Fly-drive France

As people's holidays are becoming ever shorter, and the desire to travel greater, a great way to squeeze in everything you possibly can is by going on a fly-drive holiday. Fly drive is simple, hire a car and drive around a country exploring and staying in towns/cities as you go along.

A very different fly-drive is France. France has some wonderful places to visit. All very different in history and culture. Below is an itinerary of a possible fly-drive to France, with a few things to see in each city. Don't forget to book your car hire and hotels in advance so you aren't disappointed and won't have to pay extra on the days you are there.

Ideally, you want to spend a day or so at each place (maybe even less if it is a small town) and sometimes maybe just an afternoon quick stop if you are on limited time. However you choose to do your fly-drive, planning is the key! All the times for driving below are approximations and remember to check how long each journey will take you. Ideally, a Satellite Navigation system would be best to help get you around.

We'll start off in Paris, as it the capital and there are many things to see. You can enjoy some wonderful food of all kinds and have a coffee and cake in one of the many café's around before you start your epic journey. The Eiffel Tower is a must see for anyone visiting Paris to enjoy some spectacular views from the top. Also visit the Arc de Triomphe which is in the center of the Place Charles de Gaulle, the second largest arch in existence which is a wonderful piece of architecture.

From Paris, it is about an hour and a half's drive to Reims. Visit the Joan of Arc Statue in the Place Royale Square and also the Notre-Dame de Reims where the Kings of France used to be crowned. It is a very famous and beautiful cathedral and well worth a visit. You can either stay the night here if you wish to spend a few hours looking at the sights and taking in the culture, or you can stop off at the next destination which is about two hours drive.

Metz is in the confluence of the rivers Moselle and Seille. Visit the Cathedral St Etienne with its fine Gothic architecture and stained glassed windows. Also visit the St- Pierre- Aux- Nonnains, the oldest church in France which dates back to 380 and 395AD, originally built as a Roman gymnasium then converted into a Christian church in the 7th Century. There are many churches to see in Metz, so take some time to find them! Here would be an ideal place to spend the night to rest.

An hour and forty minutes away is Strasbourg. Here is the famous Strasbourg Cathedral, for which the city is chiefly known, as it has an eighteen meter high astronomical clock, one of the largest in the world, within it's walls and is a wonderful sight to see. This city also features many parks which have taken a cultural and historical interest, for example the Parc de L'Orangerie has a small neo-classical castle and zoo.

The next drive is slightly longer, two hours and thirty minutes to Besancon. It is close to the border of Switzerland and has one of the most beautiful historical centers of the towns in France. La Boucle, the old town is enclosed in a horseshoe of the river Doubs and is enclosed off by a Citadel Vauban (a fortification). Also worth seeing is the St Jean Cathedral as it's interior is breathtaking.

An ideal place to spend the night resting is Dijon, an hour and ten minutes away. Here you will be able to visit the Crypt of Dijon Cathedral which dates back a thousand years ago. Also visit the Ducal Palace which is one of the few remains of the Capetian period. Also, it is thought that the Notre Dame on the rue de la Préfecture, has a good-luck charm and people go and touch it with their left hand and make a wish. Dijon, as you may have heard, is also famous for it's creation of the Dijon mustard.

Two hours away is Lyon. A great place to start the day! Visit the Notre-Dame de Fourvière Basilica which overlooks the wonderful city. Also visit the Saint Jean and the Croix-Rousse areas, which are noted for their narrow passageways (traboules) that pass through buildings and link the streets either side. These are now part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It is also worth tasting some of the food in Lyon as it is very well known for it's great food.

An hour and forty minutes away is Geneva. This sits directly on the border of Switzerland and France. So you can take some time and view the Swiss side if you wish. A site that is a must see is Geneva's lakefront. It has beautiful views. Also visit Saint Peters Cathedral which has begun in the 12th Century.

Grenoble is a lovely city for your next destination. You can either rest here as your journey after Grenoble will be a long five hour drive, or you can drive into the night to your next destination. Grenoble is about And hour and a half from Geneva. Here you can visit La Bastille, which is a series of fortifications that over look the city. These are also visible form many points of the city. Also worth a visit the museum of Saint Laurent which has archaeological findings from the excavation done on the site.

Now you can either rest at Grenoble or take a long drive at night and rest at Nice. Five hours it will take to get here. Once you are in Nice, there is plenty to see. So you can even spend the entire day here and sleep in the evening or go to your next destination. See the Promenade des Anglais (Walk of the English) which is a wonderfully build Promenade along the sea stocked with many cafe's and restaurants along the pedestrianized areas. See the Saint Nicolas Orthodox Cathedral is a Russian cathedral and a national monument in France.

Marseille is about two hours away and there are many sights to see here. Visit La Vielle Charité a lovely piece of architecture, and also the Abbey of St Victor, the oldest place of Christian worship in France which dates back as early as the 5th Century.

Montpellier is about two hours away. There are many sights to see here. The main being the Place de la Comédie. It is a square which was originally a theatre which had burnt down in 1785 and 1855. Now here lies a fountain called Three Graces. Now the main railway station is built close by and this is why it is the main point of the city. Also visit the Tour de Babote, one of two surviving towers of the city from medieval times.

Toulouse is about two and half hours away and is an ideal place to stop for a night's rest. See the Saint-Sernin Basilica which houses the Grand Cavaille-Coll Organ built in 1888 which is considered as one of the most important organs in France. Also visit Saint-Etienne Cathedral which is a national monument in France. This cathedral consists of two separate incomplete churches, but is really lovely to go and see. Toulouse is a good place to take a break from all that driving.

About two hours away is Bordeaux and there are many sights to see here. The location of Bordeaux has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as an urban and architectural ensemble. List Visit the Église Sainte-Croix (Church of the Holy Cross), founded in the 7th Century and in a Romanesque style. Also visit the Saint-Andre Cathedral, a national monument. The royal gate is from the 13th Century and the rest of the building mostly from the 14th and 15th Centuries. I'd advise spending a whole day in Bordeaux as there is plenty to see.

Nantes is about three hours away and this is a lovely place to rest after a long day in Bordeaux. See the Cathedral of Saint Peter and Paul, a Gothic Roman Catholic Cathedral which took 457 years to finish, and why not visit the Isle of Nantes, a former shipyard turned into a leisure and cultural site.

Rennes is only an hour and a half away and here you can visit the parliament de Bretagne, the most famous 17th Century building in Rennes and also visit Thabor Park and if you are lucky, you may be able to enjoy a band in the bandstand. The next destination is not too far away and so you can enjoy a coffee and cake in Rennes then move on.

Only three hours away is Le Havre. This is your last destination before you head back to Paris. So you can either rest here or drive back to Paris in the evening. See the Church of Saint Joseph, one of the most recognized symbols of the city, and the Presbyterian Reform Church, the only building in the town which combines the old and new architecture due to a bombing in 1941. Your journey from here back to Paris should take about two hours.

And that's your fly drive! Auto Europe offer great deals on car hire in France, so organize your maps or sat nav, pit stops, hotel rests and challenge yourself to drive around France in just 7 days!