Towing to South France
Comments
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I have just done virtually the same journey as Flatcoat, also from Yorkshire although my first overnight stop was outside Rouen. I also found it rather onerous, although if I hadn't had the Yorkshire to Calais leg i would probably have found it better which the questioner doesn't have to do. In his position I wowuld probably go for it, although I would also avoid St Tropez.
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We have returned from Port Grimaud in the last few days. It is without doubt a must do area for any caravanner/motorhomer.
My suggestion would be to make an early evening channel crossing and overnight somewhere like Bien Asisse (Guines) they are reasonably flexible here on arrival times during high season and the site is less than 20 minutes from the tunnel.
Getting into France the evening before a hard day's travel saves at least 3 hours (tunnel) when the time difference is taken into account.
Early start the following morning -450miles ish to Indigo Lyon (at Dardilly, Port de Lyon) which is just a few minutes off the motorway. During the high season it will be very busy so booking is advised especially if a late arrival is anticipated. Next day early start again - go through the centre of Lyon (much quicker than the ring road) motorway all the way down to within 20/30 miles of St Tropez. The traffic on this "leg" will be horrendous- it was almost gridlock in mid September but for light relief you can play spot the most exotic cars - Ford GT40 in full Gulf Le Mans colours in our case (looked and sounded to be genuine). The Lyon to St Tropez leg is around 280/290 miles ish - it will most likely take you longer that the Guines to Lyon bit despite being much fewer miles. In our experience it's just a question of keeping going and going with the flow.
When I was a young man and it was "need must"because of time/holiday restrictions this sort of journey plan was ok ish (never to my wife who hated the time spent in the car) but now we would not contemplate a plan that included 450 ish miles in one day and 10 hours driving. It's a lot of miles towing but it can be done with sensible planning and stops every 4 hours or so to stretch the legs and have a coffee. Plan for maybe average of 45miles to the hour travelled and get a Sanef tag if you haven't already got one to avoid some of the toll hold ups.
Hope this helps
Ome "n" Dri
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Wow, 450 miles from Calais to Lyon in one day. I am impressed. If I got as far as Dijon on that first day I would be more than pleased with myself.
And after that I would make for Grenoble and the lovely D1075 road south from there to Sisteron - and there are all sorts of options to the Mediterranean coast after that, to save all those busy stretches of the A7 and A8 autoroutes.
Maps are so useful, aren't they.
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"And after that I would make for Grenoble and the lovely D1075 road south from there to Sisteron" It's a lovely route ET but with a caravan on the back it's would be neither quick nor easy. (e.g.the Col deCroix-Haute ). Lovely night stop at Lalley, if you're not in a hurry
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Yes, Camping Belle Roche at Lalley, one our all time favourites, and the road over the Col de la Croix Haute is easy peasy - all the Dutch caravanners go that way ! We raced a train on the railway over the pass one day.
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Perhaps you were never a young man- can't say 450 miles in a day towing is ideal but sometimes that's what you have to do. I suppose we did it for ten years give or take but much more relaxed traveling these days - under 200 miles a day suites us even when we go to Port Grimaud via Rudesheim and Spain 150 miles a day is even better.
Whichever way you go the big hold ups are on the approaches to St Tropez normally - my route would always be sticking to the A8 because the French system is biased towards keeping the motorways moving especially after traffic accidents. For those that have passed (on the French motorways) RTA's being cleared up with casualties being treated on the side of the road and the traffic still being encouraged to move on "smartly" will understand my thinking. Having said that I wouldn't through choice be doing St Trop in high season but if you "have to" you need to make it as easy and as uncomplicated as you can. I am all for a good view and the scenic route but I think the op is looking to get "there" as quickly and easily as possible. I think this rules out anything other than the main motorway routes.
Ome "n" Dri
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Of course I was once a young man. We had four children under the age of eleven when we first went to the Mediterranean, and never dreamed of putting their lives and safety at risk by attempting 450 miles in a day. We went gently from swimming pool to swimming pool.
I have always been a caravanner with a Motorhomer mentality - going from place to place as the mood takes me. And if it means two or three days less at THE destination then so what? And if there was no destination at all then that never mattered very much either.
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It's a bit melodramatic to imply Omendri was putting lives at risk by driving 450 miles in a day irrespective of towing. A few yrs back, we set off from La Rochelle with the intention of staying at Black Horse Farm on the way back. It turned out they were full, so we just carried on home. If I'd not thought I was capable, I'd not have done it .... likewise Omendri.
Not towing ..... I've driven from Pompey or Plymouth to Edinburgh(ish) a few times in one go.
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No. Just that not everyone is the same & don't judge other people's ability on your own. Some of us have a fair distance before we get to the Chunnel ..... maybe we should get you to vet our holiday plans before getting in the car.
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Distance covered in a day is very much a function of traffic/terrain. Higher mileages are generally more readily feasible on the continent. I found when towing about 300 miles a day in the UK was plenty and that is assuming predominately motorway. For ordinary roads about 200/250 is more appropriate to prevent it becoming something of a chore. Can't see my views since acquiring a MH are going to change. If initial experience of driving it are anything to go by, it is less relaxing than towing because of the ambience of a tin box.
