Hi,
I do a lot of driving in France and when I have time I prefer to use the local roads and take in the sights.
That said, the French Motorway system is worth every Euro in my opinion, they have good surfaces, are quiet and therefore safe and the service areas plentiful, clean and pleasant to visit. When i am in a hurry or have large mileages to cover they offer good value for money.
We could learn a lot from them!
we should consider that France has a considerably larger land mass and probably has its industry better distributed than the UK. Many RNs are very busy with traffic avoiding expensive Autoroutes. There are discounts for regular users, but occasionally crossing the country isn't cheap.
I don't see easy solutions for the UK, and the south-east in particular.
