ARE WE THERE YET?
We expect most people will probably travel via ferry using their own car.
The quickest roads in France are the Autoroutes - but you get what you pay for and there are tolls to pay on these roads.
Below is a simple table which we hope may be useful.
It does not show shortest routes, only the quickest routes avoiding all tolls or avoiding only some .
| Distance Non Toll Roads | Travelling Time | Distance Toll Roads | Travelling Time | Approx. Costs |
St Malo | 515 km 320 miles | 6.3 Hours | 494 km 306 miles | 5 .5 Hours | Fuel € 33.00 Tolls €19.00 |
Caen | 525 km 326 miles | 7 Hours | 530 km 330 miles | 5.5 Hours | Fuel € 36.70 Tolls € 30.30 |
Cherbourg | 627 km 390 miles | 8 Hours | 642 km 398 miles | 7 Hours | Fuel € 43.25 Tolls € 30.30 |
Le Havre | 628 km 389 miles | 8.5 Hours | 617 km 383 miles | 6.15 Hours | Fuel € 42.75 Tolls € 37.20 |
Roscoff | 616 km 383 miles | 8.1 Hours | 633 km 393 miles | 7.15 Hours | Fuel € 42.79 Tolls € 17.40 |
Calais | 758 km 471 miles | 9.75 Hours | 780 km 485 miles | 8 Hours | Fuel € 54.26 Tolls € 27.30 |
NB THIS TABLE IS A GUIDE ONLY. BASED ON INFORMATION SUPPLIED BY WWW.MAPPY.COM.
BASED ON AN AVERAGE. DIESEL POWERED FAMILY SALOON. FUEL COSTS BASED ON €1.00 PER LITRE. TOLL CHARGES ARE A GUIDE.
IF YOU ARE USING A SAT NAV IT MAY (AND PROBABLY WILL) GIVE DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS.
USEFUL TIPS
Make sure you're legal! French law requires you carry certain equipment in your car. These include a warning triangle, spare bulbs, a high visibility jacket for as many people that are in the car and a GB sticker. Contact one of the driving organisations in the UK for advice.
Are you covered? Check with your insurance company that you are in fact covered to drive abroad. Some insurance companies make a small charge for covering you and there may be a time limit as to how many days you can drive abroad. You must carry your insurance documents and your driving licence with you. Failure to do so could result in a fine. The police in France can impose on the spot penalties.
The autoroutes in France are nothing short of excellent and if you have a young family they provide numerous stops for convenience. Try to avoid buying fuel at motorway service stations. As in the UK, fuel at services is considerably more expensive than elsewhere. Try and fill your car before getting on the Autoroute.
Unlike the UK, diesel is cheaper than petrol in France and petrol is cheaper too. Significant costs can be saved by waiting until you reach France before filling up. Also, remember to fill your car before returning home! Obviously the exchange rate will affect just how much can be saved so it might be worth checking.
If a sign says there is a speed camera - THERE IS! As in the UK, there are forward and rear facing speed cameras in France. The actual cameras are not as obvious as UK ones but there is usually a clearly visible warning sign showing a car and motorbike surrounded by semi circular radio waves. However, it is much safer (and cheaper) to keep to the speed limit! There are usually 2 different speed limits on French Autoroutes, 110 kmh (about 70 mph) when it's raining and 130 kmh (about 80mph) when it's dry. Other speeds will apply in the event of roadworks, etc.
French motorways nearly always consist of just 2 lanes, one for travelling and one for overtaking. Despite the common perception that everyone on the continent drives like a madman (which is more true in major towns!) the French are as a rule, very good motorway drivers and employ good motorway lane discipline.