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AGENTS

CHARTRES. The Cathedral towering above the old roofs of the city from near the Porte Guillaume....

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THE MOTOR ROUTES OF FRANCE

BY G O R D O N H O M E WITH 16 FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS IN COLOUR, 16 IN BLACK AND WHITE, AND 60 MAPS &amp; PLANS ADAM AND CHARLES BLACK SOHO SQUARE, LONDON · MCMX...

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PREFACE

The fascination of a motor tour through France can scarcely be exaggerated. It is a country eminently suited to the new method of road travel, for with the spaces between the towns traversed by wide national ways going to their objectives as straight as the contours of the country will permit, no one feels that the presence of a rapid car is destroying the peace or beauty of the neighbourhood. And yet in the tour described in this book there is a huge diversity of scenery, from the wheat plains

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ERRATA

The amount of ‘£48 10s. 0d.’ on page 420 should read ‘£89 3s. 4d.’; and the grand total at the foot of the page should be ‘£102 16s. 4d.’ (OMITTING JUMIÈGES, 89 KILOMETRES) DISTANCES ALONG THE ROUTE THE MOTOR ROUTES OF FRANCE TO THE CHÂTEAUX OF TOURAINE, BIARRITZ, THE PYRENEES, THE RIVIERA, AND THE RHONE VALLEY...

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SECTION I HAVRE TO ROUEN, 58¼ MILES (93½ KILOMETRES) (OMITTING JUMIÈGES, 89 KILOMETRES)

DIEPPE TO ROUEN, 36 MILES (58 KILOMETRES) BOULOGNE TO ROUEN, 109½ MILES (176 KILOMETRES) NOTES FOR DRIVERS Harfleur. —On the way to St. Romain, a long ascent, with four turns. St. Romain de Colbosc. —Steam tramway. Lillebonne. —After leaving the town, a steep ascent, with sharp bends. Caudebec-en-Caux. —A long, winding descent; 5 kilometres farther, a dangerous level crossing ( passage à niveau ). Canteleu. —Steep, winding descent into Rouen for 3 kilometres. In bad weather , when the roads are

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SECTION II ROUEN TO EVREUX, 32½ MILES (52 KILOMETRES)

DISTANCES ALONG THE ROUTE NOTES FOR DRIVERS On leaving the Seine for Pont de l’Arche, there is a long, winding ascent. After Pont de l’Arche comes a climb through the forest, and a switchback of small, sharp hills before reaching Louviers . After crossing the Iton, the road is hilly until the valley of that river is dropped into again, about 6 kilometres from Evreux. PLACES OF INTEREST ON THE ROUTE Rouen. —Cathedral; churches of St. Ouen and St. Maclou, and crypt of St. Gervais (on hill above th

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SECTION III EVREUX TO CHARTRES, 47¾ MILES (77 KILOMETRES)

DISTANCES ALONG THE ROUTE NOTES FOR DRIVERS This portion of the route goes across the great flat plain of St. André and the two little hills, one on leaving Dreux, and another halfway to Chartres, are not worth mentioning. Squalls of wind and rain sometimes assail one with tremendous force. PLACES OF INTEREST ON THE ROUTE Evreux. —Old and historic town, with barracks; cathedral includes several periods, from 1125 to 1630; town belfry, built in 1490, contains bell of 1406; museum, with Roman disc

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SECTION IV CHARTRES TO ORLEANS, 45¼ MILES (73 KILOMETRES)

DISTANCES ALONG THE ROUTE NOTES FOR DRIVERS A straight road across the level plain of La Bauce, sometimes subjected to fierce rain storms. PLACES OF INTEREST ON THE ROUTE Chartres. —Cathedral, one of the finest in the world, built chiefly in early part of thirteenth century; magnificent twelfth and thirteenth century glass; remarkable north and south porches, encrusted with carving and statuary; early crypt. Churches of (1) St. Père-en-Vallée, (2) St. Aignan, (3) St. Martin-au-Val, (4) St. André

