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Maps France

Most French autoroutes between major towns and cities are toll motorways, which whilst often offering fast and uncrowded dual-carriageways, can nevertheless add significantly to the cost of a trip through France - e.g over €90 (over £60) on a one-way trip from Calais to Nice (1226km of motorway driving about 760 miles).

However there are significant sections of autoroute which are toll free - most often these are around major towns and Cities (Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon etc).

In the North, the A16 is toll-free from Boulogne (J29) to the Belgian border (J36) via Calais and Dunkerque. The A25 from Dunkerque (J20) to Lille is free, so you can reach Lille from the main Channel ports without paying a toll!. Also all routes from Lille to the Belgian border.
The following autoroutes are toll free (as at September 2007)
A16 (part of the Autoroute des Estuaires (estuaries)) from Boulogne-sur-Mer (J29) to the Belgian border(J36)
A20 (L’Occitane) from Vierzon (J6 junction with A71) to Brive-la-Gaillarde (J53) via Chateauroux, Argenton and Limoges
A25 from Dunkerque (J20 with A16) to Lille
A28 from Abbeville (J1) to Rouen (J14)
A30/A31 (Autoroute de la Vallée de la Fensch) from Thionville (J1) to Toul (J12) via Metz and Nancy
A38 from Dijon (J33) to Pouilly-sur-Auxois (J24 and the junction with the A6)
A63 (Autoroute de la Cote Basque) from Bordeaux to Bellin-Bellet (J20)
A64 (la Pyreneenne) from St Martory (J20) to Muret (J25)
A68 (la Tarnaise) from Monastruc (J3 NE of Toulouse) to Albi (J11) via Gaillac
A75 (la Meridienne) from Clermont-Ferrand (J15) to Pezenas (J59) (except for the Millau Bridge) via Issoire
A77 (Autoroute de l’Arbre (trees)) from Pouilly (J26) to Nevers (J37)
A84 from Caen (J46) to Rennes (J25) via Avranches

In the heart of the Côtes de Duras vineyards between St Astier and Duras (47 Lot-et-Garonne, Aquitaine) on the Chateau la Petite Bertande - a gite sleeping up to 8 people.

See www.chateau-lapetitebertrande.com
see map

The pretty Provencal seaside town of Cassis (13 Bouches-du-Rhone, Provence) - east of Marseille celebrates the local wine (Cassis AC) - not the blackcurrant liqueur which traditionally comes from Dijon in Burgundy.
See www.vinscassis.com/

see map

Chateau Ricardelle produces an excellent range of Coteaux du Languedoc AC la Clape and Vins de Pays d’Oc wines and has some rather classy self-catering accomodation on the vineyard at la Clape between Narbonne (11 Aude, Languedoc-Roussillon) and the Mediterranean coast.

see map

For those of us accustomed to driving in France it is easy to forget how strange it seems to be driving on the wrong side of the road! This is especially the case nowadays when the exit from many Cross-Channel ferry ports is straight onto a fast dual carriageway which takes you away from the town - so it can be several hours until you really have to start thinking about navigating things like roundabouts the wrong way round.
The biggest danger is pulling away after a break, like a picnic or a petrol station - especially on quiet roads in the countryside, where the only thing to signal that you are on a foreign road will be that idiot coming towards you on your side of the road, flashing his headlights and gesticulating something about foreigners, which fortunately you cannot understand. I suspect we have all done it. I went one better a few years ago - after a couple of weeks driving around France I drove back (alone) through rural Hampshire, and after a brief stop pulled off onto the wrong side of the road in England!! - very embarassing, but fortunately no damage done except to the nerves of the poor motorist coming the other way! The best thing is to always park or pull-off onto the right-hand side of the road and/or delegate one of your passengers to do a “pre-flight” check at the start of any journey or after a stop!

There is an article in the Telegraph (21 April 07) about the town of Flers (61 Orne, Normandy) where they have put up signs in English reminding drivers to drive on the right! This follows a couple of fatal accidents caused by british motorists, for whom Flers is but an hour or 50 miles south from the ferry terminal at Caen/Ouistreham - and offers a convenient coffee stop after the overnight ferry.

There is plenty for the foreign motorist to be aware of in France - especially the notorious “Priorité à Droite” rules which still apply. especially in towns and rural roads - although fortunately not on autoroutes or other major routes (nor on roundabouts, where the traffic on the roundabout has priority).
The sign at the top of this page is not just a “crossroads” sign as we know it in the UK - it is the sign for a junction (not necessarily a crossroads) where you do not have priority - the vehicle coming from your right has priority!!
On the panel below the two signs on the left indicate that you do have priority - those on the right say you should give priority to traffic coming from the right! If in doubt - be prepared for some sticky moments!

For more on driving in France see www.frenchduck.co.uk

Camembert and Brie - famous soft cows milk cheeses from northern France

see map (more…)

The Domaine la Fourmone and its sister vineyard l’Oustau Fauquet produce top quality Vacquyras AC, Gigondas AC and Côtes du Rhône wines -
More info about the domaine
see map (more…)

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Venue for the 2006 French Sailing Championships. In the département of the Var in the Region Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (PACA).
For more info see www.ot-hyeres.fr/uk/ and www.frenchduck.com

Motorway Service Area (aire) on the A61 Autoroute des 2 Mers between Toulouse and Castelnaudry with Ovalie Museum (Rugby) and Centre for the Canal du Midi.
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South of Blois in the Touraine, Cheverny (41 Loir-et-Cher, Centre) offers good food, wine and hotels - see map (more…)

Compiegne (61 Oise, Picardie) - just off the A1 autoroute north of Paris - Hotel Restaurant Au Relais Napoleon - see map (more…)