driving:   Conventions

If you want to overtake, do not flash your headlights. Simply put your left indicator on. This is far more polite. Similarly if you are sitting in the fast lane and see someone behind you with their indicator on, it means they want to overtake and you should move back into an inner lane.

You will notice that pedestrian crossings are not taken very seriously in France. Motorists will even park on them, and the police (so far) have found this perfectly acceptable. Similarly, French drivers do not generally stop for pedestrians waiting to cross the road. Be aware that if you, as a good Anglo-Saxon driver, decellerate quickly to allow a pedestrian to cross, there is a good chance that the vehgicle behind will plough into your rear, as your action will be unexpected and appear inexplicable to other drivers.

Rest areas are provided at regular intervals along autoroutes. Some have hotels, some have restaurants, many have petrol stations (US gas stations), most have public lavatories, and all have picnic areas. These facilities are indicated on signs before each rest area, which are called aires. Signs will also tell you the price of petrol as the next aire and at the following one along with the distance to it.