Rouen - Quickest Route Through from autoroute to autoroute
Discussion
We're making a late dash down on Friday evening this year, and were looking to get from Calais to Houx as "efficiently" as possible 
Our usual route through Rouen involves going through the tunnel and then just after the bridge peeling off to the right and heading through the industrial bits of Rouen near the train tracks, before arriving at the "Roundabout du Vache Concrete" and picking up the autoroute again shortly afterwards.
But I'm conscious that with all the roadworks that were going on last year there might be a) bits to avoid or b) a quicker route than our 'old faithful'.
Looking at some of the directions on t'internet it seems it might make sense to simply stay on the A16 (or whatever it is) after the tunnel and just follow that around the west side of the city to pick up the autoroute a little further west. But I'm not sure if that's any quicker, i.e. are there traffic lights, how busy those roads might be, etc.
So, any suggestions about the quickest route through Rouen much appreciated.
Thanks !
Our usual route through Rouen involves going through the tunnel and then just after the bridge peeling off to the right and heading through the industrial bits of Rouen near the train tracks, before arriving at the "Roundabout du Vache Concrete" and picking up the autoroute again shortly afterwards.
But I'm conscious that with all the roadworks that were going on last year there might be a) bits to avoid or b) a quicker route than our 'old faithful'.
Looking at some of the directions on t'internet it seems it might make sense to simply stay on the A16 (or whatever it is) after the tunnel and just follow that around the west side of the city to pick up the autoroute a little further west. But I'm not sure if that's any quicker, i.e. are there traffic lights, how busy those roads might be, etc.
So, any suggestions about the quickest route through Rouen much appreciated.
Thanks !
For the first time last year, I took the latter route (stay on the road, going past the prison rather then alongside the railway). i found the route much better, but:
1) The roads are a bit confuding- at one time, everyone who known suddenly dives into an underpass which misses out a busy junction. Bad signing, so you'll probably miss it like we did
2) One bit of road has a tram goling through it. Its quite confusing initially. Keep your wite about you.
3) Its quite difficult to find this route on the way back. But we will be doing this route next week.
1) The roads are a bit confuding- at one time, everyone who known suddenly dives into an underpass which misses out a busy junction. Bad signing, so you'll probably miss it like we did
2) One bit of road has a tram goling through it. Its quite confusing initially. Keep your wite about you.
3) Its quite difficult to find this route on the way back. But we will be doing this route next week.
Nick,
I've done the late Friday dash twice before, leaving Calais at around midnight, and always gone the normal route through Rouen. It's always been really quiet. This is followed by a nice kip in the car park at Le Mans.
Make sure you have a full tank though as open petrol stations are very few and far between. I always take a full jerry can when travelling overnight.
R.
I've done the late Friday dash twice before, leaving Calais at around midnight, and always gone the normal route through Rouen. It's always been really quiet. This is followed by a nice kip in the car park at Le Mans.
Make sure you have a full tank though as open petrol stations are very few and far between. I always take a full jerry can when travelling overnight.
R.
The Leaper said:
Nick,
I've done the late Friday dash twice before, leaving Calais at around midnight, and always gone the normal route through Rouen. It's always been really quiet.
I agree, I've never had a problem.I've done the late Friday dash twice before, leaving Calais at around midnight, and always gone the normal route through Rouen. It's always been really quiet.
The only time I did was the other year when there was an accident in the tunnel so everyone was directed round.
The Leaper said:
Nick,
I've done the late Friday dash twice before, leaving Calais at around midnight, and always gone the normal route through Rouen. It's always been really quiet. This is followed by a nice kip in the car park at Le Mans.
Make sure you have a full tank though as open petrol stations are very few and far between. I always take a full jerry can when travelling overnight.
R.
Thanks for that - we'll be going through Rouen at, hopefully, around 9.00pm local time. The car has a tank *just* big enough to get us to Le Mans from Folkestone but from memory there are at least 3 24 hour services on the autoroutes now between Calais and Le Mans - 2 north of Rouen, 1 (at least) south of Rouen.I've done the late Friday dash twice before, leaving Calais at around midnight, and always gone the normal route through Rouen. It's always been really quiet. This is followed by a nice kip in the car park at Le Mans.
Make sure you have a full tank though as open petrol stations are very few and far between. I always take a full jerry can when travelling overnight.
R.
Nick, you are right about the service stations on the autoroute. The issue is: are they manned or is it a matter of using a credit card pump, and will your credit card work the pump? Things are getting better but I still do not think credit card pumps accept UK cards 100% of the time. R.
The Leaper said:
Nick, you are right about the service stations on the autoroute. The issue is: are they manned or is it a matter of using a credit card pump, and will your credit card work the pump? Things are getting better but I still do not think credit card pumps accept UK cards 100% of the time. R.
They are manned - have used them outside 'normal' hours on a couple of occasions. Also used a UK credit card in the services between Rouen and Le Mans without problems, admittedly in the afternoon but worse case you just go inside and pay at the counter. It's generally only the supermarket type places and normal petrol stations which say 'non' to UK cards if there's nobody there.
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