What's the best route from Cherbourg-Le Mans

[Namor]

Going to Le Mans for the first time. Want to enjoy the best drivers roads on the way down. Any tips greatly appreciated?

[Skywalker]

Via Michelin can help with it's 'sight-seeing' options.

Hooning down through the Cotentin peninsula (Saint Lo etc) is fun.

Also consider a detour along the D-Day beaches and then run down from Caen through "Suisse Normandie" down to Flers and then turn off through Bagnoles de l'Orne for lunch (if the timings suit) and then to Alencon for a final run down the 'old' N138.

[lowdrag]

Agree whole hearedly with the Suisse Normande part but a bit further south I'd probably keep west of Alencon and drop down towards Sablé and come in from the west of Le Mans. Avoids all the crowds and traffic. Just a local's point of view you understand!

[//j17]

I always enjoy bombing through the Ecouves forest, just North of Alencon.

You can then either pick up the Autoroute, old N138 or keep West down to the D304 - a lovely bit of straight, empty road in to Le Mans at St. Saturnin.

[Namor]

cheers, many thanks for the suggestions. 2 more queries:

any tips on where the cops are particularly eager?
and any sights on the way or around Le Mans that also shouldn't be missed?

[lowdrag]

Namor said:

any tips on where the cops are particularly eager?
and any sights on the way or around Le Mans that also shouldn't be missed?

The police are going to be everywhere on the way down to Le Mans but mostly NE of Le Mans as the Brits, Dutch and Germans arrive from that direction. If it's your first time just soak up the atmosphere as you waft through the coutryside, enjoy the people waving at you, find a small town and eat in the local bar with a cold beer and just chill out. It'll be frantic enough when you arrive!

[//j17]

The only time I've seen a policeman on the back roads from Le Havre down to Le Mans was one doing general spot-checks on the locals (just ignored me).

Keep it sensible, drop to 50kph between the town/village start/end signs ahd you shouldn't have any issues - http://english.controleradar.org/france-speed-limi...

[MadMacMcMad]

We had a house in Villedieu and regularly ran these roads from Cherbourg.
We are doing the Cherbourg route this year and will follow
Cherbourg - St Lo - Domfront - Alencon.
Key these into Autoroute.

They are fantastic roads. A few twisty bits, undulating, smooth and no Police until Alencon that is!

[smpaton]

MadMacMcMad said:

We had a house in Villedieu and regularly ran these roads from Cherbourg.
We are doing the Cherbourg route this year and will follow
Cherbourg - St Lo - Domfront - Alencon.
Key these into Autoroute.

They are fantastic roads. A few twisty bits, undulating, smooth and no Police until Alencon that is!

As i used to have share of a house in Domfront and can recomend the Hotel-De-France in Domfront Gare for lunch.

[timbo48]

"any tips on where the cops are particularly eager?"
Last year on the way back from the race on Monday we decided to follow the old road back to Gace and then cut across country towards Le Havre. There's a stretch of dual carriageway between LM and Alencon (I think) along which we saw no sign of radar, etc. We were passed by various Brit cars and bikes, not much over the limit. At the end of the dual carriageway, there were the gendarmes flagging a longish queue into a parking area in which was situated a caravan thing fitted with a cash point. As I said, no sign of radar. Be warned!

[Thunderace]

smpaton said:

MadMacMcMad said:

We had a house in Villedieu and regularly ran these roads from Cherbourg.
We are doing the Cherbourg route this year and will follow
Cherbourg - St Lo - Domfront - Alencon.
Key these into Autoroute.

They are fantastic roads. A few twisty bits, undulating, smooth and no Police until Alencon that is!

As i used to have share of a house in Domfront and can recomend the Hotel-De-France in Domfront Gare for lunch.

Was joined at the table in there by a cockroach once. The waitress threw it on the floor and stamped on it, end of story.

[Thunderace]

We have a family cottage North of Domfront. Usually go Saint-Lo, Vire, Tinchebray, Domfront, Mayenne, Sille-Le-Guillaume, Le Mans.

Occasionally see a speed trap but usually in a village and the locals are good at warning.

Caught by one once on the way back between Vire and Saint-Lo, had been flashed by locals coming the other way so knew there was a trap and were not speeding. Only UK car in a stream of French cars and the only one pulled !! Escorted back to bank in Vire by asswipe on a bike and missed the ferry.

[smpaton]

Thunderace said:

smpaton said:

MadMacMcMad said:

We had a house in Villedieu and regularly ran these roads from Cherbourg.
We are doing the Cherbourg route this year and will follow
Cherbourg - St Lo - Domfront - Alencon.
Key these into Autoroute.

They are fantastic roads. A few twisty bits, undulating, smooth and no Police until Alencon that is!

As i used to have share of a house in Domfront and can recomend the Hotel-De-France in Domfront Gare for lunch.

Was joined at the table in there by a cockroach once. The waitress threw it on the floor and stamped on it, end of story.

[smpaton]

smpaton said:

Thunderace said:

smpaton said:

MadMacMcMad said:

We had a house in Villedieu and regularly ran these roads from Cherbourg.
We are doing the Cherbourg route this year and will follow
Cherbourg - St Lo - Domfront - Alencon.
Key these into Autoroute.

They are fantastic roads. A few twisty bits, undulating, smooth and no Police until Alencon that is!

As i used to have share of a house in Domfront and can recomend the Hotel-De-France in Domfront Gare for lunch.

Was joined at the table in there by a cockroach once. The waitress threw it on the floor and stamped on it, end of story.

Its hasd been afew years i suppose.
Domfront is a nice town to visit if you have time on-route.