Taking a car to the South of France

[st13phil]

...very trendy with Parisiens in August.

Actually, that's an important point to note if you don't already know: much of France shuts down for August as they head off for their holidays. Prices go up and things can get pretty busy in the more obvious holiday destinations.

 

[st13phil]

Need to get a map and start planning.

The ViaMichelin website has a great route planner, lots of tourist info, and the Michelin maps of France are the best bar none, imo.

 

[HotJambalaya]

i think you can also get those automatic toll paying thingies now for english cars and deduct straight from uk bank accounts, would save a lot of messing about, its about 10 euros (where the bugger is the euro sign on a mac?!??!)

 

[mejermy]

+1 for the transponders. Saves us a lot of time on a longer run and avoids fiddling with cash/cards. The English language site is 4th largest motorway group in Europe - APRR

 

[mejermy]

But to sign up I think you need this

APRR - Souscrire en ligne

 

[mejermy]

But to sign up I think you need this
APRR - Souscrire en ligne

 

[gIzzE]

(where the bugger is the euro sign on a mac?!??!)

alt+2 = €

 

[HughJarse]

Ive done both Ferries Portsmouth, Plymouth - Santander /Bilbao.

Hated both - ferry takes forever and a day ( 30 ish hours ) 2 nights. - I obviously knew this before hand - dont know what I actually expected.
Sailing through Bay of Biscay is horrible. mal de mare
Captive audience on boat means they charge what they like - although not bad, you have no choice and for 4 of you it wont be cheap.


However that is totally my opinion and ive heard of some people who love it.

 

[whitters]

This is the link for toll payment by DD
https://www.saneftolling.co.uk/

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Watching the thread with interest as we're driving to Monte Carlo soon.

The auto train looked promising but only runs in summer months, so we're driving all the way. Our children are 9 and 4 so it will be interesting to see how they fare.

I'm planning to get the Euro Tunnel at around 2200 and then drive about an hour into France to stop over, and then complete the rest of the journey the following day.

 

[ashadam]

Watching the thread with interest as we're driving to Monte Carlo soon.

The auto train looked promising but only runs in summer months, so we're driving all the way. Our children are 9 and 4 so it will be interesting to see how they fare.

I'm planning to get the Euro Tunnel at around 2200 and then drive about an hour into France to stop over, and then complete the rest of the journey the following day.

I have done the similar thing stayed in Paris over night, morning site seeing (kids were not impressed). Then spent the day and early evening driving to Cannes its an excellent drive we did stop a lot though.

 

[SavMan]

Some other options apart from driving all the way

1. Fly to Nice or Marseille and hire a car on arrival
2. Catch Eurostar to Avignon and hire a car there, its about 7 hours by train and 1-2 hours from the coast by car.

If you do drive doing in one day is very tough with a car full of people, don't be fooled when you think you have broken the back of the journey to push on as in the summer months the roads in the south can be very busy and what you thought would only take an hour or so can be 2-3.

We make the journey 5/6 times a year and by far the favoured option by the kids and my wife and I is to take the Eurostar to Avignon or fly drive via Nice/Marseille.

 

[MD5]

A couple of initial considerations would help plan, based on time versus money, ie wasted time on ferry vs money saved or gained on fuel and how much you will enjoy the driving aspect of the trip. We try to allow three days either side for travelling and exploring to and from our destination. If you haven't been somewhere before, it's all good, and if not, you can stay or move on etc, so an open mind*, a loose plan/route and flexibility will enhance any trip like this. If you create a rigid timetable, you'll have nothing to look forward to at the end of your holiday! *(We were under the Millau Viaduct, where we asked for directions to Avignon. Arles was suggested as a better, cheaper alternative, so we took a piunt and loved it!)

If you go via Le Havre, have a look at Honfleur if you can - very pretty.

 

[gIzzE]

We used to do this all the time, Norwich to Frejus, which is 980 miles.

Never go via Paris imho, go via Rheims and Troyes.
To get to Dijon is 4 - 4.30hours that way.
Going via Paris is 5.30 - 7.30 depending on getting round Paris.


In the summer as said above the roads can get silly busy.
As you get down passed Dijon you can suddenly go from a constant 130-150kpmh (basically the speed you want) down to a standstill.
I would always try and get so you are over the border by around midday, then you get to Lyon, which is around 6 hours.

With the roads it is a long drive but far less stressed than UK motorways, so you get there feeling half decent.

The the next day you have around 450km left to get to Cannes, which will take you 4 hours if the roads are clear and so you arrive feeling great, or if the roads are a nightmare and it takes you 8 hours you can handle it.

Trying to do that 10 hour run in one hit is fine, I always leave at 9am on the way home and get back into my house just in time for Match of The Day. But on the way home I just want to get back.
However, trying to do it on the way down, expecting to get there at 7pm and not getting in till midnight is a real ball ache, did it once and never again.

 

[Mr E]

We have a place near Frejus and drive down 2-3 times per year. When the kids were smaller we used to stop over but now do the run overnight in one hit (more time in the sun).

