Last year I towed in France for the first time and three months later I towed there again, each time going with someone who knew as little about the roads as I did. I had armed us with Google maps of the route and we had a sat nav, all of which proved extremely useful, but pulling into an ‘aire’ was a bit like pot luck. Although they are well signed you never knew quite what to expect. So I was rather pleased when a copy of Le Guide: Selected Autoroutes in France landed on my desk.
The guide, which is in its second edition, provides easy-to-follow linear maps of France’s main motorways and alongside are descriptions of the facilities available at the aires. Distances in kilometres between the aires are also shown.
The author, Karol Libura, provides other useful information and tips for the first-time user of French motorways, including how the toll system works, translations of road signs and the meaning of typical symbols. It’s also a fun read as Mr Libura’s very useful observations are delivered in a very entertaining style.
Anyone towing in France should keep a copy of the guide in their glovebox. It retails at £12.99.
