RAC warns motorists who plan to drive when in France

The RAC said the number of areas across the country which require drivers to display a Crit’Air sticker rose to 12 last month with Bordeaux and Clermont-Ferrand now expecting drivers to have one.

If motorists fail to follow the rule, they face a fine of 68 euros (£58) which will rise to 180 euros (£154) if it’s not paid within 45 days.

Fines will increase to up to 750 euros (£640) from 2024 when camera-based enforcement begins.

UK holidaymakers who plan to drive in France need to make sure they check if they need a Crit’Air sticker rose to be displayed in their vehicle (Image: Getty Images)

RAC warns motorists about driving in France

Crit’Air stickers cannot be bought locally and they must be ordered in advance from a French government website at a cost of 4.61 euros (around £4).

The RAC urged drivers to avoid third-party websites which charge up to six times as much.

There are six different types of stickers and the one you need will be based on a vehicle’s air pollutant emissions.

The cleanest electric and hydrogen vehicles require green “0” stickers, while at the opposite end of the spectrum, the most polluting diesel vehicles need “5” stickers.

Some areas of France have restrictions on vehicle movements based on their sticker.

Paris has the strictest regime with some roads at specific times only open to cars with “0”, “1” or “2” stickers.

Vehicles will need to have a Crit’Air sticker in some parts of France (Image: Getty Images)

The RAC also warned that other European countries such as Spain and Switzerland also have increasingly strict emissions regulations but one country’s emissions sticker isn’t valid in another.

This means that UK tourists going on road trips covering several destinations will need to have multiple stickers.

RAC spokesman Rod Dennis said: “Many UK drivers will be familiar with clean air zones such as London’s ultra low emission zone, but they should also be ready to encounter them abroad this summer.

“It’s vital anyone travelling to Europe does their homework to see whether an emissions-based windscreen sticker is needed – and give themselves enough time to order one before their trip.

“Anyone without the right sticker or driving a non-compliant car into a low-emissions zone risks an on-the-spot fine.

“In France, six years after Crit’Air emissions stickers were first introduced in a bid to improve air quality, there are now 12 locations where British drivers’ movements can be restricted based on how much their cars emit.

“As time goes on, the regulations also get stricter and within a few years all but zero-emission vehicles will be banned from some city centres.”