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SECTION V AMONG THE CHÂTEAUX OF TOURAINE

ORLEANS TO TOURS, 103½ MILES (166 KILOMETRES) ORLEANS TO TOURS, DIRECT, 71¾ MILES (115 KILOMETRES) DISTANCES ALONG THE ROUTE NOTES FOR DRIVERS This section is practically level throughout, and the roads are generally good. PLACES OF INTEREST ON THE ROUTE Meung. —An old village on the Loire; church of eleventh century with western tower joined to castle of the Bishops of Orleans. Beaugency. —Keep of castle eleventh century, other portions fifteenth century; Tour de l’Horloge, a picturesque gatewa

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SECTION VI TOURS TO POITIERS, 76½ MILES (124 KILOMETRES)

NOTES FOR DRIVERS Cormery to Loches. —The longer route has the best surface, and goes through very pretty scenery. Loches to Châtellerault is a rough road, with some short hills after La Haye Descartes. PLACES OF INTEREST ON THE ROUTE Tours. —A large manufacturing town on the Loire and the Cher; Cathedral Romanesque, thirteenth century, with coeval glass, latest work sixteenth century; the Archevêché, fourteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries; Tour de Guise, twelfth century; towers of th

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SECTION VII POITIERS TO ANGOULÊME, 67¼ MILES (108 KILOMETRES)

DISTANCES ALONG THE ROUTE NOTES FOR DRIVERS The road is hilly at first, with descents at Croutelle and Vivonne . Level on leaving Couhé-Vérac , but hilly near Ruffec , and hills of a low gradient are frequent on the way to Mansle , where there is an easy descent to the Charente. After Tourriers the hills are a little steeper. PLACES OF INTEREST ON THE ROUTE Poitiers. —A large town on a flat raised area of rock, and famous for its beautiful Romanesque churches: (1) Notre Dame-la-Grande, eleventh

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SECTION VIII ANGOULÊME TO BERGERAC, 84 MILES (135 KILOMETRES)

DISTANCES ALONG THE ROUTE NOTES FOR DRIVERS Angoulême to Périgueux. —A hilly road, with two level stretches between La Rochebeaucourt and Monsec , and between Puy-de-Fourches and Périgueux . A long climb out of Périgueux , with an easy descent to Vergt through the forest. For a long distance the road winds through a beautiful valley. PLACES OF INTEREST ON THE ROUTE Angoulême. —A considerable town on a raised tabular space, surrounded by boulevards on site of ramparts; Romanesque cathedral, 1110-

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SECTION IX BERGERAC TO MONT-DE-MARSAN, 96¼ MILES

(155 KILOMETRES) DISTANCES ALONG THE ROUTE NOTES FOR DRIVERS Hilly from Bergerac to Seyches ; after that a flat road, with a moderately good surface. PLACES OF INTEREST ON THE ROUTE Bergerac. —A rather modern town on the Dordogne; new church; old streets, only fairly picturesque; sixteenth or seventeenth century house called the Château de Henri IV. Eymet. —Old village, with ruined castle, ramparts, and a good gateway. Miramont. —Village, with quaint houses. Marmande. —Small town, with church of

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SECTION X MONT-DE-MARSAN TO BIARRITZ, 66 MILES (106 KILOMETRES)

DISTANCES ALONG THE ROUTE NOTES FOR DRIVERS From Mont-de-Marsan to St. Vincent the route traverses a corner of Les Landes, and there are no hills. The rest of the way is hilly, without anything steep. PLACES OF INTEREST ON THE ROUTE This section of the route is chiefly through the forest country adjoining Les Landes. Tartas. —A little town on the Midouze with a few towers of its early fortifications left standing. Dax ( just off the road to the left ).—Has hot mineral springs, which were known t

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SECTION XI BIARRITZ TO PAMPLONA AND BACK VIA SAN SEBASTIAN, 155 MILES (250 KILOMETRES)

