Driving to Bordeaux
Discussion
I am visiting a small town near Bordeaux in the 3rd week of August this year and, with access to a company car, we will be driving down.
First road trip to speak of through France (only done Calais/Le Touquet before) so:
1. Google Maps is estimating around 8 hours driving from Calais. Does this sound right?
2. We're motorway'ing it down there and using a Sanef(?) tag. Any idea what I should budget £-wise for tolls?
3. Being the 3rd week of August, in the middle of French holiday season, will the traffic cause me to pull out what little hair I have?
First road trip to speak of through France (only done Calais/Le Touquet before) so:
1. Google Maps is estimating around 8 hours driving from Calais. Does this sound right?
2. We're motorway'ing it down there and using a Sanef(?) tag. Any idea what I should budget £-wise for tolls?
3. Being the 3rd week of August, in the middle of French holiday season, will the traffic cause me to pull out what little hair I have?
Try alternatives, but the cost of this one is €76 in tolls.
http://www.autoroutes.fr/en/routes.htm?itiFrom=621...
Google maps uses live traffic data, so check on a Saturday in August for ETA. I guess you could better that time, but with kids and stops you could also be longer. Your journey in England could be much worse if it's is the Friday before.
A better route may be via Rouen and Nantes.
The horror journey will be coming back the week after when the Grande Vacances come to an end so everyone is gravitating towards Paris, so even more important to stay well clear and start early.
Forget the journey for the time being, just plan on enjoying your holiday in August.
http://www.autoroutes.fr/en/routes.htm?itiFrom=621...
Google maps uses live traffic data, so check on a Saturday in August for ETA. I guess you could better that time, but with kids and stops you could also be longer. Your journey in England could be much worse if it's is the Friday before.
A better route may be via Rouen and Nantes.
The horror journey will be coming back the week after when the Grande Vacances come to an end so everyone is gravitating towards Paris, so even more important to stay well clear and start early.
Forget the journey for the time being, just plan on enjoying your holiday in August.
We have done this trip a few times using Bordeaux as the overnight stop on the way to Spain. I wouldn't go the Paris route though, Rouen/ Nantes is more relaxed and may give you some relief from the main vacation traffic. Eight hours is about right, we always seem to arrive there about 4pm having done 7-8am Eurotunnel. Use the Michelin route planner to get speed traps and toll costs.
I made the classic mistake a few years ago of doing an August Saturday trip on the same route you're talking about without checking first. Thought I'd be clever and take a late Friday night tunnel and run through the night towards Bordeaux.
I've never seen traffic like it at 4 in the morning! Complete gridlock as Paris emptied in front of me and stayed like that all the way down. In complete exasperation we finally took the adjacent 'normal' road, crossing the autoroute now and again to see the carnage. From memory, it took us about 18 hours all told out to the coast West of Bordeaux from Calais.
I'm planning to do the same route next year and the rental is Saturday to Saturday but this time I'll either go down on the Friday or the Sunday.
You'll be fine if you avoid a Saturday or do your homework first! Toll tag makes life so much easier but now us Brits have got them,they're much busier than they used to be at holiday time.
I've never seen traffic like it at 4 in the morning! Complete gridlock as Paris emptied in front of me and stayed like that all the way down. In complete exasperation we finally took the adjacent 'normal' road, crossing the autoroute now and again to see the carnage. From memory, it took us about 18 hours all told out to the coast West of Bordeaux from Calais.
I'm planning to do the same route next year and the rental is Saturday to Saturday but this time I'll either go down on the Friday or the Sunday.
You'll be fine if you avoid a Saturday or do your homework first! Toll tag makes life so much easier but now us Brits have got them,they're much busier than they used to be at holiday time.
The Sanef toll widget is brilliant and saves a load of time and irritation.
A really useful website for route planning is www.viamichelin.com
You enter where from and and where to and it will give you options for various routes with toll and fuel costs as well.
The Bordeaux area is lovely, the big sand dune at Arcachon is well worth seeing, where are you staying.
