canal du midi à la chaser Feb 2017

[chaser]

I think Bev is delaying us long enough to make Mendes tonights stop over, stayed there this time last year. lovely location right by the river and really old bridge

weather today is brilliant only about 12C right now but bright blue Mediterranean sky

parked at Champion Beziers, decided to head north and go a little less distance each day on the way home

we love the A75 will be stopped at a layby we often use just before the airfield at Millau, then through town to avoid the punitive class 3 toll for the bridge I think it might be 30€ but will not be finding out

You are not going for a paddle in the med then, if I get that close to the sea , we always have to go for a look, yes a75 is a good road , hard to believe it's non toll.

 

[Langtoftlad]

...because most on here think my posts are crap,

Oh Contraire Mon Bruv

 

[peterc10]

Do

I think Bev is delaying us long enough to make Mendes tonights stop over, stayed there this time last year. lovely location right by the river and really old bridge

Do you mean Mende? If so it looks nice. How difficult is it to get to from the A75?

 

[FIDGET]

Hi David,
A very nice aire over looking a lake is Villerest, @Jenben put us on to it.
Aire de loisirs du barrage 2162 in campercontact.

Terraced as you can see,small restaurant by the entrance , not sure if it's open this time of year.

 

[FIDGET]

Sorry should have said it's to the right / east of Clermont Ferrand ,before Roanne,
about 68 miles

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[DavidG58]

Sorry should have said it's to the right / east of Clermont Ferrand ,before Roanne,
about 68 miles

thanks for that, we have opted to go west of CF, the top section of the A75 when it become the a71 (I think) isn't free any more?

 

[DavidG58]

Do

Do you mean Mende? If so it looks nice. How difficult is it to get to from the A75?

rule 1 Peter

I often wonder myself how some folk ever find where they have been based on the mis spelling of the place names

You are quite though this time, I even know how to spell it got trigger finger with my typing I think

Its not too bad to get to bit twisty, but we have time on our hands this time so no issue

just rerouting now, just about to drop down into Millau, stopped here for lunch, didn't realise until this stop (must have used tis layby 10 times at least for stops, you can just see the bridge, but quite possibly the worst photo ever taken of the bridge

Bev does like her picnic tables

 

[Scout]

nice blog david ,keep it up

 

[DavidG58]

while stopped for lunch noticed a head stone memorial at the roadside in the layby, never seen it before but obviously old

not sure if he was famous, or death by road accident was rare in 1922?

Then stopped at a view point half way down the hill in to Millau, not stopped here before, slightly better photo of bridge, but sun at wrong angle for better shots

 

[hilldweller]

cheeky mare, this is posh nosh, a sachet of wet stuff

We took a load of those on our first big trip, there's some seriously nice food in there esp if paddled a bit with mash.

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[davanne]

Chaser I don't think your posts are c--p, l love to read yours and Burtonbirds details of your stays and food stops , always find them useful . Thankyoucant wait for your next trip.

I agree Anthea

 

[DavidG58]

Decided against Saint Flour based on photos and poor reviews, I think really we had decided to go back to Mende as we did same trip last year, but its always nice to try new locations, even if to rule them out

so, as we had to leave the A75 at Marvejols and we found there is an aire there, decided to look there first, it is much more convenient for the A75, but it is just a car park, not even marked out with larger bays, so you just take you chance with the cars, we decided after very short deliberation that Mende is so much nicer we will go the extra few miles to there and this is why we like it

not only is the sun shining and its about 17C, its lovely to have a view

anybody remembering last years trip may recall my view got nicked by a French MH, not going to happen again this year

also retuned satellite, all back to full UK again and good picture

 

[Clarky]

That looks really nice David. Must try that next time we are that way.

Richard.

 

[DavidG58]

That looks really nice David. Must try that next time we are that way.