DISTANCES ALONG THE ROUTE NOTES FOR DRIVERS Only those who have cars capable of climbing for many miles up some exceedingly steep gradients should attempt this little two-day journey through the Basque Country of Spain to Pamplona. The surface of the road is very dusty but good between Biarritz and Béhobie , and it is rather better and much less dusty from the frontier to a little beyond Irurita . Beyond that the steep gradients begin, and the surface of the road becomes loose in places, althoug

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SECTION XII BIARRITZ TO PAU, 69 MILES (111 KILOMETRES)

DISTANCES ALONG THE ROUTE NOTES FOR DRIVERS Bayonne to Peyrehorade. —A rather bad surface at the present time, which will probably be improved. A steep ascent out of Bayonne, and after that only small undulations. Peyrehorade. —At bridge do not cross, but keep straight on, and bear to the left to cross railway, then at once to the right. Orthez to Pau. —The road is level. PLACES OF INTEREST ON THE ROUTE Peyrehorade. —Picturesque little town, with narrow streets; two castles, one in town and one

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SECTION XIII PAU TO ST. GAUDENS, 61½ MILES (99 KILOMETRES)

DISTANCES ALONG THE ROUTE NOTES FOR DRIVERS Casabieille (19 kilometres from Pau).—A sharp ascent. Ibos. —The winding descent to near this village in the plain of Tarbes is dangerous. Pau to Lourdes. —The shortest route is along the road to Tarbes as far as Soumoulou, and then through Pontacq. The longer way mentioned above is more beautiful. Tarbes to Montrejeau. —A steep climb out of the plain of Tarbes; then several ascents and descents from one valley to another. Montrejeau to St. Gaudens. —L

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SECTION XIV ST. GAUDENS TO CARCASSONNE, 105 MILES (169 KILOMETRES)

DISTANCES ALONG THE ROUTE NOTES FOR DRIVERS St. Gaudens to St. Martory. —Nearly level. St. Martory to Mane. —The road crosses a steep ridge of hills. Mane to St. Girons. —Level. Do not cross the River Salat until St. Girons is reached. St. Girons to Le Mas-d’Azil. —A well-engineered road through a hilly country. Pamiers. —A dangerous winding descent to the town. The rest of the way to Carcassonne the road is undulating, without any dangerous hills, except on the east side of Fanjeaux, where the

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SECTION XV CARCASSONNE TO MONTPELLIER, 94¼ MILES

(152 KILOMETRES) DISTANCES ALONG THE ROUTE NOTES FOR DRIVERS Practically a level road as far as Béziers ; after that hilly to Mèze . PLACES OF INTEREST ON THE ROUTE Carcassonne. —A dual town: the ancient one, generally called La Cité, is the most perfectly preserved medieval walled city in France; fifty-four towers in the walls and castle; Cathedral of St. Nazaire, twelfth to fourteenth century—a lovely building; one of the bridges across the Aude medieval also. Modern town founded in thirteenth

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SECTION XVI MONTPELLIER TO AIX-EN-PROVENCE, 98½ MILES (158 KILOMETRES)

DISTANCES ALONG THE ROUTE NOTES FOR DRIVERS Montpellier to Nîmes. —Level, and nearly every road across the delta of the Rhone is quite flat. THE CASTLE AT TARASCON. On the Rhone. Pélissanne to Aix-en-Provence. —An undulating road, with a long run down into Aix-en-Provence. PLACES OF INTEREST ON THE ROUTE Montpellier. —A cheerful and prosperous city; new streets and wide boulevards—(1) Historic School of Medicine in former Episcopal Palace; (2) Musée Fabre contains very fine collection of picture

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SECTION XVII AIX-EN-PROVENCE TO CANNES, 100 MILES (160 KILOMETRES)

