Route from Dourdogne to Calais

[hillbilly]

Help! My google map is showing the route as THROUGH Paris. Is this going to be hideous? Please could someone with experience give me some pointers? Our plan was to have one stopover before reaching Paris. This is for our return drive btw.

[jamaisjedors]

Don't use the google map, use Mappy.com, it's more accurate and more sensible than the google itineraries.

Where are you going exactly?

[Ponders]

you want to go N through Tours & Le Mans & then head NE through Rouen to Calais

(I am missing out a few intermediate stages obv but it's a good route, mostly motorway )

[hillbilly]

Of course I meant Dordogne not Dourdogne. We are going

[hillbilly]

Sorry let me start again. We are going to Coux-et-Bigaroque which Is quite close to Sarlat. I will def look into the other map, thanks.

[Ponders]

tbf, most online maps route to Calais via Paris from the south (because it's the straightest route with the best roads). mappy does it too.

You have to be a bit creative in what you ask it to do - add a destination/via or 2 to avoid Paris. If you add Rouen on google it will still go via Paris but if you add Tours instead it will give you the Rouen route

[hillbilly]

Thanks Ponders. I'm looking for the quickest route with one overnight stop.

[Quenelle]

We did Ponders' route back last year. We had two overnight stops at just north of Poitiers and just north of Le Mans.

The Le Mans site was very handy and cheap (about ?10 IIRC) and would be suitable for one-stopping. Beaumont-sur-Sarthe.

[hillbilly]

Quenelle we are going to stay in a B & B - can't face pitching and packing up more than once! Thanks though.

[Ponders]

about how far do you want to be from Calais? What time do you need to be there for?

[hillbilly]

Haven't booked the eurotunnel yet but I imagine we would want the 2nd leg of the journey to be around 3.5 hrs.

[Ponders]

I can't do a recommendation as we've never stayed in that area, but I remember driving through Sées once & thinking it looked lovely

here's a B&B near there from tripadvisor \link{http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g1944487-d2270636-Reviews-Le_Bourg_d_Aunou_Chambres_d_Hotes-Sees_Orne_Basse_Normandie_Normandy.html\only 2 reviews but very positive}

[Ponders]

\link{http://www.booking.com/searchresults.html?src=searchresults&city=-1470130&order=popularity&ssne=S%C3%A9es&ssne_untouched=S%C3%A9es&error_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.booking.com%2Fsearchresults.en-gb.html%3Faid%3D339116%3Blabel%3Dufi-M1470130_Pool-6_Slice-2137%3Bsid%3D0092f8a8bd2ad0d09788b5c853a3836a%3Bdcid%3D1%3Bcheckin_monthday%3D19%3Bcheckin_year_month%3D2013-10%3Bcheckout_monthday%3D20%3Bcheckout_year_month%3D2013-10%3Bcity%3D-1470130%3Bclass_interval%3D1%3Bcsflt%3D%257B%257D%3Bdest_id%3D-1470130%3Bdest_type%3Dcity%3Bidf%3D1%3Binac%3D0%3Binterval_of_time%3Dundef%3Boffset%3D0%3Border%3Dpopularity%3Bradius%3D10%3Bredirected_from_city%3D0%3Bredirected_from_landmark%3D0%3Breview_score_group%3Dempty%3Bscore_min%3D0%3Bsi%3Dai%252Cco%252Cci%252Cre%252Cdi%3Bsrc%3Dsearchresults%3Bss%3DS%25C3%25A9es%3Bss_all%3D0%3Bssb%3Dempty%3Bssne%3DS%25C3%25A9es%3Bssne_untouched%3DS%25C3%25A9es%3B&aid=339116&dcid=1&label=ufi-M1470130_Pool-6_Slice-2137&sid=0092f8a8bd2ad0d09788b5c853a3836a&si=ai%2Cco%2Cci%2Cre%2Cdi&ss=S%C3%A9es&radius=10&checkin_monthday=19&checkin_year_month=2013-10&checkout_monthday=20&checkout_year_month=2013-10\or one of these maybe?}

L'Ile de Sees has great reviews & isn't expensive

[hillbilly]

Ponders that looks amazing! Thanks.

[Ponders]

you're welcome, hillbilly

have a lovely holiday. we haven't been to France for ages, time we went again I think!

[crazymum53]

If you're travelling mid-week it should be OK. But, we travelled down the A10 towards Bordeaux from Tours on a Saturday last year in August and it was very congested. This was a surprise to us, as usually French auto-routes are much quieter than UK motorways. This added more time to our journey than we would have liked.
We had one overnight stop near Orleans on the way down and near Le Mans on the way back.

[Ponders]

\link{http://www.bison-fute.equipement.gouv.fr/en/IMG/pdf/Calendrier_BF2013_EN.pdf\the bison fute calendar} has the traffic forecast for the year

the first 2 Saturdays in August are BLACK (avoid at all costs)

Saturdays in July & most of the rest of August are red (almost as bad)

if you can avoid those it should be ok

[jamaisjedors]

Yes, all the Autoroutes (apart from possibly the one up to Calais) will be bad on any Saturday starting 6th July.

Best to get off the motorway and take a "nationale" route in that case.

[hillbilly]

Thanks for the heads up with the calendar. We are travelling there on a Thursday/Friday and returning Sun/Mon. Back end of August so hopefully won't be too horrendous.

[hillbilly]

Is the 'nationale' route like an 'A' road but better?

[Ponders]

N roads are more or less the same as our A roads, though as roads in France generally get less wear (similar population to the UK but masses more space) they tend to be in better condition

A/E (autoroute/European route) in France = M in UK
N (national) in France = A in UK
D (departmental) in France = B in UK

but, usually, better than the UK equivalents - in fact D roads are often a joy to drive on

[hillbilly]

Ok after much searching on reviews etc I am now thinking to take the Paris route perhaps (both ways) A1, A3, A86, A6. Am I mad? Going south we will hit the Paris area about 3pm.

[Sparklebum]

We did it last year and sat navy took us via Paris. After much stressing out on my part, it wasn't actually that bad. We really just hit the outskirts of Paris.

[Lucycat]

We've done Paris twice - once was fine but the 2nd time they had closed an autoroute exit and we got diverted onto the inner periperique with no warning and it was hell.

For that reason we go Abbeville, Rouen, Evreux, Dreux, Chartres, Orleans, Vierzon, Limoges, Brive then acroos the lovely autoroute towards Perigueux and south on the D170 to Le Bugue - and on to the site

It's a straightforward route and although not all autoroute it suits us.

hth

[Hattieboo]

Hey :-) we did Calais to dordogne last July/August and it was fine! Even saw the Eiffel tower!(from a distance!) I use the Michelin route planner, it's brilliant, tells you cost of fuel, time etc. We used the toll roads on way down and then used the non toll roads on way back. Thus saving money and also much less busy. Only thing to note was lack of aires on non toll route, although we did find a reasonable campsite just south of Paris (can look for details if you want them).
We're off again end of July, although not actually booked anything yet! Can't wait!!! :-)