South of France here we come

[77racing]

Just started to plan a trip to St Tropez from Calais in M/Home. Two days planned to get there and then 10 days up the coast road to Monaco and then home again.I think a stop over at Lyon and then an easy drive into St Tropez the next morning looks favourite. Can you suggest a good route from experience and any idea of toll costs or where I can find out. I have been told that motorhomes over 3 metres high cost same as HGV but under 3 meters are same as a car, is this correct. If so I will take off my roof rack and be under the 3 metres. Can any one suggest a door alarm as we plan on staying at Aires if we can if nor wild camping and like the idea of some warning we are getting robbed.

This is probably a well travelled route so any help and idea's on the way down and once there would be good

[GlenMH]

MH either >3m tall or over 3.5T GVW are indeed charged as HGV. Ask me how I know this....

Some people have had luck with pushing the intercom and asking for a reduction to Class 2 (?) to get the lower rate but I have never got it to work. Maybe my franglais is crap!

[oblio]

"Je suis dans un camping-car. Classe deux SVP"

Works every (most) time

We are off to the SoF just after Easter: a week to get there; a week there; and a week to get home

Just need to buy some budgie smugglers now due to the rubbish French laws on swimming in trunks

[Mr Alan]

That's a very long 2 days of driving at motorhome speeds. we have done it a few times but broke it up more by going to Orleans, then Millau before getting to near Montpellier. when are you going ?

[Rosscow]

That's a hell of a drive in 2 days. Not pleasant.

[77racing]

we were thinking middle to end of September. I drag a race car all over so not worried about driving long distances. Looks to be about 900 miles from Calais. We easily do Calais to spa in Belgium 4 - 5 hours so two of us doing a stint each should be Lyon in a good 8 hours surely, no ?

[77racing]

oblio said:

Just need to buy some budgie smugglers now due to the rubbish French laws on swimming in trunks

what's that all about then, they making playdo trunks obligatory

Edited by 77racing on Thursday 16th March 07:56

[GlenMH]

Rosscow said:

That's a hell of a drive in 2 days. Not pleasant.

You should try Bibao to Caen in 18 hours in a motorhome. Not something I am ever going to do again. Particularly with kids....
A ferry cancellation forced that one.

[oblio]

77racing said:

oblio said:

Just need to buy some budgie smugglers now due to the rubbish French laws on swimming in trunks

what's that all about then, they making peado trunks obligatory

Yep no flappy trunks allowed. Its been a rule for quite a few years AFAIK over there!

Apparently its to do with hygiene: they think that trunks are unhygienic as they could have been used as shorts elsewhere before you go swimming...or some such!

Crazy law if you ask me

[Rosscow]

77racing said:

we were thinking middle to end of September. I drag a race car all over so not worried about driving long distances. Looks to be about 900 miles from Calais. We easily do Calais to spa in Belgium 4 - 5 hours so two of us doing a stint each should be Lyon in a good 8 hours surely, no ?

If it takes you 4 to 5 hours to drive 215 miles to Spa, then double that and more to Lyon (470ish) is more like 10 plus, no?

It's perfectly doable, just not very enjoyable. In my opinion!

[philv]

Be sure to visit
Valbonne (lots of restos...go to look around and have dinner)
Old mougins (lots of restos, art galleries, etc.
Eze (mountain top village)
Gorge de verdon

If you stop over night in tne camping place parc des Maurettes, you can walk to tne train station, and the trains go all along the coast to nice, juan les pins (bars at night), menton, etc etc.

Coast road from cannes going west is a nice drive along tne coast.

[77racing]

Rosscow said:

If it takes you 4 to 5 hours to drive 215 miles to Spa, then double that and more to Lyon (470ish) is more like 10 plus, no?

It's perfectly doable, just not very enjoyable. In my opinion!

I hear you, we just want to spend more time in the south.

[77racing]

philv said:

Be sure to visit
Valbonne (lots of restos...go to look around and have dinner)
Old mougins (lots of restos, art galleries, etc.
Eze (mountain top village)
Gorge de verdon

If you stop over night in tne camping place parc des Maurettes, you can walk to tne train station, and the trains go all along the coast to nice, juan les pins (bars at night), menton, etc etc.

Coast road from cannes going west is a nice drive along tne coast.

we will be using the coast road from st tropez around to Monaco on our trusty DT50 moped. Just moving M home up as and when as the base.

[tight fart]

77racing said:

we were thinking middle to end of September. I drag a race car all over so not worried about driving long distances. Looks to be about 900 miles from Calais. We easily do Calais to spa in Belgium 4 - 5 hours so two of us doing a stint each should be Lyon in a good 8 hours surely, no ?

I thought drag racing tends to be over a 1/4 mile, not really a long distance compared to the Sth of France?

[Mr Alan]

77racing said:

we will be using the coast road from st tropez around to Monaco on our trusty DT50 moped. Just moving M home up as and when as the base.

If you have time have a look the other way, Cavaliere sur mer, Le lavendo and heyres are all worth a look as well and not as busy as the other way

[oblio]

We are staying at Cavaliere

[77racing]

Will look at that Cavalier, as we probably will stop in St Tropez for a couple days to recoup from the trip down but heh we will be in the sun.

[77racing]

tight fart said:

I thought drag racing tends to be over a 1/4 mile, not really a long distance compared to the Sth of France?

Not a drag race, more an endurance.............................

15451443315_e95852a88c_c by flat chat, on Flickr

[bluelightbabe]

77racing said:

Just started to plan a trip to St Tropez from Calais in M/Home. Two days planned to get there and then 10 days up the coast road to Monaco and then home again.I think a stop over at Lyon and then an easy drive into St Tropez the next morning looks favourite. Can you suggest a good route from experience and any idea of toll costs or where I can find out. I have been told that motorhomes over 3 metres high cost same as HGV but under 3 meters are same as a car, is this correct. If so I will take off my roof rack and be under the 3 metres. Can any one suggest a door alarm as we plan on staying at Aires if we can if nor wild camping and like the idea of some warning we are getting robbed.

This is probably a well travelled route so any help and idea's on the way down and once there would be good

https://www.viamichelin.co.uk/ is a good site for working out routes and gives you an accurate estimation of toll costs.

Edited by bluelightbabe on Friday 17th March 12:50

[77racing]

Thanx, i did that, said it was only £97 found that hard to believe.....result