Race Tracks in France
France is one of motorsport's founding nations, home to the world's oldest endurance race at Le Mans and a road-course network stretching from the Channel coast to the Pyrenees. The Circuit de la Sarthe and its shorter Bugatti layout host the 24 Hours of Le Mans each June, while Circuit Paul Ricard in Provence and Nevers Magny-Cours anchor the country's top-tier car racing alongside Dijon-Prenois, Charade, Nogaro, Albi and Pau-Arnos. Beyond permanent road courses, France runs a dense network of hillclimbs (courses de cote), rallycross tracks led by Lohéac, pro motocross venues such as Ernée and Saint-Jean-d'Angély, and dozens of karting circuits. Monaco, though a separate sovereign principality on France's Mediterranean border, is grouped here for convenience under street circuits. Historic venues including Rouen-les-Essarts, Reims-Gueux and the Linas-Montlhéry autodrome shaped early Grand Prix racing before closing or scaling back to testing roles. Venues cluster most densely around Paris, in the Loire Valley and Poitou-Charentes, and across the southern arc from Bordeaux to Nice, feeding an active club-racing, track-day and historic-motoring scene throughout the year.
74 venues listed across 8 categories. Venues with a full RaceTrackWorld guide are linked.
Road courses in France
| Venue | Town | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Circuit de la Sarthe (24 Heures du Mans)Seasonal | Le Mans, Sarthe | 13.626 km | Part-permanent, part-public-road circuit hosting the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race every June. |
| Circuit Bugatti (Le Mans) | Le Mans, Sarthe | 4.185 km | Permanent shortened layout within the Sarthe circuit, used for club racing, Le Mans support races and track days. |
| Circuit Paul Ricard | Le Castellet, Var | 5.842 km | Former French Grand Prix venue with the famous Mistral straight and runoff-heavy Blue/Red layouts, now a leading test and track-day facility. |
| Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours | Magny-Cours, Nievre | 4.411 km | Former French Grand Prix circuit, now home to World Superbikes and the French motorsport federation FFSA's technical centre. |
| Circuit Dijon-Prenois | Prenois, Cote-d'Or | 3.801 km | Rolling Burgundy circuit that hosted the French Grand Prix in the 1970s-80s and still runs GT and touring car rounds. |
| Circuit de Charade | Saint-Genes-Champanelle, Puy-de-Dome | 3.975 km | Shortened version of the original mountain road circuit near Clermont-Ferrand that once hosted the French Grand Prix. |
| Circuit Paul Armagnac | Nogaro, Gers | 3.636 km | Gascony circuit long used for French Touring Car and Formula Renault racing, plus a large annual track-day programme. |
| Circuit d'Albi | Le Sequestre, Tarn | 3.7 km | Southern circuit hosting French Superbike and GT rounds, with a large adjoining karting facility. |
| Circuit de Lédenon | Lédenon, Gard | 2.484 km | Compact, technical circuit near Nîmes popular for club racing, track days and driving schools. |
| Circuit du Val de Vienne | Le Vigeant, Vienne | 3.7 km | Also called Le Vigeant, this Poitou circuit runs French national car and bike championships and frequent track days. |
| Circuit de Croix-en-Ternois | Croix-en-Ternois, Pas-de-Calais | 1.35 km | Short, technical circuit in the Pas-de-Calais used for rallycross, karting and club car and bike racing. |
| Circuit de Folembray | Folembray, Aisne | 2.409 km | Picardy circuit built around a former chateau estate, used for club racing and driving schools. |
| Circuit de la Chatre | La Chatre, Indre | 2.28 km | Berry-region circuit hosting regional car and motorcycle club championships. |
| Circuit des Écuyers | Beuvardes, Aisne | 2.4 km | Aisne circuit used for club car racing, karting and driving schools near Château-Thierry. |
