The Route nationale 20 (N20) is a
trunk road (
nationale) between Paris and the frontier with Spain heading south through the heart of France and passing through the Cathedral City of Orléans and Toulouse. The road forks at ''Col de Puymorens'' with one branch being the
Route nationale 22
The Route nationale 22 (RN22) is a highway in southern France, connecting l'Hospitalet-près-l'Andorre to Pas de la Casa in the Principality of Andorra
, image_flag = Flag of Andorra.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arm ...
which leads to
Andorra
, image_flag = Flag of Andorra.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Andorra.svg
, symbol_type = Coat of arms
, national_motto = la, Virtus Unita Fortior, label=none (Latin)"United virtue is stro ...
. In winter, avalanches sometimes close the road.
[L'Hospitalet. La RN 20 coupée à cause d'une avalanche, ''La Dépêche'', 17 Déc. 2008]
Re-classification
This road was originally the main road of the royal domain between Paris and Orléans, built upon a Gaulish road re-worked as a road of the Roman empire.
The N20 is now being upgraded to 2x2 autoroute standard, the majority of which is toll free. The upgrade is to be called the
A20 autoroute
The A20 autoroute or L'Occitane is a highway through central France. A part of France's national network of autoroutes, it is long.
Regions Crossed
The road travels through the areas of Occitania, Limousin and Midi-Pyrénées. It starts at Vi ...
. The road is also part of the
European route E09
The European route E9 is part of the United Nations international E-road network. It starts at Orléans, France, and goes south to Barcelona, Spain.
France
In France, the E9 follows these roads:
*: Orléans - Vierzon
*: Vierzon - Châteauroux ...
. Similar work has been undertaken to the
N9.
Route
Paris -
Étampes
Étampes () is a commune in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located south-southwest from the center of Paris (as the crow flies). Étampes is a sub-prefecture of the Essonne department.
Étampes, together with the neighboring c ...
-
Orléans
Orléans (;["Orleans"](_blank)
(US) and [Vierzon
Vierzon () is a commune in the Cher department, Centre-Val de Loire, France.
Geography
A medium-sized town by the banks of the river Cher with some light industry and an area of forestry and farming to the north. It is situated some northwes ...]
-
Châteauroux
Châteauroux (; ; oc, Chasteurós) is the capital city of the French department of Indre, central France and the second-largest town in the province of Berry, after Bourges. Its residents are called ''Castelroussins'' () in French.
Climate
...
-
Limoges
Limoges (, , ; oc, Lemòtges, locally ) is a city and Communes of France, commune, and the prefecture of the Haute-Vienne Departments of France, department in west-central France. It was the administrative capital of the former Limousin region ...
-
Brive-la-Gaillarde
Brive-la-Gaillarde (; Limousin dialect of oc, Briva la Galharda) is a commune of France. It is a sub-prefecture and the largest city of the Corrèze department. It has around 46,000 inhabitants, while the population of the agglomeration was 7 ...
-
Cahors
Cahors (; oc, Caors ) is a commune in the western part of Southern France. It is the smallest prefecture among the 13 departments that constitute the Occitanie Region. The main city of the Lot department and the historical center of the Que ...
-
Montauban
Montauban (, ; oc, Montalban ) is a commune in the Tarn-et-Garonne department, region of Occitania, Southern France. It is the capital of the department and lies north of Toulouse. Montauban is the most populated town in Tarn-et-Garonne, ...
-
Toulouse
Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the prefecture of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger region of Occitania. The city is on the banks of the River Garonne, from the Mediterranean Sea, from the Atlantic Ocean and fr ...
- Pamiers -
Foix
Foix (; oc, Fois ; ca, Foix ) is a commune, the former capital of the County of Foix. It is the capital of the department of Ariège as it is the seat of the Préfecture of that department. Foix is located in the Occitanie region of southw ...
-
Bourg-Madame
Bourg-Madame (; ca, La Guingueta d'Ix) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.
Geography Localisation
Bourg-Madame is located in the canton of Les Pyrénées catalanes and in the arrondissement of Prades. I ...
- ''Spain (N-152)''
Paris to Orléans (0 to 104 km)
The road starts at the south of the city centre of Paris at the Porte d'Orléans. The road heads south as the Avenue Aristide-Briand through the suburb of
Bourg-la-Reine
Bourg-la-Reine () is a commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.
History
In 1792, during the French Revolution, Bourg-la-Reine (meaning "Town of the Queen") was renamed Bourg-l'Égalité (meani ...
