Driving to Zurich - Route info
Discussion
As it will be my first drive from Calais to Zurich this weekend, i'd like to get some advice on route choices.
I've had a look on EF, but quite a few differing opinions and it's clear many of them are either after saving money on tolls (typical) or after a scenic route. I just want the fastest, easiest most direct route.
I'm not sure which route my Satnav (BMW's own version) will take me, but Googlemaps suggests the Reims, Metz, Strasbourg, Zurich route.
I've had a look on EF, but quite a few differing opinions and it's clear many of them are either after saving money on tolls (typical) or after a scenic route. I just want the fastest, easiest most direct route.
I'm not sure which route my Satnav (BMW's own version) will take me, but Googlemaps suggests the Reims, Metz, Strasbourg, Zurich route.
That's sort of the route TomTom suggests... Stay in France (I think it goes Reims, Lyon, Strasbourg, Mulhouse, Basel, Zurich).
Takes seven and a half hours plus fuel stops if keeping to speed limits.
If travelling alone in a car with the steering wheel on the correct side, a Liber-T telepeage box is a wonderous thing.
My stats are
Tolls c. €40
Fuel - one tank (French diesel is slightly cheaper)
Food at most of the service stations on the way is invariably crap (unlike some other French service stations. Can't speak for all of them, just all the Shell, BP and Total ones (and the leClerc just past Strasbourg). So take sarnies or a hamper or something.
Rush hour at Strasbourg isn't fun, but it moves and any alternate ways take as long as sitting in the traffic. Rush hour at Basel is the same, but a bit easier. However, since you're going at the weekend, I can't comment, as I only travel weekdays.
Oh, and your satnav will probably take you on lots of motorways when you get near to Zurich. It'll seem like you're going in circles... because you are. I would turn of 'fastest route' option when you get within 10k of Zurich and co for 'straightest route'
Takes seven and a half hours plus fuel stops if keeping to speed limits.
If travelling alone in a car with the steering wheel on the correct side, a Liber-T telepeage box is a wonderous thing.
My stats are
Tolls c. €40
Fuel - one tank (French diesel is slightly cheaper)
Food at most of the service stations on the way is invariably crap (unlike some other French service stations. Can't speak for all of them, just all the Shell, BP and Total ones (and the leClerc just past Strasbourg). So take sarnies or a hamper or something.
Rush hour at Strasbourg isn't fun, but it moves and any alternate ways take as long as sitting in the traffic. Rush hour at Basel is the same, but a bit easier. However, since you're going at the weekend, I can't comment, as I only travel weekdays.
Oh, and your satnav will probably take you on lots of motorways when you get near to Zurich. It'll seem like you're going in circles... because you are. I would turn of 'fastest route' option when you get within 10k of Zurich and co for 'straightest route'
Edited by Bruce Fielding on Tuesday 1st June 20:37
Thanks for the replies, seems that's the best suggestion then, 7.5 hours would be ideal.
Bruce Fielding said:
If travelling alone in a car with the steering wheel on the correct side, a Liber-T telepeage box is a wonderous thing.
You raise a very good point. I think I'm going to have to take the option of pissing of the Frenchies by getting out and walking round unless I get a big stick and tape Euro's to the end ChrisMCoupe said:
...but Googlemaps suggests the Reims, Metz, Strasbourg, Zurich route.
Both Googlemaps and my Audi's Sat Nav took me via that route (well as far as Strasbourg, before I headed to Obergestelen/Oberwald), and it's good enough. It was the first time I had driven my own car on the Continent, so I was revelling in the "novel factor", hence didn't really care it was mostly motorways 
If you go via Reims, be sure to take the ~2 mile detour to the Reims race track start/finish straight and pits
Oh, and don't forget the obligatory fly-by video down the straight! 
Darren
Chris, I'd advise following changes to advised route
Calais, Reims, Metz towards Strasbourg
1) EXIT at Saverne take RN to Wangen + Molsheim, rejoin Autoroute south of Molsheim (you miss all the Strasbourg traffic and police), and you'll lose no time! Just beware of a trap leaving Molsheim heading south after the large roundabout onto 4 laner leading to Autoroute, it's a 60kph and "les flics" check it often!
