# Lazy Traveller seeks help



## JustRadio (May 21, 2005)

For the first and probably only time I'm taking the MH to the Costa Brava leaving about May 18th home by June 15th. I thought it would be a good idea to get south quickly for the early season weather, say in a week, revisit my mis-spent youth and toddle home.

Avoiding toll roads, (but not for any short link that makes a difference), taking easy stages of say 200/300 miles per day, any suggestions for the best route, and one or two day stopover spots, (would love to try Aires).

Years ago I used to drive a lot in France, but in recent years very little, and it was always on business so I won't pretend any local knowledge until I cross the frontier.

Although I'm not fixed I'm almost sure the short sea crossing will best suit my cheapskate attitudes.

John
Motorhome Radio - it find on the home page radio player


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## JustRadio (May 21, 2005)

OK so you don't want to help the idle, fair enough. In 1967 through to 1969 when I was driving this route, except for one or two attempts at Paris, this was the preferred route for yours truly in a Transit Minibus, (green with sliding doors), loaded with overweight Australian tourists.

Abbeville
Rouen
Evreux
Dreux
Chartres
Orleans
Vierzon
Chateauroux
Limoges
Brive
Toulouse
Carcassonne
Narbonne
Perpignan

*Is this still your favourite?*

John
Motorhome Radio - it find on the home page radio player


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## tonka (Apr 24, 2006)

The route you have listed is exactly the one I use.. Except in the past year we have been turning off at Chartres and going down the N10 to Chateudun and Vendome. Then via Blois and on to Chateroux..
Look in the campsite database there are a few recommended aires already listed..

We're just a bit north of you and tend to always go straight down to Dover and get a late afternoon ferry. Then we do the little bit of toll motorway between Boulougne and Abberville (A16?) and stay overnight at the Balle de somme services. 45 -60 mins from Calais.
This then gives up a good start next day...
Enjoy the trip...


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## JustRadio (May 21, 2005)

Thanks Steve, why have you changed your route, prettier, quieter, just for the change, or other? 

Looking at the map, once you've made the decision to go to Vendome it looks like it should be straight on to Tours. You divert off the straight route to Blois, is it cause you get bored going slowly or....?


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## Mike48 (May 1, 2005)

The only problem with the above route if you are going toll free is Toulouse. I've always had difficulty negotiating Toulouse.

An alternative would be to head for Clement Ferrand via Chatres, Evreux, Dreux, Orleans (using toll road to get around) etc and use the 200 miles of free motorway down to the Narbonne area and along the coastal N road into Spain.


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## JustRadio (May 21, 2005)

gelathae said:


> The only problem with the above route if you are going toll free is Toulouse. I've always had difficulty negotiating Toulouse.
> 
> An alternative would be to head for Clement Ferrand via Chatres, Evreux, Dreux, Orleans (using toll road to get around) etc and use the 200 miles of free motorway down to the Narbonne area and along the coastal N road into Spain.


I always had difficulty negotiating Toulouse but it was because of Francoise who lived there 40 years ago...

I guess this is the road marked A75/E11 on the map and it sounds like a good option to me. Thanks for the advice.


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## xgx (Oct 14, 2005)

No particular reason John but I prefer missing out Orleans same as Tonka.

Visiting a Francoise (one that would have been a twinkle in her mother's eye when you were there) in Toulouse last year and ending up in th'centre ...on a Friday ... around 5:30pm.... mainly 'cos I thought I knew better than the blonde in the satnav :lol: 

Hopelessly lost I set blondie to take me to a place outside 2loos then came back in again ...following the destructions this time :wink: , no probs


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## JustRadio (May 21, 2005)

It rather looks then as if Orleans and Toulouse are the black spots and one way or the other you have to accept one of them.

I like the idea, not sure if it's true, that missing Orleans would be the prettier option, but enjoying the 200 miles of free motorway south of CF is seductive.

My aim being to get down reasonably fast and dawdle coming back, this due to hopefully improving weather over the month, I feel slightly inclined to Orleans and Clemant Ferrand at the moment.

Thankfully nobody seems to be saying my avoidance of Paris is a bad thing!

Nobody has mentioned stopping places, I think, except Tonka who likes the Balle de somme services. 45 -60 mins from Calais. So much has been written about motorway aires in France, and I was talking at the National Show with one man whose family had been attacked on one, (driven off with an axe no less), and another whose attention had been diverted while an East European locust snatched a handbag, so I'm inclined to a village Aire.