. It crosses the A86 autoroute near
Orly Airport
Paris Orly Airport (french: Aéroport de Paris-Orly), commonly referred to as Orly , is one of two international airports serving the French capital, Paris, the other one being Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG). It is located partially in Orly ...
. Then past the suburb of
Antony and a junction with the
A6 autoroute
The A6, also known as the Autoroute du Soleil, ''Motorway of the Sun'', (along with the A7), is an Autoroute in France, linking Paris to Lyon. The motorway starts at Paris's Porte d'Orléans and Porte d'Italie with two branches, numbered A6a a ...
. The old road is renumbered the D217 through an industrial estate and the town of
Longjumeau
Longjumeau () is a commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.
Inhabitants of Longjumeau are known as ''Longjumellois'' ().
History
Longjumeau Party School
In 1911, Lenin founded the Longjumeau ...
.
The N20 merges again as the Route d'Orléans through Montlhéry and over the N104 and into open rolling countryside which becomes increasingly wooded. The road passes the ''Bois de la Butte de Couard''. The road then comes to the town of
Étampes
Étampes () is a commune in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located south-southwest from the center of Paris (as the crow flies). Étampes is a sub-prefecture of the Essonne department.
Étampes, together with the neighboring c ...
where there is a junction with the N191 (
Corbeil-Essonnes
Corbeil-Essonnes () on the River Seine is a commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.
Although neighboring Évry is the official seat of the Arrondissement of Évry, the sub-prefecture building ...
to the ''
N10'').
The road then heads south west parallel to the
A10 autoroute
The A10, also called L'Aquitaine, is an Autoroute in France, running for 549 km (341 mi) from the A6 south of Paris to the A630 at Bordeaux. It is the longest motorway in France. It generally parallels the N10 Route Nationale, but d ...
. The road skirts the western edge of the large
forest of Orléans
Forest of Orléans (French: Forêt d'Orléans) is a French national forest for the most part and makes up 70% of a French natural region, located in the department of Loiret in the Centre-Val de Loire region.
Its former name is "Forêt des Lo ...
(
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
: Forêt d'Orléans) before entering the cathedral city of
Orléans
Orléans (;["Orleans"](_blank)
(US) and [Loire
The Loire (, also ; ; oc, Léger, ; la, Liger) is the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world. With a length of , it drains , more than a fifth of France's land, while its average discharge is only half that of the Rhôn ...]
in the City Centre over the ''Pont du Maréchal Joffre''.
Orléans is a key transport hub forming a junction with the A10 autoroute (''L'Aquitaine'') and A71 autoroute (''L'Arverne'') as well as the N157 (
Rennes
Rennes (; br, Roazhon ; Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France at the confluence of the Ille and the Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine departme ...
–
Le Mans
Le Mans (, ) is a city in northwestern France on the Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le ...
-Orléans), N60 (
Troyes
Troyes () is a commune and the capital of the department of Aube in the Grand Est region of north-central France. It is located on the Seine river about south-east of Paris. Troyes is situated within the Champagne wine region and is near ...
–
Sens
Sens () is a commune in the Yonne department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in north-central France, 120 km from Paris.
Sens is a sub-prefecture and the second city of the department, the sixth in the region. It is crossed by the Yonne an ...
-Orléans) and N152 (Orléans-
Blois
Blois ( ; ) is a commune and the capital city of Loir-et-Cher department, in Centre-Val de Loire, France, on the banks of the lower Loire river between Orléans and Tours.
With 45,898 inhabitants by 2019, Blois is the most populated city of the ...
–
Angers
Angers (, , ) is a city in western France, about southwest of Paris. It is the prefecture of the Maine-et-Loire department and was the capital of the province of Anjou until the French Revolution. The inhabitants of both the city and the pr ...
–
Saumur
Saumur () is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France.
The town is located between the Loire and Thouet rivers, and is surrounded by the vineyards of Saumur itself, Chinon, Bourgueil, Coteaux du Layon, etc.. Saumur s ...
).
Orléans to Limoges (104 km to 351 km)
The road heads through the ''Forêt de
Lamotte-Beuvron'' in heavily wooded countryside and on through the ''Forêt de Vierzon'' to
Vierzon
Vierzon () is a commune in the Cher department, Centre-Val de Loire, France.
Geography
A medium-sized town by the banks of the river Cher with some light industry and an area of forestry and farming to the north. It is situated some northwes ...
which lies on the
Cher
Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...
