Driving down to the Pyrenees. Any advice forthcoming?

[View From The Top]

We are heading down to the Midi-Pyrenees next summer by car via the Channel Tunnel, which is a very long drive.

Has anyone done the drive before and if so can anyone recommend where to stay overnight on the way down and the way back, Ideally around 2-3hrs from Calais for a family of 5?

[trousers]

I drove down to a village near Pau in one shot 6 or 7 years ago. Took about 15 hours in total (including stops) IIRC. Slightly bonkers admittedly. My in-laws joined us but broke the journey over two days. Memory is a tad hazy but I think they stayed in a Campanile (Travelodge equivalent) in Le Mans which was roughly a half way point for the journey. Cheap and cheerful. http://www.campanile.com/fr/hotels/campanile-le-mans-centre?utm_source=google&utm_medium=maps&utm_content=FRA21949&utm_campaign=Campanile

Edited 21 November, 2014 by trousers

[buctootim]

I've done a similar route several times, albeit starting from Dieppe which is quite a bit further south. As Trousers says Campaniles are ideal overnight stops. Ive used this one a lot but its probably about 5 hours from Calais. http://www.campanile.com/en/hotels/campanile-tours-sud-chambray-les-tours

 

Top tip is avoid coming back north on the A10 / A20 on the last weekend in August, its a nightmare. If you have to travel then use the A16 /A28 which gives Paris a wider birth.

[View From The Top]

Hadn't thought of the Newhaven - Dieppe route. Summer timetable and prices aren't out for that route yet though. I would imagine as it's DFDS that it's a decent price.

[buctootim]

Hadn't thought of the Newhaven - Dieppe route. Summer timetable and prices aren't out for that route yet though. I would imagine as it's DFDS that it's a decent price.

 

It is, usually around the same price as Eurotunnel but cheaper when you include all the extra petrol and tolls plus will save you about 1.5 hours driving time compared with Calais. Obviously as the crossing is around 4 hours it wont actually save you any time overall but it feels better than being in the car and breaks the journey up. Enough time to walk around, get a meal and drink and watch a film.

Edited 21 November, 2014 by buctootim

[Huffton]

We've done Montpellier from Calais in one hit, did it overnight took about 13 hours all told. Pay the toll and use the Autoroutes. Have you thought about the overnight ferry from P**tsmouth to Cherbourg? Gets you in early after a sensible nights sleep so you'll be able to do it in one day easily, and you will be on the right side of the country to avoid Paris!

[Lighthouse]

I went to La Rochelle when I was a kid. Did it in one drive via the Pompey - Le Harve ferry.

 

No idea if that helps but La Rochelle is a nice enough place.

[suewhistle]

Last winter I went to the Alps via Portsmouth/Le Havre. It was an overnighter on the way there - being winter I had a 4 berth cabin to myself - which didn't help much as I was bouncing off the bunk it was so rough.. Did the trip to a friend's place in one hit, but did an overnighter in the Loire valley on the way back as racing for the ferry is always a bad idea! It's then15/20 minutes home for me, but iirc you're Midlands so may not suit you so well.

 

If the weather is OK winter driving can be fine, but think I'd avoid weekends during the summer if possible.

[View From The Top]

We've done Montpellier from Calais in one hit, did it overnight took about 13 hours all told. Pay the toll and use the Autoroutes. Have you thought about the overnight ferry from P**tsmouth to Cherbourg? Gets you in early after a sensible nights sleep so you'll be able to do it in one day easily, and you will be on the right side of the country to avoid Paris!

 

Overnight ferries are cost prohibitive as we'd need two cabins.

 

We will avoid Paris by going via the Rouen route. We've driven down towards La Rochelle before but we really want to split the journey.

[John Boy Saint]

Done it loads of times carrying on just over the Spanish border into Catalunya to a place called Llafranc. 950 odd miles done that in one hit a few times last time was to get home for Saints v Leeds.

Going down we normally get a 7am something train which gets us into Calais just before 9 local time, then head towards Rouen, Dreaux Everaux, Chartres (1pm) onto the A10 avoiding Paris (this will take you to the start of the A20 too). Driving miles for work I just bang on down to Issoire on the A75 and stop in a Ibis Budget right next door to a Buffalo Grill that is just so easy.

