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France in European transport flows
The sheet links geography and economy. Large French cities are linked to European capitals and to major international ports. They use a large national network of roads, trains, waterways and ports.
Key points of the sheet
- France has one of the densest road networks in the world. It has more than 10,000 km of motorways.
- These roads connect all the large cities of the country. They make trade with neighbouring countries easier and carry travellers and goods quickly across Europe.
- The European Union created corridors to move people and goods better. France is at the crossroads of several major routes, for example the North-west/South-east corridor and the Atlantic corridor.
- These routes combine road, train and boat. For example, goods can move from truck to train, then from train to boat.
Words to know
- waterways (voies navigables)
- They are part of the network that links large French cities to European capitals and major international ports.
- motorways (autoroutes)
- France has more than 10,000 km of motorways.
- corridors
- They are routes created by the European Union to move people and goods better.
- Channel Tunnel (tunnel sous la Manche)
- The North-west/South-east corridor goes through this tunnel to link Great Britain to Italy.
- Atlantic corridor (corridor Atlantique)
- It connects Spain and Portugal to France and Germany, passing through Bordeaux and Toulouse.
Test yourself: 3 questions
How many kilometres of motorways does France have?
In French, the language of the exam: Combien de kilomètres d'autoroutes la France possède-t-elle ?
France has more than 10,000 km of motorways.
The North-west/South-east corridor links Great Britain to which country?
In French, the language of the exam: Le corridor Nord-ouest/Sud-est relie la Grande-Bretagne à quel pays ?
The North-west/South-east corridor links Great Britain to Italy, via Paris and Lyon.
Who created the corridors that cross Europe?
In French, the language of the exam: Qui a créé les corridors qui traversent l'Europe ?
The European Union created these corridors to move people and goods better.
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Source
Sheet “La France dans la circulation européenne” of the French Ministry of the Interior: formation-civique.interieur.gouv.fr. Content published under the Etalab Open Licence 2.0. This page is a plain-language adaptation made by Hexaciv, which is not an official site: if in doubt, the ministry's text is the one that counts.
Ministry sheet read on 23 October 2026, still identical on 25 October 2026.