If you're going to see France why spend the entire trip cooped up in an aircraft? Blue skies are fine but with nothing below you but clouds or water you're missing half the beauty of it all.

Why not make an adventure of your holidays: drive! It only takes about nine hours to drive from any of the channel ports to the South of France and suddenly you've got a sightseeing tour extraordinaire. You can even stopover a night or two.

France boasts a plentiful network of motels and hotels called Logis de France that offer one- and two-night stays at very affordable rates. Some start as low as $32 for a twin. Then too you might try camping out in the French countryside, always a fun alternative, and at the end of your journey is a warm bed and croissants at more traditional accommodations at your final destination.

Once you arrive in the South of France there are any number of options for affordable accommodation. The hotel chain Chambre d'hotes is a fine example of the many affordable hotel chains. There are hostels as well as gites, private houses which are rented out by their owners to visitors, as well as self-catering cottages and don't forget camping: a beautiful alternative. The southern regions of Languedoc Rousillon, Provence, and the Cote d'Azure boast a warm Mediterranean climate while Limousin, a little further north is cooler but still extremely pleasant especially at the right time of year, making camping a wonderful adventure.

Driving is a wonderful way to see and experience the beauty that is the South of France whether you choose to stay in the city or nearby in the picturesque countryside.

Driving offers you the flexibility of stopping at your leisure during the nine hour journey. You can drive the entire way to the South or elect to stay near Paris and venture out from there if you're not necessarily seeking that famous Mediterranean sun. If you choose to stay close to Paris, you can always leave the car behind and hop on the train to the French capital and see the sights without tackling the six-lane roundabout of the Arc de Triomphe yourself a feat not for the feint hearted.
There are many beautiful cities to visit in the North as well as in the South of France:

Senlis
Paris
Orleons
Limoges
Cahors
Toulouse
Monticoux
Bruniquel
Castelnau-de-Montmiral

There's lots else to see in the South including the fortifications of Carcassonne, the hills of Montpellier which lies just a few miles inland from the Mediterranean Sea, the rich history of Nimes which dates back to the Roman Empire, Narbonne's old Saint-Just cathedral, bullfighting in Beziers in August, the cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Perpignan begun in 1324 and much, much more.
You may save time getting there by plane, but you can turn time into the adventure of a lifetime by seeing France by car. It can't help but be a magnificent experience.