Tips for Driving in France

Many holidaymakers tell us that they find driving in France an easy and comfortable experience. We've got the best hints and tips from regular travellers, to help you get your holiday off to the best possible start.

• On Autoroutes, or A roads, there are numerous attractive rest areas or Aires, ranging from picnic/toilet/petrol stops to full-scale service stations with restaurants and shops selling local produce. If you won't be arriving at your holiday property until the evening, when local shops are likely to be closed, services are a good place to purchase something for supper.
  
   
• Main non-motorway routes or routes nationales are identified as N roads. A good choice if you want a break from motorway driving or to see more small towns, villages and scenery. Road numbering can be confusing so best to follow destination signs.
  
   
• Avoid seasonal congestion at the beginning and end of August when most French people holiday en masse. Also avoid if possible the week around July 14th and around August 15th, both big national holidays. HGV's are banned from the roads on Sundays all year round so motorways are quieter on this day outside seasonal peaks.
  
   
• Direction signs starting with Bis indicate bison futé, a holiday route avoiding crowded roads. Worth taking at busy times like summer Saturdays. Maps showing these alternative routes are available free from garages.
  
   
• If your holiday property is situated in the west of France, you could save hours of driving time by taking the ferry to Cherbourg or Le Havre rather than the shorter Dover to Calais route. You'll spend more of your journey sat comfortable on the boat and less of it behind the wheel.
  
   
• If you have a long drive in the UK to reach the channel ports, break your journey by staying the night in Dover, then catch a lower priced ferry early the next morning. There's a wide choice of accommodation locally from budget hotels, to Walletts Court country house hotel, or Great Weddington upmarket B&B.