FrenchDuck’s databank
81 Tarn

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

Festival to celebrate the connection between windmills and bread (Fete du Four au Moulin) including a demonstration of milling the flour in the traditional manner (wind permitting!) - plus a Marché de Terroir (farmers market) - lots of different breads to try, music,dancing in this village also famous for its Pink Garlic (Ail Rose) festival earlier in the summer. Gaillac is the local wine.
For more info see http://ot.lautrec.free.fr

Gailac (81 Tarn, Midi-Pyrenees) holds its annual 2–day wine fair every August. Red,white and rose wines from lesser known grape varieties such as Mauzac and l’En d’El. 4–5 Aug 07

Recommended vineyard:Domaine de Labarthe

The village of Lautrec (81 Tarn, Midi-Pyrenees) near Albi holds its annual Pink Garlic Festival - La fête de l’Ail Rose de Lautrec.The highlights include the free tasting of the Lautrec Pink Garlic soup, a competition for the longest woven string of garlic (current record is over 21 metres) and a garlic tart competition (and a Miss Pink Garlic competition).
For more info see www.ailrosedelautrec.com

The day for an individual time trial around Albi (81 Tarn,Midi-Pyrenees) - in many ways less exciting for spectators than a normal stage, but you do get to see everyone of the cyclists remaining in the tour on the 54km circular route.
Albi has a famous cathedral and Toulouse-Lautrec Museum, and is on the edge of the Gaillac AC vineyards - see Domaine de Labarthe

For more info on the Tour de France 2007 see www.letour.fr or UK Eurosport where there are some good interactive maps of the route.

Montpellier (34 Herault, Languedoc-Roussillon) through the Parc Naturel Regional du Haut Languedoc with its beautiful and dramatic scenery and on to Castres (81 Tarn, Midi-Pyrenees) - home of a very successful Rugby Union team and on one of the pilgrimage routes to St Jean de Compostelle in Spain.

For more info on the Tour de France 2007 see www.letour.fr or UK Eurosport where there are some good interactive maps of the route.

For the South West the A20 autoroute (l’Occitaine) is now complete linking Paris and Toulouse via the A10 to Orleans, then the A71 to Vierzon onto the A20 for Toulouse via Limoges, Brive, Cahors and Montauban. This is a very enjoyable road cutting through some glorious scenery - and such a joy for those who used to struggle on the old N20. This provides much easier access to Limoges, the Upper Dordogne & Sarlat, and the Lot Valley, Montauban and Toulouse. Cahors is now less than 7hrs from Calais - although you will have to pay about €47 (£30) in tolls (2006 figures) for the journey from Calais to Toulouse. However, the stretch from Vierzon (18 Cher, Centre) and the A71 junction south to Brive-la-Gaillarde (19 Corrèze, Limousin) is toll free!