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16/03/2008, 14:48 scotslassie Joined on 06/03/2008 Posts 40 DRIVING CALAIS TO MONTLUCON (3) AUVERGNE It will be our first time driving on the wrong side of the road in May!  We need to get to my foolhardy purchase (barn renovation) near Montlucon.  I DO NOT WANT TO GO NEAR PARIS - I remember as a child going through at 4 am to avoid the rush with panicking parents as it was still very busy!  Any route recommendations to avoid huge arguements and accidents?    Report

16/03/2008, 15:53 plod Joined on 17/05/2007 Posts 200 Re: DRIVING CALAIS TO MONTLUCON (3) AUVERGNE Paris is not scary. If you avoid the rush hours the périphérique is simple - just follow the signs. Am I right in thinking that Montlucon is near Vierzon? If so come down from Calais and follow the signs for Nantes and Bordeaux. Just have a navigator keeping an eye out for the signs. They are numerous and clear. Honestly!    Report

16/03/2008, 15:57 Anton Redman Joined on 23/08/2004 Gironde Posts 2,054 Re: DRIVING CALAIS TO MONTLUCON (3) AUVERGNE Have a look at http://www.viamichelin.com/viamichelin/fra/tpl/hme/MaHomePage.htm It quotes 6 hours 25 minutes and 627 kilometres via Paris and 8 hours 2 minutes and 737 via Troyes to the East of Paris. You can modiy your route to add stop overs which is how you feed in Troyes. The printouts tell you which signs to follow. All the Peripherique is dual carriage way, there are only a few tricks to using it : 1. For a number of junctions the main route goes straight on but the exit is the left so follow the signposts not your sense of direction. 2. The signposting happens latter than on UK Motorways. ( becasue the route is much closer to the centre) 3. Check that you know the town which will be sign posted. Going South for Montlucon I am pretty sure it is Bordeaux until you are at least 20 kilometres South of Paris.(via Micjelin gives you a route with the signpots on it) 4. Always fill up well before Paris or check you have enough fuel to be the other side of Paris. ( ditto comfort breaks) For what it is worth after driving round the M25 I think the Peripherique a doodle    Report

16/03/2008, 16:45 abbo2 Joined on 08/06/2007 Posts 13 Re: DRIVING CALAIS TO MONTLUCON (3) AUVERGNE Anton is right about the m25 and the peripherique we live by sancerre so take the a6 from paris and then the a77, we often go to montlucon which is about an hour further down from us, if this is the shortest route for you take paris,  We take the a1 until it runs out and then the peripherique round to the juntion for the a6, always following signs to lyon, keep the big picture in mind and its a doddle.  If you are going through at rush hours stop for a break before you get to near. good luck    Report

16/03/2008, 17:26 La Guerriere Joined on 13/03/2005 Posts 279 Re: DRIVING CALAIS TO MONTLUCON (3) AUVERGNE I agree the Peripherique is not as bad as it looks. Compared with M25 or the evil North or South Circular it works and the signing is totally consistent. You do need to have it sorted out a bit in advance and know which Porte you're going to come off at and get yourself into the correct lane. I find that oddly enough the French are more tolerant about people trying to change lanes than on UK motorways.. even white van man. And the overhead signs give quite a lot of information about the "circulation" , times, and whether anywhere is bunged up. However never try to drive to anywhere in La Defense that is a completely different kettle of poisson but also a totally different story so I'll shut up. Jim (Oxfordshire and Manche)    Report

16/03/2008, 21:05 scotslassie Joined on 06/03/2008 Posts 40 Re: DRIVING CALAIS TO MONTLUCON (3) AUVERGNE You have all been very helpful, thanks,  Yes Montlucon is near both Sancere and Vierzon and where I'm headed is actually just a few miles past St Amand Montrond so its really not even as far as that.  Nice to know we have neighbours......even if its almost an hour away!  We are heading from rural Scotland so the M25 will be equally traumatic so if we survive that we should really head for Paris to save more time and take all your advice.  You probably all are used to south of England traffic and a bit braver than me though - I will let you know how I get on! Oh - some of this will be toll roads?  Cost approx? Lesley    Report

16/03/2008, 21:39 Albert the InfoGipsy Joined on 01/07/2006 Kingdom of the Middle Saxons & Vannes (56) Posts 579 Re: DRIVING CALAIS TO MONTLUCON (3) AUVERGNE You could avoid both Paris AND the M25 if you take one of the mid-channel routes. Something like Portsmouth - Caen should do the trick. Multimap shows that as 503 km, against 616 km from Calais. You save a bit on UK mileage too -- Glasgow - Dover is 488 miles (785 km) and Glasgow - Portsmouth is 445 miles (716 km). The westerly routes are probably dearer than Dover-calais, but with your journey I'd seriously consider taking a night boat and getting a bit of kip. Albert the InfoGipsy "So welcome to the Citadel where the question is 'Am I?'"    Report

17/03/2008, 7:09 Anton Redman Joined on 23/08/2004 Gironde Posts 2,054 Re: DRIVING CALAIS TO MONTLUCON (3) AUVERGNE some of this will be toll roads?  Cost approx? Via Michelin (see link above) calculates the fees for the route you select.    Report

17/03/2008, 10:13 abbo2 Joined on 08/06/2007 Posts 13 Re: DRIVING CALAIS TO MONTLUCON (3) AUVERGNE  Cost approx? we pay 19.6 euros on the a1 to paris, 7.9 euros on the a6 down to the a77 then 2.6 euro as a through post at around junction 24 on the a77 not sure if i have the cents right but its near enough and we fill the van with desiel at calais as we come of the tunnel and this gets us here, st amand is about 30 mins from us abbo    Report

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