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==Law Enforcement==<gallery style="float:right; width:200px; margin''France is great because it has roundabouts, which makes for slow traffic on the smaller roads. Of course, the big highways are off-left:25px;>Image:Mrtweek mzenzes hitching limits in francemany cases, but that's alright. Beautiful countryside, good people.png|[[User:Mzenzes|Martin]] For me I enjoyed eating lots of cheese and [[User:MrTweek|Philipp]] hitching in France.Image:Derek_hitching_at_péage.jpg|Derek hitching at a péage near [[Valence]].Image:Cynthia_hitching.jpg|Cynthia hitchhiking out lots of [[Paris]]baguettes, as cliche as that may sound.Image:Tokyohitch.jpg|[[Lille]]'' -[[Tokyo]] direct ride, 5-min deal.Image:Perpignan bridgeoveronramp.jpg|On ramp bridge near [[Perpignan]].ImageUser:Spot-sharing.jpgChael777|Sharing knowledge on spots to hitch out of Paris during the [[project 888|888Chael]] event.Image:peage.jpg|A typical ''barrière de péage'' in France.Image:Pat_e_Suh.jpg|Pat & Suh hitchhiking after a barrière de péage in France :).</gallery>There are three law National enforcement agencies to contend with in France. The Police Nationale, the Gendarmerie and the Douane.
* The '''Police Nationale''' are tasked with policing urban areas with more than 20,000 inhabitants, and the surrounding highway infrastructure. As such, you will probably rarely encounter them while thumbing.
* The '''Gendarmerie''' is a military agency tasked with policing all of the French Republic where the population is lower than 20,000. They are the enforcement agency you will have the most chance to encounter while on the road.
* The '''Douanes''' are the customs agency for the French Republic. They mostly patrol close to borders, looking for suspicious activity, but can operate anywhere. They are often active on highways and péages going south from [[Belgium]] and [[Luxembourg]], looking for people transporting large amounts of tobacco or looking for hitchhikers from the [[Netherlands]] who may be carrying cannabis, as well as near the border with [[Spain]]. It is said of them, that they care about goods, not persons, which is basically true, but they are allowed to check your ID and the contents of your luggage.
To make a long story short, in France, it is expected that any person can prove its identity when requested by an agent of these agencies. The easiest and most common way to do it is to show them an official ID ; however it can also be done by having someone else testify that you are indeed the person you say you are. Agents on patrol, especially Gendrames, can stop to ask you questions. Most of the time, they will ask you where are you headed, maybe a few other vague questions, remind you that hitchhiking is illegal on the highways (even if you are not on a highway at the moment), wish you a nice day and drive away. If they ask you for a proof of identity, the best thing would be to show them an official ID ; however if you cooperate somewhat they probably won't go even that far.
Furthermore''My Hitch in France went marvellously! Check this, I was walking along the street in Nimes, minding my own business, many cities have local police deparments called and a woman pulled up in a car and asked me if I wanted to hitch to Marseille! She asked me!! When we got there, she showed me around and I slept on her sofa (whenever I tell French men about this they invariably respond 'Did you ''Police Municipalefork''her?'). They have less authority than national agenciesThe next day, I got 5 hitches from Marseille to Limans, and for 3 of them all I had to do was hold up a cardboard sign and the first car that came picked me up. I was going to write that it's like taking the bus, ''but can call other agencies you have to do wait for busses!'' As a bonus, the work they legally canpeople who I hitched with were really nice, so much so that one of them lied and said that my French wasn'tso bad! Oh yeah, and the bit about French bakeries is incomplete.They have pastries round the back too!!''
== Personal Experiences ==
''In my experience it's pretty much impossible to go hungry in France. While hitching I almost ALWAYS get 10 or 5 euros thrown my way, and once even 60 euro! The key is to imply you have no money (helps the guilt if you actually don't have any like I did). Ask where you can use the internet or a phone, but WITHOUT PAYING, and 90% of the time they'll tell you "I'll drop you off at the station/road/town with 10 euros, alright?" It's not really possible without having a good standard of communication though, so either hope they know English or learn some French! I also wouldn't recommend doing "it" if you have no money or already had access to the internet or a phone, solely because of guilt. Even though I was genuine in my requests I didn't feel happy taking their money, but food is food!'' - Aaronishappy
''France is great because it has roundabouts, which makes for slow traffic on the smaller roads. Of course, the big highways are off-limits in many cases, but that's alright. Beautiful countryside, good people. For me I enjoyed eating lots of cheese and lots of baguettes, as cliche as that may sound.'' - [[User:Chael777|Chael]]
"Don't be afraid to approach people at service stations just because your 'I started my first hitchhike tour in France and found out that most French is weak (or, like me, non-existent). After a quick 'bonjour', or 'vous allez ou?', people were are very kind and in most cases they are happy to helptake you with them. Many But I think it's really helpful to speak even a little bit French so you can say want you want and where you want to go because most of French people didndon't like to speak English, with some I got english or maybee they are not able to. Espacally in the south of france it's also possible to travel short distances by in Spanishtrain for free, because most of them are not controlled. In case of controlling you can say that you're out of money and with 3 or 4 we had no language in common at allmost cases they will not send you a bill because it is to complicated for them to find you in your home country. Nevertheless, people were still kind And even if you are in bad luck and willing to helpthey will find you the price is not even higher than the ticket for the train." - [[User:Justunein|Justunein]]''
"My Hitch in France went marvellously! Check this, I was walking along the street in Nimes, minding my own business, and a woman pulled up in a car and asked me if I wanted to hitch to Marseille! She asked me!! When we got there, she showed me around and I slept on her sofa (whenever I tell French men about this they invariably respond 'Did you ''fork'' her?'). The next day, I got 5 hitches from Marseille to Limans, and for 3 of them all I had to do was hold up a cardboard sign and the first car that came picked me up. I was going to write that it's like taking the bus, ''but you have to wait for busses!'' As a bonus, the people who I hitched with were really nice, so much so that one of them lied and said that my French wasn't so bad! Oh yeah, and the bit about French bakeries is incomplete. They have pastries round the back too!!"== Links ==
I can also said France is very good country for hitchhiking, people are very friendly. Even that they do not speak a lot of English, they will try to help you. One driver also take me in one restaurant near high way even that I did not want that he spend money to by me something to eat. It was nice to cross from Spain to Germany in two days with hitchhiking.