2) Stay on F Autoroute down towards Mulhouse, then take the Autoroute EAST to Neuenburg Germany, then the german A5 south. EXIT onto A98 (E54) towards Lörrach and Rheinfelden and join Swiss Autobahn N§ (E60) East of Basel (you miss all Basel and their sneaky traps and traffic)
Hope this helps.........
Calais, Reims, Metz towards Strasbourg
1) EXIT at Saverne take RN to Wangen + Molsheim, rejoin Autoroute south of Molsheim (you miss all the Strasbourg traffic and police), and you'll lose no time! Just beware of a trap leaving Molsheim heading south after the large roundabout onto 4 laner leading to Autoroute, it's a 60kph and "les flics" check it often!
2) Stay on F Autoroute down towards Mulhouse, then take the Autoroute EAST to Neuenburg Germany, then the german A5 south. EXIT onto A98 (E54) towards Lörrach and Rheinfelden and join Swiss Autobahn N§ (E60) East of Basel (you miss all Basel and their sneaky traps and traffic)
Hope this helps.........
JMGS4 said:
2) Stay on F Autoroute down towards Mulhouse, then take the Autoroute EAST to Neuenburg Germany, then the german A5 south. EXIT onto A98 (E54) towards Lörrach and Rheinfelden and join Swiss Autobahn N§ (E60) East of Basel (you miss all Basel and their sneaky traps and traffic)
Hope this helps.........
We do this, cuts a fair chuck of time off the journey too, especially if your going to hit basel at a busy time.Hope this helps.........
We have also tried hanging a left out of calais and going through belgum, lux etc etc and avoiding the tolls, didn't seem to add much to the time, but you can get caught in a couple of jams. French toll roads are fab, never seems to be much traffic on them.
JMGS4 said:
Chris, I'd advise following changes to advised route
Calais, Reims, Metz towards Strasbourg
1) EXIT at Saverne take RN to Wangen + Molsheim, rejoin Autoroute south of Molsheim (you miss all the Strasbourg traffic and police), and you'll lose no time! Just beware of a trap leaving Molsheim heading south after the large roundabout onto 4 laner leading to Autoroute, it's a 60kph and "les flics" check it often!
2) Stay on F Autoroute down towards Mulhouse, then take the Autoroute EAST to Neuenburg Germany, then the german A5 south. EXIT onto A98 (E54) towards Lörrach and Rheinfelden and join Swiss Autobahn N§ (E60) East of Basel (you miss all Basel and their sneaky traps and traffic)
Hope this helps.........
Thanks for this, I'll see if I can make sense of it on the map and might well try it. I'm driving over on a Sunday, so I'm hoping there wont be too much traffic, but that's probably wishful thinking Calais, Reims, Metz towards Strasbourg
1) EXIT at Saverne take RN to Wangen + Molsheim, rejoin Autoroute south of Molsheim (you miss all the Strasbourg traffic and police), and you'll lose no time! Just beware of a trap leaving Molsheim heading south after the large roundabout onto 4 laner leading to Autoroute, it's a 60kph and "les flics" check it often!
2) Stay on F Autoroute down towards Mulhouse, then take the Autoroute EAST to Neuenburg Germany, then the german A5 south. EXIT onto A98 (E54) towards Lörrach and Rheinfelden and join Swiss Autobahn N§ (E60) East of Basel (you miss all Basel and their sneaky traps and traffic)
Hope this helps.........
ETA: Something like this...
Googlemap
Edited by ChrisMCoupe on Wednesday 2nd June 12:15
ChrisMCoupe said:
YES but you missed the cut off, my point 2... going down through F to the Basel border is autoroute all the way but traffic around Basel and lots of gatsos in CH. You're better to take my cut-off at Mulhouse and head to germany then south as my 2JMGS4 said:
YES but you missed the cut off, my point 2... going down through F to the Basel border is autoroute all the way but traffic around Basel and lots of gatsos in CH. You're better to take my cut-off at Mulhouse and head to germany then south as my 2
Apologies, got a bit ahead of myself...Best Route
JMGS4 said:
Chris, I'd advise following changes to advised route
Calais, Reims, Metz towards Strasbourg
1) EXIT at Saverne take RN to Wangen + Molsheim, rejoin Autoroute south of Molsheim (you miss all the Strasbourg traffic and police), and you'll lose no time! Just beware of a trap leaving Molsheim heading south after the large roundabout onto 4 laner leading to Autoroute, it's a 60kph and "les flics" check it often!