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when we leave the site here in Benicassim, our first stop will be Irun, on the Spanish/French border....googlmaps says just over 6 hrs, non toll... but on mainly deserted dual carriageway.
i did the reverse leg on our previous visit here and found it took around 7 hrs....for 'most' folk (including me) i would have thought this was more than far enough (550-600 km) in a day depending on route.
for the most part, travelling comfortable at over 100kph is easy as the roads are good and mainly free from traffic...
doing this sort of mileage (short of 400ml) would be (for me) blooming hard work on any roads other than autoroutes (via/pista)....move this trip to Frances N roads or the UK 'main' A roads and its a different kettle of fish completely...
...and CY...we have a van that cruises more quietly at 70mph than our 'other vehicle' a Fiat 500.....but thats a doddle to park, lol
check out the 'noises/rattles' and isolate them between you, and perhaps some sound deadening might help.
good luck.
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But BB...the question was about towing a caravan to the south of France, not driving a Motorhome across empty roads in Spain.... Take care,safe journey back.
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ET, you obviously missed the comparison i put in my post about French roads?
my quoted spanish trip was to show how, even on open deserted roads, IMHO, 6/7 hours driving is likely to be more than enough for 'most people'...
as it happens ive done the trip to (nr to) St Tropez several times so i know how long it takes.
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When we were younger we would often travel from north Germany (Hannover area) to Scotland (Perth)for a long weekend of 4 or 5 days. Straight driving, no stopping other than the ferry crossing. OH was used to driving for long periods being in the army, so it never bothered us then.
Towing down to Spain or Italy used to take 2 night stops arrive on the 3 day just prior to lunch, again never bothered us, we were young fit and healthy. When we lived in Plymouth we used to pop home for a few days, like the Easter break, again straight drive took us about 12 - 13 hours back in the 70's.
Wouldn't think about doing those distances nowadays. Life is much more relaxed, the longest we drive is around 350 miles and that is on the way to the ferry for an overnight crossing. Once over the water driving can be anything from 20 mls to 280 mls in a day. More often than not 100 mls or a couple of hours depending on road type. Time is not a factor anymore so we just take as much as we need, its not a race.
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ive mentioned it before, but when working i had to visit our site in Kendal regularly (during the takeover, many folk had to ply the M5/M6) and its 280+ miles from central Somerset....however, it wasnt unusual (before the advent of full televideo conferencing) to go up and back in a day, with a full session of working meetings in between....
to do 560 miles now would fill me with dread....today, the UKs roads are just not fit for this sort of purpose, except before 5am and after 9pm.....
however, quite looking forward to the drive back to Irun....but thats for pleasure
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Don't understand your thinking that 450 miles a day puts "lives at risk" comment. Clearly everyone has a mileage "tolerance" which shouldn't be exceeded but for those that are happy and competent to do this (450 miles) I see no logical reason this shouldn't be done. European HGV drivers have been exceeding this daily mileage within their allocated hours for as many years as I can remember. Obviously some planning and organisation is sensible before starting the journey - now I think it is called completing an informal risk assessment - which covers off things like fuelling/stops and the like. For us keeping the children occupied was always a challenge - story tapes (30+ years on I can still repeat word perfect "the princess and the pea") - travel games - I spy books - quizzes with prizes all helped. Of course now children have 'phones - DVD players - iPads - Kindles and the like to occupy them on the journey. We also planned our "breaks" for rest area's with play and activity facilities - out door showers were always popular. 10 minutes of running about like lunatics - an outdoor shower then drying out in the car far the next few hours.
Having said all this I am not advocating high daily mileages - quite the contrary if fact - but if that's the need then in my view subject to a sensible approach I see no reason why 450 miles in a day is not safely achievable on the motorways in France.
Being now in my dotage driving stops at around 1530hrs latest and doesn't start again to 0930hrs the following morning. After a couple or three driving days I need a rest day to recover my equilibrium - takes us a long while to get "anywhere" but that suits us. 40 years ago and earning a living, meandering to the sun wasn't an option because of holiday restrictions. Therefor I empathise with those that want the (near) guarantee of sun but need to get "there" quickly.
Ome "n" Dri
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Hi
At this moment still in France. Heading back to the shuttle. We have been south. Take the advice and get the boat from St Maxime. Traffic is bumper to bumper and St Tropez dissapointing. Go inland Provence. A good stop over south of Dijon at Chagny. Acsi €15 hot showers good wifi included.
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Hi Onepjg
like you I live in Kent ( Rochester) I did this trip 5 years ago in second two weeks of June. I took a late night tunnel and drove though the night just breaking for coffee until we got to a service station for diesel. it was called sommesous. I stopped here for a couple of hours sleep it was about 6am. we slept in the car . when we woke I carried on to Chalon-sur-soane and stayed at a site called Le pont de Bourgogne. we stayed two nights had time to restock food and fuel and a nice rest. the next day left about 10-30 am for port grimaund we got there late afternoon. love that area of france but as people have said the road on the coast is very busy bumper to bumper.on the way back we stay at the same site just for one night the on to Calais the next day stopping outside Calais near St Omer at the site Gandspeette for two days to stock up on fuel wine beer etc. the most I drove in one day was 400 miles. it is a long way but it is well worth it. have a great holiday and planning it. Dave
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La Paille Haut is a good site, Camping Le Chateau Dr Osseraie (If I've spelled it correctly) is at Feuillieres, a little further south. Youd have to contact them re late arrival. At one time, with time restrictions I'd have done what you're suggesting- except they didn't have motorways then! Now, past my biblical sell by date, we plan on about 300 miles per day if mainly motorway and regularly manage 45/46mph. Non motorway - No more than 200 miles per day & allow a couple of days between long drives. Retirement has it's advantages!
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