. This town is also a junction with the A71 autoroute which heads to the east and the
A20 autoroute
The A20 autoroute or L'Occitane is a highway through central France. A part of France's national network of autoroutes, it is long.
Regions Crossed
The road travels through the areas of Occitania, Limousin and Midi-Pyrénées. It starts at Vi ...
(''L'Occitane'') which is an upgrade of the N20 to autoroute standard. The old road still runs through villages and towns such as
Massay and
Vatan as the D320.
The road passes round the town of
Châteauroux
Châteauroux (; ; oc, Chasteurós) is the capital city of the French department of Indre, central France and the second-largest town in the province of Berry, after Bourges. Its residents are called ''Castelroussins'' () in French.
Climate
...
on the
Indre
Indre (; oc, Endre) is a landlocked department in central France named after the river Indre. The inhabitants of the department are known as the ''Indriens'' (masculine; ) and ''Indriennes'' (feminine; ). Indre is part of the current administ ...
. The town is also on the N151 (
Auxerre
Auxerre ( , ) is the capital of the Yonne department and the fourth-largest city in Burgundy. Auxerre's population today is about 35,000; the urban area (''aire d'attraction'') comprises roughly 113,000 inhabitants. Residents of Auxerre are r ...
–
Bourges
Bourges () is a commune in central France on the river Yèvre. It is the capital of the department of Cher, and also was the capital city of the former province of Berry.
History
The name of the commune derives either from the Bituriges, ...
–
Poitiers
Poitiers (, , , ; Poitevin: ''Poetàe'') is a city on the River Clain in west-central France. It is a commune and the capital of the Vienne department and the historical centre of Poitou. In 2017 it had a population of 88,291. Its agglome ...
) and N143 (
Tours
Tours ( , ) is one of the largest cities in the region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. It is the prefecture of the department of Indre-et-Loire. The commune of Tours had 136,463 inhabitants as of 2018 while the population of the whole metro ...
-Châteauroux). The road continues south through thick forest coming to the river
Creuse
Creuse (; oc, Cruesa or ) is a department in central France named after the river Creuse. After Lozère, it is the second least populated department in France. It is bordered by Indre and Cher to the north, Allier and Puy-de-Dôme to the ea ...
. The countryside becomes more hilly. The old road is numbered the N20 and D220 after
Argenton-sur-Creuse and
Saint-Benoît-du-Sault
Saint-Benoît-du-Sault (; oc, Sent Benet de Saul) is a commune in the Indre department in central France.
It is a medieval village, perched in a curve on a rocky butte overlooking the Portefeuille River in the former province of Berry.
In 19 ...
. The road crosses the N145 (
Bellac
Bellac (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Haute-Vienne Departments of France, department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Regions of France, region in western France.
Inhabitants are known as ''Bellachons''.
Bellac is where the French author ...
–
Montluçon
Montluçon (; oc, Montleçon ) is a commune in central France on the river Cher. It is the largest commune in the Allier department, although the department's prefecture is located in the smaller town of Moulins. Its inhabitants are known a ...
) 11 km west of the town of
La Souterraine.
The road then heads through
Bessines-sur-Gartempe
Bessines-sur-Gartempe (, literally ''Bessines on Gartempe''; Limousin: ''Becinas'') is a commune in the Haute-Vienne department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in western France.
Geography
The river Semme forms part of the commune's north-easte ...
and into the ''Monts d'Ambazac'' (701m). The road then reaches the industrial centre of
Limoges
Limoges (, , ; oc, Lemòtges, locally ) is a city and Communes of France, commune, and the prefecture of the Haute-Vienne Departments of France, department in west-central France. It was the administrative capital of the former Limousin region ...
which lies on the river
Vienne. The town is also connected by the N141 (
Saíntes–
Clermont-Ferrand
Clermont-Ferrand (, ; ; oc, label= Auvergnat, Clarmont-Ferrand or Clharmou ; la, Augustonemetum) is a city and commune of France, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, with a population of 146,734 (2018). Its metropolitan area (''aire d'attrac ...
), N21 (Limoges-
Lourdes
Lourdes (, also , ; oc, Lorda ) is a market town situated in the Pyrenees. It is part of the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Occitanie region in southwestern France. Prior to the mid-19th century, the town was best known for the Châ ...
