The best route to south of France?

[zedman]

hi guys
any one got any views as to best roads to take down to the south of France, don't mind the odd toll here and there.

 

[SmithsInFrance]

No good at roads, but just to make you aware that it is one of the worst regions for Covid and from Sunday evening all bars, restaurants etc to be closed in Marseilles-Aix area.
Weather there better tho!
Mrs SiF

 

[Clickem]

There are several routes depending on the part that you are going to, Marseilles, Perpignan, Pyrennes or Bayonne. There are some routes listed in the RESOURCES link at the top of the page

 

[Boringfrog]

Once on the A75 it's plain sailing.

 

[zedman]

thinking of following the coast round to roses so any help appreciated

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[Podney]

Roses? Keep the sea on your right hand side.

 

[Clickem]

To and from Roses we have gone from Calais via Rouen, Chartres, towards Orleans, and across to Nevers, and then Clermont-Fernand. We use mainly none toll roads, with a couple of short stretches when it makes life easier

 

[Camdoon]

Clickem 's route is the classic caravaners REDC route. Rouen, Evreux, Dreux, Chartres ->Orleans -> Clermont-Ferrand.
Paris and the peripherique is not that bad an alternative if you are a confident driver especially if you are aware of your route and the exit points (use your route planner then examine using Google Maps with Streetview)

 

[dickydo]

If it helps you at all using tolls all the way from Calais to Nice is £100, without stating the obvious it saves a hell of a lot of time and therefore an awful lot of fuel

 

[zedman]

If it helps you at all using tolls all the way from Calais to Nice is £100, without stating the obvious it saves a hell of a lot of time and therefore an awful lot of fuel

thanks for that, I was wondering how much it would be on the toll roads, ive got 4-5 days from calais so probably do a bit of both

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[Two of usI]

Roses? Keep the sea on your right hand side.

If you are travelling up from Gib !!!!!!

 

[PhilandMena]

Here you go !

Firstly, routes and route maps for France and Spain. This first link is an award winning database about France. It has a host of information on best routes to many locations. I have selected the famous N10 route from Calais to Irun which is used by many motorhomes when travelling to Spain. It’s almost Toll free (more on that a little later) and almost all duel carriageway from start to finish with the exception of about 100 K. This route is great for motorhomes small, medium and large. Note: (HGV’s are not allowed on French roads, Sunday’s, so plan your journey over a weekend if possible).

https://about-france.com/tourism/no-tolls-routes.htm

Fuel & Toll Costs (2019). For a class 2 Motorhome. Calais – Irun. Toll = €149.40. Fuel €151.62 Based on 1083 K @10K per Ltr. @€1.40 per ltr. 3.5T motor-home). N10 Calais - Irun. Using Partial Toll = €11.50. Fuel €147.84 Based on 1056 K @10K per Ltr. @€1.40 per ltr

Tolls: Avoid the toll road from Calais to Abbeville and save 12.50 Euros. The non-toll route is quite scenic and fairly straight forward, between Boulogne-sur-Mer and Abbeville.

At Abbeville, join the A28 and cross the river Sein at Rouen. We take the second exit immediately after crossing the bridge (about 50 m past the first exit at the end of the bridge), swing down and under the bridge you have just crossed and continue on this road and join the A13 motorway until the N154 which takes you down to Evreux. (Note: there are a number of different options for getting through Rouen and no doubt other members will have their own preferences. We find this very straight forward on both outward and return legs). Approaching Tours on the D910 join the A10 toll road at Jct. 19 and exit at Jct. 23. This will take you through the city via the toll road, (€1.80). At Jct. 23 take the exit lane for Montbazon which returns you to the D910. (Reverse for the return leg). That’s the last toll to pay until you hit the bottom of the A63 after Bordeaux.

To save toll fares on the A63 south of Bordeaux please read the route recommendations in the above link. Do not come off the A63 near the bottom as all roads will be heavily congested and it’s worth paying the last few tolls. (From Jct 6 €8.90 in total). This route is also recommended during winter, due to its proximity to the Atlantic ocean, which means little to no problems with ice and or snow, unlike using the A75 to cross the Massif Central. Although the A75 is quickly cleared, it is advisable to have winter tyres fitted and there may be some small delays due to snow ploughs clearing this route.

