The Country
of Romance
France is one of the most popular holiday destinations in the world,
and aside from the language an extremely easy country to travel.
Though distances might be quite far compared to home, covering all the main
sights and cities in your car hire is no problem at all since the road
network is excellent.
Traditional Sites in the
Capital
Most tourists start with the obvious: Paris. Accommodating tourists
is a major concern of the city administration and during high season they
provide plenty of free parking space which is a plus point when you have a car
hire. If your vacation is supposed to cover all or even just some of France you
will probably only have a few days in Paris, so you will want to stay with the
traditional tourist tour: Eiffel Tower, Sacré-Cœur Basilica, Panthéon,
Louvre, Notre Dame, Versailles, Arc de Triomphe, Assemblée
Nationale, Luxembourg Gardens – the list is seemingly (and
factually) endless. As soon as your time in the capital is up, take
your car rental and hit the Peripherique, the highway encircling the
city, and just pick an exit.
Explore the Biggest
town: Then Pleasure Your Taste Buds
We recommend a trip in western direction with your car hire towards Bretagne
(Brittany) region. This rugged beauty has preserved a special charm, and
the locals are rough but welcoming and very down to earth. The obvious
destination in the region is Brest, the biggest town. On the Atlantic
shore it offers all the attraction one expects from an old seaport: there is a
castle guarding the harbour, a defence tower (Tour Tanguy) right
opposite it, plenty of seafront to enjoy and a number of good restaurants where
fish and mussels are served with white wine and garlic.
Often overlooked but by no means less interesting is Quimper, an insider
tip for Brittany region. Beautifully located on the confluence of no less than
3 rivers it features the gothic Saint-Corentin Cathédrale, medieval
fortifications and countless little alleys framed by timber frame houses .
Picture Perfect
After a major jump south visit the Provence region and stop in Bordeaux and
Toulouse on the way.
The Provence is quite different to the rough north, it is sunny and
warm, and the air is full of lavender and rosemary. This is a particularly
popular area among campers, especially the area around Mont Ventoux.
Other places of note include Aix-en-Provence, the picturesque Roman city
overlooking the river Arc. The rocky seaside and mountainous countryside
have produced fantastic photo motifs like Le Barroux and Gordes, classic
Provence hilltop towns, and the Château d'If, a fortified island.
Roman relics are scattered all over the Provence, and towns like Arles, Avignon,
Nimes, and the village of Saint-Chamas are just a few examples of
ancient towns in the region.
Marseilles, Nice, and Monaco are all worth a visit, and if
you have to pick one because of time pressure, Marseilles is probably the most
exciting, unless you like the extravaganza of Monaco.
Driving with your car rental
in France
Before we close a few words about driving with your car hire in France. Few
highways are completely toll-free, but the Routes Nationales, the
country roads, are generally free of charge, allowing you to avoid pay
stations. Book shops and gas stations sell maps which indicate toll-free
sections.
The speed limit is 50 kmph in the city and 90 kmph outside, though on highways
you can go up to 130 kmph. Speeding is a serious offence and fines are hurtful,
and in residential areas you will find a lot of sleeping policemen. On the
bright side this means the French are quite relaxed and responsible drivers and
once you get used to driving on the wrong side of the road you won’t have any
problems.
