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Top French City Breaks by Car
Much of France can be reached easily by car, and our guide gives you 10 top destinations you can reach in 5 hours or less drive time from one of the channel ports.
Once across the channel, the French autoroute network can speed you easily and safely to your chosen holiday destination.
So for a city break in France, why not drive instead of flying? We've selected 10 of the best cities and towns in France to visit by car, and all are 5 hours or less drive time from one of the main channel ports. Once you've chosen your destination, you can use French Connections to search for hotels.
Top French Cities and Towns to Reach by Car in 5 Hours or Less
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Bourges (Cher)
Bourges is a beautiful medieval town. It is situated in central France, located on the Yèvre river and is the capital of the department of Cher.
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Caen (Calvados)
Situated between land and sea, with beaches just 10 minutes away and 2 hours from Paris, on the Mont Saint-Michel road, Caen is a thriving and dynamic city offering a rare wealth of heritage and culture.
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Dijon (Côte d'Or)
Dijon is a city in eastern France, the administrative capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Bourgogne région. Dijon is the historical capital of the province of Burgundy.
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Le Mans (Sarthe - Pays de la Loire)
Le Mans is situated in the North West of France. It is a good stopover between Normandy and the Loire and is situated 80 kms from Tours.
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Lille (Nord)
Lille and its districts (in northern France) have a style of their own - somewhere between Flemish and baroque. Since the 17th century Lille has been enlarged three times, giving the town its present day look, which is that of a fairly new town. Eurostar trains stop at Lille, so it's an easy destination to visit.
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Orleans (Loiret)
Orléans is situated in the heart of France, on the north of the Loire, it is just over 100km from Paris.
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Paris (Paris)
Paris is the capital of France and one of the world’s great cities with endless amount of things to do. Despite the massive size of the city, Paris is also an easily navigable destination as the city centre itself is relatively compact and all areas of Paris are connected by a highly efficient public transport system.
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Reims (Marne, Champagne-Ardenne)
Reims is a city in northern France, situated in the department of Marne in the Champagne-Ardenne region. It is probably best known for its cathedral, Notre-Dame de Reims, where the kings of France were crowned.
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Rennes (Ile-et-Vilaine)
Rennes is the regional capital of Brittany. It is located in the extreme east of Brittany, about 75km south of St Malo. Between tradition and modernism, cultural identity and an open spirit, Rennes is a 'must visit' destination before heading for rural Brittany.
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Strasbourg (Bas-Rhin)
Strasbourg has flavors of both France and Germany, and sits right on the border of the two countries. The home of the European Parliament, this surprisingly cosmopolitan destination hosts France's oldest Christmas market and features a stunning cathedral.