| Circuit du Mas du ClosDormant | Saint-Avit-de-Tardes, Creuse | 2.7 km | Privately owned Limousin circuit historically used by manufacturers for tyre and vehicle testing, with limited public activity. |
| Circuit Pau-Arnos | Arnos, Pyrenees-Atlantiques | 2.483 km | Southwest circuit near Pau used for French national racing series, karting and track days. |
| Anneau du Rhin | Biltzheim, Haut-Rhin | — | Alsace circuit combining a speed track and off-road area, used for touring cars, drifting and track days. |
| Circuit de Bresse | Frontenaud, Saone-et-Loire | — | Burgundy circuit used for club car and motorcycle racing and regular track days. |
| Circuit de Haute-Saintonge | La Genetouze, Charente-Maritime | 2.34 km | Southwest circuit near Bordeaux hosting French national series and a large karting complex. |
| Circuit Carole | Tremblay-en-France, Seine-Saint-Denis | 1.42 km | Motorcycle-only circuit on the northeast edge of Paris, a key training and club-racing venue for the region. |
| Circuit de Chambley | Hageville, Meurthe-et-Moselle | 3.6 km | Former air base in Lorraine converted into a multi-activity motorsport and leisure park with a road circuit. |
| Circuit de Clastres | Clastres, Aisne | 2.5 km | Former airfield circuit in Picardy hosting club racing, drifting and occasional drag-racing events. |
| Circuit de Lurcy-Lévis | Lurcy-Lévis, Allier | 3.5 km | Allier circuit built on a former airfield, used by manufacturers for testing and by clubs for track days. |
| Circuit du Grand Sambuc | Vauvenargues, Bouches-du-Rhone | 3 km | Provence circuit at the foot of Mont Sainte-Victoire used for car and motorcycle club racing. |
| Circuit de Mérignac | Mérignac, Gironde | 1.4 km | Compact Bordeaux-area circuit used for karting and small-displacement car and bike club racing. |
| Piste Fontenay Pole 85 | Fontenay-le-Comte, Vendee | 1.6 km | Vendee circuit hosting regional car, karting and motorcycle club events. |
| Circuit d'Issoire | Issoire, Puy-de-Dome | 1.4 km | Auvergne circuit used for karting and small-capacity club car and motorcycle racing. |
| Circuit de l'Auxois (Pouilly-en-Auxois) | Meilly-sur-Rouvres, Cote-d'Or | 1.2 km | Burgundy circuit near Pouilly-en-Auxois used mainly for karting and driver training. |
Drag strips in France
| Venue | Town | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Circuit de Clastres (drag events)Seasonal | Clastres, Aisne | 0.402 km | France has no dedicated permanent drag strip; Clastres hosts occasional quarter-mile drag-racing meetings on part of its road-circuit layout. |
Hillclimbs and sprints in France
| Venue | Town | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Course de côte du Mont-DoreSeasonal | Le Mont-Dore, Puy-de-Dome | — | One of France's oldest and best-known hillclimbs, run annually in the Auvergne volcano country since 1905. |
| Course de côte de TurckheimSeasonal | Turckheim, Haut-Rhin | — | Alsace hillclimb through vineyard roads above Colmar, a round of the French Hillclimb Championship. |
| Course de côte de LimonestSeasonal | Limonest, Rhone | — | Long-running hillclimb on the outskirts of Lyon, one of the French championship's fixtures. |
| Course de côte de Bagnols-SabranSeasonal | Sabran, Gard | — | Languedoc hillclimb near Bagnols-sur-Ceze, a regular round of the French Hillclimb Championship. |
| Course de côte de ChamrousseSeasonal | Chamrousse, Isere | — | Alpine hillclimb near Grenoble climbing toward the Chamrousse ski resort. |
Rallycross in France
| Venue | Town | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Circuit de Lohéac | Lohéac, Ille-et-Vilaine | 1.1 km | France's premier rallycross venue, having hosted World Rallycross Championship rounds and used for GT racing too. |
| Circuit de l'Ouest Parisien (Dreux) | Dreux, Eure-et-Loir | 1.1 km | Rallycross track west of Paris hosting French national rallycross championship rounds. |
| Circuit de Châteauroux | Châteauroux, Indre | 1 km | Central France rallycross venue used for national championship rounds. |