) and N147 (Limoges-
Poitiers
Poitiers (, , , ; Poitevin: ''Poetàe'') is a city on the River Clain in west-central France. It is a commune and the capital of the Vienne department and the historical centre of Poitou. In 2017 it had a population of 88,291. Its agglome ...
-
Angers
Angers (, , ) is a city in western France, about southwest of Paris. It is the prefecture of the Maine-et-Loire department and was the capital of the province of Anjou until the French Revolution. The inhabitants of both the city and the pr ...
).
Limoges to Toulouse (351 to 614 km)
The road heads south through the
massif Central
The (; oc, Massís Central, ; literally ''"Central Massif"'') is a highland region in south-central France, consisting of mountains and plateaus. It covers about 15% of mainland France.
Subject to volcanism that has subsided in the last 10,0 ...
through traffic now being taken as the A20 autoroute with the old road now being the D420 and D920 through the village of
Masseret. The old road branches east through
Uzerche
Uzerche (; oc, Usercha) is a commune in the Corrèze department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of central France.
In 1787, the English writer Arthur Young described the town as "the pearl of the Limousin" because of its picturesque setting ...
on the River
Vézère. There is a junction with the N120 to
Aurillac
Aurillac (; oc, Orlhac ) is the prefecture of the Cantal department, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Aurillacois'' or ''Aurillacoises''.
Geography
Aurillac is at above sea leve ...
. It also meets the
A89 autoroute.
The old road carries on as the D920 to the regional centre of D920 through
Brive-la-Gaillarde
Brive-la-Gaillarde (; Limousin dialect of oc, Briva la Galharda) is a commune of France. It is a sub-prefecture and the largest city of the Corrèze department. It has around 46,000 inhabitants, while the population of the agglomeration was 7 ...
. Here there is a junction with N89 and N80. The road heads south and forks again as the A20 becomes a ''péage'' (toll) and the N20 starts again. There is a junction with the N140. At
Souillac the road crosses the river
Dordogne
Dordogne ( , or ; ; oc, Dordonha ) is a large rural department in Southwestern France, with its prefecture in Périgueux. Located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region roughly half-way between the Loire Valley and the Pyrenees, it is named ...
. After which the road rises passing the ''Bellevoir de lanzac''. The roads are now on the plateau of the ''Causse de Gramat'' and onto the medieval town of
Cahors
Cahors (; oc, Caors ) is a commune in the western part of Southern France. It is the smallest prefecture among the 13 departments that constitute the Occitanie Region. The main city of the Lot department and the historical center of the Que ...
on a loop in the river
Lot.
The N20 continues south heading out of the massif central and into the valley of the river
Aveyron
Aveyron (; oc, Avairon; ) is a department in the region of Occitania, Southern France. It was named after the river Aveyron. Its inhabitants are known as ''Aveyronnais'' (masculine) or ''Aveyronnaises'' (feminine) in French. The inhabitan ...
via
Caussade
Caussade is a commune in the district of Montauban, located in the Tarn-et-Garonne department in the Occitanie region in the south of France.
Caussade, an ancient city of the white Quercy or lower Quercy, it is located in the hills of Quercy ...
. The road heads south west in the wide flat valley to
Montauban
Montauban (, ; oc, Montalban ) is a commune in the Tarn-et-Garonne department, region of Occitania, Southern France. It is the capital of the department and lies north of Toulouse. Montauban is the most populated town in Tarn-et-Garonne, ...
. Then it comes to a junction with the N113 (
Narbonne
Narbonne (, also , ; oc, Narbona ; la, Narbo ; Late Latin:) is a commune in Southern France in the Occitanie region. It lies from Paris in the Aude department, of which it is a sub-prefecture. It is located about from the shores of the ...
–
Bordeaux
Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefectu ...
) along the river
Garonne
The Garonne (, also , ; Occitan, Catalan, Basque, and es, Garona, ; la, Garumna
or ) is a river of southwest France and northern Spain. It flows from the central Spanish Pyrenees to the Gironde estuary at the French port of Bordeaux – ...
. The
A62 autoroute
The A62 autoroute is a French motorway forming part of the ''Autoroute de Deux Mers'' (Two Seas Motorway). The entirety of the route forms the entirety of European route E 72, which is a part of the inter-European road system. The route of ...
(''Autoroute des Deux Mers'') crosses the road. The N20 turns south running along the east bank of the river into the industrial city of
Toulouse
Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the prefecture of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger region of Occitania. The city is on the banks of the River Garonne, from the Mediterranean Sea, from the Atlantic Ocean and fr ...
