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Most French autoroutes between major towns and cities are toll motorways, which whilst often offering fast and uncrowded dual-carriageways, can nevertheless add significantly to the cost of a trip through France - e.g over €90 (over £60) on a one-way trip from Calais to Nice (1226km of motorway driving about 760 miles).
However there are significant sections of autoroute which are toll free - most often these are around major towns and Cities (Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon etc).
In the North, the A16 is toll-free from Boulogne (J29) to the Belgian border (J36) via Calais and Dunkerque. The A25 from Dunkerque (J20) to Lille is free, so you can reach Lille from the main Channel ports without paying a toll!. Also all routes from Lille to the Belgian border.
The following autoroutes are toll free (as at September 2007)
A16 (part of the Autoroute des Estuaires (estuaries)) from Boulogne-sur-Mer (J29) to the Belgian border(J36)
A20 (L’Occitane) from Vierzon (J6 junction with A71) to Brive-la-Gaillarde (J53) via Chateauroux, Argenton and Limoges
A25 from Dunkerque (J20 with A16) to Lille
A28 from Abbeville (J1) to Rouen (J14)
A30/A31 (Autoroute de la Vallée de la Fensch) from Thionville (J1) to Toul (J12) via Metz and Nancy
A38 from Dijon (J33) to Pouilly-sur-Auxois (J24 and the junction with the A6)
A63 (Autoroute de la Cote Basque) from Bordeaux to Bellin-Bellet (J20)
A64 (la Pyreneenne) from St Martory (J20) to Muret (J25)
A68 (la Tarnaise) from Monastruc (J3 NE of Toulouse) to Albi (J11) via Gaillac
A75 (la Meridienne) from Clermont-Ferrand (J15) to Pezenas (J59) (except for the Millau Bridge) via Issoire
A77 (Autoroute de l’Arbre (trees)) from Pouilly (J26) to Nevers (J37)
A84 from Caen (J46) to Rennes (J25) via Avranches
Normandy is rightly famous for its cheeses - indeed think of Normandy and I immediately think of apples, cows and lush green fields, thatched cottages and cream - cider and Calvados (apple brandy), Camembert, Pont l’Eveque and wonderfully creamy butter.
Livarot is another of the great cows milk cheeses to come from the region, nicknamed the Colonel due to the straps of rush which hold it together and which look like military stripes.
It does of course belong to the family of seriously smelly French cheese, and has a strong distinctive taste and when properly ripe has a glutinous texture - yet it dissolves in the mouth.
This is definitely the type of cheese to be purchased from a proper cheesemonger rather than most local supermarkets. Online you can buy from the Teddington Cheese Company who describe the cheese as:“a full and assertive flavour, a supple texture and a pungent aroma…. excellent on the cheese board although it is best tasted after milder cheeses. It is best enjoyed with a full-bodied red wine, a glass of Normandy cider or even a nip of Calvados.”
Livarot holds its annual cheese festival in August - see our events schedule
Bayeux (14 Calvados, Normandie) celebrates its medieval heritage every July with a weekend festival of music, street entertainment etc - see www.bayeux-tourism.com/
| August 9, 2008 |
I should not be surprised, but the French do seem to have a propensity to celebrate almost anything that is food-related, and claim that it is only their village that can claim to produce the best examples in France, if not the world.
Hence, the humble carrot gets its day of glory at Créances on the Cherbourg peninsula (50 Manche, Normandie).
Thanks to the persistence of its members, the quality “Label Rouge” mark was awarded in 1962 to carrots grown in Créance’s sandy soil and since 1990 the town has organised a special festival dedicated to its “queen of vegetables”, held every second Saturday in August.
The programme includes a parade of carrot growers, the “Mougeous d’Carottes”, a cooking competition, a fair open to everyone and musical entertainment. Every year about 25,000 visitors come to join in the fun.
Créance’s market garden area produces approximately 35,000 tons of “carottes des sables” and 10,000 tons of leeks every year.
Further details from the Syndicat d’Initiative de Créances (in high season)Tél/fax : 02 33 45 05 71
Contact : Créances Town Hall : 02 33 46 30 18
Camembert and Brie - famous soft cows milk cheeses from northern France
see map Read more on this…
The number of budget airline routes to France from the UK is continuing to grow, as is the number of French destinations - no longer restricted to the major cities. This really does open up some of the less well-known parts of France.
