PH convoy to the Classic

PH convoy to the Classic

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Discussion

Ben Lowden

Original Poster:

5,967 posts

176 months

PH Marketing Bloke

Thursday 16th June 2022
quotequote all
I appreciate everyone will be on different crossings – but I'm wondering if there's a significant amount doing a particular crossing that might fancy a PH convoy?

We've always shot down the motorway, but want to take an interesting route this year. We haven't booked our crossing yet so are open to doing Folkstone > Calais and driving down from there, or Portsmouth > Caen.

We'll be in a Mustang Mach 1 and shooting a Dream Drive feature, so naturally want to find a fun route and get some PHers involved if we can! smile

ricof

85 posts

57 months

Thursday 16th June 2022
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There are a few of us doing the night sail from Portsmouth - Cherbourg which arrives in France around 0800hrs on Thursday 30th, then driving leisurely towards Le Mans (i.e avoiding the autoroutes).

DarkHorseTerence

582 posts

238 months

Thursday 16th June 2022
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If there are others gathering for a fun run we could be up for it from Calais…..scenic route ….driving roads. Lotus Evora plus Tesla…..best have yer driving boots on though….biglaugh

MrC986

3,481 posts

190 months

Thursday 16th June 2022
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We’re on the 21.30hrs Portsmouth-Caen Wednesday night ferry if you fancy joining us Ben to “convoy” down on the Thursday morning?!

hmg

536 posts

118 months

Thursday 16th June 2022
quotequote all
Large group of cars on the on the 08.30 DDFS Dover - Calais. Will probably be splitting up into more manageable groups for the drive down.

Any favourite non autoroute itineraries you would care to share ?

Hoonigan

2,138 posts

234 months

Thursday 16th June 2022
quotequote all
Ben Lowden said:
I appreciate everyone will be on different crossings – but I'm wondering if there's a significant amount doing a particular crossing that might fancy a PH convoy?

We've always shot down the motorway, but want to take an interesting route this year. We haven't booked our crossing yet so are open to doing Folkstone > Calais and driving down from there, or Portsmouth > Caen.

We'll be in a Mustang Mach 1 and shooting a Dream Drive feature, so naturally want to find a fun route and get some PHers involved if we can! smile
Wednesday night crossing from Portsmouth Ben, all the cool cars are on this crossing winkdriving

Hoonigan

2,138 posts

234 months

Thursday 16th June 2022
quotequote all
MrC986 said:
We’re on the 21.30hrs Portsmouth-Caen Wednesday night ferry if you fancy joining us Ben to “convoy” down on the Thursday morning?!
Same crossing as us, shout Convoy, Convoy, Convoy…. drivingbiggrin

MrC986

3,481 posts

190 months

Friday 17th June 2022
quotequote all
Hoonigan said:
Same crossing as us, shout Convoy, Convoy, Convoy…. drivingbiggrin
I even have some “walkie talkies” Rubber Duck hehe

Hoonigan

2,138 posts

234 months

Friday 17th June 2022
quotequote all
MrC986 said:
Hoonigan said:
Same crossing as us, shout Convoy, Convoy, Convoy…. drivingbiggrin
I even have some “walkie talkies” Rubber Duck hehe
So do we, those Smokies don’t stand a chance…

Ben Lowden

Original Poster:

5,967 posts

176 months

PH Marketing Bloke

Friday 17th June 2022
quotequote all
Hoonigan said:
MrC986 said:
We’re on the 21.30hrs Portsmouth-Caen Wednesday night ferry if you fancy joining us Ben to “convoy” down on the Thursday morning?!
Same crossing as us, shout Convoy, Convoy, Convoy…. drivingbiggrin
Damn, I think it's unlikely we'll be able to make Wednesday as we have some important meetings in London all day and it might be a bit tight. But we'll see!

hmg said:
Large group of cars on the on the 08.30 DDFS Dover - Calais. Will probably be splitting up into more manageable groups for the drive down.

Any favourite non autoroute itineraries you would care to share ?
What day are you crossing? I'm going to look at some routes, but the general consensus is that there's nothing interesting to drive north of Rouen, so it's a case of following the motorway down for the first leg, and then heading towards Caen for the more interesting roads. Which is partly why I'm thinking of just getting the ferry to Caen instead. Hmm...

Sortie 10

724 posts

251 months

Friday 17th June 2022
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No good driving north of Rouen? You cannot be serious...
My username gives a clue as to where you should turn off the Autoroute - checkout:
Forges les Eaux, Lyons la Forêt (stunning village - one of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France ) Les Andelys (so you miss Rouen)
If anything the Jimmer Le Mans crew prefer the roads north of Rouen to those south - mixture of cracking twisty D roads, arrow straights, woodlands.
Will probably be fined heavily by the committee for disclosing our route!

hmg

536 posts

118 months

Sunday 19th June 2022
quotequote all
Ben Lowden said:
Hoonigan said:
MrC986 said:
We’re on the 21.30hrs Portsmouth-Caen Wednesday night ferry if you fancy joining us Ben to “convoy” down on the Thursday morning?!
Same crossing as us, shout Convoy, Convoy, Convoy…. drivingbiggrin
Damn, I think it's unlikely we'll be able to make Wednesday as we have some important meetings in London all day and it might be a bit tight. But we'll see!

hmg said:
Large group of cars on the on the 08.30 DDFS Dover - Calais. Will probably be splitting up into more manageable groups for the drive down.

