Maps

Take a good up-to-date map - select a scale that suits your itinerary.

I like the Michelin "Local France" series 1:150.000 - 1 inch = 2.37 miles. It covers a reasonable area, has local town maps, and a placename directory.

Each day before setting out take note of:

• Start point,
• Finish point,
• Significant places en-route,
• Likely complications - towns, complex junctions,
• Change of map,
• Route at edges of maps.

Do not rely slavishly on the SatNav. From the choice of several, which "Aix" do you want?

  Liberté Highway

  "The Thirties....."

Direction Signs

In the Netherlands you will find a logical hierarchy of roads with the easiest to read direction signs in the world.

France is different: the traditional signs do not point up for straight ahead but horizontally at the road you are to take, and they are low so may be obscured by other traffic. The road numbers can be relied upon only if your map or SatNav software is new. With the spread of the motorway network in France most of the RN have been downgraded to D roads and renumbered.

Belgium presents the problem of town names in two languages but normally with only one shown on the sign - either Malines or Mechelen but not both.

  The A7 Crossing from Holland to Friesland

Motorways

Even if you wish to avoid these it may be necessary to use them to reduce a lengthy journey or to cross a water barrier.

The Dutch have a minimum speed limit of 70 kph (43mph) on motorways and the cops will stop you if you are going too slow. Keep a good view ahead for the signs and do not worry overly about the Dutchmen playing dodgems from lane to lane. They do not speed too much and the Autoweg around Rotterdam in the rush hour is nowhere near as bad as the M25 at any time.

In Paris the Periphique has a separate lane exclusively for entering and leaving the numerous exits, so there are no slip roads. If you drive in this right hand "lane" do allow joining traffic to merge in. On French urban motorways be sure to get off before the Payage begins - it can be a long expensive and boring journey to the next exit. Brittany has no toll roads or crossings - said to be due to the treaty when France joined Brittany.

German autobahn have no speed limits so extra mirrors may be advisable.

Belgian motorways are all lit and you can safely drive through the night.