HJD
Member Since: 26 Feb 2011
Location: High Leicestershire
Posts: 9
  
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Have just booked the summer holiday - camping down on the Atlantic Coast near Biarritz. So need to decide how to get there. Will take tunnel to Calais. Was then thinking of going via Rouen, Poitiers and Bordeaux. Anyone got experience / better suggestions. Also for a stopover night half way?
thx Howard
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 29th Apr 2013 7:14 am |
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DSL
Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73121
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Via Rouen, avoids Paris & Mway virtually all the way. Also some good alternstive route sections that are mostly dual carriageway so non Peage (Chartes/Vendome and Angouleme). 
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| 29th Apr 2013 7:19 am |
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blogtrotter
Member Since: 05 Mar 2013
Location: VERSAILLES
Posts: 9
  
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drive : calais / amiens / rouen / le Mans / tours / bordeaux / biarritz
same overall distance (1070km) from calais to biarritz but the advantage to avoid paris area
biarritz area is very beautiful, have nice holidays  ex LR 110 SW TD4, new D3 SE SEVEN Automatic 
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| 29th Apr 2013 12:23 pm |
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ZacSmith
Member Since: 26 Aug 2010
Location: Dover
Posts: 709
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I went last year via Paris peripherique. That was a stupid idea. VIN: A175A328***
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| 30th Apr 2013 8:09 am |
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maplecottage
Member Since: 01 Feb 2011
Location: Norfolk
Posts: 3171
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Portsmouth - St. Malo and then down. Much less stressful
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| 30th Apr 2013 8:25 am |
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UffBrock
Member Since: 18 Mar 2011
Location: Oxfordshire
Posts: 157
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I'd go for Portsmouth/Caen. Apart from the first 20 miles and (at least when I went last) the section round and after Bordeaux, it's peage all the way. Even the non-peage bits are good dual carriageway. A precautionary Google-mapping of the first mile after the ferry and the bit between where you join and leave the ring road either side of Caen could prove beneficial.
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| 30th Apr 2013 10:01 am |
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HJD
Member Since: 26 Feb 2011
Location: High Leicestershire
Posts: 9
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Thanks all. Will look into the longer ferry options. Trying to mentally trade off the additional cost of the ferry vs. the extra time driving.
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| 30th Apr 2013 6:15 pm |
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D4mation
Member Since: 29 Jul 2011
Location: Ruralshire
Posts: 593
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Coming from Leicestershire there won't be a massively longer journey via Folkestone, so that's the way I would go.
This website will help with a minimum toll route to Bordeaux http://about-france.com/tourism/no-tolls-routes.htm. A lot of it follows the N10 which is dual carriageway in some places.
It's about 650 miles, which is a long way with just one stop. Bear in mind that in France you will be limited to 55mph on motorways and dual carriageways because your Gross Train Weight is over 3500kg - it makes no difference how small the caravan or trailer is.
Edit: according to viamichelin.co.uk the total tolls for Calais to Biarritz are 124 euros MY12 D4 HSE Ipanema Sand
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| 30th Apr 2013 11:52 pm |
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Basajuan
Member Since: 29 Apr 2013
Location: Navarra
Posts: 10
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It is also possible to take the ferry from either Plymouth or Portsmouth to either Santander or Bilbao in Spain and from there it is an easy drive North to the SW French coast. Last time I took it, it was about €300 return.
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| 1st May 2013 11:45 am |
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paulmeryan
Member Since: 15 Aug 2011
Location: Glasgow
Posts: 742
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I drove in one 10 hour stretch from Dieppe which is a 3 hour ferry journey from Newhaven. That included 3 or 4 stops for the loo and food and the sat nav routing me through some town instead of round it. Service stations in France have great espresso vending machines which I took full advantage of.
Cost of ferry isn't much greater than tunnel plus extra fuel.
It takes 3 hours, but we were still in Contis before 10pm IIRC.
Some delicious Armagnac to be had in that region from Philippe Aurian. VR6 > 330D Touring > D3 HSE > !?XC90?!
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| 1st May 2013 12:23 pm |
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Washwipe
Member Since: 19 Apr 2013
Location: Bucks Oxon Herts Border
Posts: 3169
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ZacSmith wrote:I went last year via Paris peripherique. That was a stupid idea.
We went through Paris last year via Le Perepherique, just for the experience it was fun, not 
Talk about needing eyes in the back of your head
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| 1st May 2013 12:36 pm |
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maplecottage
Member Since: 01 Feb 2011
Location: Norfolk
Posts: 3171
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£550 - is that one way ??
My Portsmouth - St. Malo (c/w tin tent) route is £568 return 
Steve
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| 7th May 2013 1:26 pm |
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maplecottage
Member Since: 01 Feb 2011
Location: Norfolk
Posts: 3171
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Ouch - still, you'd probably spend 2/3 of that on diesel and still have the stress and agro of the driving
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| 7th May 2013 1:44 pm |
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