# calais to narbonne, no mountains?



## santona1937 (Jul 16, 2013)

Hi there,
am looking for some info... Will be driving from calais to narbonne the end of march in a very old/ classic camper and am looking for a route that involves no real mountain travel. And one that allows me to potter along about 50mph. She tops out at about 60mph on the straights ( and downhill with the wind behind  ) would rather not use motorways, not too worried about time, any suggestions?
cheers
Nic


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## 113016 (Jun 5, 2008)

santona1937 said:


> Hi there,
> am looking for some info... Will be driving from calais to narbonne the end of march in a very old/ classic camper and am looking for a route that involves no real mountain travel. And one that allows me to potter along about 50mph. She tops out at about 60mph on the straights ( and downhill with the wind behind  ) would rather not use motorways, not too worried about time, any suggestions?
> cheers
> Nic


Nic, you need to join as a subscriber to add to your thread as you have reached the maximum of 5 free posts.
We do the route you mention every year and we go 
Rouen, Dreux, Chartres, Orleans, Limoges, Perigeaux, Le Bugue, Cahor, Carcasonne, Narbone. Gruissan.
All toll free, non mountain. The hilliest part will be from Calais to Rouen!
There are various alternatives with slightly differing routes, particularly south of Limoges!
Hope this helps


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## vicdicdoc (May 14, 2005)

Best route option is A75 - over millau toll bridge & south !


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## fantails (Oct 24, 2013)

The Millau bridge is incredible and well worth the drive - it is a tourist attraction in its own right.


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## Chausson (Oct 17, 2006)

vicdicdoc said:


> Best route option is A75 - over millau toll bridge & south !


Vic
As you know There are one or two mountains to get over that way for an old bus it would be a pull up over the top. not what the op asked for.

Ron


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Chausson said:


> vicdicdoc said:
> 
> 
> > Best route option is A75 - over millau toll bridge & south !
> ...


Problem with going down the middle of France is you cannot get around the Massif Central. Even on the motorways there are some long hauls which in an underpowered vehicle you might feel like you need to get out and push.

Agree with Grath. Down the west side is probably easiest although even in the Dordogne and down to Cahors there are some hills. Nothing serious though.


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## rosalan (Aug 24, 2009)

The Milleau route takes you over the high route south of Clermont Ferrand.
The only route I can suggest is the westerly route south.
Setting TomTom to no Toll roads, drive to Rouen from Calais, paying for the first bit of road after Boulogne, then on RN roads after Rouen head south for Chartres, Orleans then west to Bordeaux. Head south but set Tom Tom for Pau. From here you have missed the Alps and the Pyrenesse so just point yourself at the south coast and Narbonne.
There is nothing wrong with your speed in my book, I try to drive at 57mph for economy. Your only problem as I see it is power on the hills. As I had a 1984 diesel for many years, I got used to the camions honking me to get a move on as I dropped into first gear on the long hills.
May I second someone elses pointy, it is worth joining MHF, for there is so much more that non-subscribers do not see. Every so oftrer I have to log on again when something turns me off and there is very little that you get to see until you join.

Cheers 

Alan


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## 113016 (Jun 5, 2008)

Chausson said:


> vicdicdoc said:
> 
> 
> > Best route option is A75 - over millau toll bridge & south !
> ...


Exactly what I was thinking, and he also asked for no toll's
That bridge costs an arm and a leg  
It's only a chunk of metal, OK in Stoneage days, it would have been a Wow factor  but nowadays :roll:


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## vicdicdoc (May 14, 2005)

Dah - i didn't notice any 'mountains' going southwards* - either prior to or on the A75 . . Some hills yes but mountains no . . As for the Millau bridge costing an arm & a leg, i don't consider 10 or 12odd € that expensive considering the approximate cost of fuel to get to Narbonne is going to be in the region of couple of hundred € ! 

* * * coming NORTHWARDS from Narbonne on the A75 is miles of 2nd & 3rd gear but southwards is mostly downhill, other routes are obviously available :wink:


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## rosalan (Aug 24, 2009)

vicdicdoc said:


> Dah - i didn't notice any 'mountains' going southwards* :wink:


Much as I love reading every word you write, could you have possibly forgotten the 14 mile long 'hill' you must climb after going south from C. Ferrand?

Alan


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## 113016 (Jun 5, 2008)

vicdicdoc said:


> Dah - As for the Millau bridge costing an arm & a leg, i don't consider 10 or 12odd € that expensive


Now let me think :roll: how many bottles of wine is that :wink: :lol:


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## vicdicdoc (May 14, 2005)

Alan, . . . That's just a minor anthill :lol:


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

You could be driving at 4000ft above sea level in south central France and not know it. You have to get up there somehow. The only way to avoid the big lumpy bit in the middle is to go around via the west.


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## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

I've been looking for a downhill route to the Med for years but so far no sign of one. :wink: 

My only advice would be to go west.

