En route!
Driving in France

      All set? Bags packed? French phrases ready? Now the fun begins. If you're renting a house in France, you're probably renting a car as well. And once you've gone through the logistics of actually signing for and picking up the car, you will suddenly find yourself pulling out of the lot and onto the French road system.

      Whoa! After going through the predictable, fairly familiar environment of the airport or train station, you are now about to encounter your first 'real' taste of France. Be prepared - it's not a shock, but you will find that some things aren't where you expect them to be, some aren't there at all, and there seem to be some different rules over here. So we've put together a primer of Big Differences for the first (or second) time driver in France.

But first, get a good Michelin map of the area. They're the best, period. For Provence and the Côte d'Azur, get the 527, for Dordogne, the 329. You can buy them online at our favorite travel store, Travel Essentials. See their site for other regions.

Now, on to the primer . . .