WE drove down to Argeles mid august last year - we stopped at Orleans and Toulouse on the way down and then on saturday morning, the motorway ws pretty clear, so we stopped and spent a few hours in Carcasonne. Big mistake - HUGE mistake - when we got back on the motorway it was really snarled up. Setting off from Toulouse we had been ahead of teh traffic but it caught us up with a vengance as we dawdled. This year we get as far as Bezier on Friday and will be up with the lark to get to the beach at argeles before 1/2 of Europe joins us on the road.
------------- Huw
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We've done Argeles - but break the journey. We usually set off on Friday after work, but usually we're outside of peak season, and catch a ferry as near to mid-night as we can. We then spend the remainder of that night on an Aire - where you can have a good sleep provided you don't have 'Norbert Dentressangle' rev ving up next to you. We then have another night somewhere in the middle of France (depends on which route we choose).
Whichever route you choose it's a long way. We usually cross Dover/Calais, then sometimes down the St Quentin/Reims/Troyes/Dijon/Rhone Valley/Montpellier/Narbonne/Perpignan (usually keeping off the autoroutes as much as possible) but we sometimes do Calais/Senlis/E104 around Paris, Nemours, Montargis, Moulins, Nevers, Clermont Ferrand, Millau, Beziers, Perpignan.
We did the first route mentioned by Val going down and came back up again using her second route! I think that the first route is quicker but the second route more picturesque. We had never used the second route before but decided to try it in order to see the Millau Viaduct and found it a very enjoyable route back to Calais. We used mostly autoroutes but early in July so didn't have any problems with traffic.
We went to Argeles in 2002 and loved it but the drive nearly killed us, it was our first trip to France and drove from Zebrugge to Argles in the day (I know, I know, nieve is not the word). Since then we have always been to the Vendee which is very nice but not as nice as the south.
We are planning to go back again next year and would love to hear others routes, us like you live in the north. What is the best route you have found, where do you cross and where do you stop over en route? Thanks in advance for any advice!
JK
Post last edited on 21/06/2007 15:47:14
Hi ,
we use Dover- Calais , mainly as its paid in full with clubcard points.Ok, its not ideal having to drive down the A1/M11/M25 etc but not any problems as yet and we aim to do it in 5 hours through the night,and the sheer choice of times of sailings out of Dover fit in better for us than a Hull-Zeebrugge crossing which is expensive with the van even with £200 knocked off with clubcard points.
From Calais, we now arrive around 5am we head for Rouen,Chartres,Orleans where we will more than likely stop for the Friday night then may (or may not) head further South on the Saturday.If things arent too bad we aim to reach the Millau area and stop the night there and take time out on the Sunday to go see the viaduct and do the spectacular drive through the tarn gorge before hitting the road for the last leg down to Argeles on Monday.Its great that we now have 3-4 days to reach argeles so dont have to worry about hammering 400 miles + a day
We did Beziers in 2003 , stopped at StPere -sur-Loire 1st night, made it to Riviere -sur-Tarn for the 2nd night and completed the journey to beziers in a couple of hours next day , all on N roads and free bits of autoroute , this was our 1st trip.
The following year we went to Pong in the Vendee, again from calais and still had a 2 night stopover en route ,but like you found the Vendee ok (bit flat and uninspiring for us), but the south wins for us due to the brilliant scenery,beaches and of course the weather.
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Thanks for the advice, your Calais / Argeles route sounds ideal. Although to have 3/4 days each way would probably eat into our time in the south too much. Will ahve to look at timings and stuff. Would love to see the Millau bridge, supposed to be amazing.
Noticed people mentioning CB at the booths...does this allow you to use your credit card at these..? How do they take payment ...is it a machine where you enter your card and number, or is a person swiping....Been travelling in France a couple of years but not aware of this. Feedback appreciated. Thanks
You put your card in the slot in the machine, press the receipt button if you want one and take your card back again. Very simple and straightforward. It takes various amounts of time for the money to be taken from your account. Last year, one of the toll charges we paid on our way south was the very last thing to be ducted after we came home from our holidays 2 weeks later. Mostly the charge seemed to be taken out of the account within 2-3 days.
I am heading to argeles in mid July, although from Roscoff, luckily I arrive on a Sunday morning, so am hoping for a relatively smooth drive, I got one of them telecard thingies, they are brill, once u stay below 2m, bought it online, works a treat, and saves loads of time, I have rarely seen queues at the telecard booths.
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: toll booths
