TRAVEL MOTORING IN FRANCE

The real France still exists. I know, I've been there. A land where you really can drive through peaceful mountains and verdant valleys, sample exquisite, yet affordable, food and wine, staying in quaint little hotels. A land where the pace of life is slower and people have the time to stop and talk, even if they can't understand you.

Moreover, you can be there in just a few hours, either via a short, cheap flight or an easy ferry crossing. Whether you fly and hire a car or cruise across with your own as we did with BMW's new 3 Series Coupe, you wouldn't believe it could be so simple.

To be honest, it wasn't what I'd expected. I'd travelled to France for years and never really liked the place. The people never seemed particularly friendly, the food and wine were expensive and many of the sights were forgettable. This time however, I decided to give it one last chance. BMW bills its new Coupe as a real Grand Tourer and a gentle week meandering through France would, I decided, be a perfect opportunity to put it to the test.



The area we chose was that of the deep South West, right on the edge of the Pyrenees near the Spanish border. Once upon a time, a visit here for British tourists meant a long repetitive drive south: hardly a holiday. Now it's much more accessible. These days, plenty of ferries make the journey across the Bay of Biscay from England's southern coastal ports. We chose Brittany Ferries, who regularly cruise across from Plymouth, Poole and Portsmouth to Santander in Northern Spain, just a couple of hours easy drive from the French border.



As long as you avoid the high season (mid-June to early September), prices are relatively modest, beginning from around £100 for two people and a car in the coldest m...