Taking my Clio across the English Channel opens up some of the best driving tarmac in the world. Getting the hot hatch out of the UK and onto continental roads is an incredible experience, provided you choose the right crossings and avoid the monotonous major highways.

Crossing the Channel

Getting the Clio over to France comes down to timing and choosing the right route for the final destination:

The Channel Tunnel:Best for a fast transit. Booking the off-peak evening or early morning slots keeps the crossing rates cheap.

Newhaven to Dieppe Ferry:Excellent for heading straight into Normandy or skipping the chaotic traffic corridors around Calais.

Portsmouth to Calais Ferry: A reliable classic route that positions the car perfectly for heading northeast towards the Low Countries

Ditching the Autoroutes

The driving experience in Europe is vastly superior to the UK, but only if you avoid the major motorways. Skipping the toll roads (autoroutes) saves money and unlocks the much more appealing, winding national routes where the Clio's nimble handling and 2.0-litre engine can actually be enjoyed.

Heading North: The Amsterdam Coastal Route

When pointing the Clio's nose toward Amsterdam, bypassing the inland motorways for the coastal route yields the best driving. Tracking the coastline turns a routine commute into an engaging road trip. Negotiating the massive sea bridges and engineering marvels of the Dutch Delta Works tunnels is incredibly satisfying in a low-slung hot hatch.

Heading South: The Paris Bottleneck

Driving south of Paris is always hit-and-miss. The subterranean tunnel networks crisscrossing the French capital are notorious bottlenecks. Traffic routinely grinds to a halt here, making the journey slow and congested. Timing is everything when navigating the Paris ring roads to ensure you do not waste prime driving hours sitting in a tunnel queue.