Driving to South France - route advice pls!

[libelullegirl]

Hello
We are planning on holidaying in Provence in the summer...usually we do Dover-Calais and down the autoroute past Reims, Dijon, Mâcon Lyon etc..
This year we want to avoid Dover as Portsmouth is much closer. So we are thinking of hopping across to Le Harve. Has anyone travelled across France to near Avignon from Le Havre? I really think we should avoid going around Paris - I'm guessing that could end up being pretty slow/heavy traffic?
Also any tips on amusing 10yo girl & 13yo boy? They don't sleep on car journeys any more-ahhhhhh!
Thanks so much!

The Paris periferique is as renowned as the M25 for its congestion and frequent standstills.
Download the ViaMichelin app and that gives suggested routes, time and distance of routes (+fuel consumption) and stops and includes info on eating and activities on its interactive map. I found it really helpful when we were over there as it had up to date traffic info.

We use via Michelin too. The peripherique is bad - another choke point in summer is round Bordeaux and south but that won’t bother you.
My kids are a similar age and the only answer is tablets, plenty of films and games downloaded, headphones and in car chargers at the ready.

We do the big drive South every year. We always avoid Paris, especially after Waze took us via a12km double decker tunnel under Versailles (I am hideously claustrophobic!).

We always go via Rouen, Chartres and join the autoroute near Orleans. You can then cross over by Clermont-Ferrand to the route down to Avignon. It is longer mileage but not only avoids Paris and traffic but is just nicer too.

Would thoroughly regimens a telepeage toll tag for the tools too, ours is from aprr and costs 1.70E for the months we use it and nothing if not. Money is taken from our bank account the month after so don't have to remember to pay.

recommend tolls

As PP says, head south via Rouen, Chartres and Orleans and definitely pay to use the peage. It'll save you hours. We don't use the pre pay card as have had problems with this in the past so just pay for each element with our Clarity (abroad) credit card or cash.

We don’t go around Paris but use Rouen. Drove through on the way back from Faro two weeks ago and even in March the traffic is heavy on a Friday (no real way of avoiding)
Weekends will be easier - have done Sunday without any holdups in August.

You’d head to Tours then across to Lyon?

The good thing about via Michelin is it will show you the shortest route (probably round Paris) but give you lots of alternatives. That said I have done round Paris and had it not be awful but that’s going round the east not Versailles which as has been noted is awful.