DISTANCES ALONG THE ROUTE NOTES FOR DRIVERS Brignoles to Le Luc. —Fairly hilly; elsewhere the journey from Aix to St. Raphaël is practically level. St. Raphaël to La Napoule (beyond Théoule)—[10 miles an hour recommended].—This road was only finished in 1903. It is called the Corniche d’Or (or d’Estérel), and follows the ragged coast-line in and out of the beautiful bays. There is no protection on the seaward side, and a collision between automobiles means that the outside car will probably fall

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SECTION XVIII CANNES TO SAN REMO, 53¾ MILES (89 KILOMETRES)

DISTANCES ALONG THE ROUTE NOTES FOR DRIVERS The whole of this section is on the Rivieras of France and Italy. There are a few steepish hills, but, taken as a whole, the road is level. The Upper Corniche is between Nice and Mentone, and the ascent to it and the descent from La Turbie are both formidable, although the road is well engineered. The roads are tarred between Cannes and Nice, but beyond Nice the dust is not excessive until east of Mentone, where it is encountered in yellowish-white clo

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SECTION XIX AIX-EN-PROVENCE TO AVIGNON, 65¼ MILES (105 KILOMETRES)

DISTANCES ALONG THE ROUTE NOTES FOR DRIVERS There is a long ascent out of Aix , and a steep-sided ridge is crossed between Lambesc and Le Pont Royal ; otherwise this section is level. PLACES OF INTEREST ON THE ROUTE St. Cannat. —Small village, with slight ruins of castle. Lambesc. —A small town, much destroyed by the earthquake of 1909. Orgon. —Picturesque little walled town, containing several old houses and a fourteenth-century church; on the cliff immediately above are the ruins of a château

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SECTION XX AVIGNON TO VALENCE, 94½ MILES (152 KILOMETRES)

DISTANCES ALONG THE ROUTE NOTES FOR DRIVERS A level road in the Rhone Valley all the way, except about 6 kilometres north of Donzère. The shallow drains called cassis or caniveaux are very frequent. They are all marked with warning-boards. PLACES OF INTEREST ON THE ROUTE Avignon. —A picturesque walled city on the Rhone: (1) The Popes transferred their seat there between 1305 and 1411—their palace, a huge fortress, dominates the city; (2) Cathedral of Notre Dame des Doms, an interesting Romanesqu

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SECTION XXI VALENCE TO ST. ÉTIENNE, 58¼ MILES (94 KILOMETRES)

DISTANCES ALONG THE ROUTE ALTERNATIVE ROUTE TO PARIS, 368½ MILES (602 KILOMETRES) If there is too much snow on the Cevennes to make the St. Étienne route possible, the following road will be available: NOTES FOR DRIVERS Between Valence and Andance , where the Rhone Valley is left, there are no less than eighteen of the shallow drains called cassis on the road; they are all marked with conspicuous warning-boards. As far as Andance the road is perfectly level, but on going to the left, just before

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SECTION XXII ST. ÉTIENNE TO MOULINS, 109½ MILES

(177 KILOMETRES) DISTANCES ALONG THE ROUTE NOTES FOR DRIVERS St. Étienne to La Fouillouse. —Is a picturesque, hilly road. La Fouillouse to Balbigny. —Is level. Balbigny to near Roanne. —The road goes through a hilly country, but there are no formidable gradients. Roanne to La Palisse. —A hilly road. St. Germaine l’Espinasse. —Has a bad cassis or caniveau . La Pacaudière to Moulins. —A fairly level road. Bessay. —Has a bad caniveau . PLACES OF INTEREST ON THE ROUTE St. Étienne. —A large industria

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SECTION XXIII MOULINS TO BRIARE, 87 MILES

(140 KILOMETRES) DISTANCES ALONG THE ROUTE NOTES FOR DRIVERS Moulins to St. Imbert. —Level, and afterwards long undulations to Nevers , and a good many moderate hills as far as La Marche . La Marche to Pouilly-sur Loire. —Level, but a long hill follows Pouilly, with a descent of 4 kilometres to Cosne . From Cosne to Briare the road follows the Loire, and is level. Ousson .—Has a cassis or caniveau . PLACES OF INTEREST ON THE ROUTE Moulins. —A picturesque town, containing—(1) Several old houses;

