France is a Western European country that includes several overseas territories and regions. It has an area of 640,679 km2 (247,368 sq mi). The Transport Map of France is one of the best in western Europe. It relies on one of the densest networks in the world. It is built as a web with Paris at its center. Rail, road, air, and water are all widely developed forms of transportation in France.
According to the statistic shows the length of the road network in France in 2018, there were over 1,1 million kilometers of roads in France in 2018, of which 11,670 kilometers of highways. The speed limit on all French motorways is 130 km on dry roads, 110 km on wet roads. Normally when there is “fog” the limit is 50 km. On a national road, the limit is 90 km whilst in urban areas, there is a 50 km restriction.
France Rail System
There is a total of 29,901 kilometers (18,580 mi) of railway in France. It is a popular way to travel between all the wonderful places to visit in France. It services nearly every major city and operates one of the fastest trains in the world—the TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse). The system serves 150 cities within France and her neighboring countries and can get you from Paris to just about anywhere in the nation in a matter of hours.
International Route:
- Eurostar operates trains between the UK and France.
- Thalys trains connect France with Belgium and the Netherlands.
- Lyria runs trains between France and Switzerland.
- Thello partners with Trenitalia (Italy’s rail service) and provides trains between France and Italy.
Rapid Transit
Six cities in France currently have a rapid transit service (frequently known as a ‘metro’). Full metro systems are in operation in Paris (16 lines), Lyon (4 lines), and Marseille (2 lines). Light metro (VAL-type) systems are in use in Lille (2 lines), Toulouse (2 lines), and Rennes (1 line).
Roads of France
An extensive road system totaling about 600,000 miles (965,000 km) has been developed to deal with increasingly heavy traffic conditions. The French motorway network or autoroute system consists largely of toll roads, except around large cities and in parts of the north. It is a network totaling 12,000 km (7,500 mi) of motorways operated by private companies.
Air Travel
There are approximately 478 airports in France (1999 est.) and by a 2005 estimate, there are three heliports. 288 of the airports have paved runways, with the remaining 199 being unpaved.