Finding the Downtown and Train Station In any French city or town, it is remarkably easy to find the train station (la gare, in French). One simply follows signs to “Centre Ville”, and sooner or later you’ll see signs indicating “gare SNCF”. (SNCF is the nationalized company that runs the trains in France.) If you need to go anywhere in the downtown area, following the “Centre Ville” signs will get you nearby.

Beware of Wrong Turns on Autoroutes Autoroutes are the French equivalent of Interstate highways in the U.S., or the motorway in Britain. If you miss a turn here you’ve just lost time and money. Almost all the French autoroutes are toll roads, and the tolls are pricey. Since all access is through toll booths which are expensive to build and operate, there are not that many exits and entrances. So if you miss a turn, the next exit could easily be another 20 miles down the road. You’ll have to pay the toll there, then backtrack the 20 miles you just needlessly drove. Of course your next toll will also reflect the extra miles. Make sure you have solid directions before venturing off on French autoroutes. When several of these intersect, watch the signs carefully and get in the proper lanes, and you will stay on the right road.

Internet Driving Directions An excellent internet map service is www.mappy.com. This site is in 7 languages and provides directions anywhere in Europe. In addition to maps and directions from towns or specific addresses, trip time and distance, Mappy gives more information. You will be told how much tolls, if any, will cost, and you’ll also find out how much fuel will be used and how much that will cost. The driving directions include the unique feature of showing what the autoroute signs will look like, so it is easy to stay on the right road.

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