John

>Agreed. Those M roads in the UK are among the best I've experienced, apart from the circular M25 parking lot around London. Toll roads in France are just as good IMHO- the hoon element stays away to avoid paying 5 euros, and the roads are lovely. There is a toll road from Caen to Deauville that crosses 2 enormous, beautiful bridges, an attraction in itself.

Do you mean the huge Normandy Bridge, over the Seine, near le Havre, and the accompanying viaduct, passing from Normandy into Brittany? Fantastic experience. I used them just this August on my holiday in Brittany. I'd thought they were both bridges too. Beats me why you have to pay toll for the bridge but not for the viaduct.

There's an equally impressive red and white striped bridge over the Loire, at Saint Nazaire, passing from Brittany into the vendee.

As for France's A roads - can't see the difference between them and the N roads, 'cept you have to pay toll on the A roads in certain departments/provinces.

>
>Driving in California and Midwest USA is pretty easy, especially in the Midwest- people are so polite. Would you believe, they have uncontrolled intersections where everybody gives way according to the order in which they pulled up at the intersection.

I was in Canada the other year, during the "powooower owootage" and all the traffic lights in Toronto were out. People then reverted to a rotating priority system at cross-roads. Beats me why the hell they don't just have roundabouts.

>Imagine that in Italy!

Sorry, my brain doesn't stretch that far! :-)