Hello
For expats whose native driver's licenses cannot be exchanged into a French one, I believe there are companies that can help in getting an EU license. You can then go ahead and exchange the EU license for a French one. Anyone in this forum has used these services? How reliable are they?
Thanks!A

No agencies to use! you just take your UK licence to you local prefecture with a self address envelope & photos, & they will exchange it for a french one at no cost to you. Its really that simple, mine took ten days, you will also get a paper in the meantime, just in case you get stopped by the police to say this is happening.
Please dont get conned by agencies offering this non required simple service!

Oh yes! others will tell you it takes longer, but as long as you fill the form in correctly,(take someone who speaks French with you) it will be a fast process, the only reason it takes so long for some folk, is that they can not string a sentance together in French!

With respect to other commenters, I think that the clue was in the question."activeinparis" does not seem to have a European licence. Therefore, all the advice vis-a-vis changing a U.K. licence into a French one, does not apply. Activeinparis wants to get a European licence and, then, change it for a French one. Am I correct activeinparis? If not would you be so good as to explain your, personal, situation, as this may allow us to help? Thank you.

Well spotted TIGGER!

Hello
Thanks for all the replies. I come from a US state which does not have a reciprocity agreement with France. I have driven more than 12 years on automatic and manual drive cars and I feel that I shouldn't spend more than €1500 on a driving school to get my licence.
I came across sites like eusdriverslicence.com which claim to exchange your US license to a EU one and then you can exchange that licence to a French one. Some reviews seem to indicate that it is a scam. I wanted to find out if there are legitimate services which allow you to do that.
I am asking since I read an article in NYTimes that talks about how agencies help people from Italy get their divorce from a different EU nation. (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/15/world/europe/15italy.html). If they do it for divorce, why not for a driver's licence?
Thanks!

active - would suggest that both the "divorce" via internet and the driver's licence "eschange" via internet are scams - buyer beware!