Help planning my first trip abroad

[Zyroman]

Hello everyone, I am just starting to plan my first trip to France, we are going to the Motocross of Nations in St Jean D, angely over the weekend of the of the 16th/17th of September this year. I have booked my campsite and have been looking at ways to cross the Channel, I had considered the Portsmouth routes but as expected it £400+ so I guess it will have to be Dover. My main question is that my van is 8.2 m long and 3.2 meters high with a twin rear axle, how strict are they over the 0.2 over 8 m in the length as some companies list 8m then 9 m which I am guessing will be more expensive, seems daft to pay for the extra meter if I can avoid it , the other question is over routing down through France. I understand my van, because of the weight/ axles will be expensive on the Auroroutes. A quick look on Google Maps plots a route round Paris, something I would like to avoid preferring instead to run down past Le Havre and the more Coastal direction. As we are on limited time I would like some advice on on the cost/ time formula of that portion of the trip. The plan is to try and arrive at the site on Thursday PM and leave Monday AM. I would be very grateful for ANY help you can give as people have with the other questions I have asked in the last few months. The van is a Burstner 821.

[vindiboy]

You don't need to use toll roads, other main roads are great, just tell your Sat Nav to avoid toll roads, I have never been measured [ My van ] on ferries or had my stated length queried.

[Brian Kirby]

The alternative reasonably direct route would be via Rouen, Le Mans, and Tours.  If you use the autoroutes you will be charged as Class 4, and the tolls will be in the region of E170 each way.  However, this is still cheaper than via Paris, at E188 each way.

From Cherbourg via Rennes and Nantes, the toll cost would be about E35 each way.  From St Malo via Rennes and Nantes ditto: from Ouistreham (Caen) via Le Mans, Tours, Poitiers about E130 each way, or via Rennes and Nantes about E34 each way.

May make the cheaper ferry look a false economy?  Alternatively, avoid pay sections of autoroutes!  Food for thought?  All cost info from here: http://tinyurl.com/3dvsqq3  You'll have to enter you van as a heavy vehicle, 3 axle truck, under "More options".  have fun.  :-D

[Zyroman]

Wow, thanks guys that's a great help.

[Guest JudgeMental]

with limited time and a big camper the motorways make more sense....

[Keith T]

Would agree that with a campervan Autoroutes make much sense in time required to get from A-B. Just try to avoid filling up with fuel on them if you can, but beware, many major hypermarkets now have height barriers which your vehicle would most certainly not get under, and many have such narrow and awkward exits via the pay desk that even at just over 6m, although a fairly long overhang, we struggle with! Wish we had those mirrors which can be brought in with the touch of a button - it almost impossible to bring them in from the cab seats!

[nowtelse2do]

Zyroman - 2011-04-08 12:08 PM

 

Hello everyone, I am just starting to plan my first trip to France, we are going to the Motocross of Nations in St Jean D, angely over the weekend of the of the 16th/17th of September this year. I have booked my campsite and have been looking at ways to cross the Channel, I had considered the Portsmouth routes but as expected it £400+ so I guess it will have to be Dover.

 

A quick look on Google Maps plots a route round Paris, something I would like to avoid preferring instead to run down past Le Havre and the more Coastal direction..

 

Hi Zyroman.

 

I put a post on the Extortionate Brittany Ferry thread. See Ferry Saver's web site and look at the LD Lines from Portsmouth, (not the Portsmouth near Todd :-D )

 

Dave