Millau Viaduct question
 

Has anyone been across the Millau Viaduct recently? I've been told that because the lorry drivers:driving: were suffering from vertigo:smt119, screens have been errected that obliterate the view:smt013. Is there any truth in this?

Also, where is the best view of the viaduct?

Re: Millau Viaduct question
 

Yes there are screens along the sides, or there were in July 2007. They do detract from the view off the bridge but TBH it is not somewhere to admire the view if you are driving!

Several good long views of the bridge can be had from the road down the Tarn gorge (D907). also there is a view point on the N9 above the town on the dual carriageway. You can also ride out along the D992 under the bridge and get a good view from there. You can follow the unclassified road under the bridge to the new service area on the north side of the bridge. Here some I took last year (posted several times before so sorry if folks bored of em)

From the N9 view point
http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w...ceTrip0002.jpg

The road under the viaduct

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w...ceTrip0003.jpg

A recently cut wheat field I managed to sneak into off the D992

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w...ceTrip0004.jpg

Re: Millau Viaduct question
 

Wow, looks better than the publicity photos and a must see when we go in sept. Cheers

Re: Millau Viaduct question
 

Stunning!

Are you going in September Teej?

So am I.

Maybe I'll see you there.

Re: Millau Viaduct question
 

Do you know how to get there?

Re: Millau Viaduct question
 

I'm sure I could tag on to a couple of old geezers going in the same direction. :wink:

Re: Millau Viaduct question
 

Hey................... less of the 'geezer' nonsense. Can't argue about the 'old'.

Re: Millau Viaduct question
 

I'd love to go visit there aswell, I would tag along however I am in Egypt in September.

Re: Millau Viaduct question
 

So might I

Re: Millau Viaduct question
 

Re: Millau Viaduct question
 

cool pics I am going this year late summer

Re: Millau Viaduct question
 

Its very impressive. Like Luckpants says, there are screens on the sides of the bridge, but you still know you are high up in the clouds anyway! There is a good viewing point before you get to the bridge with some tourist info and a place to sit and admire the view.

Well worth going IMO.

HTH,

BB.

Re: Millau Viaduct question
 

ok its like 692 miles and about 11 hours 40 minutes from Ace cafe,
any one fancy a ride out ?

Re: Millau Viaduct question
 

Viewing point is on north side of the bridge. It can be reached from the motorway southbound or from the little road that goes under the bridge (see second photo). It is now called 'Aire du Viaduc de Millau' or something.

Re: Millau Viaduct question
 

Dont forget our B+B is just an hour and a half away!!! :smt045:lol::smt045

Re: Millau Viaduct question
 

Doh! Wish I had known that.

Re: Millau Viaduct question
 

What route would you reco from Millau to your place Nigel?

Re: Millau Viaduct question
 

it depends on whether you want the quick way (1.45hr) or the scenic way (several hours)
if it is the quick way it is litterally up the A9 to junction 34 then the A75 to millau, which is a quite nice twisty road in its own right however the gorges of the tarn near millau are an absolute must if one is not pressed for time so a slightly roundabout circuit must be used to take advantage.

Re: Millau Viaduct question
 

We will be approaching Millau from the east, along the Tarn. It is way from Millau to Perpignon that I was interested in. Whether we do the scenic or more direct route really depends on how we feel when we get to Millau.

Re: Millau Viaduct question
 

in that case you just blast down the A75 to where it joins tha A9 along the A9 to Perpignan south and we are 10 minutes up the road. if you are bowling along at "fun" speeds without going loopy you can get here in 90 minutes from millau.

Re: Millau Viaduct question
 

Nigel* will probably be the best person to advise about the screens, I was there in May last year and didn't notice any.

If you go, the village of Peyre is worth a visit, just a 5 minutes west of Millau. www.bobclay.co.uk/largefrance/peyre2.jpg Doesn't look much from this photo but its a very pretty quaint village, very steep with the buildings at the top level built into the rock. You have to park in the car park near the church and walk round, the streets are a bit narrow to be riding round without annoying the residents.

(*Wish I had known you were there then too Nigel, I only learned about your place from Trickywoos in November time. We stayed in a crummy IBIS outside Beziers, but it was only one night to be closer to Carcassonne for the next day, I had loads of loyalty points so stayed in the Holiday Inn in Montpellier for free the rest of the week. We'll be back though, my wife is French and we are both fed up with this weather, educational standards, healthcare, interfering government, etc, etc. We intend to buy in Aude or Herault and move across.)

Re: Millau Viaduct question
 

Hey we forgive you for not visiting just this once :roll: for those that want more info on the millau bridge follow this link http://www.roadtraffic-technology.co...illau_viaduct/
for those that want more info of our region follow this link and hit the green hot spots http://www.coupdecoeur.co.uk/todo.htm
Before you look in the herault aude , look in this region, yes the houses are a bit more expensive but not subject to the flooding of the other areas to the north. Here the summers are a bit cooler and the winters a bit more warmer than further north plus you have the ski slopes 45 minutes away and the med 15minutes away and spain 20 minutes so we are a bit spoiled really. If you want some idea of house costs here check this site out http://www.costabravaestates.com/
Yes as you may have guessed for all my sins I now sell houses, well someone has to!! and sadly we still have to earn a living but the education system here is just fantastic, there are so many brits leaving the uk so that their children get a decent education it is unreal. remember if you want to fly down it can cost 20 pounds roundtrip per person off peak or less.

Re: Millau Viaduct question
 

Thanks Nigel, I'll definately give you a shout when the time comes and see whats in your portfolio. The reason that were thinking 11 or 34, is that for me finding work (IT Consultant) there is a fair few sizable towns in commuting distance (Narbonne, Beziers, Carcassone, Montpellier, Nimes), however we will put the equity from our house here in the bank and use the interest to pay the rent somewhere first of all, then once settled with me in a job we'll use that equity to buy somewhere near to my work. So if I found work in Narbonne, Perpignan or Carcassone then we'd look at 66 as well.

Re: Millau Viaduct question
 

I'll be down there at the end of May - which is the best way to see the views from the bridge etc - from the north or south?

Re: Millau Viaduct question
 

For me, come down from the North. Did the opposite, and before you knew it the bridge was right infront of you. North-South and you get plenty of time to see it away in the distance. Plenty of time to realise how feckin huge it is.

Oh and have a good one! Counting the days eh?:)

Re: Millau Viaduct question
 

Thanks for the info.. Yes - 23 days to the off! We are going to approach the bridge the first time along the Tarn gorge from the north east but I am going to go north a miles or two from Millau to get onto the A75 going south, as you suggest. Gotta do the lot as I prob won't be along that way again. ;)

Re: Millau Viaduct question
 

Coming down the Tarn gorge is a great way to see the bridge for the first time as well, that 'side on' view is breath taking. Have good one!