Any favourite non autoroute itineraries you would care to share ?
What day are you crossing? I'm going to look at some routes, but the general consensus is that there's nothing interesting to drive north of Rouen, so it's a case of following the motorway down for the first leg, and then heading towards Caen for the more interesting roads. Which is partly why I'm thinking of just getting the ferry to Caen instead. Hmm...
Ferry crossing is 0830 Dover - Calais Thursday morning.

hmg

536 posts

118 months

Sunday 19th June 2022
quotequote all
Sortie 10 said:
No good driving north of Rouen? You cannot be serious...
My username gives a clue as to where you should turn off the Autoroute - checkout:
Forges les Eaux, Lyons la Forêt (stunning village - one of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France ) Les Andelys (so you miss Rouen)
If anything the Jimmer Le Mans crew prefer the roads north of Rouen to those south - mixture of cracking twisty D roads, arrow straights, woodlands.
Will probably be fined heavily by the committee for disclosing our route!
Any tips for waypoints south of Rouen pls smile

Ben Lowden

Original Poster:

5,967 posts

176 months

PH Marketing Bloke

Tuesday 21st June 2022
quotequote all
Sortie 10 said:
No good driving north of Rouen? You cannot be serious...
My username gives a clue as to where you should turn off the Autoroute - checkout:
Forges les Eaux, Lyons la Forêt (stunning village - one of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France ) Les Andelys (so you miss Rouen)
If anything the Jimmer Le Mans crew prefer the roads north of Rouen to those south - mixture of cracking twisty D roads, arrow straights, woodlands.
Will probably be fined heavily by the committee for disclosing our route!
Amazing thank you, I've struggled to come across anything north of Rouen and a lot of other threads I've read all say to head straight for Caen. Will take a look at your suggestions when planning our route! thumbup

hmg said:
Ferry crossing is 0830 Dover - Calais Thursday morning.
Superb. Sadly it looks like we'll need to cross on Friday now due to work commitments, but I'll share my rough route here once planned and perhaps we can get a convoy sorted for next year with a bit more advanced planning.

MiloD

253 posts

201 months

Wednesday 22nd June 2022
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Hi Ben, we’ve a small crew on the 08:50 Chunnel on Thursday morning. Considering route options at the mo…

Sortie 10

724 posts

251 months

Wednesday 22nd June 2022
quotequote all
Ben, apologies for not replying sooner to your query on Sunday. Clearly not spending enough time on PH - should I hand in my membership card?
TBH it's a bit of a ball ache getting from Les Andelys to Louviers (slightly fiddly after crossing the Seine - keep your eyes on signs & gps) then
Le Neubourg
Conches
L'Aigle
Mortagne-au-Perche
Mamers
Le Mans

You will note that there are some long straights & you pass through some great towns & villages (as a Francophile & a driver, LM to me isn't about setting speed records on the autoroutes & laying elevens out of service areas & toll booths & then asking on pH whether you should ignore letters on your doormat from les flics).
You can bail out to the A28 if you do need to make up time.

A great quote from one of the crew (at one time I was leading/navigating in an NB MX-5 & the rest were in 911s, Nobles etc.) was
'Bloody hell Jimmer you are so slow on the straights but as soon as we hit the twisties you are lethal and out of sight & we need the next straight to catch you'.
Sums up the driving perfectly.
Give yourself some time, a driver's car (not a barge) & enjoy the drive.

Byker28i

58,820 posts

216 months

Thursday 23rd June 2022
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Part of the fun with the Portsmouth Caan route is seeing how many cars there are on the way

MrC986

3,481 posts

190 months

Thursday 23rd June 2022
quotequote all
Byker28i said:
Part of the fun with the Portsmouth Caan route is seeing how many cars there are on the way
Plus where people are stopping for breakfast/coffee etc. - always a good bit of future intelligence for when we become slightly more diverse! It never ceases to amaze me where you see people when you divert off the normal routes.

Ben Lowden

Original Poster:

5,967 posts

176 months

PH Marketing Bloke

Thursday 23rd June 2022
quotequote all
Sortie 10 said:
Ben, apologies for not replying sooner to your query on Sunday. Clearly not spending enough time on PH - should I hand in my membership card?
TBH it's a bit of a ball ache getting from Les Andelys to Louviers (slightly fiddly after crossing the Seine - keep your eyes on signs & gps) then
Le Neubourg
Conches
L'Aigle
Mortagne-au-Perche
Mamers
Le Mans
You mean you have a life outside of PH? hehe That's great thank you, really appreciate it. I'll take a look!

lowdrag

12,868 posts

212 months

Thursday 23rd June 2022
quotequote all
Ben Lowden said:
I appreciate everyone will be on different crossings – but I'm wondering if there's a significant amount doing a particular crossing that might fancy a PH convoy?

We've always shot down the motorway, but want to take an interesting route this year. We haven't booked our crossing yet so are open to doing Folkstone > Calais and driving down from there, or Portsmouth > Caen.

We'll be in a Mustang Mach 1 and shooting a Dream Drive feature, so naturally want to find a fun route and get some PHers involved if we can! smile
If you are doing Portsmaouth/Caen, look at my thread on a lovely back roads route.Great fun and scenery.