Calais Eurotunnel to Le Dordogne
Discussion
I would be interested in hearing PHers' experiences of driving this route. We have never really found the best way.
The plan is to run west of Paris - but whenever we have gone via Rouen, the traffic has been awful.
Is there a good route between Rouen and Paris that does not mean going through a village every two miles? or is it best to head for Caen, then south?
(Mrs L & I would prefer to avoid ferries if possible)
The plan is to run west of Paris - but whenever we have gone via Rouen, the traffic has been awful.
Is there a good route between Rouen and Paris that does not mean going through a village every two miles? or is it best to head for Caen, then south?
(Mrs L & I would prefer to avoid ferries if possible)
Used to do it many times a year , overnight is quiet , or hit Rouen mid morning or mid afternoon.
It’s by far the easiest stress free route and difficult to go wrong , and I used to do it that way before sat nav was the norm , I used a piece of paper with town names on for many years .
Remember, blue sign is auto route , green sign is free but country road .
We lived just outside sarlat by the way so it’s 8 hours on the road , I did it that often I even knew where the bloody speed cameras were !
It’s by far the easiest stress free route and difficult to go wrong , and I used to do it that way before sat nav was the norm , I used a piece of paper with town names on for many years .
Remember, blue sign is auto route , green sign is free but country road .
We lived just outside sarlat by the way so it’s 8 hours on the road , I did it that often I even knew where the bloody speed cameras were !
We have driven to the Dordogne many times.
We’ve always stopped off at Honfleur in the past so we avoid Rouen. Our route after that is cross country via Evreux, Chartres then A10/A71 southbound to the Dordogne.
OK the cross country bit on the N151? is a little bit slower but it’s not that painful.
We would never go via Paris from past experience.
We’ve always stopped off at Honfleur in the past so we avoid Rouen. Our route after that is cross country via Evreux, Chartres then A10/A71 southbound to the Dordogne.
OK the cross country bit on the N151? is a little bit slower but it’s not that painful.
We would never go via Paris from past experience.
Thanks to everyone.
Staying north of Rouen, maybe taking in Honfleur en route (that's a lovely place) and heading to Le Mans and down looks and sounds the most attractive, to this driver at least, on our way to Sarlat.
Heading back last time, having overnighted at Chartres, up to Evreux then fiddly roads to pick up the A28 towards the tunnel; that bit seemed to take ages. Plus the route west of Paris, Orleans to Rouen is seriously dull from a landscape point of view. Chartres is good though, a bit like Ely; a pleasant town & cathedral surrounded by a lot of nowt.
Staying north of Rouen, maybe taking in Honfleur en route (that's a lovely place) and heading to Le Mans and down looks and sounds the most attractive, to this driver at least, on our way to Sarlat.
Heading back last time, having overnighted at Chartres, up to Evreux then fiddly roads to pick up the A28 towards the tunnel; that bit seemed to take ages. Plus the route west of Paris, Orleans to Rouen is seriously dull from a landscape point of view. Chartres is good though, a bit like Ely; a pleasant town & cathedral surrounded by a lot of nowt.
Rosscow said:
Have always gone via Rouen, never really had a big problem. Certainly quicker than going via Honfleur!
8 Hours I would say is bloody going some though.
Our reason for Honfleur is we’ve already driven 6 hours to Eurotunnel then another 3 hours to Honfleur.8 Hours I would say is bloody going some though.
Honfleur is lovely but it’s become a victim of its own success - very very busy especially on a weekend.
We’ve gone via Rouen before stopping at Hotel de France near Le Mans and as you say it’s never really been an issue.
Boxster5 said:
Our reason for Honfleur is we’ve already driven 6 hours to Eurotunnel then another 3 hours to Honfleur.
Honfleur is lovely but it’s become a victim of its own success - very very busy especially on a weekend.
We’ve gone via Rouen before stopping at Hotel de France near Le Mans and as you say it’s never really been an issue.
