future france trip

[ips]

When mini ips has finished college and is settled in a job etc etc. Mrs ips and I quite fancy a month off and driving down to our favourite place "Nice" the questions are....

1-Is it do able in a month ie "nice" and back

2-what would be the best route, to take in propper french countryside (the sort you see on the telly on escape to the country but dont really beleive it exisits) :-D

3- is there an alternative suggestion ie ferry to somewere then just drive back.

4-any ideas or advice very welcome

PS- hope to do this trip in 2012 not that its relevent toi the discussion.

ips

[Big Momma]

As far as 'is it doable' in a month - Yes no problems, I usually spend a month touring Europe for my summer holiday. I usually stay at a total of 7 sites and have been to Port Grimaud as part of one of those trips (Not too far away from NICE). The However, part would be as to how long you wanted to spend trekking through the French countryside en route and how long you wanted to stay in or around NICE. But Yes, it is perfectly doable :-D Not sure what your head for heights is but the 'Route Napoleon' is a fantastic journey I did it in a 7.5 metre long Motorhome without any problems whatsoever, the only issue for the OH was me staring down to the valleys below, and I was the driver :D

[malc d]

1) You could do Nice and back in a week - but better to take your time

 

2) Have a look at the Ardeche region, Verdon Gorge, or French Alps on the way there or back.

 

3) You could get a ferry to Northern Spain then drive all the way across to Nice - but you might as well drive from the Channel.

 

4) I'm sure you will get plenty of that - but you might need to say what kind of places you like. ( I for one wouldn't go anywhere near Nice for example).

 

 

;-)

[ips]

Thanks for reply

I only want about 3 -5 days in nice its more about the trip there through the french villages than the destination. Been to nice & monte carlo loads of times so seen it all anyway. Just think it would be a good scenic drive there.

[ips]

m ( I for one wouldn't go anywhere near Nice for example). ;-)

 

Why pray tell ??

 

Anyway as stated earlier we want typical picturesque french villages enroute.

[Big Momma]

ips - 2010-11-05 2:57 PM

 

m ( I for one wouldn't go anywhere near Nice for example). ;-)

 

Why pray tell ??

 

Anyway as stated earlier we want typical picturesque french villages enroute.

 

Try this site www.france-voyage.com/en

[malc d]

ips - 2010-11-05 2:57 PM

 

m ( I for one wouldn't go anywhere near Nice for example). ;-)

 

Why pray tell ??

 

Anyway as stated earlier we want typical picturesque french villages enroute.

 

 

It's just not my kind of place - I avoid all cities as far as possible, not just Nice.

 

I prefer less noise, less congestion, less people, and lower prices.

 

 

 

 

;-)

[Brian Kirby]

Quick calculation says Calais - Nice via toll autoroutes = 760 miles and 13 hours, say two days, driving, quickest non-toll autoroute alternative 850 miles and 25 hours, say 4 days, driving.  Wandering on minor roads, providing you stick to a reasonably direct route, about the same distance and around 5 days driving.  So, in a month, you'd have a comfortable two weeks in/near Nice, though Gawd knows why!  :-D

[Guest JudgeMental]

Probably going to Antibes area for Easter (2 weeks max). will get evening crossing, drive till about 4 in the morning (5-6 hr drive) stop on an Aire for 4 hours or until we wake up..... and be in south of France probably that evening or next morning latest*-)

 

its what we always do, as time poor and want to make most of our holiday period.......

 

So with a month I would be in Greece or Morroco! :D

[kelly58]

A nice leisurely route Calais / Chamonix / Annacey / Grenoble / Route Napolean / Nice / Marsailles / Lyon / then a nice slow route north avoiding toll roads on both legs of the journey we did this in 2007 and hope to do it again in 2011.

[Mr. Grumpy]

If you can find a copy in your local library read Travellers' France by Arthur Eperon. He lays out about 10 routes through France. I know all the prices are well out of date but surprisingly many of the restaurants are still in business and the towns and tourist sites are still there. Best of all he keeps you off the motorways and RN's.

[Guest JudgeMental]

Mr. Grumpy - 2010-11-05 7:02 PM

 

If you can find a copy in your local library read Travellers' France by Arthur Eperon. He lays out about 10 routes through France. I know all the prices are well out of date but surprisingly many of the restaurants are still in business and the towns and tourist sites are still there. Best of all he keeps you off the motorways and RN's.

