What is it about France?

For me, it was the lure of the snow-covered Alps. What was it for you? The language? The gastronomy? The lifestyle? Once I was lured here, I discovered all these things and more, and now I find myself unable to leave. Holidays previously spent abroad are now spent discovering different regions of France. And what better way to see areas of France than from a convertible?

My first road trip centred on Normandy. First up was the Bayeaux. Strangely, the French don’t seem all that aware of the tapestry, and perhaps this is why Bayeaux remains a rather small town in the North. After having to learn about it at school in Australia, I was determined to see this thing for myself. Unfortunately, even photos without a flash are not allowed, so after waling around the entire glassed-off tapestry, I headed along the coastal road towards le Mont Saint Michel. War museums and bunkers are abundant along this slower road, and they provide good opportunities to stop and smell the salty air. Le Mont Saint Michel boasts the biggest tides in Europe. Accommodation is available both on and off the island, and both have advantages. I spent a night overlooking a part of the island that floods at the highest of tides, then a night off the island, walking up to the causeway that joins it to the mainland to see how lovely the island looks at night. This place is well worth a visit, with no cars beyond the causeway and narrow streets winding up to a monastery at the top.

Another road trip took me from my home in La Clusaz to Nice. The mountainous roads around Briançon provide a great top-down experience, especially for passengers who don’t have to concentrate. The route took me through a town called ‘Bonnuit’ (’good night’) and though Barcelonnette, which leads to the Cime de la Bonette. The narrow but freshly resurfaced and empty roads were breathtaking and the French are rumoured to have added an extra loop of road at the top to make the route an extra 50 metres higher in order to claim the title for the highest road in Europe at 2802 metres high. I really recommend this road — part of the Route Napoleon — for the natural views. Beware of clouds that act as thick fog. Just beyond the peak was an old army barracks, now turning to rubble, complete with cartoon murals inside. On the way back, I stopped in Digne-les-Bains and passed an amazingly blue lake, with lots of people dotted around swimming. If I had to move away from La Clusaz, this place would be on my list of alternatives.

On a summer road trip to the West coast, I stopped along the Dordogne — a popular tourist spot for Brits and the Dutch as well as the French. It’s easy to see why so many are attracted to this region. The weather is stable (unlike my mountains) and there is so much to see. Sarlat-la-Canéda stands out as a town full of activity throughout the day and into the night, with street performers, an open-air theatre, all sorts of restaurants and really narrow, pretty alleyways in the largely pedestrianised town. The town had a great relaxed feeling about it, and it’s also on the list of places to live if I ever leave La Clusaz. It’s also close to lots of great sites, such as the ancient cave paintings of Lascaux, the once-inhabited limestone cliff-faces such as La Roque Saint Christophe, a variety of castles and the beautifully sculpted Marqueyssac gardens. Slightly further away is the Gouffre de Padirac, an amazing underground cave complete with a Venetian-style boat ride and impressive scenery. Remember to ‘ooh’ at the first-ever plant life seen in the cave — from a seed that our guide said washed down and somehow germinated under one of the security lights. Along the coast, the still-French La Palmyre has big camping grounds and long beaches for surfing, without the crowds of more popular places like Biarritz. For me, the town felt a lot like a surf stop along the Victorian coast of Australia, with calm roads, unspoilt beaches and beachwear being the norm. Further down the coast, the Dune du Pilat, Europe’s largest dune, is a paragliding haven. Climbing the dune purely to get to the beach seemed to me like more effort than it was worth when the coastal town of Pyla-sur-Mer offers a beach on its doorstep. Obviously, it’s a bit busier, but on a hot day, who has the energy to conquer a huge sand dune? The drive home was a fast one, with the roof down at 130km/h on the toll roads, and still no relief from the heat. Lunch was a picnic under the gigantic Millau Bridge which is so high that I’m not sure I could drive over it.

My most recent road trip was not in a convertible. After driving my little Golf GTI cabriolet, the ex-La Poste van just didn’t have the same appeal. There were certainly less security hassles, but the roads just weren’t as much fun. Thankfully, visits to some bunkers in the North (La Coupole and Blockhaus d’ Eperlerques) made up for the boredom of driving a yellow thing with a big bubble dome and no power. After a night of rest in Reims, a city with a name that no non-French person can ever really pronounce and a lovely cathedral with a smiling angel, the road to the Jura ranges was hot and long. The reward was a stunning view of Geneva and Lac Léman on the descent towards La Clusaz, along with a much-needed cool breeze from the lake.

This summer, I’ll be back in the Golf for more top-down adventures.

April Hollands