| Circuit d'Essay | Essay, Orne | 1 km | Normandy rallycross and karting venue hosting regional and national events. |
| Circuit de Mayenne | Mayenne, Mayenne | 1 km | Pays de la Loire rallycross track used for French championship rounds. |
| Circuit de Faleyras | Faleyras, Gironde | 1.06 km | Bordeaux-area rallycross circuit, a long-standing round of the French Rallycross Championship. |
| Circuit de Kerlabo | Cohiniac, Cotes-d'Armor | 1.1 km | Brittany rallycross and karting venue used for regional and national events. |
| Circuit de Lessay | Lessay, Manche | 1 km | Normandy rallycross venue that has hosted French national championship rounds. |
| Circuit de Pont-de-Ruan | Pont-de-Ruan, Indre-et-Loire | 1 km | Loire Valley rallycross track used for regional and national club events. |
Motocross and off-road in France
| Venue | Town | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Circuit Raymond Demy | Ernee, Mayenne | — | France's leading motocross venue, having hosted the MXGP of France and the Motocross of Nations. |
| Circuit de Saint-Jean-d'Angély | Saint-Jean-d'Angély, Charente-Maritime | — | Charente-Maritime motocross circuit that has hosted French and international championship rounds. |
| Circuit de la Versenne | Villars-sous-Ecot, Doubs | — | Franche-Comte motocross track used for national championship rounds. |
| Circuit des Tonnes | Brou, Eure-et-Loir | — | Centre-Val de Loire motocross venue hosting club and national events. |
| Circuit de la Chambre au Loup | Iffendic, Ille-et-Vilaine | — | Brittany motocross circuit run by the local moto club, hosting regional and national meetings. |
| Circuit Georges Filhol | Lacapelle-Marival, Lot | — | Southwest motocross venue used for French championship and club rounds. |
| Circuit du Puech Rampant | Castelnau-de-Levis, Tarn | — | Tarn motocross circuit near Albi hosting club and regional championship rounds. |
| Circuit du Puy de Poursay | Mazeray, Charente-Maritime | — | Charente-Maritime motocross venue hosting regional and national club events. |
Karting in France
| Venue | Town | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Circuit Paul Ricard Karting | Le Castellet, Var | — | International-standard karting circuit within the Paul Ricard complex, host to major national and international kart events. |
| Circuit International de Karting du Mans | Le Mans, Sarthe | — | Permanent international kart circuit adjoining the Le Mans motorsport complex. |
| Karting de Salbris | Salbris, Loir-et-Cher | — | Sologne karting circuit used for French national championship rounds. |
| Karting de Varennes-sur-Allier | Varennes-sur-Allier, Allier | — | Central France kart circuit hosting regional and national club racing. |
| Circuit de Laval-Beausoleil | Laval, Mayenne | — | Pays de la Loire kart circuit used for club and national karting events. |
| Karting d'Angerville | Angerville, Essonne | — | Ile-de-France kart circuit popular for club racing and driver training south of Paris. |
| Karting d'Essay | Essay, Orne | — | Normandy karting circuit sharing its site with the Essay rallycross track. |
| Karting d'Aunay-les-Bois | Aunay-les-Bois, Orne | — | Normandy kart circuit hosting club and regional championship events. |
| Karting 2 Muret | Muret, Haute-Garonne | — | Toulouse-area kart circuit used for club racing and driver training. |
| Karting de Lyon Saint-Laurent-de-Mure | Saint-Laurent-de-Mure, Rhone | — | Lyon-area kart circuit hosting club and regional karting championships. |
| Karting de Soucy | Soucy, Yonne | — | Burgundy kart circuit used for regional and national club racing. |
| Karting de Valence | Valence, Drome | — | Rhone Valley kart circuit hosting club racing and driver training. |
Street circuits and temporary in France
