Paris

Classic-car culture in Paris

Paris hosts Rétromobile in early February at Porte de Versailles, the largest classic-car show in Europe by visitor count, and Chantilly Arts & Élégance Richard Mille in September. The Traversée de Paris en Anciennes runs every January and July with hundreds of classic cars crossing the city. The market favours French makes (Citroën DS, Peugeot 504, Renault 4) and Italian roadsters.

Crit'Air, ZFE-m, and the 'collection' exemption

The Crit'Air low-emission zone covers all of Paris and most of the inner suburbs (ZFE-m, since 2025 enforcement). Vehicles older than 30 years can register as 'véhicule de collection' with the Fédération Française des Véhicules d'Époque (FFVE) and a 'Carte Grise de Collection', which exempts them from Crit'Air restrictions. Listings should disclose whether the car is collection-registered.

Best drives within reach

The Vallée de Chevreuse (45 minutes south-west) gives twisty rural roads through Île-de-France's hardwood forest. Fontainebleau (1 hour south-east) offers long straight forest roads and a château. The Loire Valley (2 hours south) is the classic French touring run, with Chenonceau, Chambord, and Villandry within a day's loop.

Conduites recommandées

• Vallée de Chevreuse loop

  ≈ 100 km, half-day. Forest, château villages, and the route through Dampierre and Chevreuse.

• Fontainebleau and the Forêt

  ≈ 130 km. Long forest straights and tight bends; Sunday classic-car meets at the château.

• Loire Valley week

  Paris → Chenonceau → Chambord → Villandry → Tours. 600 km over three to five days.

Documents et notes d'accès

• EU and EEA licence holders: no additional paperwork beyond passport and licence.
• UK, US, AU, NZ, CA: licence + International Driving Permit (1949 Convention) recognised.
• Crit'Air exemption requires the car to be registered as an FFVE collection vehicle. Check the listing.