Good route from Caen for a classic car

[JimmyJam]

I'm going to take my '72 Alfa GT Junior this year in convoy with a classic Spider and maybe one other. We're arriving Fri morning Caen and I want to take a route thats easier on the car than the motorway/ dual carriage. Probably do 1 or 2 stops on way coffee/ breakfast etc. Anyone got a good route I could investigate?

[Skywalker]

Go from Ouistreham, south through Suisse Normanie (Condé Sur Noireau, Thury Harcourt, Flers and Domfront) then 'turn left' to Bagnoles de l'Orne for lunch and from here track cross country to pick up the 'old' N138 from Alençon for the run down to Le Mans.

[The Angry Gopher]

Not the most inventive route, but Caen-Argentan-Sees-Alencon always works for me, quite direct and makes for a nice drive that's not too taxing. Any number of places to stop and eat on the way.

http://g.co/maps/x9wfx

[PGM]

The Angry Gopher said:

Not the most inventive route, but Caen-Argentan-Sees-Alencon always works for me, quite direct and makes for a nice drive that's not too taxing. Any number of places to stop and eat on the way.

http://g.co/maps/x9wfx

We did that last time in the minis, good route.

[thegman]

Just out of interest - why do you (I assume) say the motorway is harder on the car - overheating?

[JimmyJam]

Thanks all.
Re. the strain on the car, its more the strain on me really. Driving an old car long distances on a motorway gets pretty boring for me at relatively low speeds. Its all about the journey as much as the destination but then I don't need to tell you that, this is PH!

[//j17]

French 'D' roads are generally kept in excellent condition and even the smaller ones make for great classic driving.

Personally I'd just grab/print a half-decent map and start driving South...with the Satnav handy as a get-out-of-jail-free/make-up-time card.

I've done the Portsmouth/Le Havre crossing a few times and don't use roads anything like as major as the ones on the Google route. The route overlap at Argentan but don't skirt the forst, drive through it as there's some really nice roads and a random Sherman tank (with plaque telling you how the Free French army liberated Normande in 1944!).

From there I used to stay West of the N138 (it will never be the D338!) working to Conlie for a last "What did the Romans ever do for us" bast in to Le Mans via Saint-Saturnin.

[Dave_newcastle]

I use the same initial route as suggested by Skywalker - then take great open roads from Bagnoles south to Sille le Guillaume with little traffic for a rapid enjoyable drive. Bagnoles great for lunch or supper depending on the time of day. It will be my route back on Sunday from the classic.

Edited by Dave_newcastle on Thursday 23 February 21:08