Marans in France

[James3]

Have just got back from a really good holiday at La Palmyre, near Royan, good weather, good site and pitch at Bonne Anse so no problems. The only pain on the holiday was our route down and back which took us through the small town of Marans which is between La Rochelle and the A83 motorway up to Nantes. It took about an hour to travel through this town mainly due to the build up of traffic caused by the traffic lights in town. We did this route about 5 years ago and the same thing happened. It is such an important link road for those travelling to this area I would have thought it would have been sorted by now or are the French planning to sort it ? or have others a better route ?

 

[ValA.]

If I'd been doing that route I would have looked at the Michelin (detailed) map and taken the D104 (yellow road) which avoids Marans, goes through Puyravault, and comes out just a bit further up at Moreilles then on to Junction 7 of the A73.

I don't know if this would have helped, but even if it was a slower route you'd probably at least keep going. We use a lot of these cross country routes in other areas of France, and have found them a very useful 'jam avoider' - as most seem to rely on Sat Navs which take you on the most obvious route.

 

[ValA.]

If I'd been doing that route I would have looked at the Michelin (detailed) map and taken the D104 (yellow road) which avoids Marans, goes through Puyravault, and comes out just a bit further up at Moreilles then on to Junction 7 of the A73.

I don't know if this would have helped, but even if it was a slower route you'd probably at least keep going. We use a lot of these cross country routes in other areas of France, and have found them a very useful 'jam avoider' - as most seem to rely on Sat Navs which take you on the most obvious route.

Or the same route, in reverse obviously, on the way down.

 

[RayS]

Val A's suggestion looks good, particularly southbound.

If you are going south through Marans, then to La Rochelle and then south on 137 towards Rochefort, the turn in La Rochelle is pretty hazardous, as you are making an uphill right turn on the slip road and joining a fast road which has an exit slip within 100m. so they are flying down the road from your blind side and you may effectively have to do a hill start into the traffic.

I've had a couple of near misses here despite good and big and wide towing mirrors and have recently taken to turning east south of Marans and going to Surgeres and then south. OK but no direct trun eastwards at Usseau, so still not wonderful.

I'll give it a go next january !

 

[Allyson]

We went down to La Rochelle yesterday and the toll road signs suggested juction 8 for La Rocelle!

We however got over on juction 7 and followed a hugh twin hulled cat on the back of a transporter lorry which had hydrollics on it, which tilted the cat at nearly 45% at times we thought it was coming off!

If you can afford this route then do so because you could also be behind one of these and delay you even more!

 

[Gafferbill]

The Marais Poitevin in which lies Marans, is a national park bounded by the N11 in the south and the A83 in the north and Niort in the east.

Road improvements are not likely.

Marans has always been a bottleneck!

 

[James3]

The Marais Poitevin in which lies Marans, is a national park bounded by the N11 in the south and the A83 in the north and Niort in the east.

Road improvements are not likely.

Marans has always been a bottleneck!

Did not realise it was a national park so that explains why noting has been done. I shall have to look closely at the route proposed by Val which could be better.