Seeing as you are going to the Midi-Pyrenees the largest region, that opens up a massive pile of destinations and route options, if you are going Toulouse ish direction Tours is easy peasy from the Tunnel as it's Autoroute all the way these days and by far the stress less way to go across France, unless you are not time dependant, just don't get uptight about the tolls. Tours gives you a whole heap of well priced chain Hotels the Ibis/Accor branded hotels often have good deals booked in advance and the Budget level can sleep 3 if you have a tin lid under 16. In Tours the Accor hotels are all by the station which is a 10 minute if that walk into the very nice centre, where you will find a load of Eating houses. From a Tours you can head South in the morning cross country and pick up the A20 which will take you south, you could go down the A10 then pick up the signs for Limoges to join the A20 but I found that route to be a drag.

Go to Via Michelin website and plan your route on there and play with the journey options they will also tell you how much the Autoroute tolls will be, or you can put in the preference to avoid tolls. Which ever way you go see if you can plan a route to take you over the Millau Bridge a stunning piece of British engineering (which the French acknowledge grudgingly).

If you shop in Tesco and have Clubcard vouchers kicking around go to the Clubcard website and convert them to Eurotunnel travel tokens £10 in a Clubcard vouchers trades up to £30 of a travel tokens.

[Hockey_saint]

I've just done the train and back to Barcelona via Eurostar and the SNCF. I'm quite surprised at how long it takes you by car as the train from Gar Du Lyon to Barcelona Sants took 6 hours through the Pyrenees. (Really if anyone fancies taking the train I would highly recommend it as it's a very pleasurable experience indeed).

[View From The Top]

Done it loads of times carrying on just over the Spanish border into Catalunya to a place called Llafranc. 950 odd miles done that in one hit a few times last time was to get home for Saints v Leeds.

Going down we normally get a 7am something train which gets us into Calais just before 9 local time, then head towards Rouen, Dreaux Everaux, Chartres (1pm) onto the A10 avoiding Paris (this will take you to the start of the A20 too). Driving miles for work I just bang on down to Issoire on the A75 and stop in a Ibis Budget right next door to a Buffalo Grill that is just so easy.

Seeing as you are going to the Midi-Pyrenees the largest region, that opens up a massive pile of destinations and route options, if you are going Toulouse ish direction Tours is easy peasy from the Tunnel as it's Autoroute all the way these days and by far the stress less way to go across France, unless you are not time dependant, just don't get uptight about the tolls. Tours gives you a whole heap of well priced chain Hotels the Ibis/Accor branded hotels often have good deals booked in advance and the Budget level can sleep 3 if you have a tin lid under 16. In Tours the Accor hotels are all by the station which is a 10 minute if that walk into the very nice centre, where you will find a load of Eating houses. From a Tours you can head South in the morning cross country and pick up the A20 which will take you south, you could go down the A10 then pick up the signs for Limoges to join the A20 but I found that route to be a drag.

Go to Via Michelin website and plan your route on there and play with the journey options they will also tell you how much the Autoroute tolls will be, or you can put in the preference to avoid tolls. Which ever way you go see if you can plan a route to take you over the Millau Bridge a stunning piece of British engineering (which the French acknowledge grudgingly).

If you shop in Tesco and have Clubcard vouchers kicking around go to the Clubcard website and convert them to Eurotunnel travel tokens £10 in a Clubcard vouchers trades up to £30 of a travel tokens.

 

We won't be far from Pau. I intend to avoid Paris by taking the A10/A20 route but with a 4hr drive to the coast from home I only really want to drive for another 3-4 hrs once in France.

 

That said, if we cross via Newhaven those timings may change. I will also look at the possibility of getting an early tunnel crossing and then just doing the drive in one go since my wife and I are both comfortable driving on the continent. It's the kids I'm more concerned about.

[John Boy Saint]

We won't be far from Pau. I intend to avoid Paris by taking the A10/A20 route but with a 4hr drive to the coast from home I only really want to drive for another 3-4 hrs once in France.

 

That said, if we cross via Newhaven those timings may change. I will also look at the possibility of getting an early tunnel crossing and then just doing the drive in one go since my wife and I are both comfortable driving on the continent. It's the kids I'm more concerned about.

I forget that Saints fans are spread across the land so assume that everyone lives like me within 2hrs of the Tunnel, having looked at another thread I know where you live so that is a factor.

The Tunnel v Newhaven comes down to whether you want to twiddle your thumbs on the boat for 4 hours, or like me, once you have departed the drive want to just keep moving, Dieppe to Tours is 3:40 hrs Calais to Tours is 4:50hrs and with the Tunnel you cross in 30 minutes.

