Take a tour de France, the lazy way

Of course, you can drive from the top to the bottom of France in a day. Reluctant to lose a single night of a precious holiday somewhere in the south, many's the time we have tumbled blearily off a night ferry at Le Havre and roared off down the autoroute.

Breakfast in Paris, lunch in Lyon, dinner at Mediterranean destination. With a car load of Are-We-Nearly-There kids, the shorter the travel time, the less painful the experience. A journey to be endured not enjoyed.

There is, however, another way. Make a leisurely route through France the holiday. Eschew the expensive autoroutes or lorryridden nationales, and enjoy the minor roads, the departementales, coloured yellow and white on the Michelin maps.

Stop as often as you wish, but don't get involved in big-town hassle. Restrict the daily mileage to a comfortable limit and arrive in time to investigate the area, relax, and enjoy an evening meal.

The route I have chosen from the Channel to the Mediterranean takes in some of the most desirable regions in France: lush, historic Normandy, the chateau-rich Loire Valley, scenic Dordogne, wild Auvergne, perfumed Provence.

How's that for a holiday? The overnight stops offer good food, comfortable beds, pleasant, peaceful surroundings, a friendly welcome and that something special - character. All of them are family-run.

They vary wildly, as do their prices. Average them out and you spend about £40 for a double room.

Let's cheat a bit and quickly get away from the ports to our first stop, near Rouen. This is where the autoroutes from Calais, Dieppe, Le Havre and Caen converge, so pick the crossing which suits you best.

Your holiday starts here.

NIGHT ONE
La Chaine d'Or, Les Andelys

The Seine flows wide and deep here and there are lovely walks along its banks; a climb up to the ruins of Le Gaillard castle, built by Richard the Lionheart in 1196, should build up an appetite for dinner-Your 18th-Century hotel, run by the Foucault family, boasts probably the best site of any in Normandy, on the river in the centre of this little town. Most rooms look out over the water, and there is a pleasant garden in which to enjoy that blissful first glass of French wine. The cooking is Michelin-starred. Try roasted langoustines with a confitof limes, or rack of lamb on a red and yellow pepper base.

DAY TWO 176 miles
Normandy to the Dordogne

Cross the Seine at St Pierre du Vauvray, pass by Gaillon, carry on over the autoroute and turn left along the river Eure, through a series of little villages. Don't get caught up in Dreux's one-way traffic, but follow the river to Chartres. This should take two hours, so it's time for a comfort stop and indeed it would be a crime to forgo any chance to admire that wonderful cathedral. If the sun shines, the kaleidoscope glass windows alone merit the journey.

The countryside now becomes flat and uninteresting, so speed down to Chateaudun and on to Vendome for lunch. The Auberge de la Madeleine is light, bright and cheerful. It is right in the centre of town facing onto a garden, with a terrace overlooking the river.

You're heading for Blois. Make for the magnificent chateau and then down to the Loire. I strongly recommend crossing over the bridge and turning right immediately on to the little D91.

At Chaumont, turn left towards Montrichard on the river Cher. Keep heading south to Loches, and just 2.5 miles further south, turn left to St Jean-St Germain, your destination.

NIGHT TWO
Le Moulin de St Jean

I try to restrict use of the overworked description 'idyllic', but I shall have to squander my ration here. The restored watermill sits on an island in the Indre - a much prettier river than its parent Loire. A wide curving weir, a small sandy beach and a petite swimming pool add to the appeal. Most of the seven bedrooms look over the water; some have balconies, all are charming and boast modern bathrooms.

The high spot of the day is dinner. All 14 guests, often 'repeaters', sit down with owner Sue Hutton and her partner Andrew Page for a splendid feast, cooked by Andrew. For us it was roasted local goats' cheese on an interesting salad, sea bream and prawns in flaky pastry with a delicate chived beurre blanc sauce, a cheeseboard, and bread and butter pudding, rich with eggs and cream, puffy and crisp. Unlimited wine is included in the deal, resulting in an extremely convivial evening.

Here you are in the heart of chateau country. An extra night booked in at Le Moulin would be a good idea, but there should be time to include one or two in the afternoon of day two. Neighbouring Loches is underestimated, both town and castle; Chenonceaux, everybody's favourite, is not far, nor are Cheverny, Amboise, Blois and Chambord, but don't get cultural indigestion by tackling too many.

DAY THREE 173 miles
South to Sarlat-la-Caneda

The last stretch of the D41 before Le Blanc follows yet another river, the Creuze; keep heading south to Limoges. A disappointing town, I always find, but we have driven 100 miles and need a lunch stop. Le Bistro Gourmand fills the bill admirably. It's near the porcelain museum, which is well signposted. Reckon on spending about £10 on, for example, a carpaccio of salmon, a steak with shallots and a wicked creme brulee.

It's a pleasant, easy run now to our destination, Sarlat-la-Caneda, so you should arrive in good time to explore the delightful medieval town.

It is often written off as a tourist honeypot, but I still find it perfectly delightful. Out of season that is, but no one, I would hope, would contemplate this drive in July and August.

Its Saturday market is justly famous - try to work your trip around being there then - but at any time there is plenty to admire in the narrow streets, ramparts and cobbled squares.