Ooof.... yeah you need a break by then for sure! We're lucky - it's only a 45 min dash to the tunnel for us.Honfleur is lovely but it’s become a victim of its own success - very very busy especially on a weekend.
We’ve gone via Rouen before stopping at Hotel de France near Le Mans and as you say it’s never really been an issue.
I quite like Le Mans, nice town for an overnight stop, especially in the summer when they have the light show on at night, amazing!
You people don’t know how lucky you are , I used to do it in one hit from the Wirral , twice in a ropey old cab star tipper truck then in a Mitsubishi l200 pick up .
Cab.star was a 20 hour journey allowing a stop off for an hours kip , the l200 15 hours , a very lonely boring trip so best to get it over and done with ,
In a car at speed limits I could do it in 14 hours , obviously there’s the tunnel crossing on top of those times .
Cab.star was a 20 hour journey allowing a stop off for an hours kip , the l200 15 hours , a very lonely boring trip so best to get it over and done with ,
In a car at speed limits I could do it in 14 hours , obviously there’s the tunnel crossing on top of those times .
Boxster5 said:
Our reason for Honfleur is we’ve already driven 6 hours to Eurotunnel then another 3 hours to Honfleur.
.
Blimey, we are 10mins from the tunnel, certainly puts a different slant on the choice of route down..
I can pick the kids up from school and be checked in to a hotel in Paris & fed before their bedtime!
Deesee said:
Boxster5 said:
Our reason for Honfleur is we’ve already driven 6 hours to Eurotunnel then another 3 hours to Honfleur.
.
Blimey, we are 10mins from the tunnel, certainly puts a different slant on the choice of route down..
I can pick the kids up from school and be checked in to a hotel in Paris & fed before their bedtime!
I did once drive non stop from Sarlat to Durham as my wife had a stomach bug so pointless stopping in Honfleur that time. Sixteen and a half hours was a bit of a killer though - the final insult was the A1 closed near Doncaster due to roadworks resulting in a very lengthy diversion!
Boxster5 said:
Deesee said:
Boxster5 said:
Our reason for Honfleur is we’ve already driven 6 hours to Eurotunnel then another 3 hours to Honfleur.
.
Blimey, we are 10mins from the tunnel, certainly puts a different slant on the choice of route down..
I can pick the kids up from school and be checked in to a hotel in Paris & fed before their bedtime!
I did once drive non stop from Sarlat to Durham as my wife had a stomach bug so pointless stopping in Honfleur that time. Sixteen and a half hours was a bit of a killer though - the final insult was the A1 closed near Doncaster due to roadworks resulting in a very lengthy diversion!
To be fair, we have met plenty of Dutch family's in Garda/Como that drive it on one go, if we are going that way via the tunnel we will stop in the black forest overnight to make it comfortable to make sure we arrive at the swiss tunnels 'early ish' to get to the lakes, So the Amsterdam route could pay dividends for you.
If its just you and the Missus, look at eurail.com and train NE-London-Paris-then onwards to AIX.
That said I am discussing (with the better half) a 5 am blast to Dordgone! or pick the kids up at half term 3 pm then we bunk up in Paris on the Friday.
We actually enjoy the drive in our Boxster (the only time we can get the roof down on a regular basis).
We’ve driven throughout Europe in all 4 of them (predominantly France but Switzerland, Germany, Italy etc etc) including a 3,000 mile trip taking in 8 countries.
Looks like I’m now being limited to 7 hour daily journeys and living out of a “suitcase” doing 1-2 nights here and there is definitely out. I’ve been told!
We’ve driven throughout Europe in all 4 of them (predominantly France but Switzerland, Germany, Italy etc etc) including a 3,000 mile trip taking in 8 countries.
Looks like I’m now being limited to 7 hour daily journeys and living out of a “suitcase” doing 1-2 nights here and there is definitely out. I’ve been told!
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