2) Stay on F Autoroute down towards Mulhouse, then take the Autoroute EAST to Neuenburg Germany, then the german A5 south. EXIT onto A98 (E54) towards Lörrach and Rheinfelden and join Swiss Autobahn N§ (E60) East of Basel (you miss all Basel and their sneaky traps and traffic)
Hope this helps.........
BRILLIANT!!!Calais, Reims, Metz towards Strasbourg
1) EXIT at Saverne take RN to Wangen + Molsheim, rejoin Autoroute south of Molsheim (you miss all the Strasbourg traffic and police), and you'll lose no time! Just beware of a trap leaving Molsheim heading south after the large roundabout onto 4 laner leading to Autoroute, it's a 60kph and "les flics" check it often!
2) Stay on F Autoroute down towards Mulhouse, then take the Autoroute EAST to Neuenburg Germany, then the german A5 south. EXIT onto A98 (E54) towards Lörrach and Rheinfelden and join Swiss Autobahn N§ (E60) East of Basel (you miss all Basel and their sneaky traps and traffic)
Hope this helps.........
They work. I would have been at Strasbourg at about 5:40pm today - which wouldn't have been fun. The shortcut was not only less trafficy, it was less stressful and the scenery was much nicer!
And avoiding Basel was excellent as well.
Thank you.
I shall never see Strasbourg or Basel again!
I did wonder as there seemed to be a lot of 'Bugatti' named stuff about there, but no, I missed it.
There is a new sign off to the A35 just before you get into town (on a stretch of road that doesn't exist on my newly updated TomTom!)... what happens if you take that one?
Sadly, I can't make that date.
I'll be driving the Atom out at the end of the month, so after that will be a better time to play in the passes as well...
There is a new sign off to the A35 just before you get into town (on a stretch of road that doesn't exist on my newly updated TomTom!)... what happens if you take that one?
Sadly, I can't make that date.
I'll be driving the Atom out at the end of the month, so after that will be a better time to play in the passes as well...
Bruce Fielding said:
There is a new sign off to the A35 just before you get into town (on a stretch of road that doesn't exist on my newly updated TomTom!)... what happens if you take that one?
I can confirm that is quicker and misses out on Molsheim (that could be a good or a bad thing)Bruce Fielding said:
I'll be driving the Atom out at the end of the month, so after that will be a better time to play in the passes as well...
...et l'Atom est arrivee...(But I was a wuss and trailered it as the weather was bloody awful in London yesterday!)
I do this drive a couple times of year on average and find the endless peage boring to the point v being dangerous. So this year my route was Calais to Zurich, slightly more interesting
I took about an extra hour but was a good mix of D and N roads through some lovely countryside. As its more direct than the peage it was about 100km shorter as well. No major urban areas to drive though either.
I took about an extra hour but was a good mix of D and N roads through some lovely countryside. As its more direct than the peage it was about 100km shorter as well. No major urban areas to drive though either.
Slightly different route advice needed...
Will be heading from Calais to Kandersteg in a couple of weeks, setting off early on a Saturday morning.
I've done the obvious Google and Michelin route planners, but wondered if anyone had specific advice about the time it would take.
The other half is fairly pregnant, and so I want to make the journey as easy and quick as possible.
Cheers Bri
Will be heading from Calais to Kandersteg in a couple of weeks, setting off early on a Saturday morning.
I've done the obvious Google and Michelin route planners, but wondered if anyone had specific advice about the time it would take.
The other half is fairly pregnant, and so I want to make the journey as easy and quick as possible.
Cheers Bri
If it helps i did it last March in a van, followed the tomtom and it took 7 hours, we were travelling most of it through the night which helped but had to fill up a few times as the van wasnt giving good MPG. word of advise of travelling at night the French motorways are boring, nothing on them and pitch dark apart from that a good drive. i am doing it again in a couple of week in a car so any more advice would be good.
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