Route down to Le Mans

[Midlifecrisis1]

Hi all,

LM virgin here and travelling down to LM via Calais. Was wondering which is the best route there not using the Toll roads. Obviously looking to stretch the legs of my carriage and considering using the "surrender monkeys" equivalent of our A roads.

Any suggestions

Midlifecrisis

[ellroy]

The old N138 is the classic route from Rouen southwards. There is a thread on here somewhere about it as they've changed the numbering system, it may now be 438. I'm sure the other thread will solve that for you.

[fatboy18]

The old N138 is not a place where you should stretch your steeds legs Rozzers hidden all over the place

[davidd]

Yes, we are reverting back to the D438 (or whatever it is now) after Rouen. Makes a change after a couple of years on the autoroutes..

D

[Oggs]

davidd said:

Yes, we are reverting back to the D438 (or whatever it is now) after Rouen.
D

Like most people this year

[Rs2oo]

Have a look at this recently discussed link on the same subject, may help.

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

[turbo-ww]

fatboy18 said:

The old N138 is not a place where you should stretch your steeds legs Rozzers hidden all over the place

ANYWHERE in France is not a place where you should stretch your steeds legs.

[fatboy18]

Well its always a risk But the last couple of years the Rozzers tactics really are getting sneaky, We saw them hiding in the corn fields, behind fences using military type laser vision goggles and radar guns, just unbelievable

However one thing which really did hack me off on the way down last year, was when I slowed down to turn right off the motorway only to be Under taken by a black lambo and another white car (cant remember what it was). Being as the outside lane had a couple of cars up ahead they cut across at speed using the slip road and hard shoulder chasing each other just as I was about to go up the right hand slip road I had to swerve back to the left and they both shot past me making me miss my exit (just as well I glanced behind me), This was nothing but pure dangerous driving.

...British registered Cars

[dobboMK1]

googlemap plotting the route from the main ferry ports

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?hl=en&gl=uk&a...

[blueg33]

Bit late for this advice but, My solution is to not go via Calais. Any main road from the Channel Ports will be swarming with Gendarmes. The best way is to use off the wall routes that are not direct. For instance last year we crossed to St Malo and came via Britany. Didnt see a single Gendarme. This year we are getting the ferry to Spain and approaching from the south after a Top Gear style road trip.

edited because my typing is proper terrible

Edited by blueg33 on Saturday 8th May 21:06

[Midlifecrisis1]

Gents,

Thanks for all your suggestions. I think no matter which way I go there is the possibility of meeting Insp Clouseau, its just a case of limiting the possibilities. Can't change the set off point in France as tickets already bought, but the "Top Gear" route sounds a fantastic scenic one albeit a tad long and maybe I'll have to do it next year.

I went to Paris in Feb this year and used the satnav defining the route with no toll roads and "sampled" some good roads on the way down. Didnt see any Frogplod, but then again they weren't looking for me......hahaha. Obviously they'll be out if force for yet another invasion on their soil I'll just have to be a sneeky as Clouseau and his little sidekicks.

Midlifecrisis

Edited by Midlifecrisis1 on Saturday 8th May 16:37

[gt6]

Drive like the wind until you get to rouen and then take a more sedate trip on the old N138, you might not like the french plod but be aware they will not like you if they catch you and you will always end up the loser.

[turbo-ww]

gt6 said:

Drive like the wind until you get to rouen and then take a more sedate trip on the old N138, you might not like the french plod but be aware they will not like you if they catch you and you will always end up the loser.

Do you have a special dispensation before Rouen??

[Midlifecrisis1]

gt6 said:

Drive like the wind until you get to rouen and then take a more sedate trip on the old N138, you might not like the french plod but be aware they will not like you if they catch you and you will always end up the loser.

gt6, I dont dislike frogplod, as far as I see it, its a game of "cat and mouse" and ultimately they have a job to do. Im not looking to do manic speeds as the trip down is part and parcel of LM or so i've been told. I want to savour the trip there and back, but also have the odd blast here and there as well. Yeap your right I'll lose any argument I may have with them not least from a language barrier perspective!........anyway to one and all, enjoy the trip!

[chocolatemonk]

Oggs said:

davidd said:

Yes, we are reverting back to the D438 (or whatever it is now) after Rouen.
D

Like most people this year

Good plan, since the autoroute was completed it really took a lot of fun out of the journey down, just by diluting the amount of cars and making the historic trip another featureless euro route, I am trying to remember the town on the N138 where you can park up and eat watching all the fantastic cars coming through, even the locals enjoy the parade, all I can remember is a really big church there!

[SEE YA]

Hello, is there a postcode that you can just tap in the TOM,TOM ?. That will take you to the LeMans track?.

[Chris71]

SEE YA said:

Hello, is there a postcode that you can just tap in the TOM,TOM ?. That will take you to the LeMans track?.

You could try:

Chemin aux Boeufs
F - 72100 LE MANS

Geolocation :

47°56’49’’N / 00°13’02’’E
47,94150° / 0,21708°

That's not the exact location of the spectator gate but it's near enough for you to find some sign posts or something. I sat nav'd it down last year with no problems.

Have to say I didn't find the toll roads such a problem. I can't remember how much it was, but I could swear the whole route (one-way) was sub-10 euros. May have that completely wrong, but don't remember it being expensive. Okay, the toll roads are a bit dull (like any motorway) but I'd be more worried about failing to notice a change of speed limit or a carefully concealed speed trap on the rural roads.

How much longer does the most direct non-toll road route take and how much more navigation is involved? Not driving down in anything interesting unfortunately so I'm mostly interested in the quickest, least congested and simplest route personally.

[blueST]

SEE YA said:

Hello, is there a postcode that you can just tap in the TOM,TOM ?. That will take you to the Le Mans track?.

French postcodes cover big areas so that's no good to you. Most sat navs should have the circuit as a POI I would think. My bog basic TomTom does anyway. If not you can get the long and lat coordinates from Google Earth and navigate to that. In fact the coordinates for the circuit entrance are 47.956120 degrees north by 0.207089 degrees east.

[hornetrider]

Come off the Peage just south of Boulogne and take the D901 all the way down to Marseille-en-Beauvaisis. Then head Southwest to Evreux and continue SW to Alencon before picking up the main road south to Le Mans.

It's the route we take for the bike 24 heures and is remarkably free of the Gendarmerie... can't comment for the car 24H though. It's a good route, a good choice of roads cross country which can be largely straight but with plenty of roundabouts. There are a few twisty-ish roads through the foresty areas around Evreux too.

[SEE YA]

Thank you