France is a rather large country, and while it can be portrayed on a map as a country, mapping it in segments provides an opportunity to concentrate on regions at a better scale. This map, covering the coastal region of France from the Cotenin Peninsula south to the Spanish border and east as far as Paris and Montpellier in Languedoc is the first of what we hope will be a series covering the country at an improved scale. This map is double-sided, covering from Quimper and Paris at the northernmost portion of coverage, to Angouleme and Clermont at the southern extreme on one side, with the second side covering from Bordeaux and St-Etienne south to Bayonne/Pamplona and Nimes/Avignon in the south. This is a part of Europe that has been fought over for centuries, and as such is dotted with fortresses proclaiming its historic importance.
This map has been designed with the leisure traveller in mind. Although it shows all motorways and highways, rail connections by train are emphasized, as are long-distance Euro-Velo cycling routes that are being developed in many parts of Europe. At this scale, it would be impractical to record all accommodations, but we have included a new feature that is thus far peculiar to France, and that is motorway hotels at rest areas. Naturally, the map is rich with places of touristic interest.