N138
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Discussion

Si T

Original Poster:

33 posts

302 months

Tuesday 20th June 2006
quotequote all
I had a great time at Le Mans this year (as always). We ended up going both ways on the N138. The only disappointment was the lack of company - that road used to be full of convoys of quick cars travelling down but it was relatively empty on both Friday and Sunday. I guess msot people are now taking the Autoroute but, for my money, the trip down on the N138 is 1/3 of the Le Mans experience (the other 2/3 being the atmosphere in and around the campsites/track and the actual race itslef).

Buttmonkey Racer

453 posts

245 months

Tuesday 20th June 2006
quotequote all
We took the motorway to Rouen on Thursday morning and then headed down the N138. Saw hardly any other cars at all and so at Gace we got back onto the A28. Shame really as the N138 is a key part of our LM tour. It seems that most people want to get down to Le Mans asap.It was noticeable at the campsites as from lunchtime Thursday most people had rocked up and Maison Blanche at least was rammed.

tony_666

3,160 posts

280 months

Tuesday 20th June 2006
quotequote all
We also did the N138 there and back, and whilst on the Thursday for the drive down it was still quite busy with Brits, it was actually very quiet on the Sunday for the return!!

RossG

160 posts

248 months

Tuesday 20th June 2006
quotequote all
Did anyone else notice that a lot more of it now has solid white lines compared to last year...??

Me thinks the french are actively trying to discourage some of the crazy fun we used to have on that road!!

knight

5,234 posts

301 months

Tuesday 20th June 2006
quotequote all
I used the N138 up to Rouen on the way back, had a little convoy with a couple of Porsches then stopped in one of the villages when I saw a friend parked up. Saw a few speedtraps but they were well signposted by oncoming drivers flashing their lights

wrightyrs

446 posts

241 months

Tuesday 20th June 2006
quotequote all
Drove the N138 down on Thursday.
After stopping for lunch and heading off it was really quiet.
There was 6 of us in our group and we came across a few other brits,noticable a couple of RX8's and we had a very spirited run for a good few miles,cheers gents!!!

On the Sunday part of our group took the N138 home the other took the toll road,i was one of them due wanting to check out the A28 in preparation for the Classic Le Mans in a few weeks.

Saw no Police at all.
From Le Mans to Le Touquet not one Police car at all.
And the other half of our group on the N138 didn't see any either and the N138 was really quiet again.

rralston

701 posts

267 months

Tuesday 20th June 2006
quotequote all
RossG said:
Did anyone else notice that a lot more of it now has solid white lines compared to last year...??

Me thinks the french are actively trying to discourage some of the crazy fun we used to have on that road!!


Yep - I noticed this particularly on the Monday when we heading north.

We did the N138 from Alencon on the way down - the rest were D roads

On the way back it was a combination of D roads and 138 until Alencon when I had to get onto the A28 as the slow speed through the towns was making me want to vomit

Nothing to do with the Sunday night of course!

t1grm

4,657 posts

306 months

Tuesday 20th June 2006
quotequote all
On the way down, at Calais, plugged Le Mans into the satnav and then selected “bicycle route”. Best drive I ever had in France. Took me down some ridiculously hidden away roads that you would never have found using a map. I couldn’t tell you the exact route but it involved sections of the N1, D919, D938 and D928 at various stages. Took the N138 to Rouen and then the Autoroute on the way back. Saw a few hot cars in both directions but not a lot. Less than 10 each way I would say. Going down was a great drive and didn’t see any speed traps. Some serious hooning was had . On the way back I saw at least 4 speed traps on the N138 but was taking it easy so didn’t get stopped at any of them.

dr jock

197 posts

260 months

Tuesday 20th June 2006
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Well I went down on the grenade for some of my fellow PH's when I got busted on the A28 out of Rouen.

I kept the Gendarmerie off the road and busy for a while explaining, in le french, my licence had been stolen and producing a NZ passport for them to chuckle about whilst deciding how much to fine me.

Saabyfox

2,384 posts

241 months

Tuesday 20th June 2006
quotequote all
Saw a Lambo , exhausts barking as it put some serious pressure on the throttle pedal, being chased by 2 Bike Gendarmes on Thursday.
Hope that didnt cost him too much

Did the N138 most of the way down on thursday, couldnt believe how quiet it was.

Si T

Original Poster:

33 posts

302 months

Tuesday 20th June 2006
quotequote all
I will stick with the N138 between Rouen and Le Mans in future. I too noticed more solid white lines. I saw a couple of speed traps on the way down/back but all were either in the villages or just after bits of dual carriage way where the speeed limit drops back to 90 kph.

Alex@POD

6,454 posts

237 months

Tuesday 20th June 2006
quotequote all
I took the N138 thursday morning too, saw a few PHers, and some crazy fools too!

Noticeably two old guys in a blue 206 (probably 1.1), overtaking trucks in blind turns and with islands coming up, more than once got away with it on a very fine line, and I still managed to get there before him by overtaking safely.

Also passed a 911/Clio trophy/X5 convoy that then crept up behind me, and all decided to overtake two lorries all at once. The front lorry had to get on the verge for the X5 not to get hit head on in a blind turn...

I think it took to long for me though (6 hours from calais, non stop),so it wa A28 on the way back ...