Travel advice: scenic driving routes in France

We usually race through France to reach rented gîtes in the south. The autoroutes are easy but boring and we’d now like to take our time and enjoy a ‘‘scenic’’ route instead. Is this practical or will it take too long?
PR Sommerville

David Williams, a regular contributor to the Daily Telegraph Motoring section, replies

Inevitably you will find staunch supporters for both approaches, but the answer depends very much on your outlook and the amount of time at your disposal.

In straightforward economic terms, there are good cash savings to be made by sticking to France’s routes nationales (the equivalent of our A-roads) because you will avoid paying a total of £70 at the toll booths that dot the autoroutes between the Channel Tunnel at Calais and St Tropez, on the south coast. And – unlike many of our own A-roads – France’s are generally well-maintained and relatively uncrowded.

However, no matter how hard you study the maps, you will have to drive an additional 40 miles on the routes nationales as the autoroutes are more direct (one of the best websites for plotting routes, on or off the autoroutes, is at www.viamichelin.co.uk). The extra miles will dent your £70 savings by around one gallon of fuel, so it’s hardly a deal breaker.

There are, of course, factors other than money to consider. If you go by autoroute and drive at around the legal maximum limit of 130km/h (110km/h when wet), your journey will take about 10.5 hours. But if you factor in essential stops for rests, food and refuelling, total travelling time could easily be more than 12 hours.

By contrast, a non-stop journey to St Tropez on routes nationales will take considerably longer. Constant stop-starting for traffic lights or other vehicles, and being forced to take diversions through town and village centres, will take your total car time up to 17.5 hours. And that’s without any scheduled stops.

Which brings us to the question of an overnight stop. Even for those tackling the long drive south by autoroute, it’s highly advisable to stop for a night’s rest en route, even if two of you are sharing the driving, and particularly if you are unable – or unwilling – to catch a ferry or train at the crack of dawn, which itself might necessitate a long drive across Britain. Many crossings arrive late in the day, leaving vast mileages to cover in a short time if you want to get to the south in one go.

For those taking the scenic route, it’s virtually mandatory to stop – which is part of the fun. Either way, budget around €100 (£88) for one night for four people, plus meals.

Other factors? Going by autoroute is anything but relaxing. But the advantages are that you will have more time at your gîte, and driving on autoroutes is comparatively easy; as long as you stick to the speed limit and remain alert, it is easy to stay within the law. Motorways are statistically safer, too.

On the routes nationales you will be able to wind the windows down as you trundle through villages and towns, and soak in the atmosphere at your leisure. Rather than having to stick to crowded, expensive motorway-style service stations, you will be able to stop when you spot a beguiling café or restaurant.

The map-reading will be slightly more demanding off the autoroutes (unless you have satnav) but think of all the opportunities, en route, for purchasing life’s essentials: fresh olives, cheese, wine and so on.