Dordogne to Eurotunnel

[blueST]

I've got 3days/2nights to make the drive from Archignac to the Tunnel at the start of August. With Wife and 7 year old. Currently deciding whether to split into 2 or 3 legs. 2 legs mean we can have a full day off somewhere nice. 3 legs means a much shorter drive each day and can see 2 places instead of one. Tunnel is an early afternoon booking so don't want to leave too much for the final stint to Calais, plus I've got quite a few hours on the UK side.

Any thoughts on what you'd do, where you might stop off?

[Rob 131 Sport]

blueST said:

I've got 3days/2nights to make the drive from Archignac to the Tunnel at the start of August. With Wife and 7 year old. Currently deciding whether to split into 2 or 3 legs. 2 legs mean we can have a full day off somewhere nice. 3 legs means a much shorter drive each day and can see 2 places instead of one. Tunnel is an early afternoon booking so don't want to leave too much for the final stint to Calais, plus I've got quite a few hours on the UK side.

Any thoughts on what you'd do, where you might stop off?

Orleans has always proved a popular stopover point when travelling to South West France and Spain and well worth an evening and overnight stay.

[NDA]

blueST said:

I've got 3days/2nights to make the drive from Archignac to the Tunnel at the start of August. With Wife and 7 year old. Currently deciding whether to split into 2 or 3 legs. 2 legs mean we can have a full day off somewhere nice. 3 legs means a much shorter drive each day and can see 2 places instead of one. Tunnel is an early afternoon booking so don't want to leave too much for the final stint to Calais, plus I've got quite a few hours on the UK side.

Any thoughts on what you'd do, where you might stop off?

I do a French road trip every year - love it. Have been to the Dordogne a few times, but favour Provence these days.

First thing is to avoid the Paris route and go via Chartres to the west of Paris. 3 days is a good plan - it's around 500 miles, so that gives you around 160 miles a day. Which, amazingly, takes quite a while - even on a dead straight motorway.

Chateauroux is worth looking at (150 miles/4 hours max from Archignac).

Chartres is a lovely city (135 miles from Chateauroux/2.5 hours)

And then a 200 mile run to the tunnel from Chartres. The longest drive - so you could go a bit further north than Chartres.

I'd avoid Rouen - huge and tricky.

[bennno]

blueST said:

I've got 3days/2nights to make the drive from Archignac to the Tunnel at the start of August. With Wife and 7 year old. Currently deciding whether to split into 2 or 3 legs. 2 legs mean we can have a full day off somewhere nice. 3 legs means a much shorter drive each day and can see 2 places instead of one. Tunnel is an early afternoon booking so don't want to leave too much for the final stint to Calais, plus I've got quite a few hours on the UK side.

Any thoughts on what you'd do, where you might stop off?

Can you swap to overnight ferry to Caen? Much easier run then with only one stop needed.

[Rob 131 Sport]

bennno said:

blueST said:

I've got 3days/2nights to make the drive from Archignac to the Tunnel at the start of August. With Wife and 7 year old. Currently deciding whether to split into 2 or 3 legs. 2 legs mean we can have a full day off somewhere nice. 3 legs means a much shorter drive each day and can see 2 places instead of one. Tunnel is an early afternoon booking so don't want to leave too much for the final stint to Calais, plus I've got quite a few hours on the UK side.

Any thoughts on what you'd do, where you might stop off?

Can you swap to overnight ferry to Caen? Much easier run then with only one stop needed.

Whilst I’ve always found Caen to be the best ferry for the Dordogne, St. Malo is only slightly further and would provide the opportunity to have a night in St. Malo and / or Dinard.

[blueST]

Thanks all, I'll take a look ar Orleans and Chartres. If I wanted to shorten the last leg, any thoughts on Amiens or that sort of area North/West of Paris?

Well aware of the need to avoid Paris, I learnt that lesson a long time ago. Rouen is not a problem, we are going that way on the way down. I've stayed there a few times and navigated around it dozens of times over the years.

The Tunnel is booked so no chance to change the route.

[Rob 131 Sport]

blueST said:

Thanks all, I'll take a look ar Orleans and Chartres. If I wanted to shorten the last leg, any thoughts on Amiens or that sort of area North/West of Paris?

Well aware of the need to avoid Paris, I learnt that lesson a long time ago. Rouen is not a problem, we are going that way on the way down. I've stayed there a few times and navigated around it dozens of times over the years.

The Tunnel is booked so no chance to change the route.

I wouldn’t worry too much about Paris having been on the Peripherique a number of times. Just do the obvious thing (like you would on a motorcycle) of creating space around you. It’s the most direct route when travelling from the Dordogne to Calais.

[loafer123]

Driving back last year, I just followed Waze, which took me along the left bank of the Seine through Paris.

It was absolutely fine.