The list below shows the extent of the coverage - and this excludes flights to Paris which are available from most local airports. Some flights are seasonal, so please check with the airline for timetables and availability.
| Destination | From | airline |
For a rather different and eco-friendly B&B experience you could try this modern, well-equipped treehouse in southern Normandy
situated in the heart of the Parc Naturel Régional du Perche, in southern Normandy, Perché dans le Perche is a two-bedroomed treehouse with a shower, panoramic views of the countryside and even internet access!!!
The Parc Naturel Régional du Perche is situated in the Orne departement, the nearest big town being Le Mans (72 Sarthe, Pays de la Loire). It covers an area of southern Normandy and is a great area for rambling, horse riding and exploring the gentle unspoilt countryside.
For more info on the treehouse see www.perchedansleperche.com
Unless you are lucky enough to live within an hour or so of the English Channel ports, the annual trip to and from France can be a bit of an ordeal. Dover crossings may be short, but tend to leave you with longer to drive on both sides of the Channel. The western Channel crossings are longer, but can be expensive, especially if you reserve a cabin for an overnight crossing.
And, whilst parts of northern France don’t always tempt you to pause, the routes through Brittany and Normandy offer a host of places which would be worth a linger!
Michael has recommended what looks to be an ideal stop-over to break the journey - just 90 minutes or so (135km) south of the Caen ferry terminal) at Ouistreham.
Le Basse Cour is run by Phil and Jude Graham at Ancinnes (72 Sarthe, Pays de Loire) near Alencon (61 Orne, Normandie), just 10 minutes from the new A28 autoroute, and right on the border between Normandy and the Loire Valley (Sarthe).
“Choose from three comfortable en-suite guest rooms with a three star Gites de France rating. The house is in a peaceful, quiet setting surrounded by wooded and planted gardens on the fringes of the magnificent Forest of Perseigne. You’re welcome to make yourself at home on the terrace with a glass of wine (or try the local Normandy cider) or enjoy a game of boules on the lawn.”
As Michael said ” it was so good that we stopped over for two more days on the way back to the port at Caen. Genial hosts, wonderful setting, super rooms.”
For more details see www.normandie-chambres.co.uk/
For more on the region including our searchable customised map see www.frenchduck.co.uk/wp
An innovative project has been launched which links 2 attractive regions either side of the channel through their respective abundance of gardens to visit. French gardens are often interesting to visit, especially as some aim to create what they think of as a “jardin anglais” - usually with lawns and “cottage garden” deatures, whilst others, particularly in the grounds of stately homes and chateaux, can be very formal.
Normandy clearly has a wealth of gardens open to the public - “The parks and gardens of Normandy, whether botanical, landscape or historic have become important points of reference. Connoisseurs as well as novices will be enthralled by the wealth of different species as well as the beauty of the individual sites. You will find 40 sites, all members of the association, which have been selected not only for their beauty but also for their hospitality. Visitors can discover a wide range of surroundings and secret walks which change daily according to the weather, plant cycle and with a little help from man.”
They range includes the famous Monet gardens at Giverny (27 Eure, Haut-Normandie) near the Seine, the magnificently named Jardins de Bellevue at Beaumont le Hareng (the herring?) (76 Seine-Maritime, Normandie) which houses 2 national collections and Agapanthe (”a contemporary garden, burgeoning with plants, takes the form of a series of sharply contrasting intimate spaces ; a botanical walk which also pays tribute to man-made structures, artistically blending the mineral and vegetable kingdoms.”) at Grigneuseville (76 Seine-Maritime, Normandie); and as far west as the Jardin des Plantes at Coutances (50 Manche, Normandie). There are also the gardens at Chateau Champ de Bataille (Castle Battlefield?) at Le Neubourg (27 Eure, Normandie)
Just check for opening times, especially out of season.
You’ll find a useful website which has details of all the Sussex and Normandy gardens in the scheme at www.gardensnormandysussex.com/
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Also see our calendar of events in France
Keywords: Gardens, Jardins, Normandy,Normandie,France
| May 20, 2006 |
20-27 May 2006 sees the 20th “Jazz sous les Pommiers” Festival at Coutances (50 Manche, Normandy) - the capiral of the Cotentin Peninsula, which is the peninsula which juts north with Cherbourg at its head. This promises to be an ideal way of enjoying mellow jazz in late Spring in the heart of Normandy with apple blossom and warm evenings. Whilst the big concerts are held in the Theatre Municipal, there are jazz events throughout the town - some in the open air, some free. Enjoy the Normandy cuisine - cider, pork, cream and butter are the regions gastronomic jewels.
For more info see www.jazzsouslespommiers.com
Situated on an outcrop, the town has a fine 11th/13th Century Cathedral and a “Jardin des Plantes”.
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