# France - how long to St Tropez?



## chinock (Feb 6, 2009)

Hi everybody
Off to the south of france in a few weeks .
Can any give me an idea on how long it will take to drive to med west side.Thanks Dave


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*France*

Hi

Where abouts are you heading? Are you starting from Calais or another port? Are you looking to use motorways and run like a high speed train, or do you prefer to amble along?

Russell


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## chinock (Feb 6, 2009)

*FRANCE*

Going from Calais,ive been told its best to use the toll roads?
Heading not far from ST Tropez
Dave


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## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

Hi Chinock - please note I've changed the title of your post so you may get more responses. It's best to have a bit more detail so as to attract more replies!

Also moved to France touring rather than Photography :lol: :wink: 



Mike

Mods team


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## chinock (Feb 6, 2009)

*How long to St Tropez*

Thanks Mike


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*France*

Hi

Well, worthy of a look is www.viamichelin.com and also the French motorway website - www.autoroutes.fr

I think a lot of your journey could be do-able toll free, but I am not experienced in respect of France, but there others who know a lot about touring in France.

Russell


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## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

It clearly depends how fast you drive, how many drivers and how many stops but to give you something to start with:

1200 km @ 100kph stopping for 30 mins every 2 hours, 1 driver, no hold ups = around 15 hours.

Could be done faster (but not by me).

Take care - it's a long drive.


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## wilse (Aug 10, 2007)

I'm doing this in September, I'll be allowing 3.5 days... will be picking my other half up from Nice airport, as her holidays are limited.

I'm thinking of going rouen, orleans, bourges, lyon, grenoble... on google maps it reckons this is possible toll free in 18 hours...

Route may change as it gets nearer, but I did a slightly more direct route last time and fancied a change.

W


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## ianhc (Feb 4, 2009)

Through my experience of that run stick to the toll peage if you have limited time, you will be able to lead foot it all the way down.
I have found late August the St Tropez area difficult to find O/N areas, especially on the Aires. Try Avignon, beautiful city well worth the visit.


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## yellowdog (Sep 16, 2007)

WE just got back from Sete which is not that far from St Tropez ,We went toll free via rouen ,Orleans Clement Ferrand and Millau We took 4.5 days driving about 5 hours a day but stopping to do a bit of sightseeing on the way,we managed 200 miles a day before we had had enough. Its a long way and after 4 days there we had to turn around and start heading home again but returning via La Rochelle and Le Mont St Micheal


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## cronkle (May 1, 2005)

We have done this journey a number of times. 
We allow two days and stop overnight at a site near Chalon-sur-Soane. That is, of course on the eastern side of Paris. Most of the journey is on toll roads.
To go down the western side would take a day longer and have stopped at sites in the Loire Valley, then near Clermont Ferrand and then on possibly stopping at Avignon.


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## fdhadi (May 9, 2005)

Hi Dave,

Were planning a similar trip in 3wks time. We have a 12noon ferry on the sat (Dover - Calais) and i would expect to be in that area around monday noon ish and thats not going mad. I will use some toll roads on the way.

I'm not 100% sure which route i will take yet, might even go (don't laugh) France, Belguim, Lux (fuel stop), France, Germany, Swiss, Italy and then back into France along the coast road. If i take this route it will probably take a little longer, but hey thats why i bought a motorhome. Most of this route is toll free (i have days available on my 5t swiss pass).

Homeward bound we might go over the Millau Viaduct then also have a stop off in Paris.

We don't normally book anywhere even this time of the year. The first time we booked a site was last year. We only booked because a friend brought a caravan down and didn't want to take a chance. The site was poor but had to stay because we had paid and offered no refunds.

*Just a thought, if you use French tolls make sure you only pay Class 2 rates. Go into the unmanned booth, if the toll rate is above the class 2, press the help (before inserting your credit card) button and say 'camping car'. They will change the toll to class 2. We have a 5t m/h and only pay class 2 rates.*


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## rupert1 (Feb 13, 2009)

chinock said:


> Hi everybody
> Off to the south of france in a few weeks .
> Can any give me an idea on how long it will take to drive to med west side.Thanks Dave


If you are in a rush using autoroutes two full days, one overnight stop.


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## suffolkian (Jul 25, 2007)

Hi Chinock
We would agree with Cronkle - having done this journey a number of times. We tend to speed down using the autoroutes to get as far away from work as possible as quickly as possible :lol: then meander on the return Journey.
We would normally book a 6am ferry Dover to Calais, then autoroute to around Chalon Sur Soane on the East side for an overnight, some great Aires around this area, arriving about 4pm (this includes a lunchstop). We then head off around 9am following morning after breakfast and hit St Tropez area around 2 - 3pm.

We're probably going again towards the end of September. Have a great trip

Steve & Ian


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## blondy (Aug 23, 2007)

a friend of mine did this route a few times, down autoroute to near langre
(good municipal in langre), then second day down to St tropez,
rather long distances for me.
Cheers.


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*St. Tropez*

Hello,

Well been lucky enough to have done this trip many times, in the region of around 50 Return Trips to St. Tropez.

The Fastest was 17 Hours Door-To-Beach from Manchester Using Eurotunnel.

To be fair if you are driving a motorhome, the fastest trip will be at least two days from Calais using Toll Roads (single driver).

To do it safe and enjoyably, you need at least three days. To do it by non toll roads, work on five days.

My Favorite rapid route is....

