About 70,000 people stop there every day, and for good reason: it is worth the detour!
Highway areas is the essential break from long journeys to the holidays. Under the blows of ten o’clock, noon or four hours, they become obligatory passage points: vacationers stop there to stretch their legs, go to the toilet or eat a song before hitting the road. Each summer, millions of motorists pass there, and inevitably, some stops are more frequented than others, especially during the big departures on vacation.
In France, there are approximately 364 service areas and 637 rest areas, according to ASFA (association of French motorways). Service areas offer real break comfort: catering, fuel, sanitary facilities, sometimes even shops and outdoor games for children. Conversely, rest areas are simpler, with only sanitary facilities, picnic tables and parking to do a quick stop. Among all these areas, do you know which is the most frequented?
Small clue: it is on the highway that Bison Futé classifies almost systematically in red each summer. So yes, it is the A7 motorway, nicknamed “the highway of the sun”. As for the service area, it is that of Montélimar. It is she who checks the box of one of the busiest in France, told us the press service of Vinci Autoroute. In “Summer, more than 70,000 people on average per day stop there … It is therefore the equivalent of an average city that is reconstituted every day”, We were told. And it is not the only category that distinguishes it from others … In summer, the place takes on the air of village-vacancy, with free sports entertainment for young and old, offered as part of the summer operations of Vinci Autoroutes.
It is also one of the largest highway areas in Europe. It is thought of as a real space of relaxation for holidaymakers. There is all the expected comfort of a modern service area: service station, electric charging stations, varied catering (McDonald’s, Starbucks, Golden Brioche, O’tacos), free wifi, showers, children’s playgrounds, inflation station and even secure heavyweight parking. The area also enhances the gastronomic heritage of the region with products from a dozen traditional nougatiers.
