First Time to France

[Teflontim87]

Hi,

 

A year for firsts! First time on the forum and first time to France this year:

 

Couple of questions for all you learned travellers out there.

 

We are planning 2 week trip to France in June. One week we will be meeting up and joing friends and using Pontsoron as our base.

 

Prior to to that we want to tour for a week, ideally down the Loire Valley. Were taking Euro Tunnel. Having looked atthe map I was thinking of heading for Chartres / Orleans as a start straight from Calais. Is this too long a drive on first day (land in France at 11.00am on a Saturday) ? Any other suggestions for first stop and a route down Loire valley?

 

Any help would be much appericiated.

 

Thanks B-)

[Guest pelmetman]

11am arrival.... 222 miles to Chartres via Rouen and avoiding the toll roads...............nice comfortable run ;-)........the Loire is a lovely part of France, although only a week it should still provide a nice taster of whats on offer.....enjoy B-)

[Matrix Meanderer]

Welcome to the Forum.

 

We usually limit ourselves to a maximum of 250 miles per day always trying to arrive at the overnight stop location by 3pm at the latest.

 

Just one word of warning if you do go through Rouen - the road system and traffic can be dangerous especially coming out of the downhill tunnel to the port/harbour area. We avoid this bit of France now as we nearly had the MH written off by a 40 tonne lorry on a suicide run through the tunnel 8-)

 

 

[hallii]

Rouen has a diversion on the usual route, you have to go through some heavy traffic as the "up and over" road is closed. Best stay on the m'way around Rouen.

 

Buy a good book listing the Aires, I use "Camperstop Europe" there are many places to stop overnight or a few days for not much money. I don't plan ahead in France, there is no need, just drive until you have had enough and head for the nearest "Aire de Campingcar". There are so many you will be bound to near one.

 

The Loire Vally is well served with "Aires" and it is easy to move maybe 10 or 20 miles a day from site to site.

It is usually true (but not always!) that if the local commune has provided an "Aire" then they think there is something worth seeing in the town.

 

If you are not sure of anything at an aire just ask any fellow motorhomer, it is the usual practice and most will speak some English, but my little French and German has come in handy at times!

 

Relax, don't rush, and remember that France is a big country, supermarket fuel is cheapest, Lidle and Aldi have the best food prices, motorway tolls are expensive, RN (the old Route Nationals) are good roads and fast enough for me. Keep your van locked at all times, consider an alarm and use it.

 

H

[Guest 1footinthegrave]

Like most people in life I have a different view. First of all the Loire valley for us conjured up just that, a valley, so we were less than impressed with much of it in the flesh, flat and featureless. :'( and our experience of Chatres was less than positive, apart from the cathedral, but there are very many nicer cities in France.

 

As you are only going for two weeks,and it is your first time I'd suggest touring round Normandy for your first week, if you're interested in the history of ww2 Normandy is one huge outdoor museum. One thing you'll discover is the completely different nature of touring France compared to the UK, no need to book anything in advance, just wander at will. It will be a very big adventure for you just being there, so in short I'd say forget big mileages,especially on your first day, in our experience you need to for want of a better word acclimatise to the very different situation, so just soak it up for your first visit, keep the mileages down, and just enjoy the difference that France offers ;-)

[Guest JudgeMental]

I think you would have been better of with an earlier crossing..staying locally overnight if need be, but I dont know where you live, I can get to Loire in one hit but thats me...

 

Loire if weather OK a lovely area particularly if you have bikes,, lots of aires and cheap municipal sites where you can spread out relax and enjoy. France very expensive for shopping these days so Hallii's comments re lidl/alde a good one. Lidl in europe do good bread and croissants.enjoy the trip. :-D

[Philman]

Camping Les Bords de l'Eure is a very nice campsite in Chartres. It is in the ACSI scheme and only a few minutes walk into the town centre. The cathedral is well worth a visit, and the laser light display in the evenings is really wonderful.. A big supermarket is also only a few minutes walk along the road.

Phil.

[Derek Uzzell]

Teflontim87 - 2013-04-24 9:42 AM

 

Hi,

 

A year for firsts! First time on the forum and first time to France this year:

 

Couple of questions for all you learned travellers out there.

 

We are planning 2 week trip to France in June. One week we will be meeting up and joing friends and using Pontsoron as our base.

 

Prior to to that we want to tour for a week, ideally down the Loire Valley. Were taking Euro Tunnel. Having looked atthe map I was thinking of heading for Chartres / Orleans as a start straight from Calais. Is this too long a drive on first day (land in France at 11.00am on a Saturday) ? Any other suggestions for first stop and a route down Loire valley?

