How far is far in France?

Bonjour~ First trip in the planning to France in Oct/08. Have Paris figured out,thanks to many on this site. After our stay in Paris we will rent a car, drive to Normandy where we will be based for 12 days. (Friends of ours have a home on the west coast of Normandy approx 25 min drive south of Cherbourg. Little town, 250 people - should be fun.)We want to discover Normandy of course, then originally thought we%26#39;d head off to the Loire Valley. But after much reading and research, the Languedoc region is looking pretty interesting. Who%26#39;s been there? Carcassonne %26amp; Collioure sound truly fabulous. I%26#39;ve always wanted to see the Mediterranean and since we don%26#39;t have time to do the %26quot;South%26quot;, this looks good and the closest I%26#39;ll get to it. I%26#39;m sure it%26#39;s all good, but when one only has 12 days, I%26#39;ve got to be selective.

So all you seasoned travellers out there,I%26#39;d love to hear from you. Is this feasible? How many hours am I in a car? Normandy to this region, travelling time. I%26#39;ll tell you what I don%26#39;t want - to have a holiday stuck in a car the whole time. Maybe it%26#39;s too far?? But how far is far in France? 6 hours? I really don%26#39;t know the distances so need your help. Someone told me that if you drive anywhere in France you are leaving the country. Is the Autoroute that great?

Thanks again!!

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This site:

http://www.viamichelin.co.uk/

will help you with route planning and journey times by car.

IMO if you have 12 days, then stick with Normandy and the Loire, you could go to the Atlantic coast and still see the Sea, (but it won%26#39;t be the Med!)

Otherwise, if going to the Med means that much to you, forget the Loire, and Autoroute it straigt dwon from Normandy to say Carcassonne, and then down to the coast at (eg Sete) and spend the rest of your time there)

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I also wanted to recommend the Via Michelin site. It was an invaluable tool when I was planning driving trips across Europe.

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It%26#39;s feasible but as you are already so close to the Loire Valley, I recommend you will make better use of valuable vacation time by concentrating your travels to the northern regions.

Save Languedoc for a return trip.

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Does you%26#39;re 12 days %26quot;include%26quot; or %26quot;exclude%26quot; Paris?

If it includes Paris, ditch the Loire (although I loved it) and limit yourself to Paris/Normandy.

If it does not include Paris, I would think the Loire is a logical add-on to Normandy as it is closer to Normandy and closer to Paris for the return trip.

Unless you%26#39;re on the autoroute, the speed on French department roads is not as fast as here in the States and I assume in Canada. It can take longer to get from point A to point B than you would assume. Also factor in the different road signs (you%26#39;re bound to get lost - we did several times!) so add in add%26#39;l time for missing the proper turnoff in a roundaabout and things like that.

Stay in Normandy %26amp; the Loire, save Carcassone/Dordogne to add-on to a trip to Provence!

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Sounds like you are near Valognes, a scruffy little town. Don%26#39;t let me put you off, it has an excellent patisserie and an interesting church, although much damaged in the war.

You should find a lot to interest you within 50 miles-- Caen, Bayeaux and the tapestry, Mont St Michel, St Malo, the landing beaches, Dinard etc etc.

Enjoy being a local if you can.

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I%26#39;ve spent a lot of time in the Languedoc region especially around Collioure, Argeles and Perpignan. Carcassone is also an impressive place to visit.

However ... it%26#39;s a long way from the North of France especially if you are planning to drive. I%26#39;ve travelled down to this area by train (as a foot passenger), by coach, by putting the car on the train, and by driving. Six hours in a car won%26#39;t get you there. However, it is definitely possible to drive non-stop from anywhere in France to this area if you are able to split the driving.

Remember to factor in the cost of the fuel and (using the Autoroutes) the cost of the tolls!!!

I don%26#39;t get what you mean by saying %26quot;if you drive anywhere in France you are leaving the country%26quot;.

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We will be holidaying in the Languedoc this summer (Portiragnes Plage), we will be driving from Calais and we have calculated a trip of 10 hours driving.

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Thanks everyone - good information. We%26#39;ll probably skip Southwest France for this trip. Our 12 days excludes Paris.

Helking: Upon your return, report back about your driving trip. I%26#39;ll be curious to know how it went. Have a great time.

Ginger: Some people I spoke to told me that you can basically drive anywhere in France in under 6 hours then find yourself in another country. I found that hard to believe so thanks for the help.

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Cherbourg to Collioure would be 1130 km and take just over 11 hours of continuous driving. It would cost 153 Euros in petrol and tolls (thanks to viamichelin for all this).

Collioure is very pretty and Carcassonne is worth a visit. They%26#39;ll still be there on your next visit.

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%26gt;drive anywhere in France in under 6 hours then find yourself in another country.

From _most_ places in France, assuming there%26#39;s a road there and you%26#39;re not driving randomly, it would be _possible_.