Route suggestions through France?

[Alex@POD]

I'm going to visit my parents at the end of the month, and I'll be on the bike. They live in the north of the Alps (Samoens if you are gonna look at a map) and I'll make an overnight stop in Reims. From there I'd like to avoid motorways, but other than plotting a straight line on the map and taking it from there, I have no idea where is best to go or avoid...

Any ideas?

[black-k1]

Are you using a Sat Nav? This spring we did quite a lot of navigation around France by choosing the shortest route and avoiding motorways on the TomTom . Occasionally we needed to either direct it via somewhere to ensure we went through some interesting areas or got it to avoid things like big towns/citys. This gave us some really good routes that we would have been unlikely to find any other way. It also leaves the option of the ‘get me there quickly’ setting (ie motorways) should the weather take a turn for the worst.

[Alex@POD]

I don't have a satnav at the moment (although I might indulge by then)... I'm pretty handy with a map though! I guess I'm looking for personal experiences really...

[F308 MAN]

i) take the plymouth/santander ferry.
ii) stopover in biarritz.
iii) down thro' the pyrenees.
iv) stopover near barcelona.
v) travel to and stopover in st antonin vin noble.
vi) travel to millau bridge for a play.
vii) take the gorges du tarn, due east (astounding)
viii) travel thro' ardeche (amazing)
ix) stopover in castellane (v interesting)
x) route de napoleon for twenty miles then head for briancon, l'alped'huez and grenoble (incredible)



it does not get any better, believe me.

d

Edited by F308 MAN on Monday 6th August 22:15

[Istvan24]

Have a look at the following route:

Motorway Reims -> Dijon -> A39 -> A391 and come off at Lons-Le-Saunier and take the D470 to Orgelet then on to Lavans-Les-Saint-Claude -> past Saint Claude on the D436 to Lajoux and down the Col de la Faucille on the D1005 to Gex. Stay on the D1005 (Route de Geneve) down past Geneva Airport and onto Route de Ferney which leads to Rue de Lausanne and over the Pont du Mont Blanc (you're now in the middle of Geneva by the way...)

From here on follow the signs to Chamonix via Evian (head out of Geneva towards Mouillesulaz if you want to stay off the M'ways). You now have the choice of either the lake road or the mountains - your choice!
Lake: D25 via Yvoire (very pretty and worth a stop off) -> Sciez (N5) -> Thonon les Bains -> D902 to Morzine then the D354 to Samoens
Mountans: No specific path, but when you get bored playing, head for Bonneville -> Cluses -> Morillon -> Samoens.

Don't forget your passport, and mostly, ENJOY!

Edited by Istvan24 on Tuesday 7th August 10:40

[Alex@POD]

Dave, that looks pretty amazing indeed... Trouble is, the ferry ticket probably tops my budget itself...

Istvan, that doesn't sound too bad, although having been through Geneva several times, I'd be happy enough avoiding it Where do you live? It says near Geneva on your profile and your car is registered 74... A few of mine were too!

Now I was considering going through Lausanne, Montreux, and rejoigning Chatel etc, what do you think?

[Istvan24]

That was the other thing I was going to suggest - thing is I'm afraid I don't know that side so well (yet! all in good time ), and the Swiss drive so damn slowly!

I did a lovely weekender with the missus a while back un near Interlaaken / Gstaad but unfortunately that takes you way out on a tangent...

IIRC the Chatel road is very nice, depends how much you want to spend on the twisties though

I live about 200m from the Swiss border, hence the plates - the ski stations (and the roads that go with ) are less than an hour's ride / drive away so I get the chance fairly often to pop out for a burn!