Driving next weekend in France

[sider]

Hi,

Got an 800 mile trip planned across France next Friday and early Saturday morning.

Just read in an English mag here that next weekend if THE weekend NOT to travel.

Is this true?

One English guy i was chatting said perhaps so, however not so much so if travelling North, which we are.

Any advice appreciated!

[Perik Omo]

Correct. First weekend in August is when the North mainly heads South and it's a Bison Fute Black warning weekend (black is the highest warning level for traffic problems), not sure about going across the North but I'm sure it will be much busier than usual. I once made the mistake of trying to travel from Calais to Perpignan that weekend and got stuck for hours in traffic jams on the autoroute.

[Bat28]

I suppose you go south... If it's the case, avoid the motorways near Paris like the plague, and maybe try through Reims - Troyes - Lyon, could be less busy.

[Bat28]

Not sure it will help, but you can have a look on the trqffic info website :
http://www.bison-fute.equipement.gouv.fr/diri/Accu...

[sider]

Ok, thanks.

Hopefully heading North will be our saving grace.

Got a 6.5 hr run from near Perpignan to Orleans on Friday - hoping an 8am start will see us there for evening.

And then Saturday, Orleans to Calais - 4-4.5 hours - hopefully we'll get a clear-ish run. Hoping to leave North Orleans at approx 4am to be at Calais for 10.

And then back in Blighty - it's us versus the Olympic Traffic!

[so called]

I've done the drive heading north on this weekend a few years ago.
Southbound was the longest jam I have ever seen. People with picnic tables at the side of the road !!!
Northbound was fine.
Good luck.

[sider]

so called said:

I've done the drive heading north on this weekend a few years ago.
Southbound was the longest jam I have ever seen. People with picnic tables at the side of the road !!!
Northbound was fine.
Good luck.

Thanks.

Gonna leave at approx 3am on Friday, 7 hour drive - still thinking it will be a full day though with all the stops we've got planned for the kids.

it's getting busy though now - was in Le Boulou earlier today, approx 5 miles from the border at Perthus and both the main road and motorway were at a stand still with traffic heading from the North and West.