Best route - Dunkerque to Cap d'Agde France

[S_374382905]

I am planning a trip for next year, lasting a month.

We will be leaving Dunkerque at about 1.00pm and want to end up on the South Coast at Cap d' Agde - Camping Neptune within about three days.

Can anyone advise the best rout for this trip please? In previous years, when travelling South from Zeebrugge, I have gone via Langres and then down the A6 to the Nice area which has always been fine, particularly as it avoids Paris.

The same route looks to me like it not the most direct for Cap d'Agde area, but the alternatives all seem to go very close to Paris.

I would be grateful for any advice from people who have travelled Dunkerque to Cap d Agde area for a good route to take.

 

[ValA.]

We did Dunkerque to Camping Neptune in May this year. We took our normal route (which is not the most direct, but for us the most cost-effective as we don't like paying tolls) and it also avoids Paris. This is to head towards Abbeville on the A28 stop overnight at the Aire de la Baie de Somme - as we arrive in France after all the campsites have shut up shop! Then down via Rouen, Evreux, Chartres, Orleans, overnight at Camping Municipal at Nevers (or alternatively Camping Sologne at Salbris) then down to Grannat and via Clermont Ferrand down to the coast. We usually only pay tolls for the section around Orleans to save going through the town, and then from Grannat down to Clermont Ferrand. We reached Camping Neptune from Nevers before their closing time, which I think is about 6.00 pm - but after that the Guardianne is amenable and allows you in providing there are pitches available.

I know this looks rather a convoluted route on a map - but it's actually very straightforward, and costs only around 14 euros in tolls instead of

 

[Guest]

Would agree with Val's route choice, although we tend to stick with the main route south through Toulouse. But the northern part is defintely the best one. However, we tend to use the autoroutes as although there are indeed tolls on some, my saving in fuel cancels these out quite a bit. I have a petrol motor and stop starting for villages and towns hits me hard. I also feel her costs of

 

[ValA.]

Tolls going on the viaMichelin recommended route (which goes around Paris)and then over towards Orleans and then on down the A71 to join the A75 would be 86 euros, going via Reims/Lyon would be 120.50 euros.

It's surprising how much, if you don't avoid any of the toll sections, these can be these days.

We have a diesel car, so fuel economy isn't affected that much by the non-toll route we use - and is probably more than offset by the fact that we buy our fuel in supermarkets, which can cost around 20 cents per litre more. We share the towing too - he does the complicated stretches and I do the easy bits - but that does mean we can go a little further each day than a solo driver. We'd probably do just as Scotchlad suggests if we didn't have just a two week holiday. When OH is retired we'll do more easy days, I hope!

 

[Guest]

We have 2 drivers as well, but even the 'boss' gets tired after a few hours, and as Val mentions, we are not usually in any hurry. By the time you stop for coffee, lunch and afternoon tea break, little time left. Our main 'driver' is the weather. If it is raining then we push on. By the way we use the whole A20, as it is toll free from Vierzon (ggod site at Vatan just south) to south of Brive. We then usually hop in to the Dordogne for a few days before going further south.

By the way the excellent 'chippie' at Dreux has closed...b....r.

 

[S_374382905]

Both

Thanks very much for your prompt and detailed responses. Thats the route I will take.

We arrive Dunkerque on 1st sept at around 1pm and have booked Neptune from 5th. Route I have planned (thanks to you both) is:

1. Dunkerque to Evreux -1 night

2. Evreux to Nevers - 2 nights

3. Nevers to Severac Le Chateau - 1 night

4. Nevers to Cap D'Agde

No journey should be longer than 5 hours, with the last leg only being a couple.

Does this route sound feasible? Also do you have any recommendations for sites on these 'stops'.

Thanks again for your help.

 

[S_374382905]

Both

Thanks very much for your prompt and detailed responses. Thats the route I will take.

We arrive Dunkerque on 1st sept at around 1pm and have booked Neptune from 5th. Route I have planned (thanks to you both) is:

1. Dunkerque to Evreux -1 night

2. Evreux to Nevers - 2 nights

3. Nevers to Severac Le Chateau - 1 night

4. Nevers to Cap D'Agde

No journey should be longer than 5 hours, with the last leg only being a couple.

Does this route sound feasible? Also do you have any recommendations for sites on these 'stops'.

Thanks again for your help.

Sory - last leg should have been Severac Le Chateau to Cap D'Agde

 

[ValA.]

Last year, on our way home, we stayed at Huttopia at Senonches not that far south from Evreux, which was very nice for an overnight stop. Lovely state of the art bathrooms, good little restaurant with basic meals - but ideal if you don't want to cook, and very friendly staff. We had a pitch out in the open, which was ideal in September, but there are also pitches in the woodland. The site's set around a little lake - and within walking distance of the village of Senonches.

