Calais to Chateauroux through Paris or Not
Hello All,
I looking for some advice, Just booked our Summer Holiday staying in near Sarlat on the
Dordogne, we loved it so much last year that we have decided to go back but a different camp site this time and more stop overs on route and on the return journey!
We will be taking the Channel Tunnel and arriving in Calais around 01.30am and would then normally head towards Rouen, Evreux, Chartres, Orleans as to bypass Paris.
Is this still the advisable route early hours of the morning and does anyone have any experience of heading straight through Paris via the A1 at this hour of the morning with caravan in tow
or is there no benefit.
Thanks in advance
Comments
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Yes, at that time of day go via one of the Paris ring roads, but with two provisos . Will you not want to put your head down at 1.30am and get some sleep, and are you happy to pay the tolls which will be 63 euros via Paris.?
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There is very little difference in distance between going via Paris or Rouen to your destination. Maybe one thing to think about is what happens if you get any delays.Calais to Paris is further than Calais to Rouen by about 50 miles. Unless you are travelling
at the weekend you could just get caught up in the start of the rush hour?David
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There's so much difference of opinion re the Paris route during normal daytime hours that to my way of thinking I would and do always use the Rouen route. You've mentioned all the major towns on the Rouen route so are converant with it. I would stick with
what I know.0 -
Like Harry, we've also used the Rouen route almost exclusively for the last few years, as we store our caravan near Chateauroux. We have been delayed in Paris, admittedly during the day time, but for four hours, and that's no fun at all.
Although there are the odd 'irritating' junctions on the Rouen/Orleans route, in general there are no major areas of hold up.
And, as Eurotraveller says, you save the tolls, and that saving for us pays for a lot of nights on campsites.
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Skirting round Paris via the Francilliene is a bit fiddly, IMHO. Quite a few junctions that you need to make sure you're in the correct lane.
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Two years ago, in the summer, we skirted Paris (East) on one of the motorway 'ring roads' at about 3-4 in the morning on the way from Calais to Orleans. It was much, much busier than I thought, and didn't feel too comfortable with it. Should I go this
way again, I think I would try the Rouen route. Only then would I be able to give a true comparision, but I wasn't too comfortable with the East of Paris route.David
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Like CY and DSB we've done the Francillienne but prefer the Rouen route. We were lucky in that we had no delays, as on that occasion there was a vehicle on fire on the opposite carriageway with long queues. It was very busy though, and we found our SatNav
a great help to be in the correct lane. We didn't feel the desire or need to go that way again though!0 -
Try this route rouen to lemans stop at beaumont sur Sarthe municipal site lovely . Tours Poitiers . Angouleme perigeux sarlat tolls yes done all routes find this one just as good plenty of campsites to chose on the way down not worried about extra
of tolls retired and iam going spend it en joying my way nursing Home cant have it0 -
On my first three trips to France we used the Paris route to go south but then I discovered the route via Rouen when using the Newhaven Dieppe ferry route and I have never used the via Paris route since. Via Rouen is far easier and cheaper.
peedee
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We habitually cross the Seine at Gaillon after Les Andelys and have sometimes crossed at Mantes la Jolie.All the road works at Rouen and then the bridge issues put us off the Rouen option and now I can make my way to Gaillon by following my nose,having done
it so often.You can readily pick up the N154 from it.0 -
I don't want to stir the pot, but I would avoid all of Calais, Paris and Rouen which have been mentioned so far.
Bristol to the Dordogne is really trouble free using one of the ferries from Portsmouth -either daytime or overnight.
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We have travelled on both routes and would go via Rouen anytime..Not much diffrence in distance but the two things in its favour are saving in toll charges and it is far more scenic. Driving around Paris at anytime is not a relaxing experience..
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Definitely not Paris, particularly if you are towing. There are a couple of awkward junctions and at most times of day lots of traffic. Rouen is much better.
Another consideration is cost. Its cheaper.0
