Driving to Bordeaux
Discussion
We've tried a few routes over the years, including Portsmouth St Marlo/Caen - but we now tunnel it and drive Rouen - Les Mans - Tours on Friday (staying as far south as we can) - then drive the rest (to Bergerac or this year to near Condom) on the Sat morning - similar on the way back but crossing on Sunday. You'll inevitably hit traffic but the roads are so easy to drive on its not a massive problem.
Biggest tips:
1) Get a toll tag - Sanef or similar
2) Book a flexi-plus on the tunnel
I've found that not being 'stressed' about aiming for an exact time for tunnel crossings, combined with just driving on the next train and saving at least 30 mins each way makes the extra cost worthwhile - especially on the return where we've saved literally hours of queuing at peak crossings.
Biggest tips:
1) Get a toll tag - Sanef or similar
2) Book a flexi-plus on the tunnel
I've found that not being 'stressed' about aiming for an exact time for tunnel crossings, combined with just driving on the next train and saving at least 30 mins each way makes the extra cost worthwhile - especially on the return where we've saved literally hours of queuing at peak crossings.
In order to avoid experiences that you will never forget
On the weekends in question DO NOT USE THE TOILETS AT THE AIRES (French for layby with picnic tables and hellhole bogs)
You may be desperate for the loo, trust me, no one is ever that desperate apart from the 4 million French people who have used the glorified hole in the ground just before you.
On the weekends in question DO NOT USE THE TOILETS AT THE AIRES (French for layby with picnic tables and hellhole bogs)
You may be desperate for the loo, trust me, no one is ever that desperate apart from the 4 million French people who have used the glorified hole in the ground just before you.
smifffymoto said:
Manic is the last week of July and the first 2 weeks of August.
Paris goes home on the Saturday after the 15th ready for Rentree.
It will still be busy but not that bad.Hold ups are generally at the peage booths.
Might not be so bad then Paris goes home on the Saturday after the 15th ready for Rentree.
It will still be busy but not that bad.Hold ups are generally at the peage booths.
Thanks for the tips all. Time to book a Eurotunnel
If anyone is genuinely interested then read this http://icalendrier.fr/vacances/
The French holidays end 31st August, but there are also plenty of Dutch and Belgian famillies taking holidays in France during August as well as plenty of Brits. The A10 at the end of August is a no go zone especially at the peages at the Paris end.
Unless you have kids, or are tied to school holidays for work reasons, then you will find travelling during June, or September will be much less hassle.
The French holidays end 31st August, but there are also plenty of Dutch and Belgian famillies taking holidays in France during August as well as plenty of Brits. The A10 at the end of August is a no go zone especially at the peages at the Paris end.
Unless you have kids, or are tied to school holidays for work reasons, then you will find travelling during June, or September will be much less hassle.
The French school holidays end on 31 August. The French stagger their holiday periods by zones so not everyone hits the same roads at the same time, but many people can still holiday whenever they want; it is simply large employers who are encouraged not to let the bulk of their workers leave outside their zone dates. France has changed so there are fewer businesses that close completely over the summer, and staff who remain behind whilst the bulk of their colleagues hit the beach will still be travelling when their colleagues are heading back.
Add to this the fact that France is the most-visited place on Earth for tourism (84m visitors per year) and about 20m of those arrive or cross France in the summer months. There is a mass migration of Belgians, Germans, Dutch, Brits and others who head south on French autoroutes in those months, and they will all be heading back North again before early September.
So, it will be busy and that Bison Fute website is the best guide to how busy it will be and when, as it is compiled by the French traffic authorities and is the fruit of 60+ years experience. If you look at that website nearer the time, it has maps that show roadworks/bottlenecks etc on your chosen routes for up to 7 days ahead.
When you get there, tune your radio to 107.7 FM and you will find the French have a very effective traffic information service that gives updates on hold-ups on the autoroute network you are on in French and English, every 15 minutes or so, with pop music in between. It is a system that is 10 times better than those bloody overhead gantries we have here, and probably 100 times cheaper.
Add to this the fact that France is the most-visited place on Earth for tourism (84m visitors per year) and about 20m of those arrive or cross France in the summer months. There is a mass migration of Belgians, Germans, Dutch, Brits and others who head south on French autoroutes in those months, and they will all be heading back North again before early September.
So, it will be busy and that Bison Fute website is the best guide to how busy it will be and when, as it is compiled by the French traffic authorities and is the fruit of 60+ years experience. If you look at that website nearer the time, it has maps that show roadworks/bottlenecks etc on your chosen routes for up to 7 days ahead.
When you get there, tune your radio to 107.7 FM and you will find the French have a very effective traffic information service that gives updates on hold-ups on the autoroute network you are on in French and English, every 15 minutes or so, with pop music in between. It is a system that is 10 times better than those bloody overhead gantries we have here, and probably 100 times cheaper.
Im going down tomorrow. Been doing it for 20+ yrs now.