A really useful website for route planning is www.viamichelin.com
You enter where from and and where to and it will give you options for various routes with toll and fuel costs as well.
The Bordeaux area is lovely, the big sand dune at Arcachon is well worth seeing, where are you staying.
Done the trip to Bordeaux very many times but never in August because I've read that it's a nightmare. Usually go in May and September for obvious reasons.
Weather can be good in August, I understand that September is more reliable.
Avoid Paris, and it's periphique (read terrifique because it can be terrifying).
There's a brilliant bridge down the Western side, I think at Nantes, pretty high and minimal side barriers over a river, my Mrs s
ts herself every time.
Try and be on the autoroute approaching Niort from Nantes at lunchtime when the police are at lunch as there's a great piece of road for VMAX style antics.
Assume you are heading for the coast, Lacanau, Hossegor, Anglet, Les Cavaliers are all brilliant surf breaks.
Pretty easy run over to Spain if you get bored, San Sebastian Pintxo bars are very cool indeed.
Weather can be good in August, I understand that September is more reliable.
Avoid Paris, and it's periphique (read terrifique because it can be terrifying).
There's a brilliant bridge down the Western side, I think at Nantes, pretty high and minimal side barriers over a river, my Mrs s
ts herself every time.Try and be on the autoroute approaching Niort from Nantes at lunchtime when the police are at lunch as there's a great piece of road for VMAX style antics.
Assume you are heading for the coast, Lacanau, Hossegor, Anglet, Les Cavaliers are all brilliant surf breaks.
Pretty easy run over to Spain if you get bored, San Sebastian Pintxo bars are very cool indeed.
Thanks for the advice
We're actually staying just north of Bordeaux, a little further down the coast from Royan.
That Michelin site is quite good. I'm thinking of going via Rouen and Le Mans in order to cut out Paris, which will cost me around £50 in tolls.
We'll be doing this on a Saturday, and coming back on the last Saturday in August, which is not ideal but I guess we'll have to live with that.
Flying is ££££. Our only other realistic option is to get the train to Lille, then to Bordeaux and hire a car.
We're actually staying just north of Bordeaux, a little further down the coast from Royan.
That Michelin site is quite good. I'm thinking of going via Rouen and Le Mans in order to cut out Paris, which will cost me around £50 in tolls.
We'll be doing this on a Saturday, and coming back on the last Saturday in August, which is not ideal but I guess we'll have to live with that.
Flying is ££££. Our only other realistic option is to get the train to Lille, then to Bordeaux and hire a car.
We do this every year. As long as you avoid the beginning/end of the Grande Vacances, it is absolutely fine. The ongoing road works around Rouen are a pain but other than that an easy and pleasant journey.
If your car is petrol, don't forget it is more expensive in France than diesel (although the exchange rate helps). Also, if you do fly, bear in mind that Bergerac doesn't have that many flights and they get booked up very quickly
If your car is petrol, don't forget it is more expensive in France than diesel (although the exchange rate helps). Also, if you do fly, bear in mind that Bergerac doesn't have that many flights and they get booked up very quickly
If you are travelling on a Saturday in August, it will take you a hell of a lot longer than 8 hours. Try this for traffic predictions and have a look at the Bison Fute site in general.
http://www.bison-fute.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/Calendrier_2...
In your shoes, I would take an extra day off on the Friday, cross then and try to get most of the journey done by Friday evening. On the way back, pootle a little way North on the N roads, stay the night somewhere and then try to do the bulk of the trip on the Sunday.
It will increase the holiday budget a bit, but make for a much more relaxing holiday. An overnight stay in something like an Ibis or Campanile hotel, or a Logis de France, doesn't cost much.
http://www.bison-fute.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/Calendrier_2...
In your shoes, I would take an extra day off on the Friday, cross then and try to get most of the journey done by Friday evening. On the way back, pootle a little way North on the N roads, stay the night somewhere and then try to do the bulk of the trip on the Sunday.