At the moment it looks like I'll be leaving Calais at 0300ish on the 18th, I might go directly to the Calais Seafront Aire for a few hours, or do a couple of hundred miles in the quiet of the night. Knowing me probably the latter. A stop round Evreux maybe? and a snooze.


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## steco1958 (Mar 5, 2009)

JustRadio said:


> Thankfully nobody seems to be saying my avoidance of Paris is a bad thing!


I have been "Through", "Around", and "Missed out" Paris over the years, It all depends on what you feel is right for you.

If you want to get down south "Fast", why not use the Toll route.

This should give you a little more time down there.

Steve.

PS I will be doing the route through Paris in Aug, then down to Cleremont-F, south to Costa Brava.


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## tonka (Apr 24, 2006)

JustRadio said:


> Thanks Steve, why have you changed your route, prettier, quieter, just for the change, or other?
> 
> quote]
> 
> ...


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## Chausson (Oct 17, 2006)

JustRadio said:


> OK so you don't want to help the idle, fair enough. In 1967 through to 1969 when I was driving this route, except for one or two attempts at Paris, this was the preferred route for yours truly in a Transit Minibus, (green with sliding doors), loaded with overweight Australian tourists.
> 
> Abbeville
> Rouen
> ...


This is by far the best way down as for missing out Orleans and Toulouse this is easy if you look at a map just skirt round Orleans then onto the N20, Toulouse is free getting around just jump onto the toll road just before toulouse once round get back off. If you have sat nav tell it to avoid tolls but get on the toll when you know you have to.


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## Levvo001 (Jun 11, 2009)

If you're not in a rush, you can avoid both Orleans and Toulouse quite easily. 

There's a quite pleasant D road run to the west of Orleans starting from Chartres via Meung sur Loire and Romorantin-Lanthenay before you pick up the (almost) free A20 at Chateauroux. 

Then leave the A20 at Montauban and cut across via Castres then to Carcassonne. Then even go via Limoux & Quillan to cut out Narbonne - not that NB is much of a problem anyway!


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## JustRadio (May 21, 2005)

Levvo001 said:


> If you're not in a rush, you can avoid both Orleans and Toulouse quite easily.
> 
> There's a quite pleasant D road run to the west of Orleans starting from Chartres via Meung sur Loire and Romorantin-Lanthenay before you pick up the (almost) free A20 at Chateauroux.
> 
> Then leave the A20 at Montauban and cut across via Castres then to Carcassonne. Then even go via Limoux & Quillan to cut out Narbonne - not that NB is much of a problem anyway!


I was browsing a proper road map in Smiths today, think I'll have to go buy one, Internet mapping is great but hard to see the big picture.


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## jonse (Nov 2, 2008)

*France Spain*

If you have time you could take the N20 from Toulouse to Pamiers then on to Mirepoix good market on mondays worth a visit any way then to Chalarbre D12 Puivert camping and aire by the lake or on to Quillan a aire and camping stay on the D117 through the La Pierre Lys Gorge to Maury for wine tasting carry on to Perpignan dont do the non motor way from Perpignan at weekends its murder,better to use the motorway get of at Spanish border or you can carry on to Gerona. From Puivert to Spanish border 130 miles non motor way, What ever route you take have a save Trip


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## Suenliam (Mar 22, 2006)

Hi JustRadio - every so often (about 5 years!) we buy a big single sheet map of France. If you lay it out on the floor and stand back it is so much easier to see the "big picture" for long trips through the country. It's amazing how obvious some routes are seen that way. 

We have found some lovely roads which we would not otherwise thought of. 

No need to spend fortune - road numbers may change, but the basic system stays the same for a long long time!

Safe journey which ever way you go.

Sue


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## JustRadio (May 21, 2005)

Thanks for all the advice, and please don't stop! I'm leaving on the 17th, (well 18th in France), and all these ideas are REALLY useful, especially for the more leisurely wander home.

John
Motorhome Radio - Look for the radio player on the home page, click the drop down menu and choose us!


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## mygalnme (Jul 12, 2009)

Hi don,t know if any help but we found(or rather hubby did) some Aires with free electric,depends which route you decide but they were at Chauney,Nersac, and some others which you probably won,t be near, but they are marked in the Aires book. We stayed the night near the school at Chauney and there was a house in the village with all 3D paintings on the wall they were brilliant looked so real. Hope you have a safe and happy motoring holiday anyway,
Margaret


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## JustRadio (May 21, 2005)

Well "we" had our service yesterday and passed the MOT, another hurdle overcome on the road to the sun.

John
Motorhome Radio - Just click the drop down menu on the home page radio player and choose us!


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