French Route Advice - please!

[JamesMio]

Heading over to Tignes in the French Alps for a road trip, not on the bikes unfortunately however we do have time for an overnighter somewhere between Calais and Tignes.

So - this is the standard, off-the-peg route that Google maps suggests - there's a better way to do this, surely?

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?saddr=Calais,+France&daddr=tignes&hl=en&ll=48.312428,8.4375&spn=9.543952,26.784668&sll=46.346928,9.437256&sspn=4.951998,13.392334&geocode=FXp0CQMdflwcAClj4_HXdT_cRzH0edKM4Nm-rA%3BFRwntgId0ZtpACm7fn0oYwyJRzGwqLrkKqsIBA&oq=calais&mra=ls&t=m&z=6

As it's a holiday, we'd much prefer to see something worthwhile on the way there than battering it along French toll roads and sitting in Parisian traffic all day.

Any tips, pointers advice or otherwise is, as always, greatly appreciated.

Cheers
JM

[Bluefish]

1st click avoid tolls, 2nd use my satnav always takes an interesting route :rolleyes: I'd go to the right of Paris, looking at the map, Reims Troyes Dijon, depends how quick you want to do it though.

[maviczap]

From memory of my trip to the Alps in 97, we stopped overnight in Reims like Bluefish says

[littleoldman2]

Nice route down in this thread fro Ed

Uncle Ed's Alpine Ramblings
http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?t=154994

[Specialone]

Id go via Annecy, stay over there, cracking vibrant place, loads of places to eat and drink, massive lake, scenic etc

I'll dig out the route i done last year, we went via dijon.

[JamesMio]

All useful stuff - thanks folks

[STRAMASHER]

Battering along French toll roads gets you to the good stuff quicker!


As mentioned, Calais, Reims, Troyes, Dijon then cut-off East to the N5 south of Dole up to the top of the mountains overlooking Lake Geneva, The Alps in the background (gorgeous,) down to Nyon along the Lake looking at the big posh hooses, not getting lost in Geneva, like me and going past the airport terminal so many times I got told off by the cops:smt018 and head for Annecy. More gorgeousness here aplenty.

Bag some Cols in yer car ya softy!:p;)

[Luckypants]

Battering along French toll roads gets you to the good stuff quicker!


As mentioned, Calais, Reims, Troyes, Dijon then cut-off East to the N5 south of Dole up to the top of the mountains overlooking Lake Geneva, The Alps in the background (gorgeous,) down to Nyon along the Lake looking at the big posh hooses, not getting lost in Geneva, like me and going past the airport terminal so many times I got told off by the cops:smt018 and head for Annecy. More gorgeousness here aplenty.

Bag some Cols in yer car ya softy!:p;)

This! I followed Stramasher's advice back in 2007 and had a great time getting to Annecy.

[JamesMio]

Cool - that looks like the route for us then - thanks chaps, much appreciated!

[Balky001]

yep, agree with Stramasher's route advice.

When you get near the Alps and it starts opening up and you see the mountains you'll realise it was worth belting down the toll roads just to get there.

Just watch your speed as the Fench have just introduced 400 unmarked camera, and banned electronics with camera placement warnings. But you'll find (speed limit is 130 in dry) that sitting at 80 is fast enough most of the time

http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/overseas/driving-abroad-whats-new-2012.html