If heading to the Mediterranean side of Spain, it’s worth taking the N121-A to Pamplona after crossing the Spanish boarder on the A63 at Irun. It’s clearly sign posted (Large white sign) about 300 m after passing through the last toll booth and crossing the river. Also near here, cheap fuel with easy access (https://www.fuelflash.eu/en/alcampo...rcial-txingudi-zona-araso_b_-ventas-80-33301/) and shopping opportunities. You will find more details in this link for the N121-A and how to navigate Spain toll free.

https://about-spain.net/travel/no-tolls.htm

If you decide to pay Tolls in order to save time getting to Spain, your best route options are in this link.

https://about-france.com/tourism/routes-to-spain.htm

Should you choose to plan your own routes anywhere in Europe and also establish Toll costs, (or toll free costs) use this link. Under route options, select caravan then select toll roads. Toll costs for a class 2 motorhome will be calculated for the whole journey. You can also choose Non toll routes and other options. This is currently one of the best online free route planers.

https://www.viamichelin.co.uk/

As for stop overs on routes, you can’t go wrong using the App below which is free but I would recommend getting the paid version for about £6.00 which you can then use off line. You will find numerous places to stop along the above route and I have deliberately not made any recommendations so drivers can make their own choices. This app is also brilliant for finding other places too and highly rated by many users.

https://www.campercontact.com/en/content/app

There is another popular app/website that is used which you may also find useful if you’re doing a lot of wilding and looking for free overnight stops. It too is used by many motor homers in Europe. Get the paid version to use off line for around £9.00

https://www.park4night.com/

One of the best off line MAP ‘App’ and used by many. It also includes a sat-nav function which is quite good and can also be used off line. Again many motor homers use this, especially in Morocco.

Broken Link Removed

Finally, for those looking for a data sim card for their ‘MiFi’ unit or tablet (Wi-Fi) this is perhaps the best deal in the UK at this moment in time. A massive 50GB of 4g data for only £30.00 a month on a monthly rolling contract. Cancel the contract after two months to get the full 3 months usage and no restrictions throughout the whole of the E.U. Other options also available.

(Tip!) (Go on their online ‘Web Chat’ and ask them to confirm the contract starts when you activate the sim and if they agree (they did with me) keep a copy of the Web Chat that they will email to you, otherwise the contract will start from the day your order the sim card). After two months contact customer services by phone and cancel the contract by giving them 30 days’ notice. This prevents their fair play usage kicking in after 3 months and you paying through your nose for Wi-Fi. If they say the contract started from when you made the order contact the complaints number and they will honour the agreement made with the Chat agent! (UK number is 03333 041 524 (standard call charges apply, they will even call you back if you ask them and they are very helpful)). The Wi-Fi coverage is exceptional.

https://www.vodafone.co.uk/shop/bundles-and-sims/sim-only-data-bundles/

Vodaphone APN settings for an unlocked MiFi.

https://search.vodafone.co.uk/search?proxystylesheet=default_frontend&q=APN+settings&x=0&y=0

 

[Laughing Gravy]

Hello all

Is the REDC tolls ? Rouen, Evreux, Dreux, Chartres ->Orleans -> Clermont-Ferrand. And then a75!

Planning the Spain trip too

 

[Richard n Ann]

Hello all

Is the REDC tolls ? Rouen, Evreux, Dreux, Chartres ->Orleans -> Clermont-Ferrand. And then a75!

Planning the Spain trip too

No, we go that way. All free

 

[Catpirate]

Hi I use aGarmin Camper 660LMT-D and generally just plot my (usually lazy) route. The sat nav lets you put in MH size,(length, width, height) and you can select route options, (quickest, toll-free etc). found it invaluable having driven down impoosible routes using a standard satnav. Always have a paper map too, lets you see the bigger picture and change your mind.

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[AnEnglishmanAbroad]

Thank you PhilandMena, that is a helpful guide to getting to Spain.

 

[Ian.s]

Honestly, France is a lovely country the food and people are also. The roads and departments for governing them really are not. We on our way back to the uk from Spain at the end of the month and will miss France out all together. Fed up of getting speeding fines. I have my cruise set at 49 mph and have now had six fines doing 52 in 50. Add that to toll charges its very expensive. Ive booked Santander Plymouth. If my destination from the uk was the south of France I would miss France altogether and come up through Spain. Rant over

 

[Al n Val]

we did the

Rouen, Evreux, Druex, Chartres, Orleans, Souillac (1 night stop over), Toulose and are at Roses now.

Tag axel, tolls were 61euros and £140 fuel and we thought the journey was so far the best we’ve done.

Al

 

[Camdoon]

Hello all

Is the REDC tolls ? Rouen, Evreux, Dreux, Chartres ->Orleans -> Clermont-Ferrand. And then a75!