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SECTION XXIV BRIARE TO MELUN, 64 MILES (103 KILOMETRES)

DISTANCES ALONG THE ROUTE TWO ALTERNATIVE ROUTES NOTES FOR DRIVERS Ascent from Briare fairly steep; after that level to Montargis. Montargis to Fontainebleau .—Practically a flat road, chiefly in the valley of the Loing. PLACES OF INTEREST ON THE ROUTE Briare. —A village at the junction of the roads from Orleans and Paris. La Boussière. —A hamlet with a small château in a park. Mormant. —A small village with a Romanesque church. Montargis. —An old and historic town; gateway of château, two tower

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SECTION XXV MELUN TO ST. GERMAIN-EN-LAYE, 45¼ MILES

(73 KILOMETRES) DISTANCES ALONG THE ROUTE TO PARIS, DIEPPE, AND CALAIS NOTES FOR DRIVERS Melun to Choisy-le-Roi. —Level. Choisy-le-Roi to Versailles. —Has a few sections of paved road, but this route avoids any bad or continuous stretches. Versailles to St. Germain. —A steep ascent at Rocquencourt, and at the fork at the Grille Royale turn to the right to avoid the steep descent to Marly-le-Roi. PLACES OF INTEREST ON THE ROUTE Melun. —An old town on the Seine, with the Church of Notre Dame on th

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SECTION XXVI ST. GERMAIN-EN-LAYE TO GISORS, 37½ MILES (60 KILOMETRES)

DISTANCES ALONG THE ROUTE NOTES FOR DRIVERS Pontoise to Bouconvilliers. —On this section of the road there are several stretches of paving, and at the cross-roads just beyond Lierville (a village just off the road on the left) it is best to go to the right through Chaumont-en-Vexin , to avoid the paved road that goes direct to Gisors. Gisors. —On entering there is a bad caniveau . PLACES OF INTEREST ON THE ROUTE This portion of the route goes through part of Vexin , a county of ancient France. C

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SECTION XXVII GISORS TO ROUEN, 41 MILES

(66 KILOMETRES) DISTANCES ALONG THE ROUTE NOTES FOR DRIVERS Dangu. —There is a steep ascent on the way to Les Thilliers, after which the road is level, until the long and easy descent of the Gambon Valley to Les Andelys. Le Petit Andely. —Has a caniveau on entering from Le Grand Andely. La Vacherie. —Steep, winding ascent from the Seine. Before reaching Heuqueville. —There is a very steep descent through a wood, which should be taken carefully. Amfreville-les-Champs. —After leaving, there is a l

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SECTION XXVIII GISORS TO DIEPPE VIA BEAUVAIS, 86¼ MILES

(138½ KILOMETRES) DISTANCES ALONG THE ROUTE NOTES FOR DRIVERS Gisors to Beauvais. —Level as far as the steep, winding descent near Auneuil . Beauvais to Dieppe. —The two hills of any consequence are at (1) Torcy; (2) Valley of the Varenne. PLACES OF INTEREST ON THE ROUTE [ This is an alternative route to that described through Rouen, and the information is therefore restricted to the smallest space. ] La Houssoye. —Church partly fourteenth century, with stalls and sculptured wainscot of sixteent

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HINTS ON TOURING IN FRANCE

BY JOHN L. KIRK, B.A. I. THE QUESTION OF EXPENSE The main route described in this book was taken from Havre to Mentone by the author and four other persons, one of whom drove and acted as mechanic. From Mentone to Havre four only were carried. A rough summary of the expenses is given below: Details of the Above Expenses connected with the 15-20 H.-P. Car, running 2,347 Miles in 28 Days In Addition II. TOURING SEASON October to end of April. III. MOTOR CLUB To facilitate matters, it is advisable

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