 

Any help would be much appericiated.

 

Thanks B-)

 

As pelmetman has already said, from Calais to Chartres is over 200 miles and (even maximising autoroute usage) is likely to involve 5 hours driving. Whether this is too long a drive will depend (in my view) on whether you are doing all the driving yourself or can share the task, and whether the drivers are comfortable driving a large vehicle on the 'wrong' side of the road.

 

The natural Calais-Chartes route involves Rouen which, even at the best of times, can be a mite daunting to traverse. Consequently, I suggest you break your journey prior to Rouen and make an early start on Sunday morning towards Chartres/Orleans when Rouen traffic should be light.

 

For an overnight halt you might try the campsite at Neufchatel-en-Bray, just off the A28 and about 100 miles from Calais.

 

http://www.camping-sainte-claire.com/

 

An alternative stop would be at Forges-les-Eaux (about 19km south of Neufchatel-en-Bray) that has a motorhome "aire de services" and an adjacent campsite.

 

http://www.forgesleseaux-tourisme.fr/hebergement-aires-de-camping-car.html

http://www.forgesleseaux-tourisme.fr/hebergement-campings.html

 

Difficult to advise on a Loire Valley route. If (as seems likely) you plan to go chateau-hopping, I suggest you obtain a copy of Michelin's "Chateaux of the Loire Green Guide" (your local library should be able to get one for you) and decide which ones to visit. Chambord, Blois, Chenonceau, Azay-le-Rideau and Angers would make a good east-to-west quintet, and you could then turn north towards Pontorson.

 

I'm guessing from your intention to use Pontorson as a base means that you plan to stay on campsites. Personally, for a motorcaravanner first-timing in France for just a fortnight, I think that would be preferable to the 'aires' approach suggested by hallii, but that's your choice.

 

The Caravan Club's "Caravan Europe - Guide to Sites and Touring in France" is the best source of information on French campsites and for motoring in France generally.

 

For 'aires' information, the most comprehensive database for France is on this website"

 

http://www.campingcar-infos.com/index1.htm

 

 

[Brian Kirby]

Teflontim87 - 2013-04-24 9:42 AM

 

Prior to to that we want to tour for a week, ideally down the Loire Valley. Were taking Euro Tunnel. Having looked atthe map I was thinking of heading for Chartres / Orleans as a start straight from Calais. Is this too long a drive on first day (land in France at 11.00am on a Saturday) ? Any other suggestions for first stop and a route down Loire valley?

 

Any help would be much appericiated.

 

Thanks B-)

Hi Tim, and welcome.

 

First, are you intending staying on camp sites or aires? This may influence choices.

 

On a good day, Chartres is "do-able" from Frethun if leaving at 11:00 am, but it depends what time you want to get to Chartres, and where in Chartres you want to stay. I reckon, if leaving the tunnel terminal at 11:00, and using autoroutes only where free, you should get to Chartres by about 17:00, allowing an hour lunch break. If traversing Rouen you can hit traffic but, in my experience, and assuming you take this route to Chartres, are far more likely to do so between Nonancourt and Dreux. The jam tends to build up around St Remy-sur-Avre, and can extend your journey time by 30 minutes or more.

 

I'm unclear what Hallii means by the "up and over route" through Rouen, so can't comment on the impact this may have, but there are three reasonably good ways past Rouen that we have used over time so if you (or Hallii) can expand a bit on your proposed route, I can maybe suggest a work around. I can also suggest one for the St Remy jam, if you would go that way. Will you navigate by paper, or sat-nav?

 

Second, why the Loire valley? Personally, I love the area, and have been going there for nearly 60 years, but it is not an area of spectacular scenery, though it is very attractive IMO. What it has is the châteaux, and some very attractive towns that, unlike so much of Normandy, escaped the war relatively unscathed. So, if interested in scenery it may not float your boats, if it is the Loire towns and châteaux that are the draw, then you'll be in historic heaven. In either event, I would hit the Loire to the west of Orleans and tour downstream toward, but not as far as, Tours. An alternative, and somewhat prettier IMO, is the Loir (sometimes called the little Loir) a bit to the north. Say from Chateaudun to La Fleche, which has plenty of small towns and the odd château to add to its attractive river valley.

 

Ifoot's flatlands are, I think, probably the Beauce plain north of Blois, that is visually rather boring - but even that can vary depending on which route you take, and the time of year. If you can add a bit more detail on what might interest you, and whether sites or aires, I can possibly make some further suggestions to get the ball rolling.

[goldi]

Afternoon folks,

 

Take ot easy you are on holiday , in summer ther are campsites all over the place . As a first timer I would go to pont d l arche about 10 miles south of Rouen.which is a surprisingly pleasant town and also just off the main road aviod getting stressed and overtired.

