Rally Chat Getting to Twin Lakes

[snailtrailer]

We have booked Eurotunnel for Saturday 25th April and plan to arrive at Twin Lakes on 1st May. How would you go about planning the route? We plan to stop at Gravelines for the first night which gives us five days to meander down to Twin Lakes. Would you divide the journey into 100 mile slots? When is it advisable to use toll roads?

I am taking the Aires books and map to Peterborough in the hope that we can pick the brains of Funsters who can help and advise on sights we should not miss. Our motorhome is a Burstner (don't let on to Shiftzz) registration number AY14HSV
All suggestions welcome as we are doing a return journey over five or six days as well.

 

[TheCaller]

We are doing similar, but will have to move a bit faster, because we don't cross until Tuesday afternoon. I think if I was crossing on Sunday, I'd head for Gravelines too, even though it is in the wrong direction.

In as much as we have a plan, it's to turn right & head down the coast to begin with. Both the coast road (D940) & the A16/E402 are free as far as Boulogne, after which the A16 becomes toll.

Choice of roads down to Abbeville, then possibly the A28 (free) to Neufchatel-en-Bray, which has a new aire adjoining a campsite, both of which others have recommended. That would be a a gentle day's run from Gravelines, at around 120 miles.

The A28 continues to Rouen, which some people hate, while others seem to pass through with no problem. I've never been, but my inclination is to keep to the east & head for Pont-de-l'Arche, then join the N154 past Evreux, briefly onto the N12 to Dreux, then back onto the N154 to Chartres.

A bit of a choice after that. I suspect the toll free roads on the eastern route via Orleans are better, but slightly further than the more westerly route down the N10 & N910 via Tours. That's my impression, but only from looking at the map.

If you take the Orleans route, you could follow the A20/E9 to Limoges, which would then suggest a night at Parc Verger, much beloved by funsters as a stopover going to & from Spain.

The western route from Tours would be to Poitiers, then the N10 past Angouleme, finally turning right onto the D730 to head through Montendre & then, as the lady will no doubt say, "you have arrived at your destination".

Depending on the time we leave ourselves to get back to Calais, we may stay even further west, skirting Le Mans, which would give us the opportunity to visit La Ferte-Bernard, which is our twin town.

I wasn't planning on deciding where we might stop until we saw where we had got to by mid-afternoon on any day. If the weather is poor, we'll keep moving; if it's great & we want to stop & browse, we might even be later than intended at Twin Lakes. Once we have boarded the ferry at Dover, I'm going to stop thinking too much about time.

 

[DavidG58]

Simon your route around Rouen is perfect, at the bottom of the hill (through the tunnel) follow airport signs then Pont de L'arche, great by pass to Rouen.

Option to overnight for free in P de L'Arche, exit immediately after bridge, keep hard right, aire is virtually inder bridge, if you follow signs for municipal site you cant easily access the aire

next aire option that we have used further south is Chateaudun, beautiful location right by Loire river, but serious climb back up to town, there is nothing near aire, (Simon Jane will never get up the steps) but nice town

last year was our first using aires in anger, some are worth stopping at some worth missing, key is do not leave it too late stopping, even in September they over filled by 5:00

looking forwards to our own journey, start 26th to France, (then Holland, ask Bev) then more or less back down as you will be, restarting on the 29th somewhere near Calais

 

[TheCaller]

Simon your route around Rouen is perfect, at the bottom of the hill (through the tunnel) follow airport signs then Pont de L'arche, great by pass to Rouen.

Thanks David - good to have that confirmed.

Option to overnight for free in P de L'Arche, exit immediately after bridge, keep hard right, aire is virtually inder bridge, if you follow signs for municipal site you cant easily access the aire

Yep - have that one on my list of possibles, if we end up there at the right time of day. I had looked at it via Google Street View & marked it as a possibility. The municipal site next door doesn't look bad either, if a longer stay was needed anytime. Nice view over the river in one direction & straight into town in the other.

next aire option that we have used further south is Chateaudun, beautiful location right by Loire river, but serious climb back up to town, there is nothing near aire, (Simon Jane will never get up the steps) but nice town

I think I'd struggle getting up those steps, never mind Jane! She would be fine - off in the chair round by the road & up the top in no time. I think I would just sit on the river bank until she came back.

last year was our first using aires in anger, some are worth stopping at some worth missing, key is do not leave it too late stopping, even in September they over filled by 5:00

Yes, I'll have to change my habits & go to bed early & get up & on the road early!

looking forwards to our own journey, start 26th to France, (then Holland, ask Bev) then more or less back down as you will be, restarting on the 29th somewhere near Calais

We'll expect you after the weekend then.

 

[snailtrailer]

Thank you for sharing your plans for the trip to Twin Lakes. There's a lot of useful information in this thread which is a great help to me.

When I started on this 'adventure' I didn't realise how much was involved but I am sure it will be a most enjoyable experience.

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[EuroTrotters]

Twin Lakes?

 

[JJ]

Twin Lakes?

http://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/twin-lakes-france-meet-may-1st-may-22nd-2015.90688/

JJ

 

[Pamee]

We're on our way there, first time abroad. We came through tunnel then A16 and A28 five hrs drive we paid 12euro toll then 37.90 euros we stayed overnight aire montigot then onto A28 onto A10 to-junction 35 we stopping at aire in St porchaire and set off in the morning anbout hour half to twin lakes oh yes and paid 36 euros today on toll, see you there x
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