andy ellis

Well it has to be said what a difference! I know you pay for one and one is free, but personally I'd pay! It was a delight driving on the French autoroutes, brilliant surface, very little traffic, clean service areas! What a contrast to the UK!

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kerberos

I have been told that most of the main roads in France are supposed to be well maintained.

Are the tolls in France expensive?

Dr Zoidberg

The ones I was on near Nice didn't seem all that different to UK ones.
Just as much traffic and some turns that certainly wouldn't have been accepted over here without more signage - far too tight.

I also found it very annoying to have to stop every twenty miles or so to pay more tolls.

Yes you may be able to do 120km/h but any time saved is lost at toll booths.

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Alex

"I laugh in the face of danger, then I hide until it goes away"

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Joff

I drove from Dunkerque to Brussells for VW Mania and found the roads no better or worse tbh.

Drivers were just as ignorant as british drivers - hogging outside lanes, etc.

When merging, neither traffic in the slow lane or traffic on the slip road wanted to slow down.

Accidents still cause pathetically long tail backs due to rubber necking (IMO, they should put up big screens for everyone with all the bloody and guts on show).

johnjohnhealy

I've always found the UK motorways to be among the best in the world (not taking traffic levels in to account, as I mostly drive at night).

Ours are very well maintained compared to most of europe with nice big wide lanes, and fantastic signage.

Try the Italian autostrada's for comparison, lanes so narrow that most of the millions of trucks barely fit in them, people are too scared to overtake trucks incase they drift over by a few millimeters and take them out!! following signs is a bit of a guessing game too!

Only good bit about Italian autostrada's is the grand prix start at every toll booth, where even mabel in her 1980 Panda 998cc is up for a race!!

French autoroutes seem well maintained but as said some of the bends can catch you unawares and the number of toll booths is ridiculous, in most countries with tolls you get a ticket when you enter the motorway network, then pay as you leave it, the French? - Ohh Noo, you get a ticket when you enter, then drive 500 yards and pay, then enter another companies section of the same road, pay again, and then another section pay again, then pay again when you want to leave the network!

The first time I drove through France to Italy (something I do regularly) I came onto the autoroute at Calais and saw the toll booth with the Union Jack on it, great I thought, that'll make things easier, I dont have to stretch across the car to pay (was on my own), guess what - every other toll booth all the way didn't have a booth for RHD vehicles!!

andy ellis

Have to agree about the bends! The jabba arb got a good work out! The toll booths were not too bad about, think it depends were you are going....

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devonutopia

Even the roads in Northern France which aren't tolled,are petty darn good. Although you have to pay for a wizz, which can be awkward when you're bloody desperate and have to go fishing for change.

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Shifty

Try the road from Dunkirk to Lille if you want to see a shabby French road. Shabby doesn't quite describe it.

German Roads are excellent, as are Italian and French Toll roads in my experience. Greek roads are caoted with teflon I think though. Very slippery.

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johnjohnhealy

My fave bit is travelling the scenic route from Belgium to the Nurburgring in Germany, if anyones ever done it you'll know what i'm on about-

In Belgium you turn into a single carriageway concrete road that is rutted, un-even and steps down between the lanes (Enough to ground out the Alfa), full of potholes and generaly just nasty, then all of a sudden, without warning the road turns into silky smooth tarmac.... you have........

....Just entered Germany!!!

matchmaker

The new Irish toll motorways are excellent too - especially the M1 from Dublin to Belfast.

I love seeing these 120kph signs too

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Alan

"Darth" - Black Magic Octavia VRS with Forge DV, BMC CDA induction kit, Milltek cat, Supersprint exhaust, Xenons, ESP, cruise, parking sensors and Kumho 225/45/17 tyres Been to Star sufficient bhp & ample lb/ft All time low - 7.8 mpg

MC Bodge

French drivers don't hog the lanes in the way that many UK drivers do. French Dual-carraigaeways are of high standard. The have more space so appear to have built more 'proper' junctions and have bridges that are wider than the carriageway to allow for (easier) addition of lanes.


I reckon that UK road signs are amongst the most consistent, concise and clear in the world.

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