AllanB

I have been travelling down through France for very many years and each time it changes, as does my route, so I thought I would try to get an update for you peeps down there.

I wondered if anyone has figured out a route down through France, using toll roads only when expedient, to keep the cost down.

It used to be the case that you could travel almost as fast on RN roads as the Autoroutes but not any more, they have put speed bumps, traffic lights and part pedestrianised every little town and village, not to mention the roundabouts every km and the increase in daytime traffic.

So if you have done this recently I would like to hear your view and I will do likewise when I get there.

Two days is too hectic for me, so we shall take three days, maybe four in our DIY campervan full of kit for our new place.

Knoxy_UK

Hi

I looked at using the ferry route to France then travelling through to PT last year. Whilst the ferry was far cheaper than it was to Santander, I worked out that the cost of fuel (with a fully loaded vehicle) Was a lot more.

In the end I felt that the small financial saving was not worth the risk of an accident having to drive all those extra hours through France.

Fredbargate

Why not try a route planner which gives you the time, distance and costs using or avoiding toll roads, plus hotel suggestions.

https://www.viamichelin.co.uk/

Knoxy_UK

Good cal Fred, This is what I based my own decision on, it's a great little app. As you can put in your vehicles mpg etc

Fredbargate

I also use Bing for basic route planning and find it easier to make modification to.

https://www.bing.com/maps?FORM=HDRSC4

But Michelin for more detail when I have decide on the final route and as a check.

AllanB

I have been a bit of a wally all these years, it is actually cheaper to use the toll roads and certainly less hassle.

They quote 1817 km for Dunkirk to Tabua and all for 250 euro including tolls and it seems to work out right at 41mpg for my van, although they talk about E1.15/litre for diesel and only Spain has those prices.

We could do that in 2, or 3 days, sleep free on the Autoroute, find a Lidl for grub, Bob's your uncle.

EsuriJohn

We used to drive down, Chunnel to Calais then autoroute all the way to Ayamonte. No tolls once across the border into Spain. Then we sat down and worked it out, with an early train then one overnight in an Ibis at Poiters then an Ibis in Irun and finally an overnight around Salamanca, the cost of the train,tolls, extra diesel (high speed takes its "toll" as well), and two overnights worked out about the same as Portsmouth/Santander with Brittany Ferries. We checked our own estimates with those of Michelin and they tallied. Then we needed to do several trips in one year in spring so we joined Brittany Ferries "Club Voyage" for the 30% discount and have renewed each March since then. Now family and friends also enjoy 10% discount too and at 73 has taken a lot of the strain out of our annual trip back to UK for summer.

In summery less wear and tear on both us and the carats about even balance in cost so we think it is a good compromise and we are staring to allow our return trip to become a short holiday planning different routes up and back through both Spain and Portugal.

peterfc

Hi

I travel back about four times a year and here is the route i take each time. I set my satnav to avoid TOLLS and Motorways.

Come out of Dieppe or Calais go next is Rouen then Alencon then LeMans then Tours then Poitiers then Angouleme then Bordeaux then Bayonne then Vitoria then Buros then Valladolid then Salamanca then keep going till you are over the border. Now just follow the road it.s so easy.

Before you cross the border fill up your tank as it's so much cheaper to fill up while still in Spain but it's only a couple of Kilometers before the border.

Peter

Fredbargate

Fuel price in Europe 2017 • Autotraveler.ru

I drove Gibraltar - Spain - France - Ireland - UK France - Andorra - Spain - Gibraltar last year and I am planning the same this year.

Diesel is cheaper in Gibraltar than Spain then France then Ireland and I would have managed to avoid buying any in the UK but for the fuel strike in France making it a necessity to be prepared. Then Andorra was the next cheapest.

When in Portugal I always buy close to the frontier near Vila Real De Santo Antonio as I will be doing in a couple of weeks.

Bridie55

Totally agree we drive down to the Costa Tropical and since using Brittany Ferries to Santander or Bilbao the journey is so much easier than Calais France route. We now have one overnight stop near Madrid instead of 3 or sometimes 4.

AllanB

No, not at all, the cost difference is huge and a friend of mine took this ferry and was a sick as a dog in the notorious Bay of Biscay seas, plus I hate ferries, you have to eat their crappy food and at high prices. And it only takes you part way....

In our campervan it is going to cost us a little over 250 Euros including tolls, we can eat healthy home cooked food at 1/3rd of the cost, stop when and where we like, by a lake, beach, in the mountains, whatever and with the Autoroute, we now have an easy time of it.

I guess if you have a car it is a little different, but even so a car would be faster, more comfortable and Fomule1 hotels are everywhere in France, easy and cheap as chips.

Bridie55

Our crossings have been good. The food and cabin were fine, wouldn't stay in a Formula 1 if you paid me. We only chose better hotels or B&B's so for us it's as cheap.It's all down to personal choice in the end like owning a motorhome or caravan certainly not our choice of transport.

AllanB

I have been staying in Formule 1 for 30+ years, they are easy to find, always spotlessly clean, comfortable, internet and TV and cheap. You can arrive at any time at all, so convenient, the down side is that you have a walk a few metres to the (clean) showers and toilets.

Luxurious, prestigious, 5 star, perhaps not, but when travelling I want something simple, clean and reliable to get some shut eye. The people there are always friendly too.

As for the campervan, the only way to see Europe IMO.

brodev

The following website gives alternatives for travelling through France.
Driving through France to Spain
And the following website gives a list of clean cheap hotels in France including Formule 1 which I personally avoid as I prefer ensuite.
Budget Hotels in France – Find a cheap or budget hotel in France

AllanB

France is one of the very best countries for affordable hotel chains and we have tried others, I can dig why you like en-suite rooms, MrsB included, but I have stayed in a few where to room was a bit worse for wear for having an en-suite.

Nowadays the Mrs doesn't mind a quick walk through the corridors in a towel and it has never bothered me.

On the other hand I know a chap who wouldn't touch anything below 5 stars with a barge-pole, but given bottomless pockets I would choose a friendly guesthouse every-time. I guess I am just cheap.....my daughter tells me so when I buy a secondhand mobile-phone.