 

O.61p and £1.95 shipping at Abebooks.co.uk (secondhand) :D

 

just ordered mine £2.56 total

[ips]

some usefull advice so far.

judgemental-

Antibes eh, ooh a lovely place particularily the old town and of course billionares warf. Hope that you post about your trip i would find it most interesting.

ips

 

ps- still interested in the ferry to somewere and drive back idea, is it do able ?

[malc d]

ips - 2010-11-05 7:47 PM

 

some usefull advice so far.

judgemental-

Antibes eh, ooh a lovely place particularily the old town and of course billionares warf. Hope that you post about your trip i would find it most interesting.

ips

 

ps- still interested in the ferry to somewere and drive back idea, is it do able ?

 

 

You could always get the ferry to Santander, wander across the Pyrenees into south of France, few days around Nice, home via Ardeche/ French Alps/Verdon Gorge etc

 

Easy to do in a month.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ips]

So how far from santander to nice ? approx how much would ferry cost from southampton (presumably)

[flicka]

Hi IPS

 

We use Via Michelin for initial routing.

It also gives a "sightseeing" option for the route.

 

http://www.viamichelin.co.uk/web/Itineraires?strStartLocid=31NDEzdzgxMGNORE11TkRZd09UWT1jTFRNdU9EQTNPVE09&strDestLocid=31NDI3NXcxMGNORE11TnpBek5ETT1jTnk0eU5qWXlOdz09&intItineraryType=10&caravaneHidden=false&vh=CAR&strVehicle=0&itineraryCarType=0&itineraryFuelType=0&isFavoriseAutoroute=false&isAvoidPeage=false&isAvoidVignette=false&isAvoidLNR=false&isAvoidFrontiers=true&dtmDeparture=05%2F11%2F2010&distance=mi&devise=0.6756757|GBP&indemnite=&carbCost=1.3&autoConso=6.8&villeConso=6&routeConso=5.6

[ips]

Hi flicka.

wow thats a long haul isnt it, unless that route is exeptional then its prob not a go'er so back to the drawing boad.

[malc d]

Same website says Santander to Nice = 710 miles

 

Calais to Nice = 726 miles.

 

Not much in it really.

 

 

 

[ips]

exactly, thats that idea out the window then LOL

[tonyg3nwl]

Hi, I also recommend the book mentioned during the replies above,, it make various suggestions for tours.

 

Can I also draw attention to Michelin Maps, in particular the one published in 2008, in which they published a supplement entitled "50 Motoring Tours"

 

I saved the supplement from the old map when I updated the bookmaps and am now considering options for a summer trip in future. We plan holidays from end may for 6 weeks, and in the past have ended up at Agde. Plans include Aires, Camping Cheques, France Passion. etc so plenty of options for sites, stopovers etc.

 

tonyg3nwl

[Guest JudgeMental]

Flicka, whem posting Long links which can distort the page, its best to use a resource which turns it into a short link.....Here are two below :-D

 

http://tiny.cc/

 

http://tinyurl.com/

[Brian Kirby]

France is a big country, but it is also well travelled, well mapped, and is very motorhome, and camping, friendly. 

Two maps will be useful.  The Michelin 1:1,000,000 scale folded map of main roads, No 721 or, even better if you can find one, the same scale route planning "Grands Itineraires" France, No 726, that shows the Itineraires Bis: the green routes recommended as alternatives to main roads, which are signed along the roadsides.  This also indicates further alternative routes in yellow.  These will be the more scenic routes, along generally good roads. 

To go with either, get a Michelin 1:300,000 spiral bound road atlas of France. 

There are two broad approaches to picking your route.  First get (or borrow from your local library) a general guide to France, look in it for areas you think will be of interest, and string these into a route using the route planning maps, or simply select your destination, pick a route using the route planners, and then look at the guide to see what lies along that route. 

You'll need to tune, and adapt, the route to account for stopping places, for which purpose the larger scale atlas will be invaluable - because it shows more detail on road widths, restrictions, etc.

If you really want to get the best from an individual area, try to get a copy of the Michelin Green Guide for that area, which will feature pretty much anything that might conceivably be of interest to someone.

There are so many country guides published, I think it would be worth borrowing as many "France" guides as you can find, and comparing how they are laid out, and which seem to feature the things that interest you most, and then sticking to that guide, or series, for future reference.

