Route from Trier to St Omer (No caravan)

[otherclive]

Starting to get my thoughts together fora holiday in Germany Rhineland, and outbound no problem since we have a couple of days in Bastogne. The return journey we plan to stay overnight in St Omer as its nice place for an evening stop over. There is no really direct route from Trier so the various route planners route us via Luxembourg the E42 via Namur, Mons, and Lille, then on to St Omer, but an alternative route not shown on the route planners is Luxembourg, head south and then via Reims on the A26 to St Omer. We haven't travelled in this area before as most of our journeys saw us heading from the south into the Calais/Dunkerque areas.

Two questions:
1. Has anyone driven the Luxembourg Reims A26 route and what is it like.

2. Do French toll autoroutes still take cash, or are they contactless?

Pity the new UK-EU agreement will not have the easier travel for pets in place in time for this trip. Still she has two weeks in the Lakes next month, then Wales in July, so 9 days in kennels will be a welcome break for her.

Thanks in anticipation.

 

[AndrewAventura]

My very recent experience of French autoroutes is that they're camera monitored - no toll booths but you just have to login within 72 hours to the toll company and pay the toll that they'll have recorded against your reg.

 

[otherclive]

My very recent experience of French autoroutes is that they're camera monitored - no toll booths but you just have to login within 72 hours to the toll company and pay the toll that they'll have recorded against your reg.

Thanks. I guess that’s progress, but I think I’d have preferred to just bung some cash or go contactless. Just hope their app works better than some parking ones do here ☹️

 

[AndrewAventura]

We're presently in Rhineland Palatinate - very attractive around here and very happy with this lovely site https://www.camping-zumstillenwinkel.de/wofindenseuns

We've thoroughly enjoyed holidaying in Germany, but no doubt the highlight has been the beautiful medieval walled town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in Bavaria. I can't believe I was previously unaware, and highly recommend a visit. A great camping site nearby, but they needed to juggle pitches around for us to extend our stay because it was very busy and even full some nights in May. Relatively pricy, but very popular!

 

[Jcloughie]

I would look at Lille, Mons, Charleroi, Dinant, Luxembourg, Trier. As I have found that Luxembourg's roads to be good. And it is toll free.

John

 

[otherclive]

We're presently in Rhineland Palatinate - very attractive around here and very happy with this lovely site https://www.camping-zumstillenwinkel.de/wofindenseuns

We've thoroughly enjoyed holidaying in Germany, but no doubt the highlight has been the beautiful medieval walled town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in Bavaria. I can't believe I was previously unaware, and highly recommend a visit. A great camping site nearby, but they needed to juggle pitches around for us to extend our stay because it was very busy and even full some nights in May. Relatively pricy, but very popular!

If you like old towns then Quedlinburg is well worth a visit if you are in the eastern area. Plus Mittelbau Dora the WW2 V2 underground factory is a must, only about an hour from Q.

Quedlinburg – Ferienresidenz Schlossblick

www.residenz-schlossblick.de

 

[Jcloughie]

St Omer is familiar to us as we often stayed at LA CHAUMIÈRE a very friendly site and ideal for the ports either at the start or end of a trip.

Trier sticks in my mind for a few odd reasons. A very pretty town, but we visited a cafe and overheard an American trying to make themselves understood. She simply repeated herself a bit louder each time until they were shouting.

Lastly, I remember looking up at the windows of the flats above the shops. To spy a topless girl. You may still be lucky, but that was 30 years ago. 🤔

John

 

[Andy Norfolk]

If you're taking the road from Luxembourg City towards Lille through Belgium, the Belgium section is dreadful full of potholes. Luxembourg City is well worth a visit.

 

[otherclive]

If you're taking the road from Luxembourg City towards Lille through Belgium, the Belgium section is dreadful full of potholes. Luxembourg City is well worth a visit.

Wasn't it Belgian Pave that car makers used to development test the new models. Potholes must be a new variant, and cheaper to use.

 

[Hutch]

About 6 years ago, we used to travel, Car only, from Basel to Nancy cross country, then A31 to Metz, A4 to Rheims, A26 to towards St Omer, then either up to Lille if crossing from Dunkirk or straight up to Calais, I nice steady drive.

You still have time to get the Saneff toll tag or whatever they call them now. For the Payage.

 

[otherclive]

Thanks, I’m warming more to Luxembourg,Reims then A26 to St Omer for our last overnight stop. SANEF manage all the autoroutes in the north east so if it’s a no toll booth autoroute I can pre register and the charges are automatically deducted based on ANPR.

PS edit. The A26 is not at this time a free flow autoroute. Just card, contactless, tags or money.