Wanted: route advice to Auxerre

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welland99

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Driving to Auxerre next week and the internet route planners show the best route from Calais to Auxerre as follows:

A26 to Arras
A2 and A1 to PAris
A6 to Auxerre

This seems counter intuitive to me, thinking that Paris will be pretty busy.

I'm thinking it'd be much better to keep on the A26 past Reims to Troyes. Then cut across country the short hop to Auxerre.

Anybody with experience of this journey?
 
Would avoid the Boulevard Périphérique at all costs from past experience.
 
Well, all I can say that might help is the 'peripherique' is not the nightmare I was expecting, we were going South, so got the A77 after Paris - fantastic road, an apparently brand new motorway effectively all to ourselves....

bon chance!

lol...obviously depends when you hit the ringroad!
 
Drove the route recently, not to Auxerre but to Chablis (just short of Auxerre), but stick on the autoroute to Troyes, avoid Paris, and do some cross country. The road from Troyes via Chaource and Tonnerre is a great driving road, with a super mix of straights, corners, forests and towns.

It was enormous fun in my 02 and my mate's Bristol.
 
I'd also recommend the Troyes option - the Périphérique doesn't live up to it's reputation anymore by a long stretch but you'll find the journey less hassle.

Check out the route using Via Michelin, and you'll also get the cost of the tolls included (or use the Bison Futé site). That may also sway your decision.
 
The A26 route is approximately 20 miles and 30 minutes longer than the A1/A6 option. La Périphérique has a reputation amongst Brits for being bad news (which it can be at the wrong time of the day), but it can also be free flowing and problem free. A bit like the M25 really.

My preference - unless you're in a tearing hurry - would be A26 to Reims then pick up the D944 (used to be the N44) to Châlons-en-Champagne, from where I'd take the D977 (formerly the N77) down to Troyes and finally the N77 to Auxerre. That way you get some options for a refreshment stop and cheap fuel away from the Autoroute. Arcis-sur-Aube isn't a bad bet for a quick lunch stop.
 
Definitely the A26, a lot less busy and a plethora of hotels on motorway at Reims should you want a stop.
 
Generally the peripherique is nowhere near as bad as lore would have it. The motorway via Reims and Troyes will be fine, or if you want to see more than motorway go Soissons, Château-Thierry, Sézanne It's shorter but will take about 2 hours more.
 
My preference - unless you're in a tearing hurry - would be A26 to Reims then pick up the D944 (used to be the N44) to Châlons-en-Champagne, from where I'd take the D977 (formerly the N77) down to Troyes and finally the N77 to Auxerre. That way you get some options for a refreshment stop and cheap fuel away from the Autoroute. Arcis-sur-Aube isn't a bad bet for a quick lunch stop.

I drove the D6/977 up from Troyes thinking I was making such great progress on D roads from Chablis it would be similar - it was a big mistake. Loads of lorries, caravans, people driving at 30mph, towns with red lights and just miles of flat wheatfields unrelieved by anything pleasant. Added an hour to the journey too. Not my idea of fun.
 
Definitely the Troyes route - plus, the autoroute now passes to the East of Reims (still shown on Google Maps as you have to travel to the west / south) shaving about 15-25 minutes off of any route calculations you may have made on out of date mapping.

BTW: as the bypass has been open 6 months why is it still not shown on Google Maps?
 
Charles Morgan said:
I drove the D6/977 up from Troyes thinking I was making such great progress on D roads from Chablis it would be similar - it was a big mistake. Loads of lorries, caravans, people driving at 30mph, towns with red lights and just miles of flat wheatfields unrelieved by anything pleasant. Added an hour to the journey too. Not my idea of fun.
Ahh... I confess that most times I've used that road it's been on two wheels which means no difficulties making overtakes, but I've also done it in an SLK and didn't really get held up. Traffic levels are also very dependent upon weekday or weekend. Point well made, though.
 
Thank you all for your comments. I think we'll take the motorway to Troyes.
 

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