| Venue | Town | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Circuit de MonacoSeasonal | Monte Carlo, Principality of Monaco | 3.337 km | Not in France: the Circuit de Monaco lies within the sovereign Principality of Monaco, an enclave on France's Mediterranean coast, and hosts the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix each May. |
| Circuit de PauSeasonal | Pau, Pyrenees-Atlantiques | 2.76 km | Historic street circuit through central Pau, host to the Pau Grand Prix since 1933 and now a Formula 2 and Formula 3 round. |
| Paris Street Circuit (Formula E)Seasonal | Paris | 1.9 km | Temporary street circuit around Les Invalides that hosted the Formula E Paris E-Prix. |
| Circuit des Remparts d'AngoulêmeSeasonal | Angoulême, Charente | 1.3 km | Historic street circuit through Angoulême's old town, run annually for pre-1980s racing cars. |
Closed and historic in France
| Venue | Town | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Circuit de Rouen-les-EssartsClosed | Rouen, Seine-Maritime | 6.542 km | Former French Grand Prix circuit through wooded valleys outside Rouen, closed to major racing in 1994. |
| Circuit de Reims-GueuxClosed | Gueux, Marne | 8.302 km | Public-road circuit near Reims that hosted the French Grand Prix into the 1960s; abandoned by the 1970s and now a preserved ruin. |
| Autodrome de Linas-MontlhéryDormant | Linas, Essonne | 12.5 km | 1924 banked-oval-and-road complex south of Paris that hosted French Grands Prix; still used by UTAC as a vehicle test track with occasional historic events. |
| Circuit de MiramasClosed | Istres, Bouches-du-Rhone | 3 km | One of the world's first purpose-built banked autodromes (1924), now largely disused with a small test-track remnant. |
| Circuit de CommingesClosed | Saint-Gaudens, Haute-Garonne | 12 km | Interwar public-road circuit in the Pyrenean foothills that hosted French Grand Prix races before falling out of use after WWII. |
| Circuit de Nice (Promenade des Anglais)Closed | Nice, Alpes-Maritimes | 3.25 km | Seafront street circuit that hosted races in the 1930s-40s including a non-championship Grand Prix; no longer used for motorsport. |
| Circuit de Clermont-Ferrand (original Charade layout)Closed | Saint-Genes-Champanelle, Puy-de-Dome | 8.055 km | The original 8km mountain road layout of Charade that hosted the French Grand Prix in the 1960s-70s, superseded by today's shorter circuit for safety reasons. |
Race tracks near the big cities in France
Near Paris
- Circuit Carole · about 30 min
- Karting d'Angerville · about 60 min
- Circuit de l'Ouest Parisien (Dreux) · about 75 min
- Circuit de Folembray · about 100 min
- Circuit de Châteauroux · about 150 min
Near Lyon
- Karting de Lyon Saint-Laurent-de-Mure · about 25 min
- Course de côte de Limonest · about 30 min
- Circuit de Bresse · about 70 min
- Circuit Dijon-Prenois · about 120 min
- Circuit de Charade · about 150 min
Near Marseille
- Circuit Paul Ricard · about 55 min
- Circuit du Grand Sambuc · about 40 min
- Course de côte de Bagnols-Sabran · about 60 min
Near Toulouse
- Karting 2 Muret · about 25 min
- Circuit d'Albi · about 70 min
- Circuit Paul Armagnac · about 90 min
- Circuit Pau-Arnos · about 110 min
Near Bordeaux
- Circuit de Mérignac · about 20 min
- Circuit de Faleyras · about 45 min
- Circuit de Haute-Saintonge · about 90 min
- Circuit du Val de Vienne · about 110 min
Near Lille
- Circuit de Croix-en-Ternois · about 45 min
- Circuit de Clastres · about 60 min
- Circuit de Folembray · about 90 min
Near Nantes
- Circuit de Lohéac · about 60 min
- Circuit Raymond Demy · about 75 min
Near Strasbourg
- Anneau du Rhin · about 60 min
- Course de côte de Turckheim · about 75 min
- Circuit de Chambley · about 120 min
Major race weekends in France
| Event | Venue | When | Series |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Hours of Le Mans | Circuit de la Sarthe (24 Heures du Mans) | June | FIA World Endurance Championship |
| Le Mans Classic | Circuit de la Sarthe (24 Heures du Mans) | July (biennial) | Historic sports car racing |