[Guest 1footinthegrave]

goldi - 2013-04-24 3:03 PM

 

Afternoon folks,

 

Take ot easy you are on holiday , in summer ther are campsites all over the place . As a first timer I would go to pont d l arche about 10 miles south of Rouen.which is a surprisingly pleasant town and also just off the main road aviod getting stressed and overtired.

 

I could not agree more, people handle the first time in different ways, I know I was petrified the first time, and travelled all the way to Abbeville all of 69 miles, then caught my breath for 3 days, before getting the courage up to venture forth and remember which side of the road to be on. :D

[hallii]

Sorry Brian, old age strikes again! We were coming up from the South so my comments re: Rouen would not apply. However, the traffic was heavy and for a first timer I still think it might be better to spend a few € (Oh! how pleased I am to have cracked the € sign on my keyboard. ( control+alt then $ ) ).

 

I well remember my first attempt at croosing Rouen, we finished up along the cliff road alongside the river and had to do a nifty U turn in rush hour traffic.

 

H

[Tony Jones]

Hi Tim, welcome to the Forum, and to the community of British "Camping-caristes!"

 

As most people on here know, I'm a total Francophile and very keen on their network of Aires, as well as "France Passion."

However, as this is your first time on "l'Hexagone" and the whole "Aires" thing is so unlike anything in the UK, I'm going to surprise everyone by recommending that you plan your trip mostly around campsites - there are plenty of them in the area you're thinking of.

 

BUT (yes, here it comes!) get yourself an Aires guide anyway (perhaps the English-language one sold by Vicarious Books, unless you're confident of your French reading) and try out an Aire for at least one night. That way, you'll be an "old hand" next time!

 

Bear in mind though, Aires are NOT campsites. You don't "spend your holiday" on them, nor would most people want to. The way to use them is as places to fill up/empty tanks, and spend the night. You "spend your holiday" in the various places you visit and drive through during the DAY, not the night! And you won't find yourself banned from car parks during the day, as you often are here.

 

You're about to discover the most motorhome-friendly country in driving distance from the UK. Here, we're a "problem" to be dealt with. There, we're TOURISTS, made welcome because we'll spend money - if not on campsite fees, then in shops, restaurants and chateau admission.

 

If you can manage even a bit of the language, take your courage in both hands and try it out - most French people will then meet you halfway, whereas if you just shout or make signs at them they'll give you the classic "Gallic shrug" and walk away!

 

Take your time with the travelling, it's half the fun (much more than it is here). Don't take your cornflakes with you - discover REAL croissants instead. Buy one at the boulangerie, take it across the square to the café and eat it with terrific coffee. Waste at least one morning outside a café in a small town, sipping coffee and watching the world go by.

 

I'd better shut up - my mouth is watering already, and I don't get to go again until mid-June!!

 

Enjoy yourselves.

[Teflontim87]

Cheers Brian,

 

We would probably be relying on sat nav, backed by map.

 

I noticed somewhere else someone recommend the loir. My wife has been to France on holiday before , for me it was just business! She suggested the Loire valley.

 

The advice I'm getting on here is brilliant.

 

Tim

[Teflontim87]

Just shows how much I know about the forum, thanks to everyone for their input.

 

Keep it coming.

 

I do want to spend time in Normandy cept my wife doesn't have the same sense of nostalgia for ww2 etc

[Guest 1footinthegrave]

Teflontim87 - 2013-04-24 6:18 PM

 

Just shows how much I know about the forum, thanks to everyone for their input.

 

Keep it coming.

 

I do want to spend time in Normandy cept my wife doesn't have the same sense of nostalgia for ww2 etc

 

She may not, but I guarantee the first sight of one of the larger war cemeteries simply is beyond description, both me and my wife were blubbering like children with a wave of emotion sweeping us both up. :'( places like pointe du hoc, well worth going to see first hand what those mainly teenage men had to deal with and left almost exactly as it was in 1944, I could go on and on like many others.

 

I'm not sure how much you've researched into documents etc you need to take, and items like fire extinguishers, first aid kit, headlamp beam deflectors,warning triangles, high viz jackets, spare bulb kit, many of which are compulsory if stopped and checked for, and also the self drink drive kit, although not entirely sure if needed or not yet, so do check these things out as well. ;-)

[Brian Kirby]

Teflontim87 - 2013-04-24 6:16 PM

 

Cheers Brian,

 

We would probably be relying on sat nav, backed by map.

 

I noticed somewhere else someone recommend the loir. My wife has been to France on holiday before , for me it was just business! She suggested the Loire valley.

