Came back from Les Arcs yesterday in my mates Mondeo and I couldn’t believe how rough the surface of the M20/M25 was compared to the French motorways?
Is this because they are toll roads an produced to a better standard or because they have less traffic to wear out the surface?
Which country has the smoothest motorways?

it’s to do with the way the Tarmac works.

British motorways do drainage on the surface with raised areas to give grip.

On the continent a lot of them use a more complex structure so that surface water drains down a bit before running off – it means the top surface is smoother and therefore quieter. this costs more, in the uk they tend to use it where there are houses near to the motorway and not bother elsewhere.

Some of the M25 has a concrete wearing surface – lasts a lot longer but is noisier…….

Several sections of the M66 have potholes……

Just because of the size of the country I’m going to say Luxembourg’s motorways are the smoothest overall. Driving back home through Belgium (or France) the roads are terrible. When I finally hit Luxembourg it’s billiard table smooth.

Not just me then, I though the kids had opened the back windows when I got off the shuttle uk side.

There are, or were, 2-3 years ago, stretches of the A12 with a “trial surface” (that’s what the signs said) on the concrete stuff. Seemed like they’d been finished/scored by a Big Thing.

It was lovely – from big noise and rough ride, to quiet and smoooth. Then back to rough and loud.

Slightly related but I drove in France last month, does anybody know why the lights on the motorway are not on at night?

it stops the german bombers using them for navigating!!

If there are lights, they should be in my experience. I’ve never driven in the early hours of the morning so maybe they turn them off at a certain time?

Smoothest – those nice EU paid for motorways in southern spain.

Worst – Detroit. I know that they have just had a couple of bouts of epically cold weather (daytime -20 anyone) but the potholes are incredible. I spent last week there and I’m glad it was a hire car.

Worst – Detroit. I know that they have just had a couple of bouts of epically cold weather (daytime -20 anyone) but the potholes are incredible. I spent last week there and I’m glad it was a hire car.

I’ll take your Detroit and raise it with Montreal. The pot holes there make sinkholes look like pimples. I once picked up a hire car, drove out of the airport and within 90secs had hit a pothole so big it burst both front and rear nearside tyres. Drove it back to Avis who looked completly unfazed that it had happened and just gave me a new hire car and off i went, carefully avoiding said crater.

I’ll take your Detroit and raise it with Montreal.

Meh – Uganda FTW

If there are lights, they should be in my experience. I’ve never driven in the early hours of the morning so maybe they turn them off at a certain time?

It was about 7pm, hadn’t given it much thought until I saw this post.

I couldn’t believe how rough the surface of the M20/M25 was compared to the French motorways

On the flip side some of the sections of the A6 around Evry will rattle your fillings loose.

Came back from Les Arcs yesterday in my mates Mondeo and I couldn’t believe how rough the surface of cheap the M20/M25 was compared to the French motorways?

FTFY