World City Guide

Getting There By Road

Motorways bear the prefix ‘A’ and national roads ‘N’. Minor roads are classed as ‘D’ (départementales) roads. Traffic is on the right and drivers must give way to the right, unless the route is marked with Passage Protégé signs (a broad arrow, a yellow diamond or an ‘X’ on a triangular background) or the driver is at a roundabout indicating 'vous n’avez pas la priorité' (‘you do not have the right of way’). Speed limits are 130kph (80mph) on motorways; 110kph (68mph) on dual carriageways separated by a central reservation; 90kph (56mph) outside built-up areas and 50kph (30mph) in built-up areas. Drivers who have held a driving licence for less than two years have different speed restrictions to those who have been driving for longer – a maximum speed limit of 110kph (68mph) is enforced.

The minimum age for driving is 18 years. Seatbelts must be worn by all front- and rear-seat passengers. Under-10s may not travel in the front seat. A national driving licence, the car’s registration document and a red warning triangle must be carried at all times, or the driver is liable for a fine. EU nationals taking their own cars to France are strongly advised to obtain a Green Card, without which insurance cover is limited to the legal minimum. The Green Card tops this up to the level of cover provided by the car owner’s domestic policy. All headlamp beams must be adjusted for right-side driving by use of beam deflectors or by tilting the headlamp bulb-holder. The French police fine motorists on the spot for driving offences such as speeding. Random breath tests for drinking and driving are common; the maximum legal alcohol to blood ratio is 0.05%.

Emergency breakdown services:
AA (tel: 0870 550 0600)
Green Flag (tel: 0800 400 638)

Lille has excellent road links, located as it is at the crossroads of five motorways: the A1 from Paris, the A25 from Dunkirk and Calais, the A23 from Valenciennes, the A27 from Brussels, and the A22 from Ghent, Antwerp and Amsterdam.

Driving from the UK, you’ll have to go by ferry over the Channel or use the Eurotunnel (tel: 08705 35 35 35 (in the UK); website: www.eurotunnel.com) to Calais, which is a mere 57 miles (92km) from Lille.

In Lille, car parks are available at Champ de Mars, Porte de Valenciennes and Norexpo. A shuttle links these three car parks with the city centre. Outside the city, in Porte des Postes, CHR Calmette, St Philibert and 4 Cantons, free parking is available.