Driving school
in Auray

Taking the driving test in Auray means adapting to a small Morbihan coastal town of around 14,200 inhabitants, at the head of the Gulf of Morbihan in southern Brittany. The commune is part of the Brittany region and department 56, whose prefecture is Vannes, 18 km to the east. Auray is marked by its position at the crossroads between Lorient to the west, Vannes to the east and the Quiberon peninsula to the south, making it a major junction for coastal tourist traffic. Category B candidates drive through a mix of historic centre around Saint-Gildas church, the picturesque medieval port of Saint-Goustan at the bottom of La Loi street, residential suburbs and commercial zones (Porte Océane, Toul Garros).

The main road axis around Auray is the RN165, a dual-carriageway expressway linking Nantes to Brest via Vannes, Auray, Lorient and Quimper, which bypasses the town to the north with several interchanges (Toul-Garros, Porte Océane). This axis is a frequent feature of the practical exam with its 110 km/h merges. The RD768 towards Quiberon runs south, while the RD17 serves the Locmariaquer peninsula and the RD22 goes to Pluvigner and Pontivy. The Auray TGV station, on the Paris-Quimper line, draws sustained access traffic.

The Morbihan department posts a category B pass rate of 67.8% in 2024 (source ONISR / Road Safety 2024, aggregation of 80 schools, 10,384 presentations dept 56), well above the national average of 58%. Auray has an exam centre allowing south-eastern departmental candidates to avoid Vannes. Exam routes alternate between dense town-centre crossings, the steep cobbled descent to Saint-Goustan, exits on the RN165 and driving on the winding departmental roads of the gulf.

The pure southern Brittany oceanic climate adds a wet dimension to training. Frequent autumn and winter rainfall requires vigilance on grip, damp surfaces at woodland exits and puddles on narrow RDs. West-wind gusts can catch drivers off guard on exposed RN165 sections and around bridges. The summer traffic saturation towards Quiberon (July-August) and coexistence with bicycles and campervans also shape preparation for the highway code in Morbihan and the practical category B exam.