Best route from Calais to Perpignon?

[wez130]

I'm sure a few have driven down this way? What's the best route?

I was thinking Calaiis -> Rouen -> Orleons -> Claremont Ferrand -> over Millau bridgeto Beziers and to Perpignon. (Then on to Barcelona for a week).

Sound good? I'm driving on 18th September so have 5 weeks to plan it all.

Any tips, Also, i want to avoid motorway petrol stations, I'll have a range of about 600 miles on a full tank (Will fill up in Calais). So, along the route, suggestions of a petrol station off the motorway would be good. I'm also reading conflicting stories on hi viz jackets. Do i need them or do i not? I thought i did.

Cheers

 

[Conscript]

On phone so I'll be brief for now...yes you need the jackets and need to be able to access them before leaving the car. Fuel on the autoroutes has never seemed much more expensive to me, not enough to go out of my way to avoid it. And I'd avoid Rouen...big work going on on one of the main bridges you need to cross makes the journey through it a nightmare.

 

[wez130]

Thanks for the heads up about Rouen. Apparently it'll be open again by early September so i may be OK for when i go. I'll keep my eye on that one.

The route from Calais to Paris, Languedoc, Southwest France or Spain
WARNING: ROUEN BRIDGE CLOSURE
Avoid the normal route through Rouen until early September 2014. The Pont Mathilde is out of action for over a year, following major structural damage due to a tanker lorry fire. For alternative routes see below...

ROUEN BRIDGE CLOSURE
- two alternative routes
1. Continue into Rouen as normal: go through the first tunnel, then 2 km later,just before the second tunnel, exit following N15 Vernon / Cergy Pontoise. This takes you through the second tunnel on an exit lane. At roundabout, follow Cergy Pontoise, then, 300 metres later fork right for Evreux & Vernon D6015. Follow the D6015 for about 20 km until Le Vaudreuil, where you take D6154, signed Evreux. Within a kilometre, you then rejoin the A154 motorway.
Not advisable at rush hour as the Vernon / Cergy exit is the last before Pont Mathilde, so is used by all traffic.


2. DO NOT follow A28 all the way to Rouen. At Junction 11, follow A29 direction Le Havre / Caen "péage". Leave A29 at the next exit, signed A151 Rouen / Dieppe. Now follow toll-free A151 then A150 then N1338 to Rouen.
After crossing the Seine on the "Pont Flaubert", follow signs for A13. You join the Rouen south expressway: just follow it. Keep following signs for A13. Eventually you will have a choice between A13 Paris and A13 Caen. Follow A13 Paris if you are heading south, A13 Caen if you are heading for Brittany or Alençon.
You will join the A13 in the direction of Paris about a kilometer further north than you would otherwise have joined it. After than, you're back on the route.

Would these make sense?

 

[Housey]

Shame about Rouen, great old race circuit there.

 

[Conscript]

Thanks for the heads up about Rouen. Apparently it'll be open again by early September so i may be OK for when i go. I'll keep my eye on that one.

Would these make sense?

Personally I'd just avoid it and take the most direct route: Calais > Paris > Orleans > Claremont Ferrand etc.

Any particular reason you wanted to head through Rouen?

 

[Maccapacca]

Avoid Rouen if you're just passing through, it's a nightmare.

I'd go towards Le Harve and back on myself if I had to do it again just to avoid it.

 

[wez130]

Personally I'd just avoid it and take the most direct route: Calais > Paris > Orleans > Claremont Ferrand etc.

Any particular reason you wanted to head through Rouen?

Apparently, it saves about €40 in tolls for not much more distance. (20km).

Also, chances are i'll be driving through Rouen in the early hours of the morning. (Not sure of my ferry times yet - but hoping to stop somewhere near Orleans for a sleep - assuming my ferry arrives in Calais between 9pm and 11pm

 

[rpstewart]

Rouen was fine for us heading to and from Le Mans - and that was at lunchtime. We took option 2 from your quote and came in from the north on the A150 & A151.

 

[Conscript]

Apparently, it saves about €40 in tolls for not much more distance. (20km).

Also, chances are i'll be driving through Rouen in the early hours of the morning. (Not sure of my ferry times yet - but hoping to stop somewhere near Orleans for a sleep - assuming my ferry arrives in Calais between 9pm and 11pm

Are you sure? I just ran a quick route on http://www.viamichelin.co.uk/web/Routes as it shows toll costs. It reckons via Paris will cost about £61 in tolls, whilst via Rouen will cost £46. Personally for £15 I'd rather take the more direct route on the toll roads (but then, I'm a big fan of the French autoroutes anyway).

Regardless, its up to you if you would prefer to save the money. And I guess if you're passing through in the early hours, it might be fine. And this whole conversation might be moot anyway if the works will have finished by the time you travel. I just remember passing through Rouen on the way home last year and it was a complete nightmare.

 

[wez130]

Are you sure? I just ran a quick route on http://www.viamichelin.co.uk/web/Routes as it shows toll costs. It reckons via Paris will cost about £61 in tolls, whilst via Rouen will cost £46. Personally for £15 I'd rather take the more direct route on the toll roads (but then, I'm a big fan of the French autoroutes anyway).

Regardless, its up to you if you would prefer to save the money. And I guess if you're passing through in the early hours, it might be fine. And this whole conversation might be moot anyway if the works will have finished by the time you travel. I just remember passing through Rouen on the way home last year and it was a complete nightmare.

I'm just going off this site, and this site.

I'll check viamichelin out though. Thanks.

 

[wez130]

OK, update time.

I've purchased all the legal stuff i need (Hi Viz, breathalisers, light deflectors etc). I've got 2 pre paid credit cards, one with spending money and another for petrol and toll payments. I'm still deciding where to stop over though...

My ferry leaves UK at 22.05, assuming it's a 90 minute crossing, and giving 30 minutes to leave the ferry etc, would i be best driving to Rouen, and crossing the Seine in the early hours, assuming the bridge still isn't fixed (it's supposed to be open again early september). I intend on stopping around Rouens for a sleep. Will i be OK checking in to a hotel at 2am, might sound a silly question but it's something i've never done.

Thx