.
The city of Toulouse is on the junction of the Autoroutes A62, A68 (to
Albi
Albi (; oc, Albi ) is a commune in southern France. It is the prefecture of the Tarn department, on the river Tarn, 85 km northeast of Toulouse. Its inhabitants are called ''Albigensians'' (french: Albigeois, Albigeoise(s), oc, albigé ...
), A64 (to
Pau and
Bayonne
Bayonne (; eu, Baiona ; oc, label= Gascon, Baiona ; es, Bayona) is a city in Southwestern France near the Spanish border. It is a commune and one of two subprefectures in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine r ...
) and the N88 and N124.
Toulouse to Spain (614 to 767 km)
The road leaves the city centre to the south on the west bank of the River Garonne. At
Pinsaguel the road crosses the river and follows the river
Ariège and its valley to the south east. The countryside is a mix of open countryside and rolling hills. The road meets the
A66 autoroute
The A66 autoroute is a long motorway in the south of France, also called L'Ariégeoise.
It is in the departments of the Haute-Garonne and Ariège, and connects Villefranche-de-Lauragais with a junction to the A61 at its north and ends at th ...
at
Pamiers
Pamiers (; oc, Pàmias ) is a commune and largest city in the Ariège department in the Occitanie region in southwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. It is the most populous commune in the Ariège department, although it ...
.
South of Pamiers the road enters the foothills of the
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees (; es, Pirineos ; french: Pyrénées ; ca, Pirineu ; eu, Pirinioak ; oc, Pirenèus ; an, Pirineus) is a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. It extends nearly from its union with the Cantabrian Mountains to ...
such as the ''Montagnes du Plantaurel''. The road heads to
Foix
Foix (; oc, Fois ; ca, Foix ) is a commune, the former capital of the County of Foix. It is the capital of the department of Ariège as it is the seat of the Préfecture of that department. Foix is located in the Occitanie region of southw ...
, which is now by-passed in a tunnel on the east side of the valley. The road then passes
Tarascon-sur-Ariège
Tarascon-sur-Ariège (, literally ''Tarascon on Ariège''; Languedocien: ''Tarascon d’Arièja'') is a commune in the Ariège department in southwestern France. Tarascon-sur-Ariège station has rail connections to Toulouse, Foix and Latour ...
following the deep river valley. The road passes the ''Parc Pyrénéen de l'Art Préhistorique'' and south east to
Ax-les-Thermes
Ax-les-Thermes (; oc, Ax or ) is a commune in the Ariège department in the Occitanie region of south-western France.
The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Axéens'' or ''Axéennes''.
The commune has been awarded one flower by the ...
. To the south-west, there is a ski resort Les Bazerques.
The road forks at the ''
Col de Puymorens
The Col de Puymorens ("Puymorens Pass") is a mountain pass in the French Pyrenees, connecting Foix to Cerdagne. Its summit is 1,915m.
The pass historically crossed the border between France and Catalonia, until the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659 ...
'' (1920 m). The
N22 leads in a series of hairpins to the south west and
Andorra
, image_flag = Flag of Andorra.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Andorra.svg
, symbol_type = Coat of arms
, national_motto = la, Virtus Unita Fortior, label=none (Latin)"United virtue is stro ...
, crossing the ''Pas de la Casa'' (2,085m) or the alternative ''Túnel d'Envalira''. The RN320 now crosses the pass de Puymorens, while the RN20 heads through the ''Tunnel du Puymorens'' rather than taking the pass, and heads down to
Bourg-Madame
Bourg-Madame (; ca, La Guingueta d'Ix) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.
Geography Localisation
Bourg-Madame is located in the canton of Les Pyrénées catalanes and in the arrondissement of Prades. I ...
.
The road then enters Spain and becomes the
N-152 (Carretera) (E09) towards
Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
. The N116 heads north east from Bourg Madame to
Perpignan
Perpignan (, , ; ca, Perpinyà ; es, Perpiñán ; it, Perpignano ) is the prefecture of the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France, in the heart of the plain of Roussillon, at the foot of the Pyrenees a few kilometres from the ...
along the
Tech
Tech or The Tech may refer to:
* An abbreviation of technology or technician
* Tech Dinghy, an American sailing dinghy developed at MIT
* Tech (mascot), the mascot of Louisiana Tech University, U.S.
* Tech (river), in southern France
* "Tech" ...
valley.
References
{{Routes nationales of France
020