French Peage

[larrylamb]

I was planning to overnight in Burgundy area perhaps Dijon, night one, then arrive in the Med area (bassin de Thau), night two.

For a car buff like yourself you need to break up your journey with a visit to
https://www.chateau-savigny.com/ near Beaune, amazing.
Stay the night near Beaune centre https://www.campinglescentvignes.fr/ great restaurants and wine.

 

[Corradobrit]

For a car buff like yourself you need to break up your journey with a visit to
https://www.chateau-savigny.com/ near Beaune, amazing.
Stay the night near Beaune centre https://www.campinglescentvignes.fr/ great restaurants and wine.

Yes indeed. I visited the museum last year. Quite an eclectic collection considering the Cold War era planes and helicopters. Also consider a detour to the French National Automobile Museum in Mulhouse, especially if you want to see vintage Bugatti's. Both wonderful experiences for the petrolhead.

 

[JuanVecino2023]

Yes indeed. I visited the museum last year. Quite an eclectic collection considering the Cold War era planes and helicopters. Also consider a detour to the French National Automobile Museum in Mulhouse, especially if you want to see vintage Bugatti's. Both wonderful experiences for the petrolhead.

Would love to see the Bugattis. Will see how it goes selling to the family on our Christmas jaunt...

 

[JuanVecino2023]

For a car buff like yourself you need to break up your journey with a visit to
https://www.chateau-savigny.com/ near Beaune, amazing.
Stay the night near Beaune centre https://www.campinglescentvignes.fr/ great restaurants and wine.

I love Beaune. I recall a wonderful lunch with my wife before kids, sat outside with a bottle of white Burgundy, looking at the hospital roof.

This looks fabulous.

 

[RichardH]

Driving through rural France used to be a joy. But the very many speed bumps, frequent cameras and inconsistent low speed limits have now made it a frustrating test of concentration for longer routes. It helps to have a second person looking out for speed restriction signs (remember that the town / village name sign is usually also the start of a 50 kph limit). Add the vagaries of the city low emission zones and the different rural limits between departments (Waze helps with all of this) and it’s easy to go wrong. We have done long distance cross-country routes across France in recent years but it is no longer a chill-out option. The motorways are now far more relaxing if your aim is to cover long distances to a destination. Enjoy the back roads once you get there!

 

[Jeremy Thompson]

I’m looking to drive down to South of France from Calais, avoiding the leave.

I’ve use AI to give me the theoretical times, but has anyone done this in the real world?

I recall heading to Le Mans one year and due to an accident we went off piste from the motorways and it got very rural quickly,

Apple Maps suggests it only adds a couple of hours, but I’m less confident.

Linked to your thread - be aware that now a lot of the Peage’s are “auto” - no kiosks and no ticket! After you have driven thru the virtual Peage you have to go the their web site and pay the toll. I think that you have 48hrs to complete the transaction or they’ll track you back to UK with a fine!

 

[chris151151]

I’m looking to drive down to South of France from Calais, avoiding the leave.

I’ve use AI to give me the theoretical times, but has anyone done this in the real world?

I recall heading to Le Mans one year and due to an accident we went off piste from the motorways and it got very rural quickly,

Apple Maps suggests it only adds a couple of hours, but I’m less confident.

I recommend Viamichelin website. Paid autoroutes often best through the less scenic parts, unless you have a lot of time.

 

[JuanVecino2023]

Linked to your thread - be aware that now a lot of the Peage’s are “auto” - no kiosks and no ticket! After you have driven thru the virtual Peage you have to go the their web site and pay the toll. I think that you have 48hrs to complete the transaction or they’ll track you back to UK with a fine!

Yes, we have nearly been caught out by this!

 

[JuanVecino2023]

I recommend Viamichelin website. Paid autoroutes often best through the less scenic parts, unless you have a lot of time.

A couple of people have suggested this - I have just downloaded.

 

[Vaughan]

From a lot years experience it’ll take an order of magnitude longer to do the trip sans paege.

It’s not clear what the object of the exercise is?

Just remember not all of France is beautiful winding roads through vineyards etc.