Once the sun goes down, 36 gas lamps and a system of spotlights emphasise the architectural charms.

NIGHT THREE
La Couleuvrine, Sarlat

This little hotel, run by mother and daughter, has 23 rooms in a tower of the old ramparts. Near the pedestrianised heart of the town, it is relatively free of traffic noise. The best rooms have balconies overlooking a quiet square. All come with modern bathrooms.

Not recommended for the infirm - stone stairs twist up three levels and nothing is square and level, but bags of charm, an ideal position and extremely reasonable.

Next door is the restaurant, dignified and elegant, but there are plenty of others within easy walking distance. Particularly recommended is the Quatre Saisons hidden up a narrow alley. Old stone walls, but a modern approach with lighting and decor makes it a cheerful choice. No need to look beyond the £10 menu, which offers plenty of regional specialities, like pigs' trotters with morels and boudin (sausage) with chestnuts.

There is so much to see in the lovely surrounding countryside, dominated by the rivers Dordogne and Vezere, that an extra day here would be a huge bonus.

Gastronomically you are in heaven. Foie gras is advertised in every village and from farms along the roadside. In season, mushrooms feature enticingly on every menu. But the speciality of Perigord is truffles. The best place to try them is near the capital of the region, the delightful medieval town of Perigueux, and the best restaurant to patronise is, surprise, surprise, the Auberge de la Truffe, in the nearby village of Sorges-en-Perigord.

Here they come in many guises ... omelette aux truffes, sweetbreads with grated truffles, fillet steak with truffle juice. The gastronomic menu is not for the faint-hearted - an assortment of duck foie gras terrines (divine), the truffle omelette (don't miss), duck confit with both foie gras and truffles (I'm weakening), the local goats' cheese, cabecou (just a taste), and a trolley of calorific desserts (I think not).

They do throw in a plum brandy sorbet halfway through to ease the digestion!

If you need a bed on which to recover from the Auberge, a Logis de France hotel is behind the restaurant.

DAY FOUR 176 miles
Dordogne to Auvergne

This is the most scenic section of the route. Allow plenty of time (a) because the driving can be hairy round the mountain bends, and (b) the scenery is so glorious you will be tempted to stop frequently for photos. You can take in Rocamadour, but as time is precious, don't bother to take the second lift down to the 'village' which is just one street of souvenir shops. The Chapelle Notre Dame and the moving black Madonna statue are more worthy of your attention, and the view from the terrace of the gorge below and the ecclesiastical city perched on the rock is staggering. Press on through Figeac and Rodez to Severac-le-Chateau, to lunch at one of those typically French Logis de France in the middle of nowhere, where a car park packed with French cars tells you all you need to know about the quality and value of the fare.

Here it is Le Commerce, where a substantial two-course lunch will set you back £5. Surprisingly there is also that rare French bird, a vegetarian menu - for £10.

Climb the hill to the medieval chateau for a leg-stretch before embarking on the challenging Gorges du Tarn.

You can do a complete circle of the gorge, but this would take more time than we have available and the concentration required for driving on the hairpin roads is exhausting. I recommend the northern route from

Millau; in autumn, with few cars on the road, we enjoyed a stunningly beautiful contrast of sunset-coloured foliage with stark grey rock.

NIGHT FOUR
La Lozerette, Cocures

Leave the main road just north of Florac and drive a couple of miles up into the Cevennes to find this little chalet-type hotel. The silence is so intense that it is a shock to hear the odd bell - cow, goat, church - from miles away. Robert Louis Stevenson stopped in Cocures with his donkey Modestine.

After all that driving, relax on the patch of shady grass opposite the hotel. Pierrette Agulbon, who runs the hotel handed down from her grandmother and parents, is a trained sommelier and will help pick out the perfect bottle of local wine to enhance the superb cooking - a flan layered with cepes, farm chicken stuffed with wild mushrooms, chestnut terrine with vanilla sauce - served in the unexpectedly sophisticated restaurant. Weary hill walkers can stretch out before a log fire in the bar, a welcome counter to the chilly mountain air.

DAY FIVE 148 miles
The Cevennes Corniche to Marseilles

In the autumn mornings, mist lies on the valley floor like a fluffy duvet, but soon the sun will break through to reveal the glowing colours of the chestnut and walnut trees. The convolutions of the road mean that it will take more than an hour to reach the end of the Parc National des Cevennes at Anduze. The dramatic scenery gives way to flatter countryside and vineyards. It's tempting to explore Nimes, but a big car-unfriendly town demands time, and I would either devote another night to it or press on to Arles by autoroute. Get rid of the car underneath the trees in the boulevard that leads from the autoroute exit into town and explore the alleyways on foot.

La Mule Blanche is always full soon after midday. Bag a table in the shade of the plane trees to enjoy Provencal specialities - terrine of three peppers, or a plate of mountain ham served with fresh figs in season.

It's almost impossible to avoid the main roads in this part of France, and indeed the desire to reach the Mediterranean urges the swiftest travelling time. There's no doubt that you are in Provence, with sunbaked tiles and pencil cedars setting the scene before the first glimpse of that signature blue sea.

Now it's up to you. The whole of the Cote d'Azur beckons - Grimaud, Cannes, St Tropez. Or you can just head up the autoroute and be home tomorrow.

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