Calais Car Rental guide
This page introduces you to the car rental possibilities in Calais. It also presents some useful facts about car rental and driving in France.
Driving restrictions
Traffic is on the right and passing on the left. The minimum driving age is 18 years. Children must be at least 10 to be allowed to sit in the front. Those younger than 10 must be seated in the rear, seatbelted or in a child seat.
The use of seatbelts is compulsory for all passengers. The legal blood alcohol limit is 0.5‰.
A flashing red traffic light means “Do not enter”; flashing amber means “Caution”; flashing yellow arrows mean “Yield”.
Vehicles parked in poorly lit places must have their parking lights on. Horns may only be used in cases of extreme danger.
If a driver wants to pass you, they usually indicate this by flashing their lights behind you.
A section of road where passing is allowed is shown by broken centre lines. If there are three or five lanes, the middle one should be for passing by traffic going both directions. A double-thick white line is used for designating the compulsory slow lane.
Speed limits:| Area | Limit |
| Expressways | 130-unlimited KM/H |
| Outside the City | 90 or 110 KM/H |
| In the City | 50 KM/H |
Emergency numbers
Police/Ambulance Service: 17
Fire Service: 18
Road Tolls
In France, the majority of motorways (autoroutes des peages) have tolls. Tickets are issued upon entering the motorway and can be paid for with any major credit card. The payments vary by vehicle type and are calculated according to the distance you are travelling. Trunk roads (routes nationales) have no tolls.
Some useful expressions for tourists travelling in France
Car – voiture
Car rental – loyer de voiture
About Calais
Calais is the busiest French passenger port. It divides into two: Calais-Nord, the old town that was rebuilt after the war, and Calais-Sud, centered around the main shopping streets and boulevards. The mediaeval Tour du Guet is the only building in Calais-Nord to have survived wartime bombing. In Calais-Nord, Place d'Armes and rue Royale are the main shopping areas.
Music and dance festivals are often organised in Calais. The city is full of cafes and theme-pubs.
Area:
Population: 77,333
Country: France
Time Zone: GMT/UTC +1 (Central European Time)
Telephone Area Code: none
Monetary unit: Euro
