Thanks for the replies guys. Route not set, and have not yet sighted a NW area chart. Should arrive in the morning along with France VFR Flight Guide from Flightstore (includes airfield diagrams, local area charts and local procedures, plus no doubt more than enough introduction to explain what differences to look out for). Got itchy fingers and ordered it before anyone had replied to my post.... .. .FNG:. .. .We'll each have a GPS each it seems, but backup only wherever possible. Nice to log the route for Autoroute Europe later anyway. Think proposed route should be fairly easy to follow, but occasional VOR check will no doubt be needed. Presumably most VORs over there have paired DMEs like here?. .. .Will watch out for the Mirages.. .. .Hopefully just a couple of fuel stops - Cherbourg and Orleans. Will try not to catch either at lunchtime.. .. .Used to Autoresponders from flying in Australia. Blind calls in English and French I guess for safety if skirting round/over smaller fields?. .. .SD:. .. .Recommended website looks great - will check that before we go.. .. .Will sort out a route round airspace when I get the chart. Was planning to skirt up the western side of Paris, ideally over Vernon and locale on the Seine for which I have fond memories from a week's cycling trip to Paris and back from Dorset in my youth.. .. .Loire Valley came to mind cos it looks nice on the telly. In straightish lines, all can be done in a day. May well have to abbreviate if too much is in the way though. Any other suggestions would be welcome - just didn't want to end up just going to Le Touquet and back if we can help it.. .. .Understand we need to be back in UK airspace before dark as neither of us have an IR and there's no Special VFR over there for night flying.. .. .btw: Did a couple of weeks work experience at the Hotel Bristol, just off the Place Gambetta, Bordeaux back in 91 when I was at school. Was a fantastic looking girl worked there called Sandrine as I recall.... .. . <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="biggrin.gif" /> . .. .WGW