At Nevers I'd suggest the municipal which I mentioned in the previous posting, and which we use regularly (arrive early, though is my tip)- which is alongside the river, or just south there's a municipal site at St Pierre le Moutier (haven't stayed at this second one).

I'd perhaps go just a bit further south than Severac - and get to see the glories of the Gorges du Tarn - and spend a night in Aguessac at the muncipal site, or drive just a few miles further into the lower part of the gorges at Riviere sur Tarn, where there are several sites. We stay at Les Peupliers there - but it's worthy of more than an overnight stop. However, if you wanted just a bit further still then Millau has a lovely choice of sites, and you get to see the Millau viaduct from underneath, plus save the toll!

Are you using Camping Cheques? Neptune takes them, so do the Muncipal at Nevers, and Les Peupliers. Huttopia at Senonches did last year, but not this! We use them, as you can gather, plus the ACSI card and occasionally Touring Cheques.

 

[S_374382905]

Thanks val

Useful advice as ever.

I am about 90% done on the planning and what you have suggested that we don't get done on the way down, we will look at on the way back.

Hope to have it all boxed off by the end of the week - you (and scotch lad) have made it so much easier - thanks again.

 

[John_miller]

When we do the Evreux route, we usually stop at Camping Municipal du Pr

 

[S_374382905]

Thanks to everyone for the replies - very helpful indeed.

Should have everything planned today, including the sites - just got to wait to go!

 

[Pat_374304630]

Just noticed this topic. We are planning the same trip next June. Booked ferry at nec for

 

[S_374382905]

Val A & others - can I ask for your opinions on the return route that I might take please?

I have planned the route down to Agde as per your advice, but would rather return by a different one for the variety. I am not sure of the roads etc on the way back, but have roughly planned the following route:

Agde to Carcassone - probably stop a few days here. Then Carcassone to Toulouse. Toulouse to Limoges. Limoges to Evreux via Chartres and then finally onto Eperleques - Le Chateau de Grandespette for four or five days.

This will make the whole return journey more or less circular - just wondered if anyone had done the return journey above, and how they found it. Obviously I wont be going through any of the major towns - rather circumventing them.

Thanks again in anticipation.

 

[ValA.]

We've done the route you describe three or four times, going north and south. We have friends who live in Le Chalard, near to St Yrieux La Perche and we stopped for a couple of nights at a site in Le Chalard - Les Vigeres, run by an English family. This is south of Limoges. It was fine - nothing really special, but OK for a couple of nights. Nearby Segur le Chateau is definitely worth a visit. We also stayed at Domaine de la Faurie (on a different occasion) which is just to the north of Cahors, and a lovely site, definitely worth a revisit - and with the Lot within 'trip' distance. On a different trip again we stayed at Aqua Viva nearish to Sarlat in the Dordogne, (lovely, we were there for four days) and then the municipal at Vierzon - again great for an overnight stop, but rather tight getting into the pitches.

Its a fine journey - no real problems. Some lovely stretches of motorway just to the north and south of Cahors. I can't remember anything special about the southern end, going down to Toulouse, and from Limoges to Vierzon is unremarkable.

 

[S_374382905]

Thanks again Val - really appreciate your help and prompt response.

 

[AndrewWimborne]

We've done the route you describe three or four times, going north and south. We have friends who live in Le Chalard, near to St Yrieux La Perche and we stopped for a couple of nights at a site in Le Chalard - Les Vigeres, run by an English family. This is south of Limoges. It was fine - nothing really special, but OK for a couple of nights. Nearby Segur le Chateau is definitely worth a visit. We also stayed at Domaine de la Faurie (on a different occasion) which is just to the north of Cahors, and a lovely site, definitely worth a revisit - and with the Lot within 'trip' distance. On a different trip again we stayed at Aqua Viva nearish to Sarlat in the Dordogne, (lovely, we were there for four days) and then the municipal at Vierzon - again great for an overnight stop, but rather tight getting into the pitches.

Its a fine journey - no real problems. Some lovely stretches of motorway just to the north and south of Cahors. I can't remember anything special about the southern end, going down to Toulouse, and from Limoges to Vierzon is unremarkable.

Val.

We have booked Domaine de Faurie for two weeks in June using Camping Cheques. Visited friends on the site last year and we are both goiung back this year.

Thanks for all the route info. We are going Norfolk line this year because of the very cheap price and have had to look at routes down for the first time in years as we normally go Ports-Le Havre. However it appears that we will meet up with our normal route in Rouen.

Andrew