Paying French parking ticket from abroad
I got a parking ticket for apparently parking my rental car in the wrong place in front of my hotel. But as I had to leave quickly to get my flight back home, I was unable to pay it in France.
I figure that I should have bought a stamp in a French shop and thrown the ticket into a postbox. But how should I do that from abroad? Is there a way to pay it online?
Edit: I don't have a "fancy" ticket that could be paid online
Best Answer
The French system has a weak point when it goes to collecting fines past the borders, at least for traffic offenses. Even speeding tickets do not follow through when foreigners get back to their home countries, unless arrested by police directly. At least for now, since the government is in the process of partnering with other EU countries to be able to claim speeding fines to foreign drivers. I don't know if parking violations are concerned, as they are relatively small fish.
The aformentioned advice is not here to say it's okay to break driving laws, anyway.
It is the rental agency that you should rather deal with. Once they get the ticket registered with your car, they can forward the fine to your credit card with additional processing fees. Therefore, I would advise you to call them, tell them about the ticket and ask them what to do next.
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How do I pay a parking fine in France?
How do I pay my French parking fine? In most cases, a parking fine will be \u20ac35 (reduced if you pay within 15 days), and you will have 45 days to pay it. You will be issued a parking ticket or 'Avis de Contravention', detailing how to pay, and you can pay online by bank card, by cheque, or by phone.What happens if I get a parking ticket in France?
Parking fines in FranceThe amount that must be paid is either left as a fine on your windshield, or will be sent to the address that is on the vehicle's registration document. This fine must be paid in full within 3 months. Fines can be paid by cheque or with a timbre which is available from a tobacconist (Tabac).How do I pay a fine in France?
The easiest way to pay your speeding fine is online at the address given (www.amendes.gouv.fr), and you can pay the fine by credit or debit card. The website is available in English and is easy to follow. Alternatively, you can send a cheque using the attached payment form.More answers regarding paying French parking ticket from abroad
Answer 2
Two years ago I got a parking ticket while I was in France. The car was mine, not rented.
When I came back home (in Italy), I simply put the ticket receipt and a check for the owed amount in an envelope and I sent it to the address I found on the ticket itself.
I have not heard anything more about the ticket, so I suppose the French police cashed the check and everything went ok.
Answer 3
Received a parking violation May 2015 in France via a notice on the windshield of our rental vehicle. Had parked, as all others did, partially on sidewalk and partially on road. No signs to indicate no parking. Tried to go to municipal police stn and also mayor's office to try to pay as the ticket only indicated an infraction, but not the fine. Finally the tourist info office let us know that there was nothing we could do, just wait for the fine. We informed the rental company on return of the vehicle, but they said it could only be dealt with by their head office. Rental company charged 20 Euros for getting a fine and we just received a 35 Euro charge from Centre d'Encaissment des Amendes France, in the mail, with options for payment, including online. There is also opportunity to contest the ticket, but only via post. The online payment was straightforward and easy, with instructions available in English. Costly error!
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