Richard.

and its free , there is a confusing sign at the entrance for an alternative aire nearby, which is chargeable, might put a few off using here as no means to pay and it looks at first glance as though you should pay

slightly oddly positioned service point at adjacent car park exit, and pay 2€ for 10 minutes water and 60 minutes electricity, never really sure who would use the electricity

 

[suavecarve]

The last 3 photos. Is that Mende from the other side of the river. We have never see the river running there and always been able to walk down the river on the pebbles either side as we ve only been there in the summer. Great cherry picking there in August off the trees, probably in bloom about soon. I think the area is relatively rich as we saw shed loads of really nice ferraris and lambourghinis overnight. Bottle of wine for 6 euros for the nights entertainment at the main road !
Keep enjoying

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[suavecarve]

If youre interested for tomorrow night. Montpeyroux just south of Clermont. One of the most beautiful villages in France. Free aire. Great views and if there is a sunset with clouds it could like this.

 

[DavidG58]

that looks amazing @suavecarve possibly not far enough up for us for tomorrow, might have a look for lunch though, village looks lovely, can check out the aire for next time

still got to work out my best 'free' route back across to the A20, really do not like to pay tolls and north of Clermont Ferrand is now peage, might look at another way but am committed to La Mailleray so need to be west of Paris

 

[suavecarve]

Through Bourges to Orleans then oik a left before Rouen. Jumieges was pleasant enough until a typhoon came down teh Seine and ripped everything in its path. We had Marquees flying over our head trees being uprooted and had to sit one side of the van to keep the weight there to stop it rolling. Easily the most concerned i have ever been. The next day we followed where this wind had been and kept seeing 50 yard wide channels of trees missing. Got back home a couple of days later, tried looking it up internet, not a mention !

 

[Clarky]

Just a suggestion and it is a bit of a detour from the most direct route towards home, but not too much.
Head up the A75 to Clermont-Ferrand and turn off the motorway at J15, just before the Peage section and head a short way west.
Then north on the D2009, passing Riom, St-Pourcain and join the N7 just south of Moulins. Half way between Moulins and Nevers turn west on the D2076 to Sancoins.
A free peaceful aire beside the Canal du Berry and a pleasant country town with good shops and two excellent boulangeries for the morning croissants. Supermarket and fuel almost next door to the aire and good dog walks along the tow path.

The drive from Sancoins to La Mailleraye is doable in a day but if you have the time stop in between at, say, Chateaudun or Bonneval (see picture of Bonneval below, just in front of the aire)

Richard.

 

[Drexxer]

Richard does that Aire have a campsite on the oposite side of the canal?, looks very similar to a place we stopped at a couple of years ago

Andy

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[peterc10]

still got to work out my best 'free' route back across to the A20, really do not like to pay tolls and north of Clermont Ferrand is now peage, might look at another way but am committed to La Mailleray so need to be west of Paris

The way we go is almost toll free and on good roads.

Follow the A75 to its end and continue on the A71. Turn off at Junction 13 (this is only 3 or 4 miles on the A71 which is toll). Turn right at the roundabout after the tolls (it is a few hundred yards). Then at roundabout turn onto D2009. Stay on the D2009 and just follow signs to Moulins, which will take you on to the N7. Stay on the N7 around Moulins and Nevers and turn off at Junction 22, which is just before the N7 becomes toll. Then on to the D907 then D2007 then D952, then D2060 following the River Loire and all signposted to Orleans. This leads you on to the Orleans by pass. Turn off on to D2020, then D954 then N154 all signposted to Chartes. After Chatres follow signs to Dreux, then Evrreux and then Rouen. This takes you onto the A13 (another small bit of toll road) which you follow West until you get the Junction 25 and then turn onto the D313 which takes you to La Mailleraye.

It can be done in a day, but if you are dawdling it will take you a couple of days

 

[bigtree]

You missed a nice aire just south of Marvejols at La Canourgue,
44.433179, 3.211823

 

[Clarky]

Richard does that Aire have a campsite on the oposite side of the canal?, looks very similar to a place we stopped at a couple of years ago

Andy

No campsite, just a field with a lovely old barn in the middle.
The Canal du Berry runs for miles and miles so there are a number of aires on its banks.

