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Travelling to/from France
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 15/04/2008, 21:19
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Simon
Joined on 06/12/2007
Inverness-shire and Cher(18)
Posts 16
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Re: DRIVING CALAIS TO MONTLUCON (3) AUVERGNE
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Hi Scotslassie,
I've been travelling about fours times a year from Loch Ness to Bannegon (15 miles west of St Amand) for the last 15 years and always travel Dover-Calais. The reason being is that if you miss your boat there's always another one within an hour or two and you generally don't have to pay any extra. On the longer crossings, if you miss your boat you've had it. Cost for return crossing with Seafrance last month was £52.
I have used the ferry from Rosyth to Zeebrugge on three occasions when travelling by motorbike, it's great to get off at Rosyth and be home in two and a half hours. However it was over £400 for two plus bike and cabin.
Travelling south from Calais, I always keep to the east of Paris, using either A104, A86 or le Peripherique depending on the time of day. As most people have said Paris isn't that bad, but remember that motorbikes have their own lane,it is between the middle and outside lanes!
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23/04/2008, 0:03
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scotslassie
Joined on 06/03/2008
Posts 28
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Re: DRIVING CALAIS TO MONTLUCON (3) AUVERGNE
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Hi simon
Nice to know how many people manage to get from Scotland to France. I presume you have a property in Bannegon to make you visit so often? Such a small world... Met some very nice people from Arbroath in Bulgaria 2 years ago and went back out there with one of them last year to sort out some paperwork for me and help them fit window panes in their property. Since seen sense and chosen france to waste my savings on but it would seem the scots get everywhere nowadays......!
I have decided to drive to Dover and hope I dont live to regret it. The one hour home from Rosyth would be fabulous, but we have just now decided the cost was too high at this time of year (our trip is delayed to mid june now) and even with fuel and £52 for the van and passengers (same price as your recent crossing) the cost is much less Dover to Calais. The visibility from the van is my only concern on french turf - bikes are much better from that point of view, as well as creating extra lanes! I have now printed out 2 different routes calais to st amand......
No doubt we will try different methods of getting there over the next few years whilst renovating.. Once its finished there wont be the need for tools and materials etc so flight to paris and car hire or train will be cheap and quick. I have rented a large caravan a few miles from the barn to have a base close by. Once there is water connected I can just rough it while work is in progress!
cheers, lesley
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30/04/2008, 13:13
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Simon
Joined on 06/12/2007
Inverness-shire and Cher(18)
Posts 16
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Re: DRIVING CALAIS TO MONTLUCON (3) AUVERGNE
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Hi Lesley,
Yes, I do have a house in Le Rhimbe, Bannegon. Even after 15 years my holidays still involve tools and building materials and journeys to builders merchants, etc. My French neighbours always laugh when I use the word holidays. Since buying the house, we haven't holidayed anywhere else, despite each year vowing to go somewhere else. The draw is just too great. The idea of a package holiday lying on a beach just doesn't hold much appeal.
Just got planning permission to build two dormer windows, so that's this years holidays sorted!
Simon
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30/04/2008, 21:35
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ErnieY
 
Joined on 05/12/2006
Nr Prayssac (Lot)
Posts 2,964
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Re: DRIVING CALAIS TO MONTLUCON (3) AUVERGNE
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When it comes to traversing Paris timing is absolutely everything.
Normally we have avoided it like the plague favouring the Rouen route however we've just returned from a trip to Blighty and went via Paris both ways without hesitation, deviation, or repetition ![Smile [:)]](/cs/images/emotions/smile.gif)
On the way up we'd made excellent time and hit Orleans at around 22:30 on a Saturday night. We had bags of time for our ferry so decided to live on the edge and in all honesty it was an absolute doddle. We ignored the SatNav and just followed the signs for Lille and never dropped below whatever the speed limit was for the stretch of road we were on, minimum was 90kph if memory serves, and all dual carriageway.
Returning we hit Dunkerque at 01:00. With reckless abandon and emboldened by the earlier experience we went for Paris again following the signs for Bordeaux, once again a doddle. There was one brief worrying moment when we encountered a road closure at a critical point and diversion but it was well signposted and actually caused no difficulty and minimal delay.
My doctor said one drink per day, I can live with that !
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France Forum » Travelling to/f... » Travelling to/f... » Re: DRIVING CALAIS TO MONTLUCON (3) AUVERGNE
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