Paris-Chartres-Poitiers-Bordeaux-Spain The road begins at the Porte de Saint Cloud, southwest of central Paris, as the Avenue du Général Leclerc.

It continues west as the Avenue de Paris to the town of Versailles and its palace as the RD 10 (route départementale).

RN 10 heads south over a wooded ridge and then into the Indre river valley through rolling countryside.

On the south bank it crosses the Forêt de Boixe before following the Charente again at the hill top town of Angoulême, then heads south west as the old RD 910 passing over the hills reaching a height of 142 m. The road by-passes little towns such as Barbezieux-Saint-Hilaire then through the Bois de Creusat into Wine country passing the village of Pouillac.

The road leaves Bordeaux to the south as the cours Gambetta and crosses the A 630/E 70 at Réjouit and then into heavily wooded countryside of the Landes de Gascogne.

The Centre d'études scientifiques et techniques d'Aquitaine, a nuclear weapon research center, is located 4 km north of the village of Le Barp.

RN 10 reaches the Côte basque by Bidart, Guéthary, alongside the Plage de Parlementia before entering the town of Saint-Jean-de-Luz and crossing the river on the Charles de Gaulle bridge into the town of Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle.