Dunkirk to El DelphinVerde

[Happy-Lappy]

I am staying at El Delphin Verde in Sant Pere Pescador Spain and will be getting the Dover to Dunkirk ferry. I plan to have an overnight stop each way.
Which route is the more favourable one? Dunkirk - Sant Pere Pescador via Limoges or would it be better to go via Clermont Ferrand.
I will be towing a Lunar T/A with a Rexton and will travel mostly on the motorway.
Thanks in advance, Martin

 

[ValA.]

If you're travelling all the way on the motorway, and don't mind the costs, then the Reims/Rhone Valley route through Lyon is probably the most straightforward and less hilly. Once you're on the autoroute at Dunkerque you needn't come off until you hit the Costa Brava! The cost however, is a massive 142.80 in tolls (car and caravan), the distance 800 miles, and the journey time 12.59 hours.
Clermont Ferrand is a lovely route, through fantastic scenery (including the Millau viaduct, which is actually best seen from below rather than crossing over it!) and quite straightforward providing your towcar gear ratios are up to long climbs (not steep, just long). This is 759 miles, takes 12.44 hours, and costs 104.80 - route via the A104 around the east and south of Paris.
Via Limoges the cost is the same, the journey 776 miles, and it takes 12.48 hours.
We've stopped overnight on all three of those routes - and found good places to stay over on each one. There are lots of sites, whichever route you choose - but which site(s) would depend on your arrival time in France.

 

[RayS]

You don't say what time of year so I assume summer - if winter I would avoid central France - CF area can be bitterly cold and icy. I would also suggest more than one overnight on an 800 mile trip unless you have two drivers. As Val says, Millau and the bridge are worth a look and there is a good site on the old road which skirts the town - from memory called 'Three rivers' or the French version.

 

[DavidKlyne]

I have used all the routes mentioned by Val. I think now, through choice I would not use the Rhone Valley via Lyon as its much busier than the other routes. I quite like the A20 but it seems a bit out of the way leaving the A75 as the most direct route I have towed once north to soute and twice south to north. There are some steep inclines along the way as it climbs to over 1100 metres in places but provided you have plenty of power it won't be a problem.

David

 

[Happy-Lappy]

I should have stated in my OP that I will be leaving Bristol for Dover on Friday 22nd July and plan to stay on a CL overnight.
My ferry leaves Dover @ 6:00am on Saturday 23rd July, so I should be leaving Dunkirk @ 9:00am French time.
My aim is to travel around 400m to my overnight stop and then the remaining 350m the next day.
Thanks for your replies, Martin

 

[ValA.]

On the A75 that would take you to around Clermont Ferrand - there are plenty of sites in that area, just off the motorway, depending on what sort of thing you're looking for. The municipal site at Gannat, just north of Clermont Ferrand, is fine for an overnight stop, as is the municipal site just south at Issoire. For something larger, then La Filature at Ebreuil (north) comes recommended by others, and we've stayed at Le Grange Fort (south) at Parentignat, and others recommend Le Clos Auroy, again just north.
On the A20 there's a municipal site in Limoges, or Chateauroux, or just north at Vatan, then friends recommended a lovely site at Nantiat - which they said was one of the nicest they'd stayed on.
On the Rhone Valley route, you're probably looking at Chalon sur Saone, Tournus, or Macon - the latter two have municipal sites, both easy access to the autoroute.
You should have no problems getting a pitch at a municipal site, but will probably have to book the larger sites for an overnight stop.