# Route through France



## motormouth (Jul 3, 2010)

Morning all
We are planning our trip to Alicante in October and have looked on google maps for routes through France.

Two come up:-

Paris- Orleans- Montpellier

Reims- Dijon- Lyon- Montpellier

Both look to take about the same time and similar mileages.

Has anyone done these routes and which would you say is better, if any. Both seem to have a fair amount of toll roads and we wanted if possible to avoid tolls, but we do need to get to our destination fairly quickly.

We have a Garmin sat nav so can set the route to whichever you think best.

Any advice greatly appreciated. 

Also can't decide whether to use channel ferry or tunnel. In either case, can we just turn up and be sure of getting a ticket. Or if we book a time and can't make that time, is the ticket valid for next crossing?? (we have a 6 hour drive to get to terminals)


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Route*

Hello,

Better off if you want a shorter less toll trip to go via Bordeaux on the N10 an over through Basque.

Have a search it has been discussed quite a lot.

One here

Another here

And one more here

I prefer the long route via Montpelier but the tolls are high.

TM


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## inkey-2008 (May 24, 2008)

Alot depends on how quickly you want to travel. I take my time taking anything upto 4 weeks. Stopping anywhere we fancy. 
We enjoyed our trip home this spring cutting up across Spain then through the Somport tunnel, then Pau. Then cross country using the D roads. 

We will go back the same way next time we go.(fingers crossed).

You can stop at the park and ride Canterbury or Marine Parade Dover.
Better to book your ferry before leaving you can get a better deal most times.

Get Good route map of France and Spain, I know you have sat nav but that does not give you the bigger picture. Pick a route on the map first using places you want to go, not the sat nav.

Andy


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## motormouth (Jul 3, 2010)

Thanks for that, very helpful.

I think we will go :- 
Rouen- Evreux-Chartes- Blois- Chateauroux- Limoges- Toulouse- Narbonne

The route through Spain seems to wind around the coast through Barcelona, Valencia and to Alicante.

Is this because a more direct route would take you over the mountains


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## Mike48 (May 1, 2005)

I use the route Rouen, Evreux, Dreux, Orleans and down to Clement Ferrand using the 200 miles of free motorway to Narbonne etc.


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## inkey-2008 (May 24, 2008)

Yes the main routes are both ends of the mountains. I have use the route you are taking. The motorways in Spain are cheap to use as long as you have single rear wheel then it is the same as a car about 10 cent a kilometre.

Only stop for Police when travelling through Spain. From Narbonne you could travel to Peniscola area then down to Alicante. 

Andy


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## peedee (May 10, 2005)

I used this route earlier in the year.

Rouen
Chartres
N 10 to Bordeaux
Pau
Somport Tunnel
Zaragosa
A 23 to the coast
Murcia

If you want the A to Z including information on night stops have a look at the blog >here<

peedee


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## dragonfly (Mar 10, 2007)

If you are around the Limoges area in October, think about stopping off for either or both of the Cidre et Cochonaille (Cider and piglet - yes, you can win one!!) day at Champagnac La Riviere, which is on the third Sunday in October, and the Chestnut Fair at Dournazac on the fourth Sunday. 
There is a local open-all-year camping park (www.parcverger.com) where you will get a discount as a MHFacts member that is convenient for both villages.
Take time over your journey and enjoy it - there are some lovely places to find en route.
Di


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## keith_c (Feb 8, 2010)

As I write this I'm in Moraira in Spain which is a bit up from Alicante. We drove down last week over Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday. We used the Rouen, Evreux, Dreux, Orleans, Clement Ferrand, Millau route and had no real problems. (The last bit and the bit into Spain was full of traffic and took 10 hours to do 300 miles but it being a Saturday in late July we expected that). Total distance from Dunkirk was just over 1,200 miles.

This is the first time we've been abroad in the motorhome! Far better than what we've done in the past (which has been to take the car and stay in Novotel's and the like).

We depart to go home on Sunday. We're going back a different way as we've got 6 days to get to Dunkirk so we're mostly avoiding motorways and planning on going through a 5 mile Pyrennes tunnel somewhere (I don't know what it's called but my wife does but she's by the pool at the moment!)

