Breaking down on a French autoroute
French motorways are run by concession companies, and recovery on them is reserved for approved operators. You must use the orange emergency phones (every 2km) or dial 112; the approved operator will tow you off the motorway at a regulated fixed charge, which you pay on the spot and claim back from your European breakdown provider. Your own provider takes over once you are off the autoroute. Keep the receipt.
On other French roads
Away from the autoroutes, call your European breakdown provider's assistance number directly. They will dispatch a local operator, arrange a garage and, if needed, accommodation or a hire car.
Compulsory kit in France
- Warning triangle.
- Hi-vis vest for the driver, kept within reach inside the car (not in the boot).
- Headlamp beam deflectors on a right-hand-drive car.
- UK identifier sticker (unless your number plate carries the UK marker).
- Spare bulbs are recommended; the breathalyser requirement is no longer enforced.
Documents
Passport, full UK driving licence, insurance certificate (confirm your motor policy covers France), V5C logbook and your European breakdown policy details. A Crit'Air clean-air sticker is needed to drive in many French cities, including Paris and Lyon; order it online well before you travel.
Choosing cover for France
Every UK European policy covers France. The differences that matter for a French trip are whether the policy reimburses the autoroute recovery charge, the accommodation limits, and whether repatriation is from France or from the UK port. Compare on the European cover page.