Traveling Caen to Perpignan
Planning this years summer trip and looking at routes.
options are:-
1. Caen, Poitiers, Limoges, Brive, Toulouse, Perpignan
or
2. Tours, Vierzon, Clermont-Ferrand, Beziers
We did most of route 2 last year when going to Montpelier and it was ok but cricky almighty - some of those peaks and descents were hard work and I wasn't even driving!
We have done some of the roads from route 1 a couple of years back when trying out the Dordogne. Not travelled the bit south from Brive-la-Gallarde though.
What opinions are on offer?
Comments
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The A75 (Clermont Ferrand route) is fantastic, but you're right, it's uphill and downhill all the way to the Med. personally we don't find it challenging, but then we've had plenty of practice.
The A20, and Brive to Toulouse is hilly, but never as steep or as long hills. We regularly do both (we have a house near Perpignan) perhaps going down one way and back the other. Sometimes we do both! We do the A20 down to Brive, then cross country via Rodez and Millau, and then downhill all the way to the Med on the A75. We've just done that route in February.
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Agree A75 a superb road and not really challenging. Done the journey many times winter and summer solo and with caravan when we lived in Languedoc. Going south it is a long pull up to the summit - but the views are outstanding so why not break your dash
south for a few days in the area or in Millau. Going north it is a sharpish climb from Lodeve but no problems for any balanced outfit. Oh, be warned there is a speed camera in the Tunnel just south of the Caylar services going south - 70 ks - it is well
signed. There is of course a toll on the Millau bridge, if you cross it at night it is illuminated as though it is floating in the air!0 -
I've only done the first one towing, albeit many years back. Pleasant relaxing drive as I recall. The second route I've only done solo, or at least as far north as Orleans. As others have observed there are some very lumpy bits to climb over.
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We will be doing this route in May:Caen-Le Mans-Tours-Chatellerault-Chauvigny-Bellac-Gueret-Montlucon-Clermont-Ferrand-Beziers- Perpignan-Collioure. Mostly non peage route. We take our time till we hit the A71/A75.
The A75 is a steep route but easy driving.John C
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We have done both routes on several ocassions (not the Caen bit) in a variety of vehicles including more rrecently a motorhome. We were prevented from using the A75 last year in September going south because part of the carriageway was washed away in a
very bad flood. Whilst the A75 does have some steep climbs the road from the north to Millau is well engineered and shouldn't cause a well balanced outfit any problems.David
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Done both but love the A75 route. The sections South of Clermont Ferrand are truly spectacular but did cause my (At the time) Merc E220 estate to struggle just a bit. Not the engine, but the Auto box needed manual assistance in the hottest weathers. I soon went back to a ML.
No one else has mentioned it but some Auto boxes do need additional cooling when towing a heavy caravan. It might be worth checking with your service engineer. It can get hot down there in the summer. It all depends on your power and Auto box cooling.
But if you have a tow car that can cope, give yourself and family a treat and take the A75.. The other route is fine too but less spectacular.
TF
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TF
I think it very much depends on the car regarding auto cooling. I used that route towing with two auto Kia Sorento's and they
were fine in terms of cooling. Even went up to the Kandersteg Tunnel in Switzerland which is a bit steeper with no issues. They did have a separate gearbox cooler as standard so perhaps that made the difference? Mind you we once coming up from the south on
the twisty bit up to Millau towing with a Citroen Xantia manual and the needle was in the red virtually all the way and fingers firmly crossed!!!David
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Calais - Rouen- Chartre- Orleans- A75 is the better route IMO
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DK
David, I understand what you are saying, but the Sorrento is a big car designed with towing in mind, so there was never likely to be a problem. My remarks were solely directed at Automatics and specifically at those cars which were never intended by the manufacturer to be commonly used for towing.
Many of them rely on the Automatic transmission fluid being cooled via pipework routed internally through (But separate from) the cars normal coolant radiator. Cars properly designed for towing have the auto transmission fluid routed through a proper Oil cooler radiator mounted in the airstream usually either just infront or just behind the water radiator.
On the occasions where problems are experienced in hot climates, it is normally restricted to those cars without a separate transmission oil cooler. Some manufacturers do offer oil cooler systems as an after market accessory.
I stress that this is a problem only likely to occur in very hot conditions, so the thousands of members towing with ordinary cars will not normally need to wory about this. But it is something that they should be aware of.
TF
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Mine was an 09 registered pre facelift model. Generally OK, but I did find that when it got a bit hot coming back from Mez on the A75 towards Clermont Ferand, that I had to assist the box to change up and down by using the manual option. The box was hanging
onto all gears longer than it did normally. At the same time the engine sounded "gruffer". It all returned to normal when the road flattened out!The E class Estate in itself was a very good tow car, which surprised me a bit, given its long rear overhang, but i always felt that it lacked "grunt" when towing. Fine under normal use. But I only kept it 12 months before returning to my first love a big
3 Litre 4x4. Found out later that family & friends were taking bets on how long it would be before I returned to a big 4x4. I guess its all about what suits you!TF
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Do the A75 route.. Spectacular and free apart from the Millau bridge (superb)..
This is always our preferred route to the south. We find after Millau you feel the Mediterranean warmth, then you know you have really started your holiday.. �??
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