Richard.

 

[chaser]

@DavidG58 , I have not suggested anything for you as you seem to know your route now, but the bottom one that @Clarky suggests is a real nice stop
Edit , they have a market as well but forgot the day

 

[DavidG58]

just leaving Mende now, -2C but lovely and sunny

heading up to Montpeyroux for a look, thanks @suavecarve , then taking the @Clarky route

will update with photos as we go

thanks all, really appreciate the input

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[DavidG58]

found a gem of a layby stop off for breakfast, only gone about 10 miles from Mende if that even. just as well we are not in a rush

not exactly sure where we are but on D806 heading northwest from Mende, not quite at the top of the hill, so expecting views to the west in a bit these were pointing eastish back towards Mende in the valley below

we had breakfast inside though, but with door open, only 4C and that is the sun I reckon , weather looks set for the day though, love this part of France along the A75

although this is a new road for us we think, although not sure how we got out of Mende last year, should really have been this same route

a timely thanks to Phil @Taran_Las for the tip off for Mende last year

 

[Clarky]

I agree David, a lovely part of France.
We just love the drive up (or down) the A75 and with the weather you have the views are wonderful.
Lots of brilliant aires along that route too. Le Malzieu-Ville, Blesle, La Canourgue, La Couvertoirade, all lovely historic villages and many more too.

Richard.

 

[DavidG58]

Parked up at Montpeyroux, stunning place, but no shops nice looking restaurant but too posh for us

actually like so many nice places, it looks better on the approach than from it, but the place is immaculate, nothing out of place

word of caution for anybody reading this and thinking of coming, stop at the first car park option you come to, it has the tiniest MH symbol, we missed it looking far an official MH aire sign, very nearly made the big mistake of driving into the citie, you would need to be here to understand fully, but so often the word citie is the clue

turned and parked by the cemetery which also has another official car park but too tight for MH's, wandered through the town and back for coffee before relocating to the MH signed car park, now rerouting the rest of today, had we come here with bread, we would stop here, the views are stunning, snow covered mountains in the distance

MH parking is far from obvious, but we have parked in the furthest bay of parking, on a quiet day like today, plenty of room for all the cars and some more yet, but reckon it would get really busy here, would make an excellent overnight option though

there is a service borne with drive over waste dump, water and electrics by token €2.30 from the farm shop behind the car park

these blue skies are for real, it is pushing 20C here, and in the sun it really feels it

 

[bigtree]

Parked up at Montpeyroux, stunning place, but no shops nice looking restaurant but too posh for us

actually like so many nice places, it looks better on the approach than from it, but the place is immaculate, nothing out of place

word of caution for anybody reading this and thinking of coming, stop at the first car park option you come to, it has the tiniest MH symbol, we missed it looking far an official MH aire sign, very nearly made the big mistake of driving into the citie, you would need to be here to understand fully, but so often the word citie is the clue

turned and parked by the cemetery which also has another official car park but too tight for MH's, wandered through the town and back for coffee before relocating to the MH signed car park, now rerouting the rest of today, had we come here with bread, we would stop here, the views are stunning, snow covered mountains in the distance

MH parking is far from obvious, but we have parked in the furthest bay of parking, on a quiet day like today, plenty of room for all the cars and some more yet, but reckon it would get really busy here, would make an excellent overnight option though

there is a service borne with drive over waste dump, water and electrics by token €2.30 from the farm shop behind the car park

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these blue skies are for real, it is pushing 20C here, and in the sun it really feels it

Lovely,not jealous at all.

 

[DavidG58]

Now at Sancoins cooking up a chicken dish

looks just like my tour guides photos from above

will wander into town in a bit, possibly a bit hopeful of anything being open, but don't look never know, bread in the morning may not be likely either, but looks like we will now be swapping from @chaser to @Clarky for inspiration on the way up going to to head for Bonneval for tomorrow night, lands us perfect for Bev to have her shopping fix on Monday at Le Clerc Chartres

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