A big part of your non-motorway route will be “long straight section behind truck/roundabout/long straight behind truck/roundabout/non descript town/traffic light/speed bump/roundabout “ and so on.
Throw in a few agonising waits trying to overtake a beard in a great white relying on your other half to tell you it’s safe to pull out!

It’ll get tiresome very quickly!

Probs best to research a few nice areas to explore and just send it down the paege between them?

True for some of the time. Last summer we went off-piste through eastern part of Champagne, south east of Chalons, and also through the Vercours south west of Grenoble. Both great, toll free journeys through lovely countryside. Admittedly we weren’t in a hurry to get anywhere.

 

[kenseaton]

I drove from Nice to Cherbourg this summer using a combination of autoroutes and N roads. We did it over five days. Simple and fun.
Your time estimate could easily double or triple if circumstances - tractors, combines, long loads, road closures etc - go against you.
RichardH and Sidepod make good points as much of the flat countryside is boring - especially at 80kph and with new 30kph limits and speed humps in towns.
Pick the areas you want to see and join them up with faster routes. The spinal A75 is toll-free most of the way.
This article may help. https://www.connexionfrance.com/practical/map-where-are-there-free-motorways-in-france/716641

 

[pluc99]

Don't rely on any one navigator. Compare them to google maps and investigate any major inconsistencies. On one occasion, when the Mont Blanc Tunnel was closed and the Great S Bernard Tunnel had a nightly closure for only heavy vehicles:

• Waze wanted to route me through the closed MBT
• Maps (apple) thought the GSB was completely closed and had a 3 hour detour
• Via Michelin also had a 3 hour detour through the Frejus tunnel
• Google Maps was the only one that got it right on that occasion, but that's not always true.

 

[Viktorgeorge]

Linked to your thread - be aware that now a lot of the Peage’s are “auto” - no kiosks and no ticket! After you have driven thru the virtual Peage you have to go the their web site and pay the toll. I think that you have 48hrs to complete the transaction or they’ll track you back to UK with a fine!

Am I right to assume that a Fulli, Bip'n Go or whatever tag works in this situation?

 

[Flower Power]

Yes, my Bip&Go got us covered... also in Italy (as I have that country on it as well).

 

[crookrise]

Its very easy, mind its easier having a knowledge of French N roads and the ones to avoid. Been driving to the south for 45 years times before some of the french motorways, also worked in the Angers area in the late 80's.
Last two years we've been to Toulon 3 times and Barcelona twice. Just booked a ferry to Mallorca from Toulon for May...
If there's a major conurbation in the way we jump on the motorway to get around.
If heading to the SE use the Belgian motorways [free] towards Luxembourg then on to Nancy [again all free] bonus is Luxembourg has the cheapest fuel in the EU.
Heading SW then head down the A20 to just short of Cahors from Blois area [again free].
Avoiding the tolls you'll save £150 which will pay for a lunch time leisurely meal for 3 days, thats what we usually allow to travel at an easy pace.
Photo is an easy days 200 miles coffee stop at 10:00 two hour lunch and a beer stop at 4:30.

 

[JuanVecino2023]

We are travelling to the south west, near Beziers.

Vichy, Sancerre, Bourges have come up as mid points.

Further north Chablis, Troyes, Auxerre came up.

We have a six year old so I’m trying to limit driving too much in a day.

That said, we arrive Calais 4:30 Sunday 21st and want to be in Beziers latest midday 23rd.

Any suggestions welcome.

Last time we drive down, we went via Chennonceaux on the way down and Lyon on the way up.

We are looking for a more direct route this time given Christmas constraints

 

[Jude]

I’m looking to drive down to South of France from Calais, avoiding the leave.

I’ve use AI to give me the theoretical times, but has anyone done this in the real world?

I recall heading to Le Mans one year and due to an accident we went off piste from the motorways and it got very rural quickly,

Apple Maps suggests it only adds a couple of hours, but I’m less confident.

I have done this trip many times. I go via Paris using motorways because it is fast, easy, the scenery us great and the motorways services are excellent - safe for free overnight stopovers and some with showers!

 

[sidepod]

I have done this trip many times. I go via Paris using motorways because it is fast, easy, the scenery us great and the motorways services are excellent - safe for free overnight stopovers and some with showers!

Did you actually read the OP before replying?