Driving trip to France © Jonathan Lundqvist@flickr CC-BY
There are many visitors to France who enjoy the independence of driving to their destinations or just simply touring around the many regions of the country during their breaks away from the normal humdrum of life. Having the freedom to roam where you like and when you want to, has always had a certain appeal. It means travellers can explore and discover the areas they come across, stopping where they please to have a meal or to spend the night.
Over the years, we as a family have taken many such trips to various regions of France and we have thoroughly enjoyed our experiences. We normally set off for a pre-determined destination and plan our route pretty well before we set out. However, we do go off on tangents on the way especially if we see a sign for a ‘brocante’ fair or market that may be taking place just off our route. But this is all part of the fun of being able to go off the route because it means we discover new places we would not have otherwise come across.
Driving on motorways has never been a particularly appealing way to get to a destination unless of course, we are in a hurry. On holiday however, things should go at a slower and more relaxing pace which is why we try to avoid taking the motorways if we can. The lesser roads are so much more interesting and you get to see the countryside in much more detail as well. There are lots of small villages and towns to explore and there are always some traditional French shops in them which are worth investigating.
Driving through France © Tracey Adams@flickr CC-BY
The Internet is great for finding places to stay at, so you can pre-book before you set off. This is a great plan, especially if you are travelling with young children. If you are travelling on a budget this is also a good way of being able to plan just how much you will have to spend during your trip to France.
France is a big country and there is a lot to see in each and every region. The roads are good although the French do tend to drive rather fast, even on the lesser roads, so care has to be taken when driving in France but then this is true of most foreign countries. Once you have got used to driving on the opposite side of the road, the rest comes pretty easily. One thing we have always found in France is that the roads are all very well sign posted which is great if you are not familiar with a region.
Driving trip through France © Tracey Adams@flickr CC-BY
We have travelled by car to France for over 20 years. We drove from the North to the South and and we have discovered some lovely places as we have taken our time to arrive at our final destinations. There are some terrific routes that take you deep into the heart of the country where you find towns and villages which have remained very much as they were decades ago. This is what makes France such a charming country to tour around.