France

French bollards are usually thick white cylindrical posts with red reflectors. Some varieties have different cap or reflector colors, and there are also eraser-shaped ones.

Phone numbers follow a format of five pairs of two-digit numbers. They are usually separated by spaces or dots. The first two digits indicate the region — Paris is 01. The second pair of digits can be used to narrow down the area further.

If a pole or pillar has a blue plate attached, there is a 99% chance you are somewhere in French territoryLeft pole photo credit. There are rare exceptions, but betting against the odds is very risky.

Yellow road shields that start with “D” are scattered across France. However, spotting them on the map can be quite difficult.

License plates generally follow the EU standard with a blue strip on the left only. However, some have blue strips on both sides, and occasionally you can find fully yellow plates.

Blue and white chevrons are used in France. In Europe, only France and Spain use blue and white chevrons.

Concrete square utility poles and segmented poles can be found. The same type of pole also exists in the French territory of Réunion. Segmented poles are also found in neighboring Spain, and hollow-core poles and Chile-style poles are also occasionally seen, so check the surrounding scenery as well.

Street name signs are sometimes mounted on building walls and say “Rue”. You may also see plates in other languages such as Occitan alongside them. Below is a sign from Toulouse.

Mailboxes in France are often rectangular and cube-shaped. Similar mailboxes can occasionally be found in Portugal.

Red regulatory signs such as speed limits have a white border. Notably, the blue “keep right” sign being square is unique to France.

A center line consisting of two squares joined together is found only in France.

Poles with blue plates attached. Segmented poles also exist.

Système U is a French supermarket cooperative (from Wikipedia 『Système U』). When it levels up, it becomes Hyper U.

There are also mountains near Germany.

Dull-colored rocky mountains made of crystalline schist stretch across the island.

They seem most common on the west coast, especially around the natural parks in the southwest. They can also be found on the southeastern coast. See this map for their distribution.

Found near the southeastern coast and the Hyères Islands. See this map for their distribution.

Found mostly along the southern coast(References iNaturalist - Arundo donax). Giant reed generally grows in warm areas. For example, in Turkey it grows along the southern coast, in Japan it is found in the southern half, and in New Zealand it is found on the North Island.

Phone numbers consist of five pairs of two-digit numbers. The first pair (essentially the area code) identifies the region. Paris is 01. From 02 onward they go clockwise, making them easier to remember compared to other countries.

Along the west coast, especially on the islands, white-walled single-story houses are common. Window shutters are often painted in bright colors.

Walls built from thin flat white stones stacked together can be found here.

Regions where slate is readily available tend to have dark roofs(References Brittany). For example, the Brittany region in the northwest has many dark roofs with stone walls and stone-built houses. According to Wikipedia(References Ardoise), the areas where slate was heavily produced — the northwestern peninsula, the Corrèze area in central France, and near the Pyrenees — tend to have dark roofs. See ‘France Tips for Geoguessr’ for detailed regional maps.

Houses built with wooden planks can be found here.

Brick houses can be found. The photo shows the town of Auby.

Source: Swinnen, Johan, Pavel Ciaian, and d’Artis Kancs. Study on the Functioning of Land Markets in the EU Member States under the Influence of Measures applied under the Common Agricultural Policy. No. 04/2008. EERI Research Paper Series, 2008.

Place names are influenced by neighboring languages. If you see “~heim”, head toward the German border. “~court” or “~ville” suggests the north. If you see “~ac” and there are few dark roofs, head south.

Below is a sign from Toulouse — the lower text is in Occitan.

For historical reasons, the French text on signs is sometimes graffitied over or has holes punched through it. See external sources for details(References Corsica).

It is a small island, but mountains exceeding 2,500 m stretch across it, and inland roads show rugged mountain scenery. The photo shows the D27 road. Except for the eastern coast, there is virtually no flatland, and 40% of the island is a nature park with pristine wilderness. If the terrain is mountainous with natural (non-planted) forests and no signs of agriculture, consider this island.

Noirmoutier Island is a Ramsar-listed wetland, with flat terrain that is quite unusual for France(References Noirmoutier Island). There are many waterways with abundant floating aquatic plants. Similar landscapes can also be found on Île d’Oléron and Île de Ré.

There are many unpaved roads and yellow signs. The Mediterranean climate means the surrounding vegetation has a warm feel(References Porquerolles).

Karst inlets near Marseille. The Marseille outskirts have many such karst formations. Beware of hollow-core poles and Chile-style poles in this area.

The D64 road runs through here.

A road leads to Aiguille de la Grande Sassière, an Alpine peak in the Savoy department of France. Noted here because it does not immediately look like France at first glance.

Paris arrondissements start at the Louvre (1st) and increase in a spiral pattern clockwise.

Near intersections, building walls display plates reading “XX ARR, RUE YY”. For example, the plate below indicates the 8th arrondissement of Paris.