Driving licences: readers defend French officialdom Town halls, in certain circumstances, can only give basic advice on what has to be done. The sous-prefecture is where you can get the actual information. Dr Bernard Juby Armaillé, France SIR - I took along my old British licence, in English and Welsh, plus a new photo to my local prefecture in Bourg en Bresse and it took about 30 minutes. I picked up the new French licence a week later. No official translations. Cost: virtually nothing. Roger Page Bourg en Bresse, France SIR - I just read your article on wanting a French driving licence and found it quite amusing since both my wife and I have changed our English driving licence for precisely the same reason. We live in the Lot-et-Garonne and changed our licence very easily. We filled a simple form in and took our old licence, passport and money to the sous-prefecture at Marmande and voila, within 10 minutes it was all done. Of course if you live in France you will know that if you talk to 20 different people you will get 20 different experiences. We have experienced very little of the French bureaucracy so many people rant about; in fact we have found them very helpful during the 10 years we have lived here. David Holmes Lot-et-Garonne, France SIR - I have the ideal solution to obtaining a French licence. Simply apply at the commissariat de police in Albi, Tarn. I did just that. The only documents required were a UK licence and a couple of photos. The French licence arrived in the post three days later, and it was free! John Dixon Cahuzac-sur-Vere, France SIR - It could not have been easier here in the Dordogne, I went to the local sous-prefecture in Nontron to re-register my car, and was handed a guidance note written in English. I also asked about getting a French driving licence and again was handed a guidance note in English. I completed this the same day, having obtained passport photographs from a local supermarket. I went back to the sous-prefecture, completed the form and received my French licence by post four days later. Car re-registration was completed in a week. Maybe this was so quick because of the number of British people living in the Dordogne, but I was still impressed. Nigel John Dordogne, France SIR - I changed my UK driving licence in 2010 on reaching 70 years, as I live in France. I went to the prefecture in Gourdon in the Lot and took my UK licence, my new application and my passport, and it arrived in the post one week later. No translations, no marriage certificates. No bureaucracy. It must be where you live and the functioners working in your prefecture. The problem in France is that each prefecture interprets the rules differently and it can cause enormous problems. An expat Lot, France