Planning the Spain trip too

Parts of it are Peage but it is a good compromise between hammering all the way down via Reims/Lyon and wanting to do more than 200 miles in a day.
Carrefour Issoire is a handy halfway house for fuel just off motorway but supermarket prices.
La Canourgue is a nice stop off. Nice to walk about with a few bars and restaurants with free Aire not far from route.

 

[Capitanjohn]

Parts of it are Peage but it is a good compromise between hammering all the way down via Reims/Lyon and wanting to do more than 200 miles in a day.
Carrefour Issoire is a handy halfway house for fuel just off motorway but supermarket prices.
La Canourgue is a nice stop off. Nice to walk about with a few bars and restaurants with free Aire not far from route.

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[Capitanjohn]

I have banned myself from the peripherique

 

[gus-lopez]

I have my cruise set at 49 mph and have now had six fines doing 52 in 50.

That's because the signs are in kms
I often wonder why I never get any fines as I use non toll all the time, often forget to slow through 'villages' yet have never had any? Fingers x'd.

Add that to toll charges its very expensive. Ive booked Santander Plymouth.

That's why I don't use them. I only use 120€ diesel for the 2k+ kms dunkirk to my house so I could never understand why I would want to pay for toll roads, which means I could cruise at a higher speed therefore using far more diesel?

My neighbour came back down the east side from near Ostend last week in an artic & the tolls cost 300€ just to the border at La Jonquera. That's against 500€ for diesel all the way to here.As he said next month it will be down the middle as even over the massif central the extra diesel wouldn't amount to 300€.

 

[Gillygrim]

Just to add my two pence worth - apart from this year (for obvious reasons) we've driven down to the south of France every year for 15 years. We take DFDS from Newhaven to Dieppe as Dieppe is the closest port to Paris, apart from being a lovely town for a visit. We get on the D915 (now mostly dual carriageway) which takes us more or less straight onto the Peripherique. Once through Paris we get on the A6 (non toll) to Fontainebleau then N7, Sens, N6 to Auxerre, Chalons sur Saone, eventually Lyon, possibly picking up a bit of motorway simply to avoid loads of roundabouts and traffic lights. When we get to Aix en Provence we get on the A8 straight along tbe Riviera to Cannes and finally Antibes. I do all the driving and keep to no more than 55-60 mph and can do the trip comfortably in under 2 days. Fastest was 23hours when we stuck to mways because we couldn't wait to get there. We have plenty of short stops for John's coffee top-up then comfort stops shortly after..... Any tolls and fuel are considered to be an incidental expense but are rarely more than about £200.

 

[Pete_drums]

hi guys
any one got any views as to best roads to take down to the south of France, don't mind the odd toll here and there.

I am just lazy!. Toll roads all the way, they are just superb despite the relative high cost.

 

[zedman]

thanks for all that info guys
that'll keep me busy for a while

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[busby]

Roses? Keep the sea on your right hand side.

On your left I think..BUSBY

 

[busby]

Just to add my two pence worth - apart from this year (for obvious reasons) we've driven down to the south of France every year for 15 years. We take DFDS from Newhaven to Dieppe as Dieppe is the closest port to Paris, apart from being a lovely town for a visit. We get on the D915 (now mostly dual carriageway) which takes us more or less straight onto the Peripherique. Once through Paris we get on the A6 (non toll) to Fontainebleau then N7, Sens, N6 to Auxerre, Chalons sur Saone, eventually Lyon, possibly picking up a bit of motorway simply to avoid loads of roundabouts and traffic lights. When we get to Aix en Provence we get on the A8 straight along tbe Riviera to Cannes and finally Antibes. I do all the driving and keep to no more than 55-60 mph and can do the trip comfortably in under 2 days. Fastest was 23hours when we stuck to mways because we couldn't wait to get there. We have plenty of short stops for John's coffee top-up then comfort stops shortly after..... Any tolls and fuel are considered to be an incidental expense but are rarely more than about £200.

No way..Avoid Paris and tolls.From Dieppe,Roune Evereaux,Dreaux Charters Orleons Clermont Ferrand

and,Beziers and your nearly there.BUSBY.

 

[Thedriver]

To and from Roses we have gone from Calais via Rouen, Chartres, towards Orleans, and across to Nevers, and then Clermont-Fernand. We use mainly none toll roads, with a couple of short stretches when it makes life easier

Thats the route we use, some of the slow bits with the lorries is now by-passed

 

[Slowshifter]

Read the trail, ROSES???? At least it isn’t another bloomin TLA! so favoured by those who know

 

[busby]

Thats the route we use, some of the slow bits with the lorries is now by-passed

Trucks travel faster than me,,i sit at 50mph in France most of the time,,,BUSBY.

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