Its about 6-8hrs depending on your driving. Im not normally a fan of the autoroute but circumstances dictate this time. Everybody else in the family prefers the autoroute to the N roads, but I find it dull.
Basically, your route is:
A28 - Abbeville - Rouen - Le Mans
From Le Mans you then have 2 options: Angers & Niort if you want to divert along the coastline and drop straight down to Bordeau (A11-A87-A83)
or the quicker route:
stay on the A28 to Tours and then pick up the N10 down to Poitiers, Angouleme and Bordeau.
Avoid Paris at all costs. Avoid Orleans at all costs.
And thats it. Golden rule is behave yourself on the A28 down to Rouen as that is where plod loves to pick up "hooning" Brits who for some reason think that going to Northern France = going on a European driving holiday.
August is August. Its a s
tty month to travel because its too bloody hot to do it comfortably. Don't worry too much about traffic, sit at 140 Klicks on the cruise and you will be at French cruising speed.
Oh and always actually physically come to a Stop at Stop signs on the local roads. Plod thoroughly enjoy picking you up when you don't. Other than that its a piss easy trip you don't need to think or worry about.
Its about 6-8hrs depending on your driving. Im not normally a fan of the autoroute but circumstances dictate this time. Everybody else in the family prefers the autoroute to the N roads, but I find it dull.
Basically, your route is:
A28 - Abbeville - Rouen - Le Mans
From Le Mans you then have 2 options: Angers & Niort if you want to divert along the coastline and drop straight down to Bordeau (A11-A87-A83)
or the quicker route:
stay on the A28 to Tours and then pick up the N10 down to Poitiers, Angouleme and Bordeau.
Avoid Paris at all costs. Avoid Orleans at all costs.
And thats it. Golden rule is behave yourself on the A28 down to Rouen as that is where plod loves to pick up "hooning" Brits who for some reason think that going to Northern France = going on a European driving holiday.
August is August. Its a s
tty month to travel because its too bloody hot to do it comfortably. Don't worry too much about traffic, sit at 140 Klicks on the cruise and you will be at French cruising speed.Oh and always actually physically come to a Stop at Stop signs on the local roads. Plod thoroughly enjoy picking you up when you don't. Other than that its a piss easy trip you don't need to think or worry about.
If you're going anywhere in Western France, then don't go Dover -> Calais. Take Brittany Ferries. My preferred crossing is Portsmouth -> St. Malo. The ferry leaves around 8:00pm, and arrives around 7:30am. There's a nice restaurant on board, and the cabins are comfortable, and you can actually have a half decent shower in the morning. Cost wise it's ok. For me it's part of the holiday.
From St Malo it takes less than 3 hours to Niort, and the roads are never massively busy. Mostly dual carriageway N roads, rather than Peage - so a bit cheaper too.
The journey home is less of a no brainer - the St Malo crossing is 10 or 11 hours during the day. There are other options from Cherbourg or Caen, but none is ideal.
From St Malo it takes less than 3 hours to Niort, and the roads are never massively busy. Mostly dual carriageway N roads, rather than Peage - so a bit cheaper too.
The journey home is less of a no brainer - the St Malo crossing is 10 or 11 hours during the day. There are other options from Cherbourg or Caen, but none is ideal.
Well yes in theory. It's got bloody expensive though over the last decade has the overnight ferry and if you have dogs it's restrictive as to which you can get. It's also not a nice experience for them. More importantly it's not a nice experience for me as Id have to put up with both a whinging wife and unhappy dogs.
DoubleSix said:
I was a little surprised at the cost of ferries last time I looked... ££££!
This, I'm afraidDover - Calais is more expensive than the train and Portsmouth - St Malo / Caen pushes the trip above the equivalent cost to fly and hire a car when we get there.
Again, thanks for all the advice all
LotusMartin said:
We've tried a few routes over the years, including Portsmouth St Marlo/Caen - but we now tunnel it and drive Rouen - Les Mans - Tours on Friday (staying as far south as we can) - then drive the rest (to Bergerac or this year to near Condom) on the Sat morning - similar on the way back but crossing on Sunday. You'll inevitably hit traffic but the roads are so easy to drive on its not a massive problem.
Biggest tips:
1) Get a toll tag - Sanef or similar
2) Book a flexi-plus on the tunnel
I've found that not being 'stressed' about aiming for an exact time for tunnel crossings, combined with just driving on the next train and saving at least 30 mins each way makes the extra cost worthwhile - especially on the return where we've saved literally hours of queuing at peak crossings.
Listen to this man...he knows what he is talking about.Biggest tips:
1) Get a toll tag - Sanef or similar
2) Book a flexi-plus on the tunnel
I've found that not being 'stressed' about aiming for an exact time for tunnel crossings, combined with just driving on the next train and saving at least 30 mins each way makes the extra cost worthwhile - especially on the return where we've saved literally hours of queuing at peak crossings.
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