For an initial foray into France, you could do a lot worse than Picardy and the Somme region. Get off the main roads and the driving is excellent with loads to see, especially if you like military history - places like
La Coupole and the
V2 Blockhouse at Eperlecques are in easy reach, and Le Touquet still has a smidgeon of its heyday in its character.
We stay frequently at
La Ferme du Vert in Wierre-Effroy, which is only about 40 minutes from the French end of the channel tunnel. The owner, Thomas Bernard, is a great bloke and a classic car enthusiast - he has a very nice MGB GT and an original Range Rover.
Most people blast straight through this region on their ways south, which means that it tends to be less crowded, and of course being so close to the UK there's no problem with language