Heading for Pau my choice would be Calais - Le Mans - Tours - Bordeaux - which is 650 miles (Dieppe 570ish) add the UK miles sprinkle with Kids who might or might not travel well (I was so lucky with our 2, even from little one would sleep the other would just love looking out the window) so a stop en route is more than likely on the agenda, with 5 you are looking at 2 rooms in 99.9% of hotels have a look at the Ibis Budget (once Etaps) plain,simple, clean, cheap, you only want to sleep. The bedrooms have a bunk bed over the double bed so sleep 3.

And don't forget Clubcard vouchers on the Tunnel, last year I only paid £5 of a £168 return ticket (2 tanks of fuel saved).

[View From The Top]

I forget that Saints fans are spread across the land so assume that everyone lives like me within 2hrs of the Tunnel, having looked at another thread I know where you live so that is a factor.

The Tunnel v Newhaven comes down to whether you want to twiddle your thumbs on the boat for 4 hours, or like me, once you have departed the drive want to just keep moving, Dieppe to Tours is 3:40 hrs Calais to Tours is 4:50hrs and with the Tunnel you cross in 30 minutes.

Heading for Pau my choice would be Calais - Le Mans - Tours - Bordeaux - which is 650 miles (Dieppe 570ish) add the UK miles sprinkle with Kids who might or might not travel well (I was so lucky with our 2, even from little one would sleep the other would just love looking out the window) so a stop en route is more than likely on the agenda, with 5 you are looking at 2 rooms in 99.9% of hotels have a look at the Ibis Budget (once Etaps) plain,simple, clean, cheap, you only want to sleep. The bedrooms have a bunk bed over the double bed so sleep 3.

And don't forget Clubcard vouchers on the Tunnel, last year I only paid £5 of a £168 return ticket (2 tanks of fuel saved).

 

Thanks for that. Our club card points are converted to Airmiles but I shall check to see if we can use any for Tunnel tickets.

[suewhistle]

By sheer chance my old repaired map of France was in the bin next to my desk so I fished it out to remind myself of last year..

 

I'm lucky in that being always on my own I can please myself about stops, although no one to share the driving. The problem with the autoroutes is that to take full advantage you tend to want to put your foot down and, at least on the cars I've used for these long trips, the fuel gauge visibly drops quicker! Then you need to get off the motorway to avoid the fuel prices.

As a result I take a mix and match approach: last time the Autoroute Blanche, for example, down to Macon and then cross-country for other bits - in my case Moulin,Nevers,Orleans,Chartres,Evreux etc. to Le Havre.

 

Software is ok, but it's quite useful to have a large map for planning your own particular journey, and I'll replace this tatty old thing when I get the chance.

[John Boy Saint]

Software is ok, but it's quite useful to have a large map for planning your own particular journey, and I'll replace this tatty old thing when I get the chance.

The Michelin Recto-Verso map of France is always good, top one side bottom the other and a proper fold out map, we waste paper by printing out the Via Michelin instructions as Mrs JBS likes to know where she is when she wakes up, or wakes up to pay the tolls (that she has sorted ready), plus as Speed Camera detection and notification is illegal in France but they have a clever way of letting you know where they are.

[egbb saint]

Midlands to Le Mans by tunnel 1 day, and as Trousers, stopped in Le Mans at maybe same hotel. Next day to near Pau. Did return non stop but had planned to stop at Rouen, changed chunnel booking as we realised we could make it non stop. Watch out for the French leaving Paris for the coast. Traffic on the return leg was horrendous, but fortunately going the other way.

[Winnersaint]

Get to Bagneres de Lucheron and just ride.

[buctootim]

DFDS have just released their schedule for 2015. You can get a return crossing in August for a car with three people from £78 amazingly enough (leaving at 17.00 Friday 14th August and coming back at 1am on 28th August. £160 if you take cabins. http://www.dfdsseaways.co.uk/ferry-routes/ferry-to-france/newhaven-dieppe/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=973598&utm_campaign=UK_WC_ND_20141226_BookEarlyfor2015&gbi=a0b6423e-e2a99d80-2307d420

[View From The Top]

DFDS have just released their schedule for 2015. You can get a return crossing in August for a car with three people from £78 amazingly enough (leaving at 17.00 Friday 14th August and coming back at 1am on 28th August. £160 if you take cabins. http://www.dfdsseaways.co.uk/ferry-routes/ferry-to-france/newhaven-dieppe/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=973598&utm_campaign=UK_WC_ND_20141226_BookEarlyfor2015&gbi=a0b6423e-e2a99d80-2307d420

 

Just booking ours. £100. Cheaper than the tunnel.