# Nice route Calais to south of France? No rush!



## richyc (Feb 14, 2008)

Hi we are considering travelling down to The south of France in December can anyone recommend a nice route down.Would like to see points of interest rather than rush?

Thanks


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## autostratus (May 9, 2005)

richyc said:


> Hi we are considering travelling down to The south of France in December can anyone recommend a nice route down.Would like to see points of interest rather than rush?
> 
> Thanks


That's a difficult one to answer.
Much easier to tell you that the omly* uninteresting * route is to stick to the autoroutes all the way!


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## foll-de-roll (Oct 29, 2007)

Hi


Should your heading not have been, Nice route to Nice.


  
Andy


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## Vennwood (Feb 4, 2007)

We have fined tuned our trip to the south as follows

Calais - down to Rouen (Autoroute or no autoroute - your pick)

Rouen down to Dreux/Chartres/Orleans - much of it dual carriageway or motorway not a lot to see for the first part other than a detour to Monets Gardens

From Orleans it gets really pretty along the Loire so take the E60 just before you arrive in Orleans and then follow the Nevers road down past Moulin onto the A77 and across to St Pourcine sur Sioule.

Orleans and along the west side there are some nice things to see.

There are literally dozens of Aires and campsites all along the route with a very nice one at St P sur S (and its free) - nice places to visit and pass the time.

From there head down to Clermont Ferrand - lots of places to visit to the west of there - Puy de Dome etc. volcanic region, lakes mountains etc.

A75 down to South coast all free and travelling through some spectacular country, including Millau and the famous bridge.

If you don't want to go to the western side then cut across on the N102 to Puy en Valet - and cut across to Orange and Avignon (very pretty and interesting

All in all good roads, some motorway, lots of dual carriageway but all MH friendly roads. In December you need to think of taking water with you for the first day or so as many northern sites and Aires turn off their water. Also A75 and motorways will always be kept open if there is any snow


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## richyc (Feb 14, 2008)

Hi thanks for that sounds nice!


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## richyc (Feb 14, 2008)

We are also thinking of stopping off somewhere to ski for a week I expect this route would be miles out of any skiing areas?
Have you tried any other routes down?


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## Vennwood (Feb 4, 2007)

richyc said:


> We are also thinking of stopping off somewhere to ski for a week I expect this route would be miles out of any skiing areas?
> Have you tried any other routes down?


All depends on where your final destination is.

If you are planning on visiting the Cote D'Azure around Antibes, Nice, St Tropez etc. then you can drive up north for a few days to Greolierres - lovely small resort, not too crowded and around a two hour journey north of Antibes. Ok for a few days but you wouldn't want to spend a whole week or two there.

Otherwise the route I suggested earlier wouldn't work. Only other skiing route we have made was to head east from Calais down towards Reims, Troy, Dijon, Geneve and into the Valley Blanche area. We stayed at Chamonix and then went through the Mont Blanc Tunnel into Italy and down to the Med. A lot more expensive route and longer journey. Others may be able to help you better.


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## rupert1 (Feb 13, 2009)

richyc said:


> We are also thinking of stopping off somewhere to ski for a week I expect this route would be miles out of any skiing areas?
> Have you tried any other routes down?


Route is not to far of some skiing. Couple of resorts in the Central massif just south of Clermont, Also skiing in the Rhone Alps.


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