A vacation to France is guaranteed to be one you will never forget – so long as you do it right.

A self-drive trip around France is the best way to explore the country. You become your own tour guide and have complete autonomy as to how you want your holiday to be. Add to that virtually unlimited mobility and the comfort of your own vehicle and you are probably starting to wonder why you’ve never done one of these before.

Need a bit more convincing? We have laid out some of the main reasons why you should visit France on a self-drive trip. Read on and be inspired.

1. Enjoy the Scenic Back Roads

Some of the most beautiful parts of France can be found off the beaten path. Taking a detour from the main roads onto some of the less frequented back roads can be a truly incredible experience. From this vantage point, you can absorb the stunning landscapes without the distractions of other cars, pedestrians and buildings.

Tired of driving? Hire a bike and take to France's backroads - © France Bike Trips

2. Go at Your Own Pace

One of best things about French road trips is that you can choose to pull over, hop out of your vehicle and go exploring whenever you see something beautiful.

Being able to stop at your leisure to take a closer look at the things that interest you can really enhance your experience and allows you to see more of the things you love

And, of course, when you are ready to move you can up and leave on a whim.

3. Avoid the Tourist Traps

Often with organised tours, you are taken to designated tourist spots, which are crammed with souvenir shops and overpriced restaurants. By creating your own tour, you can avoid these nightmarish places and focus on seeing the real France. This means eating where the local eat and doing as the locals do in order to get an authentic taste of France.

See beautiful sights like Mont St. Michel without getting dragged into tourist traps

 

4. Visit the Attractions Early

Sick of elbowing people out of the way to get a good photo of that attraction you came all this way to see? Driving yourself gives you the advantage of being able to head to sight-seeing spots before the crowds. If the first bus leaves at 8am, you can leave at 7. This means you will have the spot virtually all to yourself for a while.

5. Be Flexible

You never know what might happen while you’re on vacation. You might have your heart setting on visiting a certain town only to meet other travellers who tell you that actually, it isn’t that good. When you can drive yourself, it is easy to be flexible and change your plan at a moment’s notice. Chances are those same people that told you that town X would be boring will also have a recommendation of where to go instead. The freedom that comes with a self-drive trip is liberating to say the least.

6.    Be in Charge

This is your vacation and you should be calling the shots. On an organised tour you are often given a wake-up time along with designated hours for eating and leisure. While this might suit some people, the more adventurous among us will no doubt prefer to be able to decide these things for themselves. A self-drive trip gives you the opportunity to craft your own itinerary.

Get inspired by a few of our France itineraries

7.    It’s an Adventure!

Taking to the roads and driving yourself around France armed with nothing more than a GPS and a bucket load of enthusiasm is exciting. France is yours to discover, all you have to do is get out there and see it. Of course, you are never completely on your own. We provide all travelers on our French road trips with a guidebook packed with important information regarding road signs, speed limits, the police and more.

You will also find driving in France easy, with plenty of places to park and an easy to navigate network of roads.

Have we whetted your appetite for adventure? 

Get in touch and let us make your self-drive france itinerary a reality!

RELATED: How to plan a road trip through France 

France Just For You

Experts in self-drive tours in France

Travelers Reviews

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Jenifer
When planning my 60th birthday celebration, my sister and I stumbled upon France Just For You, which saved us from the potential nightmare of traveling with 40 strangers on a bus. As a result, my sister and I, along with our husbands, experienced a trip of a lifetime! From the beginning, Emilie was extraordinarily responsive, informative, and more …
Elle
Laura and Emilie planned such a professional, authentic and fantastic trip that it has become one of my favorite vacations! Excursions, accommodations, and suggested activities were flawless -- such that the only difficult decision for us was what to select from scrumptious French cuisine. I was hesitant at first to trust an unknown online trip …
Nicole
My husband and I used Emilie from France Just For You to plan a special trip for our anniversary. We loved the fact that our trip had structure, but at the same time, we had freedom to explore as we wished. We also loved the fact that the trip included guided tours, but we were not tied to a tour group as such. Emilie planned our trip according to …
Kate
Dealing with Emilie is like having a personal concierge. The 10 day trip was perfect. She allowed time to relax and we were able to experience France like locals. This is our 8 th trip to France but after this tour, it will not be our last. Thank you Emilie!
Kate & Sister
My sister and I wanted to plan a vacation together with our husbands to Normandy and the Loire Valley so I started online only to find it was a difficult process. We found "France Just for You" and our problems were solved, Emilie planned every detail! Our hosts in all accommodations spoke English and made us feel most welcome, our stay in each …
Janis
We are experienced travelers and spent about three weeks traveling the french countryside via Emilie’s arrangements. Her personalized guidebook provided everything we could have asked for and, when some unexpected issues came up, Emilie promptly responded with kind, thoughtful assistance. We spent days with detailed driving tours, truffle hunting …

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