Zeebruge - Provence toll route or not ?

[Rioja]

I have planned to have an overnight stop en route but I am not sure if we should travel via the autoroutes and pay an extra 90 euros or stick to the more economical and interesting non motorway route.Michelin suggest it will add another 6 hours to the journey, making it 16 hours altogether. We could of course mix and match depending on how the time is progressing, but I would appreciate your views/experiences.

I have no continental towing experience but I have a limited driving experience abroad. I appreciate it might be more difficult overtaking when I have limited vision too.

 

[RiaandJames_374303418]

Rioja.

6 hours extra may may be a conservative estimate. It does not take into account traffic and the handicaap you have being in a RHD car and not being able to overtake slow moving traffic if it's not travelling at a reasoannable towing speed.

It may be costly to pay the toll charge, but you will benefit time wise and with fuel consumption. The autoroutes are free running mainly with good steady constant speed fuel efficiency.

If you are concentrating on towing the van do you want the distractions of the prettier routes for you and your navigator on you first "wrong side" towing experience.

The autoroutes in my opinion is the best option with less distractions for your first Continental experiences. You are also less likely to take wrong turn on the autoroute or get confused by the road signs.

A good steady hassle free run with the caravan behind will give you confidence and aclimatise you to right hand side driving, for "A" road experience do that when the van is parked and get the hang of French rural roads as you explore your destination area.

James.

 

[nkosibob]

Ria and James have said it all really--I think if you plan to avoid the autoroutes then bank on more than one night stop over!----some french towns and villages can take forever to get through---I would stay on the auto route if I were you, particularly whe you are new to towing abroad. The A1 to paris will be quite busy but once you leave that heading for Rheims it will be fine-----stop around Dijon, up early and you will be in provence late afternoon.----

 

[SteveW77]

Personally I never use motorways when I am on holiday, after all a motorway looks the same where ever you are. I also doubt the advise to try your first time towing abroad by starting straight off on a motorway, would you advise some one from rural France to dive straight on to the M25 on their first visit to this country?

Steve W

 

[RiaandJames_374303418]

May be I missed the point, the question was asked about a long distance first trip towing trip to the continent.

Most european motorways are far far less congested than the UK's and even less than on UK dual carriageways.

My wife is caravanning with our mothers in France at this moment. Between leaving Dunkerque and arriving near Saumur via autoroute she commented that she believed she saw less traffic in 400 miles than between M3 jnc4 and leaving the M25 at jnc7 for Dover.

We have used Zeebruge in the past and I would use the motorway in preference to local roads.

Motorways are the safest roads generally and if Rioja chooses the Autoroutes it should be a fairly strees free experience for his first few miles rather than trying to cope with local signage differences to the UK and cyclists, pedestruians and a myriad of other obstacles that one can find using A type roads.

French junction layouts and the way the signs are placed cause chaos for many first timers as do some of the Belgium signs.

Most european Motorways are not like those in the UK as they carry far less traffic and I would rather the M25 than many French rural roads and towns with a caravan for ther first time.

James

 

[Ruth_5123617]

Having just returned from our first trip to France towing our caravan (having had self catering holidays in gites for a few years) I would say, if you can use the motorways to get to your destination then do so. We are used to French road signs and still managed to get into the middle of Le Mans when trying to avoid using the motorway. Get to your destination then explore when just in the car, on a bike or on foot, far less stressful.

 

[SteveW77]

James, surely the main point is that this is a holiday trip. I stress that it is only my personal point of view that dashing down a French motorway is not my idea of fun. Granted that to drive on most French motorways is almost as good as a holiday in it's self, but to get to Provence from Zeebruger, would entail passing through the junction of two very busy motorways at Beaune.

This junction is prone to almost demented continental drivers pouring like lemmings to the south coast and sometimes resulting in total carnage. Having narrowly escaped from one such disaster I would not like people to embark on their first trip abroad thinking that motorway driving is a dodle. Accidents on continental motorways can be and often are of catastrophic proportions

 

[Rioja]

Thanks for your replies and suggestions. It seems it will take longer than I imagined going off motorway. However, I think that driving off motorway is preferable where possible, but I do want to complete the trip in 2 days. Consequently I am taking bits of everyones advice !

My plan is to drive on the toll free motorway in Belgium down to the French border north of Valenciennes We will then use non motorway until just before Rheims when we will hop on to by pass the city and then repeat the excercise when we get to Troyes.I'm not sure how far south we will achieve, I'd like to get past Dijon but I was going to take the non motorway route towards Beaune.That would be my ideal stop over.

The next day we will continue as far as Villefranche then get on the motorway until we have passed Lyon.from Lyon south it is easier to hop on and off as time permits.

Hopefully we will see a bit more of France and save a few euro's into the bargain.

I am an experienced driver, and tow driver. Until I retired a year or so ago, I drove 40K miles per year, and towed 3-4k so I am not too daunted by the prospect of continental driving.

Any comments on the viability of my plan would be well received,

Many thanks.

 

[SteveW77]

Sound to me, to be a first class plan. Do what you want to do, when you want to do it. Which ever way you go, have a really great holiday.

Steve W

 

[RiaandJames_374303418]

Rioja.

Just have a good map and a Satnav for assistance if you're a user.

You could jump on an autoroute if the going got tough or slow maybe. Our experience has mainly been heading from Germany or Italy in to France. We've attempted the cross country cheaper routes when caravanning with friends.

Money saving, it was not! Many French rural roads are a far reach in quality from the autoroutes and we've personal experience and have witnessed friends experiences of French rural roads re damage!

When the French holiday if you travel at that time you can find road works and diversions that have been abandoned for the summer break. On one closed road detour we ended up back where we started the diversion abouty two hours later as part way through the diversion the signs had gone.

French rural fuel stations can have tight access solo, so beware with the caravan and remember that they will be closed by early evening and at weekends unlike the autoroute stops.

On autoroutes you can judge ETA's near to the minute much of the time, expect the complete reverse on rural roads and just have a plan B ready in case you need to make an extra stop.

James

 

[Rioja]

Thanks for the replies guys. The non motorway route south after Villefranche looks a bit busy but north of there the roads look as if they should be of good standard.

Now the next bit. I may have to think again after your experiences James. We drive from Remy St Provence to the Nontron area in Perigord Vert and those roads don't look quite so good !!!!

 

[RiaandJames_374303418]

Rioja, may I suggest you take a little time to check out your route using aerial photos's from mappy.com and maybe google earth or michelin.

We made the mistake of travelling in a group in the past.

French small town traffic calming chicanes with large concrete lumps narowing roads do not move when hit by a caravan when the driver is trying to follow another or take in a variety of distractions in a picturesque village

I'm off for a bit more dessert duty in the morning as Ria is living it up in France with our mums. They are heading towards Perpignan area on Wednesday via autoroute.

Enjoy your trip Rioja.

James