Popular Driving Trips in France

­­With up to eighty million tourists a year, France is officially the world’s most visited country - and by a wide margin. The country offers an enormous number of cultural opportunities and historic attractions, combined with the high quality of life enjoyed by its citizens and by those who frequent it. It’s no wonder that France is said to be one of the most pleasurable countries to drive in, with advanced road networks and magnificent scenery. The topography of this country is highly varied: ranging from the low lying valleys of the north and west - where the straight Roman roads provide idyllic driving, to the rugged and mountainous gorges of the south and southeast - where the high country roads provide more challenging drives.

Popular routes include the drive from Paris to Orleans, taking the A10 (motorway/highway). Here, after you have marvelled the delights of the French capital, you can take a break in the Loire Valley where there are plenty of exciting tourist attractions, such as the world-famous Château de Chenonceau and the Château de Chambord.

Another popular drive is from Menton, a beautiful resort near the Franco-Italian border, to Cannes, the host of the famous international film festival. Although a relatively short (40 mile) drive on the A80 (motorway/highway), you will find an endless number of places to explore here. The route takes you near famed coastal resorts such as Nice and Antibes, easily some of the most beautiful on the Mediterranean Riviera. Slightly inland you can find sleepy ancient villages such as Peillon and Tourrettes-sur-Loup, high up in the nearby mountains, virtually untouched by modern civilisation.

However, while the views are stunning, the roads getting to them are not. The only way of reaching these villages is through twisty narrow country lanes with hairpin bends – at the very best a tolerable drive! However, it is the isolation of these medieval sites which is what keeps them so authentic and non-commercialised.

In terms of general advice with regards to driving in France, it is important to be vigilant of your speed. French police are very strict with regards to drivers who exceed the local speed limit and in regards to speeding fines; they do not generally treat tourists any more leniently than the locals. The minimum age in which a licensed UK driver can temporarily drive an imported car is 18. This also applies to motorcycles.

Drinking and Driving

Substantial penalties, including the possibility of imprisonment, are to be given if a driver’s alcohol reading has reached 0.05 percent of the bloodstream (this is 0.02% for a coach or bus driver). As in other countries such as the UK, saliva tests will be carried out to detect drivers suspected of being under the influence of any drugs and undoubtedly these can carry severe penalties.

Overall, driving in France can prove to be a generally enjoyable experience and car hire is easily available at many of the airports, cheap car hire Limoges airport for your travelling needs.

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