Route from Calais to Le Mans avoiding Rouen CritAir

[guy_proc]

Hello all,

Just a quick post regarding advice on a route from Calais to Le Mans avoiding the Rouen CritAir zone. One of the cars in the group won't classify for any zone, and therefore can't go through.

Any advice on a suitable detour is welcomed!

Cheers

[FredericRobinson]

Simplest is to just go to Yvetot, nice bridge too

[No-More-Nights]

I am sure the Crit'Air has been disbanded

[Magic919]

No-More-Nights said:

I am sure the Crit'Air has been disbanded

It’s still in force.

[NDA]

I generally avoid Rouen too - I go via Honfleur (A29) to Caen (A13) and then N158/A88/A28 to Le Mans. 5 Hours ish from the French side, driving smartly on your own - considerably longer in convoy... have done both.

[FredericRobinson]

Magic919 said:

It s still in force.

Never heard of a single incidence of anyone being had for it on the way to or from Le Mans though

[//j17]

Depends where on the scale from "interesting" to "boring but just avoiding Rouen" you want.

If you want the bording Autoroute option there are quite a few. For example stay on the A29 past the top of Rouen to J9 and drop down through Sainte-Marie-des-Champs, crossing the Seine at Caudebecquet, and joining the A28 at Bourg-Achard.

For boring with a bit of fun just point your satnav at one of the ferries that cross the Seine west of Rouen. A29 past Rouen again, then off onto the A151, then again join the A28 south of Rouen.

Or if you want an interesting drive after heading south from Calais on the A16 rather than joining the A28 at Abbeville head south through Grandvilliers, then south west through Gourney-en-Bray, Les Andelys, Evreux, and L'Agile before turning south again through Belleme and Bonnetable, and arriving on the west side of Le Mans - at which point if you're camping around the north end of Chemin aux Beoufs you can drop off the ring road and wiggle some of the country lanes and get in past the Stella bar, missing the usual queues around the main circuit junctions and roads.

[MCSV8]

If you go onto the Rouen critic air website, it is possible to get an exemption for upto 24 days a year for non-compliant cars. I did this for a trip with my Stag in August.

Look for ZFE-m 24 pass

[RL17]

MCSV8 said:

If you go onto the Rouen critic air website, it is possible to get an exemption for upto 24 days a year for non-compliant cars. I did this for a trip with my Stag in August.

Look for ZFE-m 24 pass

Sounds good - you can go through the tunnel.

Although ferries across the Seine are free, quick (hold approx 10 cars) and pretty regular - I only waited 5 mins for a surprise Waze route crossing at Petit Couronne after a slight diversion for fuel off main A13 return route just before Rouen.

[gt6]

the ring road around rouen is not part of the crit air zone, it is busy and obviously full of lorries(that is why it is not part of the crit air) but you can not leave the road, in theory even fuel stations are in crit air zone.

[Den Den]

FredericRobinson said:

Simplest is to just go to Yvetot, nice bridge too

Yep, it's a much nicer drive. I sometimes bypass the centre of Rouen by going down the D6016/D7 on the Eastern side of the river, you wind up at junction 21 on the A13.