Thanks. I would prefer to travel only byways, but that takes too long. We can't leave my old mom alone in the house for more than a few days anymore, so I have to pack as much as possible in those trips. Anything longer, and her care costs more than a year's worth of trips. So I compromise: some hustling on the express roads, and then off close to the destination. It helps to select areas, where there is stuff to see in close proximity, and enjoy the view from the car inbetween.
In the Ardèche area there is a bunch of real caves along the Route des Gorges de l'Ardèche (D290 from Vallon-Pont-d'Arc to Pont-Saint-Esprit) which are interesting; it's just too many stairs for me anymore. The fake one was another compromise, and even that turned out to be difficult. But worth seeing, for sure. You forget that the paintings are copies real quick, and it's the only way for us common folk to experience anything close to that kind of spelunking.
I know exactly what you mean. We travel in the exact same way - see as much as possible in a short time...etc
Yeah the fact that the cave paintings are replicas is interesting. I read that about the famous ones in the Dordogne region. The real paintings were getting damaged and deteriorating because of all the people visiting them. I think it's good that they took measures to preserve them.