Route advice, please

[JoannaLesley]

In less than two weeks we are off to France. It's year 3 of our walking the Canal du Midi plan.

This year, we are stopping over on night1 at my sister in law's house in Burgundy. She lives south of Challon sur Saone, not far from the Buxy site. From there we are going to Lezignan Corbiers in Aude, with a one-night stop on the way. We will have plenty of time for this journey and are not keen to do it all on motorway. In particular, we want to avoid the area around Lyons.

My thought is to cut across through Roanne to St. Etienne and from there to Le Puy en Velay. Then we will pick up the A75 and continue via the motorway network until we get to Lezignan...

.....Unless anyone can suggest a better route? Also, any recommendations for an overnight stop? We are happy with tiny municpals, but like to have somewhere we can walk to for a meal.

We have a 5m single axle van and are towing with an X5, so power is not a problem, but we don't particularly want to spend the best part of a day going up and down windy roads over steep hills - hence the motoway option (the views are good, too).

Jo

 

[ValA.]

Sounds like a good plan. From Calais you could do toll to St Quentin (as the alternative is awful) then non-toll and head towards Soissons, Chateau Thierry, Sezanne, Troyes, Chatillon sur Seine, and Dijon, then Chalons on the autoroute or the N road down the Cote d'Or. We haven't done Roanne to Clermont Ferrand, but have done the stretch from Buxy (or near) to Paray le Monial (which was fine towing and lovely rolling hills).
Have a great time.

 

[RayS]

An alternative to the Calais to Troyes leg is to go from Calais to Dunkirk and then take ti toll free Autoroute to lille and on towards Valenciennes, tourning south either before or at Mauberge. It's a few more miles but the Calais - Reims section of autoroute is very expensive if you are towing - less so in a motor van.

 

[JoannaLesley]

Thanks both of you. Our schedule is such that we will have to go to Buxy area direct and as quickly as possible (it's a 6 hour trip from Calais even without the van on the back!), so will have to bear the cost. It's once we leave there that we can take our time. I guess we'll just meander and stop when we feel ready! The A75 will be free, apart from the Milau bridge.

Jo

 

[anotherDavid]

Thanks both of you. Our schedule is such that we will have to go to Buxy area direct and as quickly as possible (it's a 6 hour trip from Calais even without the van on the back!), so will have to bear the cost. It's once we leave there that we can take our time. I guess we'll just meander and stop when we feel ready! The A75 will be free, apart from the Milau bridge.

Jo

If the timing fits in with your plans I would leave the A75 just before the bridge and spend the night ( or more than one!) in Millau. when you leave drive up the other side of the Tarn Gorge to rejoin the motorway. Its not worth doing just to avoid the toll but Millau is worth a holiday in itself and there are several campsites walking distance out of the town.
David.

 

[JoannaLesley]

Thanks David. We did, in fact, spend our holiday at Milau some ten years ago, while the road (and bridge) were still being built. We have been back over the bridge since, but not to stop, so your plan may be a good one if the timings work out right. Thanks for the suggestion.

Jo