the road to le man
Discussion
If it's hamlets you want to wake then you'll be heading from Le Havre towards Rouen on the A131 whic joins the A13 then missing the A28 turn (the motorway to Le Mans) and taking the D438 (which used to be the N138) which is signposted "Alencon par RN."
That's the traditional road down the Le Mans and on the Thursday/Friday the kids and fmailies are usually sitting by the roads supercar spotting and waving.
That's the traditional road down the Le Mans and on the Thursday/Friday the kids and fmailies are usually sitting by the roads supercar spotting and waving.
I've done the following route a couple of years and it makes for a good empty back-road blast...
Leave Le Havre and take the D929 over Pont de Normandie.
As soon as you're over take a right on to the D144 (not the A29) to Pont-l'Eveque where you take another right on to the N175. This goes right through the heart of the old town...through a canyon of old, tall buildings.
In the next village, la-Haie-Tondue take a left on to the D16 cross-country through Bonnebosq till it joins the N13. Go left on this for 3km, then right on to the D16 to St Pierre-s-Dives.
Just South of this you cut cross-country again, left on to the D90 to the D13 before taking another left in to the village of Trun.
Drive through the village until you get to the junction with the D916. You want to take the D916 right to Argentan but don't do it yet - look left and you will see a great little brasserie with parking outside. If you've rolled off the over-night ferry and either forgotten to put your watch forward an hour (1st year) or knew how crap the food was on the ferry (every other year) it's time for food. As a side note this place is also open on Mondays for the drive back - unlike most of France.
As said, take the D916 to Argentan out of Trun and get lost trying to follow the ring road - you want to get on to the D924, then switch almost immediately off again on to the D2 through Bouce to Carrouges.
From here take a left on to the D908 and look for the right on to the D204 after 8.5km...
If you find it your on a set of dead strait roads that cut through a huge forest. Take a left at the multi-way junction until you hit the tank (no, really - there is even a plaque telling you how the French won WW2, which is always worth a laugh).
From here take the D26 South in to Alencon.
If you miss the D204 just take a right when you hit the D26, which is a lot harder to miss.
From Alencon I either N138 it to Le Mans or, if I'm not (too) desperate for a beer - N138 to La Hutte, right to Freshay-s-Sarth, the twisty D21 to Conlie and the final roman-road blast along the D304 to Le Mans.
Buy yourself the yellow 1/175000 Michelin Local maps - 303 and 310. All the road numbers I've given are based on those maps but, being France don't really have much to do with the numbers you see on French road signs!
Leave Le Havre and take the D929 over Pont de Normandie.
As soon as you're over take a right on to the D144 (not the A29) to Pont-l'Eveque where you take another right on to the N175. This goes right through the heart of the old town...through a canyon of old, tall buildings.
In the next village, la-Haie-Tondue take a left on to the D16 cross-country through Bonnebosq till it joins the N13. Go left on this for 3km, then right on to the D16 to St Pierre-s-Dives.
Just South of this you cut cross-country again, left on to the D90 to the D13 before taking another left in to the village of Trun.
Drive through the village until you get to the junction with the D916. You want to take the D916 right to Argentan but don't do it yet - look left and you will see a great little brasserie with parking outside. If you've rolled off the over-night ferry and either forgotten to put your watch forward an hour (1st year) or knew how crap the food was on the ferry (every other year) it's time for food. As a side note this place is also open on Mondays for the drive back - unlike most of France.
As said, take the D916 to Argentan out of Trun and get lost trying to follow the ring road - you want to get on to the D924, then switch almost immediately off again on to the D2 through Bouce to Carrouges.
From here take a left on to the D908 and look for the right on to the D204 after 8.5km...
If you find it your on a set of dead strait roads that cut through a huge forest. Take a left at the multi-way junction until you hit the tank (no, really - there is even a plaque telling you how the French won WW2, which is always worth a laugh).
From here take the D26 South in to Alencon.
If you miss the D204 just take a right when you hit the D26, which is a lot harder to miss.
From Alencon I either N138 it to Le Mans or, if I'm not (too) desperate for a beer - N138 to La Hutte, right to Freshay-s-Sarth, the twisty D21 to Conlie and the final roman-road blast along the D304 to Le Mans.
Buy yourself the yellow 1/175000 Michelin Local maps - 303 and 310. All the road numbers I've given are based on those maps but, being France don't really have much to do with the numbers you see on French road signs!
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