Hull - Zebrugge Ferry

Calais - Reims - Troyes - Dijon - Lyon - Valence - Aix-En-Provence St. Tropez (Via La Garde Freinet).

Favorite slow route

Same Ferry

Brugge - Luxembourg - Clerey - Dijon - Annecy - Gap Route Napolean to Sisteron and then down through to coast.

Recomended Overnight Sites

Terre Rouge - Clerey (near Tryoes)

Camping lac De Liez - Langres

Lac De Panthier - Vandenesse (Poulilly-En-Auxois)

Camping Municipal - Beaune

Favorite St.Tropez Region Sites & Aire

Domaine De naiades - St. Pons Le Mures (Grimaud)

Camping De La Plage (on the beach) Grimaud

Nice Aire here on the Beach at Cavaliere (NOT Nearby Cavalaire)

Aire Cavaliere Beach (click "Historique" If viewing after dark!)

Was there in June, Back at Annecy Late August and Then Down to St. Tropez in Sepetember. Say Hello if you see us!

Trev


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## rugbyken (Jan 16, 2006)

*best to mix and match*

you could choose to stay on the motorway from calais dock's to within 10 miles of st tropez going via reims dijon lyon etc missing paris completely this would be about 750 miles or 12/13 hours behind the wheel at an average of 60mph i usually try and do this in 100 mile span's meals and fuel giving a natural stop . 
the pleasure of a motorhome is to make the journey part of the holiday, i don't know if you'r aware but the reason section's of motorway are not all tolled is that there must be a viable alternative route alongside the motorway before the operator's can impose a toll , when we came back from nice last year we only used the motorway to get around lyon and from reim's on up because we dawdled one day we only made 45 miles of the scheduled 150 but bliss


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## Wupert (Aug 6, 2007)

chinock said:


> Hi everybody
> Off to the south of france in a few weeks .
> Can any give me an idea on how long it will take to drive to med west side.Thanks Dave


Done it on a number of occasions with two of us driving

Swansea - Port Grimoud

Day 1 cross Dover Calais approx 1200 drive till appprox 8 local using toll roads.

Stop Autoroute rest area (Filling station).

Leave 8 ish arrive Pt Grimoud 1600 ish

Wups


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## 91502 (May 1, 2005)

Hi
We have done this several times a year for some time now.
Calais to St Tropez 770 miles. 
First day down to Dover then cross over lunch time and continue on to just south of Reims for about 4pm. 
Second day Somewhere around Orange then St Tropez and Pampalone beach for Lunch on the third day. 
But beware, were just back and last week we were paying £50 for a round of drinks for 4 of us on the beach.
JP


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## chinock (Feb 6, 2009)

*st tropez*

I think ive bit off a bit more than i can chew.
Im getting the ferry 10pm friday the 14th i was hoping to be there for 1pm on Saturday oh well maybe 1pm sunday is more realistic


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## 91502 (May 1, 2005)

chinok 
I would recommend straight off the ferry and get your head down in the motorhome carpark at the cite d'europe only 5 mins away. 
8am grab some breakfast in the supermarket then off you go. 
Last week it was 34 at 9 in the evening so enjoy. 
JP


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Re: st tropez*



chinock said:


> I think ive bit off a bit more than i can chew.
> Im getting the ferry 10pm friday the 14th i was hoping to be there for 1pm on Saturday oh well maybe 1pm sunday is more realistic


Realistic, Maybe teatime Sunday.


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

[quote="JP"But beware, were just back and last week we were paying £50 for a round of drinks for 4 of us on the beach.
JP[/quote]

And I bet you only had four large beers?

Advice, if you are going to the beach, take your own drinks. If you want to drink out, have a driver handy or stay near a back street bar. A beer will set you 1/4 of that.


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## 126598 (Aug 5, 2009)

You can get down to the Med in 2 days, out of necessity I did it in just over 24 hours by dint of stopping at around 20h00 on day 1 and setting off early next morning, but it wasn't much fun and I wouldn't like to do it again.

Going via Millau I found the gradients awfully steep (but then my van is elderly), spent a lot of time in 3rd going up and got a bit scared coming down the twisty bits in strong winds. But the Millau bridge is really something.

Much more enjoyable coming back up via Bordeaux - Poitiers, gradients far gentler. I was heading to Caen and did a mixture of autoroute and not, went along the coast and stayed at Narbonne, then set off northwards and took it easy and stopped at Castelsarassin (free aire by canal), then Cadillac (free aire, lovely little old picturesque town just outside Bordeaux, market Sat morning), then St Jean d'Angely (free aire by river in park, free swimming pool, would have been excellent if I hadnt gone and parked right next to the Skate Park which the skateboarders decided to come and do a bit of late night exercise, doh) St Clement des Levees near Saumur (small aire right next to the, again free).


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## vicdicdoc (May 14, 2005)

*Re: st tropez*



chinock said:


> I think ive bit off a bit more than i can chew.
> Im getting the ferry 10pm friday the 14th i was hoping to be there for 1pm on S
> 
> Your gonna be awfully tired if you try to stick to that timetable :hathat31: Anyway there are far better places than St Trop !


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## SidT (May 9, 2005)

Hi Chinock. We hope to be doing the same trip early September, We usually do the same trip as Trevor (Teemyob) via Reims,Troyes etc. but we won't be using autoroutes except the free parts as its far too expensive, Trevor can probably give you some idea of the total cost as I think he uses the peages.
Cheers Sid


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