Calais to Avignon on toll-free roads

[johnandi]

Hi,
We're travelling the above route in October. Via-Michelin (and others) suggest a route skirting Rouen, Chartres, Orleans and Clermont Ferrand.
Anyone travelled this or a similar toll-free route between Calais and Avignon please? Is this a good route with stuff to see please?

Thanks
John

 

[busby]

Thats my usual route south,,decent road all the way,,BUSBY.

 

[GeriatricWanderer]

Just two thoughts from me:

Much better to use the A16 Peage J28/29 to avoid that long ride down into Boulogne. A bargain at €1.10

Make sure you include the A20 in your route - a lovely, free road.

 

[busby]

Just two thoughts from me:

Much better to use the A16 Peage J28/29 to avoid that long ride down into Boulogne. A bargain at €1.10

Make sure you include the A20 in your route - a lovely, free road.

Fully agree,,,BUSBY.

 

[lunarman]

Make sure you include the A20 in your route - a lovely, free road.

Are you sure you Don't mean the A75 which is free from Clermont Ferrand to Montpelier. The A20 takes you further west towards the Dordogne.

If you are going from Orleans to Clermont I would use the route Via Nevers and Moulin rather than Vierzon - Montlucon. Having just done the latter it is quite tortuous. The route Via Nevers has some free motorway (A77) and is much easier IMO.

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[GeriatricWanderer]

Are you sure you Don't mean the A75 which is free from Clermont Ferrand to Montpelier. The A20 takes you further west towards the Dordogne..

Ooops - maybe that explains why I keep getting lost over there

 

[peterc10]

That is the way we would go - we used it earlier in the week to get back to Calais. Rouen > Evreux > Dreux > Chartres > Orleans > Nevers > Moulins > Clermont Ferrand > Millau > Montpelier.

But is not all toll free and I would not recommend you try to make it so, otherwise it will be painfully slow. Toll on the A16 between Boulogne and Amiens, a small toll South of Rouen, a small toll to get round the northern bit of Clermont Ferrand and then a toll for the Millau Bridge on the A75 are all worth paying IMHO.

BTW the A75 is a beautiful road - plenty of scenery and civil engineering to admire - much better than going down the Rhone Valley

 

[gus-lopez]

That is the way we would go - we used it earlier in the week to get back to Calais. Rouen > Evreux > Dreux > Chartres > Orleans > Nevers > Moulins > Clermont Ferrand > Millau > Montpelier.

But is not all toll free and I would not recommend you try to make it so, otherwise it will be painfully slow. Toll on the A16 between Boulogne and Amiens, a small toll South of Rouen, a small toll to get round the northern bit of Clermont Ferrand and then a toll for the Millau Bridge on the A75 are all worth paying IMHO.

y

It is only slow if you can go fast. If you are holding up all & sundry on the non-toll roads there is no point paying to use a toll road just to help others go a shade quicker.

 

[chaser]

Personally, and feel free to knock me down, I wouldn't go that way at all, I would use this and this is what we always do, though this time we have done it backwards and coming up this way, I'd go Reims, Dijon, Lyon,,valence, Avignon. not all toll free, but plenty roads run alongside that you can use

 

[busby]

Personally, and feel free to knock me down, I wouldn't go that way at all, I would use this and this is what we always do, though this time we have done it backwards and coming up this way, I'd go Reims, Dijon, Lyon,,valence, Avignon. not all toll free, but plenty roads run alongside that you can use

Very slow route but pleasant to drive,,,takes me nearly a day longer that way,,,BUSBY.

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[chaser]

Very slow route but pleasant to drive,,,takes me nearly a day longer that way,,,BUSBY.

Never said it was fast , just as you say far pleasanter, love the Charollais countryside, we are just above there now parked in a free vineyard, in the sun , in the vines

 

[busby]

Never said it was fast , just as you say far pleasanter, love the Charollais countryside, we are just above there now parked in a free vineyard, in the sun , in the vines

We were there two weeks ago,,,BUSBY,,

 

[PhilandMena]

You will find this of use for this trip and it includes other toll free routes.
http://about-france.com/routes-from-calais.htm

 

[Olivianna69]

Would you suggest suggest a few places to stop as thought we would take 3 days to travel from Calais to Avignon to split the journey up as have an older moho and would like to enjoy the drive. Thanks for the advicw

That is the way we would go - we used it earlier in the week to get back to Calais. Rouen > Evreux > Dreux > Chartres > Orleans > Nevers > Moulins > Clermont Ferrand > Millau > Montpelier.

But is not all toll free and I would not recommend you try to make it so, otherwise it will be painfully slow. Toll on the A16 between Boulogne and Amiens, a small toll South of Rouen, a small toll to get round the northern bit of Clermont Ferrand and then a toll for the Millau Bridge on the A75 are all worth paying IMHO.

BTW the A75 is a beautiful road - plenty of scenery and civil engineering to admire - much better than going down the Rhone Valley

 

[pagey]

Just two thoughts from me:

Much better to use the A16 Peage J28/29 to avoid that long ride down into Boulogne. A bargain at €1.10

Make sure you include the A20 in your route - a lovely, free road.

agree with that

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