One of the great pleasures of driving south through France, perhaps to the Dordogne, Provence or even further south, is observing the changing landscape and, usually, the warming of the weather as you approach the Mediterranean.

Most people prefer to avoid the interestingly lively La Peripherique around Paris – even for the most competent drivers this can be a test of nerve. Travellers heading for regions south of Paris might be best to consider one of the Western Channel ferry routes (e.g.Roscoff, Caen, Cherbourg) to provide shorter driving distances whilst avoiding any need to circumvent Paris. Continue reading →