Schoolboy error? travelling in France on 15th August - gulp!

[Lucycat]

oops I have just checked the French public holiday dates and realised that most of France will be travelling on the autoroutes on that Sunday - when we are heading back from the Dordogne to south of Orleans.

somebody tell me it'll be ok. - please.

We've done it a few times and we only had 1 disaster when we had to picnic literally in a traffic jam but that was when I was a kid.

When we've done it with our lot we tried to just avoid the French time frame so we went without breakfast in the hotel and left at 8am then had lunch at 11am. The one year we didn't with my kids you had to queue to even get into the service stations(not fun when you have a 3 kids 4,4 and 3 dying for a wee). At 11am most people aren't thinking about lunch or stopping. We then ate very quickly and made the most of the 12 until 2 slot when a lot of people were having lunch.

Just make sure you've got loads of drinks and food in the car that are easy to eat if you can't stop-story cds are good not Horrid Henry (which we still regret ever consenting to enter our car), an hour of the bottom song in a traffic jam and you may just want to jump out and walk.

Is that really bad?? Is it just the Sunday? We are travelling on the Saturday/Sunday from Zeebruggee to La Rochelle.

Is this "la retour" when they all return from holiday? or are they going on holiday on that date? seems late to be going on holiday and early for the end of holidays - but I know nothing - though managed to hit French resort last year on the day when all the French left and it was bliss as was very quiet. (forgive my ignorance!)

It will be very busy on that Sunday. Agree with MilaMae that you have to stagger your mealtimes to be different from most people. The parking places on the autoroutes will be packed. Sorry. Agree with MilaMae completely, esp re CDs/drinks....

We always avoid Saturdays travelling in France anyway as they are horrific but to forget about Assumption is unforgiveable
we can tweak our travelling though and if we need to stop earlier I can book an overnighter on a municpal site, lunch is bread, pate and melon anyway and I have a list of aires ready to stop at.

We could just stay in France even longer of course

I just new I shouldn't have booked to go on the ferry on friday 13th!!!! First I am told that travelling on the saturday is horrendous and now the sunday looks the same? I can't believe it. We are going to the Dordogne not returning, do you think that makes a differance? Is it against the flow so to speak? Should I try and change my ferry crossing if possible? the only thing is our site is expecting us on the sunday. any suggestions please.

Lucy the aires are just as bad on that day,you just can't get into the parking area at peak time unless you queue.

I seem to think that it's going north that is the problem so you should be ok heading south- is it the same site that we are leaving?
We will probably come off the autoroute when we want to eat and find a field!

Milamae - I know that the whole of France stops for lunch from 12-2 so we'll eat outside peak times. I've convinced myself that it will be fine.

Lucycat - Yes same site (LV)! Trying not to become over the top excited, but must say am a bit concerned about the journey anyway and now even more so as I don't want to put my family off of travelling that far south IYKWIM. If you get a chance please email me with any info you have, like routes, stopovers at aires and how long in actual driving time it should take whilst towing. Thanks in advance.
oh, and p.s
would you change dates if you could?
[email protected]

use teh toll roads

god we have done that day and also the last Sat in august
both terrible

it is penance lucycat for all the gloating you have been doing aobut your ridiculously long and faubulous holiday!

My long holiday?
where to?

oh lucys

!! phew

We drove back from the south of France on the lsat Saturday in August - we ended up missing our ferry as the traffic was AWFUL.