Things we've learned over the years:

* During holiday time, travel mid-week as the roads are quieter
* Be aware though that the majority of traffic overnight seems to be large trucks, but they do behave themselves quite well
* Don't be tempted to shift into hyperdrive - we now cruise between 70 and 80 - as the police are clamping down on speeding big time (especially during holiday time)
* Definitely get the tag from saneftolling.co.uk - you pay a returnable deposit, and €6 for the months you use the tag, but it saves so much time at the toll booths (day time peak travel has meant that we have saved over 2 hours compared to friends travelling down without one) plus it's always good to get one over the locals who smirk at you when they think you're in the wrong lane
* If stopping for lunch / dinner, try to avoid the local time for doing so. For example, if going during the day we stop for a late breakfast / early lunch at about 11:00. The French, as creatures of habit, will tend to dive in between 12:00 and 14:00. Upshot is that the restaurant is quieter, and then you gt out and enjoy a couple of hours of quiet road.


We're doing a swap with some friends who have a place near Perpignan this year - not explored around that part of the world very much so looking forward to it. Supposed to be a little quieter that the usual Cote d'Azur area, and the Med is warmer than the Atlantic - mileage-wise it works out about the same (just over 700 from Calais).

When you decide where you're going, drop a line to the local tourist office and they'll be happy to send you loads of stuff to help plan a great holiday.

 

[MUGGY]

I've got to say many thanks to all who have contributed to the thread so far. Lots of brilliant info which has given me much to think about

 

[Peter Hill]

Did that last year...

I use Google on the net and the sat nav for driving directions, other-half gets a new paper map and various booklets from Foyles.

We went down late afternoon time using the tunnel, very quick and easy. Straight onto the Autoroute and down to a Campanile near Leon. The Campanile chain are rather good, but economic. Check, but most have the accomodation and a restaurant attached. This is very handy when you have been driving and you just pile into the restaurant without any driving around. After a good breakfast, (eat as much as you want), back on the Autoroute. Limited ourselves to about 6 hours driving, that got us to Lyon and another Campanile with attached restaurant.

We then spent the following week touring around the SW of France staying in places we found along the way. We found the coast to be rather disapointing, too built up and holiday campy, so many similar sea food restaurants etc. But come inland a bit where the roads get narrow, interestingly twisty, and seriously bumpy (Massif Central!) and things are very much more relaxed.

There are a lot of very good restaurants, (Book first) catering to the locals. We actually went to the Millau Viaduct, and it ****** with rain as we got onto the bridge! Doh. Went back up via a stop for my birthday meal (Castel-Hôtel 1904, Jean-Luc Mouty, Rue de Castel, 63390, St-Gervais d'Auvergne), lovely place. Facinating museum about the resistance of WW2.

Basically a good relaxing holiday, not much driving once we were in the region, some super food, and stunning views.

I would guess that the area would be crawling with caravans and tourists during August, but in September the weather was still good and the roads quiet.

Going a little further you can also go into the Pyrenees, or over the border for all that lovely Cava... Next year maybe.

P.

 

[st13phil]

Never go via Paris imho, go via Rheims and Troyes.
To get to Dijon is 4 - 4.30hours that way.

Totally agree that the A26, Reims, Troyes route is the quickest to get to Dijon but you won't do the 350 miles or so in 4 - 4.30hrs any more by road

 

[Matt45]

We've done this for the last 6 years and are driving to Italy again this summer. We limit the driving so not to get tired but can make Provence befor 4pm on the second day. We stop over using Logis hotels or ones mentioned in the Mitchelin Guide when we do the route plan. Toll roads are easy and not expensive when you take into account how quiet and smooth they are.
We do have the advantage of an open car and no kiddies, but there are plenty of decent motorway stops available.
Top Tip: we fill the car up in the towns at supermarkets before we check in to the hotel so we save a fortune on petrol and we are full for the next days travel. We leave at about 10am, drive for about 3 hours and then stop before driving another 2-3 hours to destination.
Its a lovely way to see France and you can choose to stop where you want at any time. Lunch by quiet rivers, coffee in villages you'd have never found on a map, the list is endless. Thoroughly reccommended! Enjoy

 

[Niks]

Theres nothing like driving down to a destination in Europe, you have a great car to do it in as well. The scenery along the way (in some parts) adds to the beauty of it.

Every year I do a regular trip to Switzerland (Berne, Geneva and Verbier) and Portugal (Cascais, Lisbon and Algarve) in my W124. I have experienced some serious traffic conditions but to be honest majority of them were normal road works or re-surfacing. Every year when I go I do see an increase in truckers and sometimes there would be lines of them in the slow lane, making overtaking a nightmare especially when you have those speeding nutters right up your backside. Theres plenty of good service stations too with great food options.

I just take it easy at 70mph all the way, great fuel consumption, engine eating the miles up with a great big smile and great music! Take it easy and enjoy the drive