One thing that I found ever so helpful was the MHF iphone app. We'd booked a site in Spain so that we knew we had it sorted regardless of what happened with traffic (and we've done the same on the way back) but for France we relied on the iphone app - and the "display sites near me" was brilliant.


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## motormouth (Jul 3, 2010)

Thanks for all the replies which I found very informative and helpful.

I think we have decided on our routes which will be:-

Going
calais
orleans
limoges
toulouse
pau
somport tunnel
zaragoza
valencia
alicante

Return
valencia
barcelona
narbonne
clement ferrand
orleans
dreux
rouen
calais

We hope to do these trips in 2 days, is this possible with 2 drivers??


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## peedee (May 10, 2005)

Sensibly no, that would be 600 miles a day! It is done I know but it would not be for me even with two drivers.

peedee


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## inkey-2008 (May 24, 2008)

On the way down you would be better to go via 
Orleans
Tours
Poitiers
Bordeaux
Mont-de-Marsan
Pau
Somport.

Lot better road, Quicker as you are trying to do it in two days.

Andy


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## motormouth (Jul 3, 2010)

Inkey

Yes, I think that looks a better route.
Any idea of the toll charges approx for this


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## inkey-2008 (May 24, 2008)

I do not know try not to use them in France. I do not think what you are planning is a good idea time wise. The route down is okay to Bordeaux then it slows down if you must make a mad dash. try this as suggested earlier

Orleans
Clearmont ferrand
Beziers
Perignan
Spain.

personly I would not try it in your time scale.

Andy


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## keith_c (Feb 8, 2010)

When we came down last week we took four days - partly because we had two children with us. I reckon we could have comfortably done it in three days if it had been just the two of us and we hadn't had our "bad traffic" day - but no quicker than that for it to have been an enjoyable trip.


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## tonka (Apr 24, 2006)

Also remember it gets darker earlier come October.. Lots of roads, even motorways, either dont have lighting or turn it off early.

We did the Somport tunnel on last trip.. The road from Valencia up is great but once your through that tunnel we found the French side very slow, twisty and Pau was a nightmare with traffic..
For me not a route if your in a rush.

Your original route via A20 to Toulouse, Narbonne and down the coast gives you a lot more flexability. Places to stop, choice of main road or motorway etc..


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## jd_boss_hogg (Aug 26, 2009)

Did Valencia and back a few weeks ago (althouh i live in North france, so not as far as you guys). 3 stopovers is comfortable if you need to get their quick, but not ruin the first few days of the holiday.

Be aware that if you choose campsites, then Spanish ones are very much different to anything you'll find in France. Firstly, campsites in Spain are few and far between. When you do find them, the difference in standards from one to another is huge, and you'll never see pitches so small again (you can stick your hands out the windows and almost touch your neighbours van!). Virtually all are hard standings (apart from the odd ones in the Pyranees), so bear that in mind if you have a pup tent.

On the way back, Zaragoza/Huesca/Oleron Sainte Marie/Pau was the best views of the mountains we have ever seen. Spectacular, but also the mountins are at on of their widest points here so your in them for a long time. Don't bother with this crossing on the way OVER, because the crossing from the french side isn't much to look at (it will all be in your rear view mirror). The roads are being dual'ed, and it's a better crossing than it looks on the map.


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## motormouth (Jul 3, 2010)

I think we have decided (finally) on our routes. One last question though. Our outward route takes us through Bordeaux, Pau, Somport Tunnel, Zaragoza and down to Alicante.
Can anyone advise on the terrain leading up to the tunnel. Our MH has a 2.0 diesel and really struggles up hills and I don't want to burn the clutch out.
Ta.


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## rolla (Aug 14, 2010)

We plan a similar route ourselves and have 2 children so we will probably want to get there ASAP so until our kids fly the nest so we can look around interesting places time is a problem, so i think plenty of red bull and strong coffee  and 2 days should get the job done, good luck mon amie

rolla


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