 

The advice I'm getting on here is brilliant.

 

Tim

If you take the (free) A28 to Rouen it becomes the D6028 (dual carriageway, motorway standard) as you enter the city, and you will enter a tunnel. It is just over one mile south of the interchange with the D43. Take the right hand lane into and through the tunnel, and stay in that lane. There is an interchange immediately as you exit, stay in lane. In about half a mile there is a further interchange. Stay in lane, signed Toutes Directions and Rouen - Centre. Immediately after that interchange look for signs for N15 Vernon, Pontoise, Dieppe, Le Havre on the right, and take the right exit lane. You will almost immediately enter another short tunnel. Stay right. As you approach the exit the road bends slightly right, and after exiting bends back to the left with a further lane on the right. Ignore this right hand lane to take the central lane, indicated for left turning traffic. You approach traffic lights where you turn left signed Cergy-Pontoise. Stay right as you turn (both lanes turn left), and keep right for Cergy-Pontoise. Stay in the right hand lane. At further traffic lights, continue ahead for Cergy-Pontoise. Route de Bonsecours, which becomes three lane at the lights. Take the right hand lane along Bonsecours, and stay right for D6015 to Vernon and Evreux. Stay with the D6015 to roundabout at Port-St-Ouen where take second exit, to your left, still D6015 for Evreux and Vernon. Follow D6015 to Igoville and Pont de l'Arche, and thence on to to Evreux. The only tricky bit is picking up that right hand lane as you approach the second tunnel, and getting the right lane as you exit. Otherwise, it a breeze!

[Guest 1footinthegrave]

Blimey I'd say following those instructions is hardly a walk in the park, in fact nigh on impossible,he needs you with him to stand a chance. :D

 

Great invention, it's called a satnav with lane guidance.

[Guest pelmetman]

1footinthegrave - 2013-04-24 8:02 PM

 

Blimey I'd say following those instructions is hardly a walk in the park, in fact nigh on impossible,he needs you with him to stand a chance. :D

 

Great invention, it's called a satnav with lane guidance.

 

Getting lost in Rouen is all part of the rights of passage of traveling in France :D

[Guest 1footinthegrave]

pelmetman - 2013-04-24 8:09 PM

 

1footinthegrave - 2013-04-24 8:02 PM

 

Blimey I'd say following those instructions is hardly a walk in the park, in fact nigh on impossible,he needs you with him to stand a chance. :D

 

Great invention, it's called a satnav with lane guidance.

 

Getting lost in Rouen is all parts of the rights of passage of traveling in France :D

 

And I think another is "where are you going" dunno, and "where have you been" dunno :D :D

 

And if following those directions hope and pray you don't come across "Route barrée - obligation d'emprunter la prochaine sortie". without a satnav to get you back on track :D mind you even those are not fool proof. ;-)

[Teflontim87]

;-) hey Brian, what a star. All this talk of Rouen has put the good lady off, so it's Calais to abbeville, then the coast road towards dieppe, le harve, towards the beaches etc.

 

We've got all the stuff, hi viz , triangle etc. haven't got a habitation alarm fitted, is this necessary?

[Guest pelmetman]

Teflontim87 - 2013-04-24 8:42 PM

haven't got a habitation alarm fitted, is this necessary?

 

What's one of those?..............do you mean a smoke alarm?...........or carbon monoxide alarm?..........or burglar alarm? :-S............

 

We now have a smoke alarm & carbon monoxide alarm.........and a dog :D.......

 

Never had either for years.............;-)

 

The power of forums eh? :-S

[Corky 8]

We will be traveling down to Biarritz in May and we will be traversing Rouen on the same route Brian suggested, Can I suggest if you have not already done so ,"download Google Earth " you can then do a virtual dry run of any Route you choose, I do this to iron out any glitches in my planned route done on Autoroute,  France open,s up a whole new world of Motorhome travel so enjoy, and safe Journey.

[Tony Jones]

pelmetman - 2013-04-24 8:09

 

Getting lost in Rouen is all part of the rights of passage of traveling in France :D

 

As is the "tour" of Tours!

[flicka]

Hi Tim

You don't say if you have experience of driving "on the wrong side" if you haven't take it easy on your first day & take your time without setting deadline to arrive at site by X time.

 

I would endorse Derek's suggestion for Neufchatel-en-Bray approx 2hours from the tunnel, so say 2-1/2 hours from Calais & you then have a choice, either campsite or Aire, as they have just opened a new Aire, just prior to the campsite entrance. There is also an on-site restaurant that's reasonably priced. Supermarket 2to3 minutes away (for what you have forgotten?) & 5to10 mins walk into town