Avoiding Rouen
hi, i know this is a same old question. however, we are staying at camping sainte claire neufchatel en bray in the summer, then travelling down to a site near poitiers past tours. i am looking at travelling the slightly slower route dreux evreux etc. is there a route to take that avoids rouen altogether. we are car and caravan. i have seen a longer route down from neufchatel to versailles but dont really fancy anywhere near paris circulars. made that mistake years ago.
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Years ago, after trying to 'avoid' Rouen we discovered the route on the left bank of the Seine, down through Amfreville and Pont de l'Arche on the D6015. At the end of the Darnetal tunnel take the right slip road signposted Le Havre but then almost immediately get into the left hand lane, turn left, and go through the traffic lights heading for the right hand side of the church in front of you. Then you're on the start of the D6015, and just follow that until you come out at the junction of the A13 and N154. Take the N154 down towards Evreux. Have a look at a map in detail first, so you can familiarise yourself with the roads you need, in advance.
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We have travelled to The Loire or Dordogne since about 1999 and we used to hate Rouen. Many years ago a detour was set up following a bridge closure due to boat collision. A fair way out of Rouen we used to turn off the A28 onto the A29, picking up the A151,then A150, A139, A13 then N154 down through Evreux. Our Avtex/Garmin satnav still sometimes picks up on this route.
If you miss it then do not worry as traffic seems to flow a lot better than it did 10+ years or so ago.
The N154 route is our preferred route as it avoids the tools on the Le Mans toll road. You will have a choice of Aires to have a break and pick up cheap fuel along the way.
Outside of Dreux is a pinch point at the bottom of a hill and a staggered cross roads, but otherwise an excellent route. At the top of the hill with a small industrial estate to your right is a roundabout and a small unmanned petrol station with cheap fuel where we usually fill up.
If travelling high season you will find the longer non toll roads do not really add much time to your route. Queues on toll roads usually build up and add delay, as do cars awaiting fuel stops, We also average 50+mph with ease on the route you are considering.
Colin
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Easy enough to miss Rouen.
Ferry from Portsmouth to Caen then via Le Mans to your destination. It misses Rouen altogether and is 230 miles on big roads instead of 380 miles from Calais.
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Best route, but don't try it until at least Tuesday next week!!!!!
LM 24hours 10th & 11th June, 300,000 sell out for the centenary and we are all hitting the Porstmouth ferry from tomorrow night. The autoroute to LM will be rammed until Friday, then back next Monday.
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I used to hate Rouen because of the Pont Mathilde bridge and associated junctions. When the bridge got seriously damaged and another route was needed I discovered the Pont Gustav Flaubert which despite having some complexity is actually straightforward, used it ever since. Coming from where you are it's likely to be the recommended route from any tech or sat nav.
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But the OP states that he is staying at Neufchatel-en-Bray!!!!!!!!
The ferry to Ouistreham/Caen would put him well out of the way.
Until 2021 I was a regular traveller to Bordeaux and I was always torn between the tunnel (I never used the Dover to Calais ferry) then continuing via Rouen, or the ferry to Caen and the route via Le Mans and Tours. There are pros and cons either way and I would not argue for the ferry route exclusively for those of us, (including the OP) from the East Midlands for whom the trip to Portsmouth and the tunnel is roughly equidistant; the cost was always very similar taking everything into account, including allowing for the higher mileage, and toll costs, if you use tolls, from the tunnel on the "other side".
Personally I never had an issue with Rouen; when the Pont Mathilde was closed (which was due to an HGV fire damaging the bridge not a boat collision) the optional route, via Quevilly, was found, by me at least, to be good enough to actually use on subsequent occasions after the bridge re-opened.
Sometimes I used the St Malo ferry, in some ways better still for Bordeaux.
It must be said I wasn't towing.
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Never really had a problem with Rouen as it’s quite easy to navigate. The only problem is that on days of industrial unrest the yellow jackets inhabit the roundabout with the cows on it. Fortunately protesters usually go home for lunch and don’t come back!
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For destinations in western France the Pont de Normandie is yet another way of avoiding Rouen altogether. How many options is that?
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We too have been using the Rouen route for many years with no problems. If it is now in the Crit Air area so be it and best to get one before you leave. Both in France and in Germany the cities requiring these things are expanding all the time. We are currently in Germany and we needed an Umwelt to drive into Freiburg (and use the B31 from Colmar to Titisee which goes through Freiburg); I was able to get one at a testing station, just show them your V5 and pay €15 and you get one (I recall the Crit Air cost less than that). Both are vehicle specific and last for the lifetime of your vehicle.
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hi valda, been a while but its time to travel again. when approaching the tunnels in rouen. if im right there are 2 tunnels going west and 1 tunnel coming back east.
if we are heading west (to go down south) we normall go through the left tunnel to aim for the A13. following your instruction. do we take the right hand side tunnel, which then comes to a roundabout. from there to get onto the D6015. is this correct. we always got told about the height restrictions on 1 of the tunnels. but not sure which one is the low one thanks
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Hi Grezza, your opening post a year ago was asking how to avoid Rouen altogether. I thought that was an eminently sensible plan and made some suggestions how to achieve that.
Now, however, you are apparently entangled in talking of three separate tunnels in the city itself. Don’t go there. I still think your first plan a whole year ago was a good one. I support it wholeheartedly.
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I'm not sure which tunnels you mean to head for the A13 - but it suggests you're on the A29. We continue on the the A28 from the bifurcation where the A29 starts. There is a single tunnel heading South West on the A28, which is full height - used by HGVs.
I'm happy to email you some old PDFs of the route, and the junctions, which I did a long time ago. The route hasn't changed, but there are more traffic calming measures on one section - but nothing too bad. Emaill me on valdaathome@gmail.com if you need them.1 -
I have probably posted this before but I will repeat it anyway. The route south through Dreux to Chartres has to be about the worst in France. Endless junctions, lorries, heavy traffic, nowhere to stop. Don’t worry about Rouen, just follow the signs to Le Mans and pick up the A28 to Poitiers. Pay the tolls and have a safer, easier and faster journey. Important: coming back and travelling North on the Autoroute, don’t try and turn off before the centre of Rouen, pay the toll (just a few Euros) and stay on the autoroute unit the Calais sign comes up.
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The exit you want off the A28 is shown on the right of the picture.
peedee
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The photo PeeDee posted on here is what caravanners see of Rouen, but the city has actually got a lovely historic centre. We had 3 days there in a small hotel right beside the cathedral - with the car in an underground garage for the whole time and the caravan back at home. There are markets, museums, parks and restaurants all within walking range of where we were, as well as the cathedral, but Rouen just isn’t caravan friendly.
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