[Venisonpie]

For a 3 day trip you're going to have plenty of time to explore. I'd recommend Chenonceaux in the Loire valley as stop 1 and Honfleur on the coast as a detour stop 2 which also avoids Rouen (which is a bit fiddly but they may have completed the improvements - don't know).

[loafer123]

Venisonpie said:

For a 3 day trip you're going to have plenty of time to explore. I'd recommend Chenonceaux in the Loire valley as stop 1 and Honfleur on the coast as a detour stop 2 which also avoids Rouen (which is a bit fiddly but they may have completed the improvements - don't know).

Rouen still a pain.

And don’t forget to get your Crit’Air sticker, everyone!

[blueST]

Venisonpie said:

For a 3 day trip you're going to have plenty of time to explore. I'd recommend Chenonceaux in the Loire valley as stop 1 and Honfleur on the coast as a detour stop 2 which also avoids Rouen (which is a bit fiddly but they may have completed the improvements - don't know).

Both great suggestions, been to both before, Honfleur numerous times.

[nickfrog]

Just bear in mind how rammed those places will be in August. The YT/Insta thing has really had a massive impact on how busy they get.

[blueST]

Itll be interesting to see how busy it is. Traditionally we've been able to visit France outside the peak holiday periods, so that aspect is a first.

[bigdom]

Admittedly, we only tend to go through France in the first couple of weeks in September. Last year, down to Bezier.

We always stop on the way down (Clermont-Ferrand has some great restaurants) but come back in one. With toilet breaks, a refuel and lunch, it was a little over 10hrs, but it's just me and the missus.

She hates Paris with a passion, so we went via Rouen last year. Waze navigated us onto some newish roads I hadn't been on before.

Whilst a lot of the toll booths have been removed on the autoroute, i do find the tag to be so much easier, and much quicker if busy. There's 30kmph lanes to drive through.

https://www.emovis-tag.co.uk/french-toll-tags

[blueST]

Yes the tags are good. I had an Emovis one for years, but for no real reason other than it looking marginally cheaper ive just swapped to the Bip and Go one

[towser44]

Provence was quiet when we went 2 years ago in August school holidays. On the way down we stayed in Tours and Lyon (via Rouen) and the way back in Reims (albeit the run from Provence to Reims was a long slog on the Saturday, but I couldn't stretch a second night en-route due to having be back at work. Took us about 8 and half hours on the Autoroute and it was only really busy around Lyon.

The run from Reims to Calais on the Sunday for the ferry was easy and quick.

Had no problems booking cheap and cheerful Ibis Budgets for the hotels and never paid more than £55 for the room for 3 of us plus a dog.

[Venisonpie]

towser44 said:

Provence was quiet when we went 2 years ago in August school holidays. On the way down we stayed in Tours and Lyon (via Rouen) and the way back in Reims (albeit the run from Provence to Reims was a long slog on the Saturday, but I couldn't stretch a second night en-route due to having be back at work. Took us about 8 and half hours on the Autoroute and it was only really busy around Lyon.

The run from Reims to Calais on the Sunday for the ferry was easy and quick.

Had no problems booking cheap and cheerful Ibis Budgets for the hotels and never paid more than £55 for the room for 3 of us plus a dog.

As beautiful as Provence is its becoming prohibitively hot in summer, we were in Aix-en-Provence at the end of last June and it was unbearable some days which may explain the August exodus.

[loafer123]

The Bison Fute site gives the predictions of major traffic so you can avoid them;

https://www.bison-fute.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/Calendrier_...

[Landlubber]

Venisonpie said:

towser44 said:

Provence was quiet when we went 2 years ago in August school holidays. On the way down we stayed in Tours and Lyon (via Rouen) and the way back in Reims (albeit the run from Provence to Reims was a long slog on the Saturday, but I couldn't stretch a second night en-route due to having be back at work. Took us about 8 and half hours on the Autoroute and it was only really busy around Lyon.

The run from Reims to Calais on the Sunday for the ferry was easy and quick.

Had no problems booking cheap and cheerful Ibis Budgets for the hotels and never paid more than £55 for the room for 3 of us plus a dog.

As beautiful as Provence is its becoming prohibitively hot in summer, we were in Aix-en-Provence at the end of last June and it was unbearable some days which may explain the August exodus.

We found Provence quite crowded, difficult to find a table, busy roads and oh! The Americans! Inexplicably lots and lots of coaches full of (presumably) Chinese disgorging passengers in wedding attire to go stand in a field of lavender for pictures, not just one, but everywhere. Nice, but not great. Mainly went for Pagnol.

[otherman]

blueST said:

If I wanted to shorten the last leg, any thoughts on Amiens or that sort of area North/West of Paris?

There's nothing much to Amiens. If want to really shorten that last leg, look at St Omer. That's cute enough for a one night stop.