I live in France, quite a few years now, and all i can say is , be careful.!! very careful.
The laws here regarding detection, are vague, so much so that there are endless discussions and interpretations. It basically comes to this,,, Historical sites and areas in close proximity are off limits.. including the beaches of WW2 and known Battlefields,, also castles and ruins have a cordon around them of a few 100 meters.. Detecting on public land (with local Mairie permission) is not illegal,, but finding anything is !!! basically. Any finds, of any age or value, must be left in the ground and reported to authorities... It is messy.. Private land also, even with permission from owner, falls into the same confusion.
There are large numbers of detectorists here and groups are always putting pressure on the state for clarity and modernisation of the laws.
So , as I said,, be careful.
AD