It will increase the holiday budget a bit, but make for a much more relaxing holiday. An overnight stay in something like an Ibis or Campanile hotel, or a Logis de France, doesn't cost much.
Muzzer79 said:
Thanks for the advice
We're actually staying just north of Bordeaux, a little further down the coast from Royan.
That Michelin site is quite good. I'm thinking of going via Rouen and Le Mans in order to cut out Paris, which will cost me around £50 in tolls.
We'll be doing this on a Saturday, and coming back on the last Saturday in August, which is not ideal but I guess we'll have to live with that.
Flying is ££££. Our only other realistic option is to get the train to Lille, then to Bordeaux and hire a car.
The Le Mans route is the one I do (go to Royan area regularly - surfing beaches on Cote Sauvage are excellent). Rouen can be a spectacular pain in the arse, so much so that I go to Le Havre and drop South on the D579/D519 via Lisieux to pick-up the A28 near Orbec.We're actually staying just north of Bordeaux, a little further down the coast from Royan.
That Michelin site is quite good. I'm thinking of going via Rouen and Le Mans in order to cut out Paris, which will cost me around £50 in tolls.
We'll be doing this on a Saturday, and coming back on the last Saturday in August, which is not ideal but I guess we'll have to live with that.
Flying is ££££. Our only other realistic option is to get the train to Lille, then to Bordeaux and hire a car.
Muzzer79 said:
Thanks for the advice
We're actually staying just north of Bordeaux, a little further down the coast from Royan.
That Michelin site is quite good. I'm thinking of going via Rouen and Le Mans in order to cut out Paris, which will cost me around £50 in tolls.
We'll be doing this on a Saturday, and coming back on the last Saturday in August, which is not ideal but I guess we'll have to live with that.
Flying is ££££. Our only other realistic option is to get the train to Lille, then to Bordeaux and hire a car.
Flying will, almost certainly be a lot cheaper than the trainWe're actually staying just north of Bordeaux, a little further down the coast from Royan.
That Michelin site is quite good. I'm thinking of going via Rouen and Le Mans in order to cut out Paris, which will cost me around £50 in tolls.
We'll be doing this on a Saturday, and coming back on the last Saturday in August, which is not ideal but I guess we'll have to live with that.
Flying is ££££. Our only other realistic option is to get the train to Lille, then to Bordeaux and hire a car.
ClaphamGT3 said:
Flying will, almost certainly be a lot cheaper than the train
It's about the same funnily enough, which works out about £160 more in total cost than driving and also means we won't be at our destination until late in the evening.The links provided have all been very useful - thank you. Looks like we've picked the busiest two Saturdays in August but, at the end of the day, we are in no massive hurry so will just have to hope for (relative) quiet and avoid busy routes where possible.
Muzzer79 said:
Thanks for the advice
We're actually staying just north of Bordeaux, a little further down the coast from Royan.
That Michelin site is quite good. I'm thinking of going via Rouen and Le Mans in order to cut out Paris, which will cost me around £50 in tolls.
We'll be doing this on a Saturday, and coming back on the last Saturday in August, which is not ideal but I guess we'll have to live with that.
Flying is ££££. Our only other realistic option is to get the train to Lille, then to Bordeaux and hire a car.
We're actually staying just north of Bordeaux, a little further down the coast from Royan.
That Michelin site is quite good. I'm thinking of going via Rouen and Le Mans in order to cut out Paris, which will cost me around £50 in tolls.
We'll be doing this on a Saturday, and coming back on the last Saturday in August, which is not ideal but I guess we'll have to live with that.
Flying is ££££. Our only other realistic option is to get the train to Lille, then to Bordeaux and hire a car.
After years of going via the tunnel we switched to going via Portsmouth/Caen and have done it this way for the last 4 years (2 to 3 trips a year). The ferry is more expensive but the distances are shorter and therefore the fuel/tolls are cheaper so swings and roundabouts although I have to say a bit more expensive that way but there's less stress. I'm a Brittany Ferries club member so get a good discount on the crossings.
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