| Monaco Grand Prix | Circuit de Monaco | May | Formula 1 |
| Pau Grand Prix | Circuit de Pau | May | Formula 2 / Formula 3 |
| World Superbike round at Magny-Cours | Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours | September | World Superbike Championship |
| World Rallycross round at Lohéac | Circuit de Lohéac | April | FIA World Rallycross Championship |
| Motocross of Nations / MXGP of France | Circuit Raymond Demy | September | MXGP / Motocross des Nations |
| Bol d'Or | Circuit Paul Ricard | September | Endurance motorcycle racing |
| Circuit des Remparts d'Angoulême | Circuit des Remparts d'Angoulême | September | Historic street racing |
Track days and driving experiences in France
Track access in France runs through a mix of circuit-run open-pitlane days and specialist operators such as Trackdays.fr, Sport-Prestige and Ultimate Trackdays, which book sessions at Paul Ricard, Magny-Cours, Dijon-Prenois, Nogaro, Lédenon and Val de Vienne throughout the year. Open-pitlane car days typically cost EUR 150-350 depending on venue and car category, with instructor coaching and passenger laps available extra; manufacturer-run experiences (Porsche, Ferrari, Alpine) at Paul Ricard and Magny-Cours run higher. Motorcycle track days through operators like Sport-Prestige Moto or circuit-run programmes cost roughly EUR 100-200. Karting is the cheapest way onto a circuit, with arrive-and-drive sessions from around EUR 25-50 at venues like Paul Ricard Karting or Le Mans Karting. Hillclimbs and sprints run by regional automobile clubs (ASA, moto clubs) welcome road-legal and race cars for a licence and modest entry fee, a traditional route into French club motorsport.
Frequently asked questions
Does this page include horse racing courses?+
No. Hippodromes such as Longchamp and Chantilly are horse racing venues, not motorsport circuits, and are not covered on this page.
Is the Circuit de Monaco really in France?+
No. Monaco is a fully sovereign, independent principality, not part of France, even though it sits on France's Mediterranean coast and is easily reached from Nice. It is listed here for geographic convenience.
Where is the 24 Hours of Le Mans held?+
At the Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, a mixed circuit combining permanent track sections with closed public roads, run every June since 1923.
Does France have a permanent drag strip?+
No. France has no dedicated, permanent quarter-mile drag strip; occasional drag-racing meetings are run on sections of road circuits such as Clastres.
Which circuit hosts French rallycross?+
Circuit de Lohéac in Brittany is France's leading rallycross venue and has hosted rounds of the FIA World Rallycross Championship, with further national-level tracks at Dreux, Châteauroux, Essay, Mayenne, Faleyras, Kerlabo, Lessay and Pont-de-Ruan.
What happened to the French Grand Prix circuits at Reims and Rouen?+
Both were public-road circuits used for the French Grand Prix through the 1950s-60s. Reims-Gueux was abandoned by the 1970s and survives as a preserved ruin; Rouen-les-Essarts hosted its last major race in 1994 and is now closed to circuit racing.
Can visitors drive on French circuits themselves?+
Yes. Most active circuits run public track days booked through the circuit or specialist operators, and regional automobile clubs run hillclimbs and sprints open to road-legal cars with a competition licence or day permit.
Venue list checked against 34 sources. Last reviewed 2026-09-10.
France track guides on RaceTrackWorld
Circuit 24 Hours of Le Mans
Address: Place Luigi Chinetti, 72019 Le Mans, France Website: https://www.lemans.org/en/ Email: [email protected] Phone Number: +33 2 43 40 24 24 H...
Circuit d’Albi
Address: Circuit d'Albi, 81990 Le Sequestre, France Website: https://www.circuit-albi.fr/ Email: [email protected] Phone Number: +33 5 63 43 04 04 ...
