France is one of our favorite destinations and more to be near where we live, which is why we had the opportunity to make several routes around the country, both in our car and in a rental car, when the area was further away. Of the many car routes through France What we can do, we have chosen the five that we believe are essential to begin to know the country.
1. Normandy
A route by car through Normandy can start at the Paris Beauvais airport if you opt for a low cost flight where we can pick up the rental car and in two hours be in the impressive Cliffs of Etretat, one of the 10 amazing places to see in France .
We can continue the route through Normandy visiting the beautiful town of Honfleur and the most important places of the Normandy Landing, which changed the course of World War II, such as: Pointe du Hoc, Omaha Beach and its American cemetery, the German war cemetery from La Cambe, the remains of the landing on the beach of Arromanches-les-Bains and the Batteries of Longues. We assure you that it is one of the most attractive areas of this route by car through France.
To finish the tour we must go to the jewel of Normandy, Mont Saint-Michel, a place that we recommend visiting both at sunset and in the morning in the early hours, since the place changes completely as the hours of the day pass. Visiting it at this time of day, before the majority of tourists and organized groups arrive, is a must if you want to enjoy the place alone and if you can see the rise of the tide, we assure you it will be a perfect day.
If you have more days available you can extend the route by visiting St Malo, Dinan or other villages and landscapes in the area of Brittany, next to Normandy, in northern France.
Mont Saint Michel in Normandy
2. French Riviera and Provence
It was the first of our car routes through France. In this case we use our own car, but if you don't get close, you always have the option to fly to Marseille or Nice and from there rent a car. A perfect option to get to know this part of the country.
On a route along the French Riviera and Provence by car, a good option would be to do the way along the Côte d'Azur, enjoying cliffs and beaches, and of course, visiting glamorous places like Cannes, St. Tropez or Nice until you reach Monaco.
On the return route we can completely change landscapes and go deeper into the inner area to visit some of the villages of Provence such as: Bonnieux, Gordies, Les Baux de Provence, which will allow us to enjoy a unique route between the colorful and spectacular lavender fields.
Lavender fields in Provence
3. Alsace, one of the best routes by car through France
A trip through Alsace at Christmas or any time of the year, we assure you, is one of the best routes by car in France and Europe.
A tour of this area can start in Basel-Basel, in Switzerland, where we can fly with some low cost company and border with this area of France, making it a perfect option to get there without paying too much for the flight. After picking up the rental car, we will follow the route through the nearest town, Mulhouse.
At this point we have to say that the villages of Alsace themselves are already beautiful, but at Christmas you can enjoy an addition: an impressive decoration and Christmas markets that we are sure, will make you fall in love.
From Mulhouse we can go to Eguisheim, one of the most charming villages in Alsace, then go to Colmar, the jewel of Alsace and where we recommend you make a base to know the rest of the surrounding villages and of course, also to know what is one of the symbols of this incredible area of France.
Around Colmar we can visit villages like Turckheim, Kaysersberg, Riquewihr, Hunawihr or Ribeauvillé, villages full of charm, which surely will not leave you indifferent. To end this route by car through France, we will make our way to Strasbourg, the capital of Christmas, stopping before in the village of Obernai, another beautiful corner, which you can not miss. Strasbourg deserves a full-day visit, both at Christmas and at another time of the year, as it has more markets than any of the villages in Alsace.
On the way back to the airport, if we have time, we can make a stop at Haut-Koenigsbourg Castle where, apart from visiting the interior, you can enjoy the incredible views of the surroundings.
Eguisheim in Alsace, one of the best routes by car through France
4. Midi-Pyrénées
Midi-Pyrénées, in the south of France, is one of the areas where you can find some of the are considered most beautiful villages in France. On our trip to Midi-Pyrénées we also use our car, by proximity, although as it happens on the Cote d'Azur, there are perfect airports to explore the area such as Toulouse-Blagnac or train combinations from many Spanish cities that allow you to reach the area and then rent a car to reach, in a much more comfortable and fast way, the different villages of Midi-Pyrenées.
A good city to start the route is Albi, something bigger than the rest and to which you can perfectly dedicate an entire day to know it. From here you can start the route through the smaller villages that are surrounded by great landscapes such as Cordes-sur-Ciel, Najac, Saint-Cirq-Lapopie or Rocamadour, to end in Conques, for us one of the most beautiful villages in France.
Conques in Midi-Pyrénées
5. Loire Valley
The Loire Valley with its impressive castles is another of the best car routes through France. In addition, it is very likely that in a short time we will make a route by car to know this area and its famous castles of the Loire, so we already have in mind the places we want to visit and the route we will do.
The route would start by flying to Paris, to Charles de Gaulle or Orly airport and there to rent a car in which in about two hours it will take us to the castle of Chambord, the largest and most famous of the Loire. Given that another of the castles that we can not miss is that of Chenonceau, which stands on the waters of the Cher River and is another of the most visited and tourist.
After these two essentials when traveling to France we can visit others such as: Clos-Lucé, Cheverny, Ussé, Villandry, the castle of Sully or that of Valençay, among many others, which stand out for having beautiful gardens.
On the route we can also visit cities or towns such as Orleans, Blois or Amboise and enjoy its incredible landscapes of lakes, rivers and green meadows.
Loire Valley
And if you do not feel like renting a car or prefer to make a stop to rest from it on the route for a few days, Weekendesk is a good option to discover many weekend getaways through the best areas of France.
If you feel like helping us complete the list of 5 best car routes in France, add yours in the comments.
* All photos without a watermark have been provided by Shutterstock.
* Post in collaboration with Weekendesk