I started my first hitchhike tour in France and found out * [http://www.asf.fr/shared/pdf/CarteReseau.pdf Le Réseau ASF], a PDF file that most French people are very kind and in most cases they are happy to take you with them. But I think itshows all ''barrières de péage's really helpful to speak even a little bit French so you can say want you want and where you want to go because most of French people don't like to speak english or maybee they are not able toon major routes in Southern France.Espacally in the south of france it's also possible to travel short distances by train for free* [http://www.vinci-autoroutes.com/system/files/pdf/2012/12/carte_reseau_vinci_autoroutes.pdf Service Stations Network], because most of them are not controlled. In case of controlling you can say a pdf file that you're out of money and shows all service station on major routes in most cases they will not send you a bill because it is to complicated for them to find you in your home country. And even if you are in bad luck and they will find you the price is not even higher than the ticket for the trainsouthern France.
[[trash:France]] [[nomad:France]]{{nomadwiki}}
* [http://mappy.fr/ Mappy] is a good online map service for France in case you want to know where certain public transport goes to.
* [http://www.asf.fr/shared/pdf/CarteReseau.pdf Le Réseau ASF], a PDF file that shows all ''barrières de péage'' on major routes in Southern France.
* [http://www.vinci-autoroutes.com/system/files/pdf/2012/12/carte_reseau_vinci_autoroutes.pdf Service Stations Network], a pdf file that shows all service station on major routes in southern France.
→Nomadwiki & Trashwiki
The ''"Michelin 726 National"'' map of France is a good choice for a hitchhiker in this country. It shows all the major ''barrières de péage'' and [[rest area|service stations]]. You can get a free map in péage offices.
== ''Autoroutes'', ''péages'' and ''barrières de péage'' ==
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'''Péage''' ([http://cs1.imtranslator.net/SL/Free_Projects/169679760/cs_10132017_15_58_47_1.wav?param1=001024 audio]) is a French word for ''toll''. It is also commonly used as referring to [[toll station]]s.
While on a toll road, you can always try hitchhiking from one [[petrol station hitchhiking|petrol station]] to another, either asking drivers while they refill, or thumbing at the exit of the service area. The staff usually doesn't mind hitchhikers.
== [[License plates|Number plates]] Personal Experiences ==French number plates end with a number of the ''départementIn my experience it'' the car is registered s pretty much impossible to go hungry inFrance. For example, [[Paris]]ian cars end with numbers 75, 78, 91, 92While hitching I almost ALWAYS get 10 or 5 euros thrown my way, 93, 94 and 95once even 60 euro! The key is to imply you have no money (helps the guilt if you actually don't have any like I did). See Wikipedia articles on[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_vehicle_registration_plates French vehicle registration plates] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_arrondissements_of_France Arrondissements of France]. New number plates are in Ask where you can use since mid-2009. They have an optional reference to the department on the blue stripe at the right sideinternet or a phone, but they technically are not part of the plateWITHOUT PAYING, and do not necessarily refer to 90% of the ownertime they'll tell you "I's address - one may for example choose to put ll drop you off at the number of the department where hestation/road/she was born. Cars that belong to companiestown with 10 euros, including rental ones usually bear "60alright?" It's not really possible without having a good standard of communication though, so either hope they know English or learn some French! I also wouldn't recommend doing "76it" since tax on corporate vehicles is if you have no money or already had access to the lowest thereinternet or a phone, solely because of guilt. The existing old plates will be still Even though I was genuine in use for a while.my requests I didn't feel happy taking their money, but food is food!'' - Aaronishappy
''Don't be afraid to approach people at service stations just because your French is weak (or, like me, non-existent). After a quick 'bonjour', or 'vous allez ou?', people were happy to help. Many people didn't speak English, with some I got by in Spanish, and with 3 or 4 we had no language in common at all. Nevertheless, people were still kind and willing to help.'' - [[User:Justunein|Justunein]]
''I can also said France is very good country for hitchhiking, people are very friendly. Even that they do not speak a lot of English, they will try to help you. One driver also take me in one restaurant near high way even that I did not want that he spend money to by me something to eat. It was nice to cross from Spain to Germany in two days with hitchhiking.''
== Nomadwiki & Trashwiki & Nomadwiki ==