Circuit de Charade
Address: 63122 Saint-Genès-Champanelle, France Website: https://www.charade.fr/en/ Email: [email protected] Phone Number: +33 4 73 29 52 95 Hotels ...
Circuit de Croix en Ternois
Address: 39 Route nationale, 62130 Croix-en-Ternois, France Website: https://www.circuitdecroix.com/ Email: [email protected] Phone Number: +33 3 21...
Circuit de Folembray
Address: Rue des Htes Avesnes, 02670 Folembray, France Email: [email protected] Phone Number: +33 3 23 52 01 42 Hotels Near Circuit de Folembray Tr...
Circuit de La Châtre
Address: Route de Bourges, 36400 La Châtre, France Website: https://www.circuitdelachatre.fr/ Phone Number: +33 2 54 48 33 64 Hotels Near Circuit d...
Circuit de Lédenon
Address: Circuit de Ledenon, 30210 Lédenon, France Website: https://www.ledenon.com/ Email: [email protected] Phone Number: +33 4 66 37 11 37 Hotel...
Circuit de Monaco
Address: Automobile-Club de Monaco, 23 Blvd Albert 1er, 98000, Monaco Website: https://acm.mc/en/ Email: [email protected] Phone Number: 377 93 15 2...
Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours
Address: Technopôle, 58470 Magny-Cours, France Website: https://www.circuitmagnycours.com/ Email: [email protected] Phone Number: +33 3 86 21 80 00 ...
Circuit de Pau
Address: ASAC Basco Bearnais, Palais D'Aragon, Bd D'Aragon, Pau F-64000, France Website: https://grandprixdepau.fr/ Email: [email protected] Phone N...
Circuit des Ecuyers
Address: Fary, 02130 Beuvardes, France Website: http://www.circuitdesecuyers.com Email: [email protected] Phone Number: +33 3 23 70 98 61 Hotels Ne...
Circuit Dijon-Prenois
Address: Circuit Dijon, 21370 Prenois, France Website: https://www.circuit-dijon-prenois.com/ Email: [email protected] Phone Number: +33 3 80 35 32 ...
Circuit du Mas du Clos
Address: 23200 Saint-Avit-de-Tardes, France Website: https://www.masduclos.com/ Email: [email protected] Phone Number: +33 5 55 66 47 96 Hotels Nea...
Circuit du Puy de Poursay
Address: 84 Rue de Poursay, 17400 Villeneuve de Mazeray, France Website: http://motoclub-angerien.com/ Email: [email protected] Phone Number: +33 6 ...
Circuit du Val de Vienne
Address: 2 La Longère, 86150 Le Vigeant, France Website: http://www.circuitvaldevienne.com/ Phone Number: +33 (0) 549 917 917 Hotels Near Circuit d...
Circuit Paul Armagnac
Address: Rue de Caupenne, 32110 Nogaro, France Website: https://www.circuit-nogaro.com/fr/ Email: [email protected] Phone Number: +33 5 62 09 02 49 ...
Circuit Paul Ricard
Address: 2760 Route des Hauts du Camp, DN8, 83330 Le Castellet, France Website: https://www.circuitpaulricard.com/ Email: [email protected] Phone Nu...
Moto Club Brou
Address: 1 Les Petites Tonnes, 28160 Dampierre-Sous-Brou, France Website: https://www.mxbrou.com/ Email: [email protected] Phone Number: +33 2 37 97...
Moto Club Iffendic
Address: La chambre au loup 35750, Iffendic, France Website: https://www.mc-iffendic.com/ Phone Number: +33 2 99 06 86 31 Hotels Near Moto Club Iff...
Paris Street Circuit
Address: Paris, France Website: https://www.fiaformulae.com/ Hotels Near Paris Street Circuit Track History The Paris Street Circuit is an exhilara...
Reims-Gueux
Address: Gueux, France Website: https://www.amis-du-circuit-de-gueux.fr/ Hotels Near Reims-Gueux Track History Reims-Gueux, a legendary motor racin...