Truth to tell, you have bags of planning time, and we all have varying interests, so planning the trip to suit your own preferences is more likely to result in satisfaction than acting on suggestions anyone else might offer.  You may both have similar tastes, but equally, you may not.

Final thought.  If you don't yet have it, I think Microsoft Autoroute 2010 will prove an invaluable planning tool, because after you tweak to options to focus on the types of roads you prefer, and set all the speed parameters to their minimum setting, it provides comfortably realistic forecasts of driving times for a motorhome.  You can then look for stopovers in the vicinity of where you think you'll have had enough, which will enable you to vary the route again to miss out areas where they are very few and far between!  These exist, and seem always to coincide with where I think we should stop.  The ensuing diversions have resulted in some bits of pure, delightful, serendipity.  :-)

[Guest JudgeMental]

malc d - 2010-11-05 7:55 PM

 

ips - 2010-11-05 7:47 PM

 

some usefull advice so far.

judgemental-

Antibes eh, ooh a lovely place particularily the old town and of course billionares warf. Hope that you post about your trip i would find it most interesting.

ips

 

ps- still interested in the ferry to somewere and drive back idea, is it do able ?

You could always get the ferry to Santander, wander across the Pyrenees into south of France, few days around Nice, home via Ardeche/ French Alps/Verdon Gorge etc Easy to do in a month.

 

Not me! Because years ago the ferry from Santander back home was cancelled due to gearbox problems? So we drove back in a day.....it was a long day, but I would never pay for that awful crossing through bay of biscay again.

[Guest JudgeMental]

whats the best way of plotting a low cost use of pay sections, combined with free sections and N roads, to south of France? As my Mapsource and Autoroute seem to be either on or off - pay or no pay :-S

 

I am prepared to pay when necessary, to avoid serious delay and diversions, but want to avoid expensive sections*-)

[Brian Kirby]

Depends on which bit of the South you want to get to: west, or east, of the Rhone delta.

However, assuming you start from Calais, the problems with the east bit, are 1) that it lies behind the Alps Maritimes so, if you want to get there quickly, you have to avoid heading SE from Lyon.  2) That for speed, you ideally keep the route short, meaning you stay east of Paris.  3) There are few good, non-autoroute, joined-up routes east of Paris till you get down as far as Reims.  4) Heading south from Reims, you can either follow the toll A26/A5/A31 via Troyes to Dijon, or wing it via Chalons, St Dizier, and Chaumont, to Dijon.  5) At Dijon, you have two broad choices. a) Down the east side of the Rhone valley, which takes you into the Vercours/Alps, so won't be very quick. b) Down the Rhone valley itself, to do which, and stay (reasonably) sane, you really have to use A6/A7 (toll) from Dijon south. (You can go west of the Rhone, but logically, it is better to start off going west of Paris to do this, and follow a route as below for the western med.) 6) Once down to Avignon (or Montpellier of you took the A75), you pretty much have to use the A9/A8 to get east at any speed.  Once into the Rhone corridor the roads are busy and, IMO, the drive is unpleasant, so I'd take the slower routes, allow a day longer, and enjoy the views.

On the other hand, if you want to travel reasonably quickly to the western med coast, things are a lot easier.  Go west of Paris.  Take A16/A28 via Rouen, and you pay tolls only from Boulogne to Abbeville, then continue toll free to Rouen.  From Rouen, take A13 (toll, but only 5 miles) as far as Incarville, then A154/D6154 (dual carriageway, watch change in speed limit onto D6154, favourite radar trap area) south to Evreux (by-pass), N12 (dual carriageway) to Nonancourt (by-pass), N154 (dual carriageway) to Chartres (by-pass), D910/N10 to Chateaudun (by-pass), D924 to Blois (eastern by-pass), then two choices: D765/E6 via Romorantin-Lanthenay to Vierzon (further choice from Vierzon as below), then pick up A20 at junc 6, or, D956 via Contres, Celles-sur-Cher, Valencay, and Levroux to Chateauroux, and pick up A20 at junc 12.  A20 is free to Brive, toll to Montauban, where there is a short free bit, and then A62 (toll) to Toulouse.  Then, if still hurrying, A61 (toll) to Carcassonne and Narbonne. 

The Vierzon alternative, is to take A71 (toll) south to Clermont-Ferrand and continue on A75 (toll-free except Millau bridge) to Beziers / Montpellier according to choice.