great driving roads in France

[alz505]

I am planning to take a 10 day road trip (with wife) through France starting from Calais to the Rivera and then up into Bordeaux. I want to get a chance to really have some fun in the car and would be great to hear from anyone who has had done something similar in the past and can suggest some good roads.

[Mello]

I haven't done it myself yet, but by all accounts you must drive over the Millau Bridge...

[ianash]

If you go to the Roads forum on PH you will find a number of threads refering to trips to the South of France. HTH

[Mr POD]

Annecy to Chamonix via the back roads.

[heebeegeetee]

Mr POD said:

Annecy to Chamonix via the back roads.

. Anywhere round there will do. personally i wouldn't bother with the bridge myself, yes its great to see but i found too much traffic in that area, even out of season. Stick to the Massif and Alps areas. North of the Riviera, all that area is fantastic.

When are you going though? You'll do yourself a big favour if you avoid the peak summer months.

[Paul 2000]

Worth bearing in mind that driving in France is not quite the motoring nirvana it used to be. I've lived here for three years and noticed that the police are much more in evidence. Fixed speed cameras are on the increase as are moveable speed checks. Another favourite of theirs is to wait at junctions and roundabouts in the middle of nowhere and stop everyone that passes through and breathalyse them. Nevertheless, driving is still sooooo much better than in the UK.

Edited by Paul 2000 on Thursday 16th April 07:27

[Mr POD]

heebeegeetee said:

Mr POD said:

Annecy to Chamonix via the back roads.

. Anywhere round there will do. personally i wouldn't bother with the bridge myself, yes its great to see but i found too much traffic in that area, even out of season. Stick to the Massif and Alps areas. North of the Riviera, all that area is fantastic.

When are you going though? You'll do yourself a big favour if you avoid the peak summer months.

We spent a week near Lake Annecy, having flown easy jet to Geneva.

Wife wanted to go to Chamonix for a day trip.

We had a Citroen C6 V6 TDI 2.9 L ? Auto with head up display and power everything. I had great fun in making everyone shiver.

The Sat Nav wanted to go the Long way round on the BIG roads, but I just ignored it for the first 3/4 of a hour. One thing though, my wife will scream at the sight of a 300 foot drop despite the fact that I was taking it easy.

[alz505]

Mr POD said:

heebeegeetee said:

Mr POD said:

Annecy to Chamonix via the back roads.

. Anywhere round there will do. personally i wouldn't bother with the bridge myself, yes its great to see but i found too much traffic in that area, even out of season. Stick to the Massif and Alps areas. North of the Riviera, all that area is fantastic.

When are you going though? You'll do yourself a big favour if you avoid the peak summer months.

We spent a week near Lake Annecy, having flown easy jet to Geneva.

Wife wanted to go to Chamonix for a day trip.

We had a Citroen C6 V6 TDI 2.9 L ? Auto with head up display and power everything. I had great fun in making everyone shiver.

The Sat Nav wanted to go the Long way round on the BIG roads, but I just ignored it for the first 3/4 of a hour. One thing though, my wife will scream at the sight of a 300 foot drop despite the fact that I was taking it easy.

That is going to be an issue for me as well as my wife is not a great lover of fast driving or roads without crash barriers and big drops, but she cant have everything!!

[Puggit]

Paul 2000 said:

Worth bearing in mind that driving in France is not quite the motoring nirvana it used to be. I've lived here for three years and noticed that the police are much more in evidence. Fixed speed cameras are on the increase as are moveable speed checks. Another favourite of theirs is to wait at junctions and roundabouts in the middle of nowhere and stop everyone that passes through and breathalyse them. Nevertheless, driving is still sooooo much better than in the UK.

What he says!

Be VERY careful in towns. When you go past the town name in a red border:

This indicates a 50kmph limit

When you leave the town:

Unless another speed limit is shown, then the speed limit is 90kmph

Les Flics are red-hot in towns these days, anything above 80kmph in a town is big trouble.

[geordieexpat]

I live in the SW France and I agree the roads are excellent but you have be vigilant for the police now

Derrick
Sagaris Driver

[Paul 2000]

geordieexpat said:

I live in the SW France and I agree the roads are excellent but you have be vigilant for the police now

Derrick
Sagaris Driver

Hi, I think we live about 15 minutes apart - I'm near Blajan.
Paul

[sider]

Mello said:

I haven't done it myself yet, but by all accounts you must drive over the Millau Bridge...

Have a look for this on Youtube before going out of your way to get there.

Impressive to drive up to, but once on it, you can't really see much other than concrete and big thick cables!

Still, an experience though.

I work in Civil Engineering so enjoyed it - but i know the likes of my Mrs would think it was a complete waste of time us going there.

[geordieexpat]

Paul

I am hoping to have the Sag down in Mondilhan mid Sept

[cs02rm0]

Puggit said:

90kmph

90000 mph, I reckon that's more sensible than some of the UK limits.

[nobrakes]

there's a Good Driving Routes in France by the AA. Cheap through Amazon or similar.

Good driving is best complemented by: good planning for dinner, or buying great food from the local butcher and baker or market for breakfast or a sandwich stop the next day!

[nobrakes]

AA BEST DRIVES France
ISBN 978 0 7495 5077 6.

It's almost all you will need. Great maps fo the size at the back. hotels etc etc .

[PottyMouth]

Try the road in the southern Alps from Gap to Cuneo... little known, but some fantastic views.

[leyorkie]

Mont Ventoux is worth a climb it is used for historic hill climbing see Octane magazine ( July I think)