Thoughts on driving in France
Have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised by how easy (most of the time) it was to drive in France. Taking a right-hand-drive car onto the continent takes a little bit of getting used to but thankfully the roads around Calais aren’t too taxing.
Took a bit of concentration for a while though. Thankfully Emma navigated rather well (most of the time) and we managed to drive through Calais town and onto the road towards Rouen. So, take your time until you get the hang of driving on the wrong side of the road.
So the thoughts:
First thing to note is that, although the roads are in good condition, (in some places better than British roads), signposting is a bit hit-and-miss. So you can expect to get lost here and there.
The trick is to not panic and make sure you either have a Satnav or that your navigator makes quick decisions and gives clear instructions (“turn left / turn right / go straight” is good – “that way” is not so good).
The second thing is that in the tourist areas French roads are full of tourists driving very slowly (plenty of Dutch we found). So best to stick to motorways if you’re in any kind of hurry.
A good example was our drive from Tauves to Issoire (the motorway junction) which, while only 50km or so, took over an hour and a half. A combination of windy roads and annoyingly slow tourists (no chance to overtake).
Third: motorway driving is easy but expect regular tolls. French registered cars don’t pay road tax but they make you pay for using major roads, bridges and tunnels.
So if you’re taking your time, you could save some money by using minor roads.
NB: We spent around £70 in tolls between Calais and Murcia in Spain so remember to take this into account. We’ll, no doubt, spend about the same on the way back.
Fourth: driving standards take a turn for the worst when approaching the Spanish border.
French drivers (away from Paris) seem very well behaved and generally quite courteous. However, the standard of driving in Spain is (in my view) appaling, they drive like lunatics, far to close, far too fast with little consideration for anyone else on the roads.
Sadly this influence seemed to hit French roads in the Southern Languedoc when we were driving down.
And finally: motorway services are generally pretty good. The food and drink is not too pricey (normally good quality too) and the toilet facilities clean and well-maintained. There are plenty of rest-stops too with just a parking area and toilets (many of them have picnic tables and kids play areas also).
So, enjoy your driving in France; some of it is very scenic and worth getting off the beaten track for.
