Driving in France

[shirazplease]

We're taking our first driving trip to France next month, and I was wondering what's the best way to navigate? Using the viamichellin website, satnav or a combination of the 2?

Welcoming any tips!!

Take an up to date road atlas in the car. Sat nav is not the be all and end all. Web access abroad is expensive. Google maps for a few minutes ate into a sizeable amount of the web booster I got from T-mobile.

We use a French road map and the Sat Nav.

I like to know where I am on the map as the sat nav sometimes loses signal, usually in a busy town.

But sat nav is good for telling you which exit to take at a roundabout just before you get to it to save you relying on reading road signs.

Sat nav. I used to print pages of Viamichelin instructions but satNav is so much easier. We have used a TomTom in France, Italy, gernany, Slovenia, Croatia and it is brilliant. No more arguments as you go round and round a roundabout trying to work out which turning. Plus you can take it with you if you're hiring a car. I might take a map too for an overview.

I always take a map with us as satnav always seems to fail at a critical moment.

Viamichelin is great for calculating tolls if you're travelling on the motorway network so you don't get any nasty surprises.

I've also read somewhere that you can apply for a telepeage gadget from the UK which saves you having to queue at the toll booths. Might be worth googling as you can gain quite a bit of time, especially as you're going to be travelling in the peak holiday time.

link for toll doodah. Well worth having as it can save lots of queuing and fiddling round with cards/change etc.

I usually print off the Via Michelin instructions but we generally rely on the sat nav. If you are staying somewhere remote a map of your destination is usually a good idea. We've done the searching for remote gite complexes thing.....

Great advice. Thanks all! We have a tomtom which has been good in the past. So I think a combination of viamichelin (to make sure satnav has selected the best route) and satnav will hopefully get us there. If we struggle I can always pick up a French atlas at the motorway services.

Fab tip about the toll queue jumper too. Thanks!!

We've just been driving round Provence and to the Cote d'Azur and back using just a road atlas that predates some recent road number changes. No major problems that couldn't be solved by going twice round the occasional roundabout to double check the road signs.

Look up rules of what you need in the car too.

You'll need to fit special stickers to head lights in some cars and you have to carry hi vis jackets and warning triangle and am sure read something about spare glasses if you wear glasses.

All right hand drive cars require deflectors to be fitted to headlights. At least we no longer have to paint them yellow now. The law to fine people not carrying 2 self breathalyser kits has been stopped, you need a GB sticker or number plate. Look at the AA's website for requirements.