As you'll be driving a French motorhome, I'd be inclined to knock up a sign for your back-end, in French, something like "Pardon me for going slow but I'm probably older than you"


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## 113016 (Jun 5, 2008)

The route I have offered, just clips the north western lower fringe of the Massif Central. As I said the heaviest climbing will be between Calais and Rouen.
It is an easy route with quite a few nice suitable stop aire's.
The link will show where the Massif Central is located
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massif_Central

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:France_Massif_central.jpg


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Grath said:


> The route I have offered, just clips the north western lower fringe of the Massif Central. As I said the heaviest climbing will be between Calais and Rouen.
> It is an easy route with quite a few nice suitable stop aire's.
> The link will show where the Massif Central is located
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massif_Central
> ...


The clue to avoiding it is in the name. Its massive and its in the middle! 

I love it though. Some lovely areas up there. Not what I would call proper mountains though. Just elevated land. Your not even aware your so high above sea level most of the time.

I have not found anything yet in Europe that we have struggled to get up. Including the highest alpine pass in EUrope at nearly 10000ft. Its coming down that worries me. Brakes seem to easily overheat on our van.


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## 113016 (Jun 5, 2008)

barryd said:


> Its coming down that worries me. Brakes seem to easily overheat on our van.


Yes Barry, correct!
When I was trucking, going up and down the Pyrenees to Madrid, and the Alps to Italy, it was always the coming down which should take longer than going up! I have seen far too many trucks which have run out of brakes.
Use low gears and don't use your brakes unless you have to, and don't let the bu**ers behind, try to rush you down!
And, if your brakes are hot, don't stop with the handbrake on, as the pads can catch fire! Turn the engine off and put in gear!


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Cheers Grath I never knew about the handbrake tip that's very useful to know.

I love going up the passes. I always think of the end of the Italian job and just smile all the way up. (Actually it didn't end well did it?)

Same on the bike. Just love being on the passes on that and often go up them just for fun although the bike being just a 100cc 2 stroke struggles a bit on the really steep and long pulls but most of them are short with lots of hairpins which are the best fun in the bike or the van. Mrs d calls them U bends.

Oh sod it I'm off to the Alps


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## rosalan (Aug 24, 2009)

Aah! Grath and Barry, driving powerful vehicles with a touch of speed is one thing and coming down as you say is another but my old vehicle would struggle climbing a molehill. It was a CRV Dreamliner 2.5 Peugeot diesel without a turbo, so I do understand this op.
Some of the worst hills meant 2nd gear or even first. This was ok on the wide roads with a slow lane until a lorry came up behind, when you could almost hear him going down through 50 odd gears to match my speed. These same hills I can now climb with my 2.3 multi thingy in top or fifth gear. So when I read someone is looking for the route with the least hills, it has to be Rouen, Bordeaux and then south-west to Narbonne.

Alan

p.s. Sorry to disagree chaps, for I love going the route over the high bridge.

Alan


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## HermanHymer (Dec 5, 2008)

rosalan said:


> Aah! Grath and Barry, driving powerful vehicles with a touch of speed is one thing and coming down as you say is another but my old vehicle would struggle climbing a molehill. It was a CRV Dreamliner 2.5 Peugeot diesel without a turbo, so I do understand this op.
> Some of the worst hills meant 2nd gear or even first. This was ok on the wide roads with a slow lane until a lorry came up behind, when you could almost hear him going down through 50 odd gears to match my speed. These same hills I can now climb with my 2.3 multi thingy in top or fifth gear. So when I read someone is looking for the route with the least hills, it has to be Rouen, Bordeaux and then south-west to Narbonne.
> 
> Alan
> ...


Me too, the viaduc is awesome and worth a detour and the cost to drive it!


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## 113016 (Jun 5, 2008)

Alan, Going via Bordeaux to Narbone is the truckers route, I have used it many times, but I still think the route I have mentioned would be quite OK for a low powered vehicle.
Barry, regarding not using the hand brake after descending long mountain ranges. I was given the tip when I first started driving to Madrid, and then I was using the N1. We used to fuel up at El Molar which is about 40 mile north of Madrid and after a very long decent.
This was before the new generation of excellent exhaust brakes and we did need to use the foot brakes a little.
If we left the handbrake on, the drums would smoke like hell and probably catch fire. I have seen quite a few trucks at the bottom of mountains with the brake drums on fire, however you don't tend to see too many nowadays as the engine brakes have improved so much!
I do find it far more difficult to descend a long hill with the M/H as oppose to a truck with a good exhaust brake! Sometimes, it is prudent to stop half way down and let the brakes cool down!


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

I'm not sure i would ever describe Hank the Tank as powerful but he is like a mountain goat. The only think that stops us is the road width in the end. 30% gradient is probably the steepest but that was a first gear job.

No I fully understand the op's issue having trundled around it hopelessly underpowered air cooled vw's and before that a commer caravenette many moons ago where they would get up a steep climb but as a passenger you could jump out, have a pee and a *** and get back in again without having to jog much! 

Think ill start an alpine pass thread. Got a real urge to see some big Un's again this year.


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