[j19yjh999]

Hello everyone,

For our summer holiday this year we are planning a driving holiday to France (to stretch the cars legs a bit) what with Volcano's and bloody BA !

We've got 2 weeks booked off in September and are currently in the planning stage.

So far the only thing that I know that I want to do is head down to the south coast and take a drive around the streets / race track of Monaco.

Just wondering / hoping that perhaps some of you have done this sort of trip before and could make some suggestions of places that we must visit / must avoid (I.e. Towns / areas / restaurants / Roads etc) and just some general advice as have not driven on the wrong side of the road before.

Also, for those of you that have experience of driving in France... When the moment takes us I'd like to open the taps a little on those quiet French roads and was wondering about speed cameras, police, fines etc etc etc.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated !

Cheers

James & Catherine

[F31-340i]

This thread might help

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=390936

[Oli]

Ive done this a few times, but always with children, so I always drive down overnight whilst they are asleep, and just get to my destination asap. However, the speed camera's are forward facing in France, but if you take a tomtom, they are all on their speed camera alerts. You have to be careful during the day, as the police love a speed gun, and the obligatory 90 Euro fine!! We've had a couple of these on recent snowboard trips. Tolls are expensive though- Approx £80 each way, all the way down, from memory, but that was at 1:1 exchange rate, and diesel is much the same price, but UL is expensive, from memory.

We stayed in Frejus last year, halfway between Monaco and St Tropez - Both worth a visit, especially Monte Carlo, which is a full day out. St Tropez was just an evening visit for us. As we have kids our wants for days out would be different to yours, but these two should be good to start with.

With regards to stretching the cars legs, the french toll roads are smooth and very easy to hold a high speed for a long time. We did 120-130mpg for approx 2 hours behind a German E class, constantly swapping the lead position, in some of the safest driving conditions Ive ever had - where the toll roads are quite expensive, they are deserted.

I hope that helps, I love driving on the continent, and usually do it for at least 3 weeks a year, with snowboarding and a summer holiday.

Enjoy

[j19yjh999]

Thanks guys !

[acerboo]

watch out for the french filth! bastards had me for £80 for doing 40 in a 30 limit even though there were no signs to say it was 30. they expect you to know.

[creepy coupe]

I've done the French Alps a few times, Lake Annecy, Lake Geneva, both well worth a visit, some great roads and scenery.

[magic77]

the autoroutes are great just been in reims for a week, a stretch from calais to just outside Reims set me back abnout 15 eruos. So make sure you have cash for tolls. As not always will they take a credit card.

And as said above watch the speed, cameras are hidden and so are the cops. I downloaded set of Speed Camera Points of Interest for whole of europe from pocketgpsworld so at least I had a some idea where the cams and cops could be.

Best bit if dry speed limit is 130 so about 80mph which certianly my e90 sat and cruised far easier then at 70

[Oli]

That's surprising about using cash at the tolls, I never have, and go about 3 x a year. You must have been unlucky.

[beemerbird]

Originally Posted by j19yjh999

Hello everyone,

For our summer holiday this year we are planning a driving holiday to France (to stretch the cars legs a bit) what with Volcano's and bloody BA !

We've got 2 weeks booked off in September and are currently in the planning stage.

So far the only thing that I know that I want to do is head down to the south coast and take a drive around the streets / race track of Monaco.

Just wondering / hoping that perhaps some of you have done this sort of trip before and could make some suggestions of places that we must visit / must avoid (I.e. Towns / areas / restaurants / Roads etc) and just some general advice as have not driven on the wrong side of the road before.

Also, for those of you that have experience of driving in France... When the moment takes us I'd like to open the taps a little on those quiet French roads and was wondering about speed cameras, police, fines etc etc etc.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated !

Cheers

James & Catherine

I've never been to the south coast only as far as the Dordogne which is very nice and a flavour of the real France if you like. The Milau bridge is definitely worth a visit btw.

Depending on how you plan your route, avoid staying in the large industrial towns, I've passed through some and they are what they are. Once we'd planned our route I just googled towns we'd be passing through. We've used say Rouen as a stop over. Le Mans is nice for the museum but not much else there.

Last year we went to the Alsace region which was beautiful but is a bit to the east and right on the German border.

Personally, I've never had a problem with the froggy police and the further south we went along the fantastic toll roads, never saw any coppers. They tend to sniff around nearer Calais on the toll roads in my experience. The cameras on the toll roads are front facing and you are always given plenty of warning where they are via road signs, so you slow down and pass them at the speed limit and then continue. I cruised everywhere at around 90-100mph and no probs. Be sensible through the towns though as you would here.

Think you'll probably find you simply get into driving on the wrong side of the road, it seems 'logical' when you get there if that makes sense.

Watch it when eating out though as they have an aversion to serving vegetables and salad with meals. I always ended up having to order a salad vert (green salad, which is literally just that!) which bumps the price up. Last year we found eating out was generally more than the UK (well more than Yorkshire ) and not as good value due to the lack of veg etc.

But no matter, it is a lovely country and well worth visiting.