driving to PO

beamer · Post by **beamer** » Fri 19 Feb 2010 12:56

Hello everybody, my name is beamer
We have a small apartment in Port Vendres and are thinking about driving down this summer, with a stop over near limoges. Obviously, we want to avoid the toll roads but don't want to take forever, we have two young children.
Any suggestions?
Thanks

thumbelina · Post by **thumbelina** » Fri 19 Feb 2010 14:14

Hi Beamer

Welcome to the forum!

This looks to be a pretty cool website

http://www.viamichelin.co.uk/web/Routes

Also, here's some useful info

http://www.theaa.com/allaboutcars/overs ... try=France

You'll already be on the longest free section of motorway in France if you're coming down via Limoges (Vierzon - Brive). (if the weather is nice, it's a pretty journey after Limoges)

There is also a road which runs virtually alongside the motorway from Toulouse to Narbonne, although the toll from Toulouse to Perps is only around 18€.

Enjoy your journey!

Polly and Steve · Post by **Polly and Steve** » Fri 19 Feb 2010 15:17

Hi Beamer - can recommend a lovely B & B stopover that we've used and several other Forum members too I believe. It's called La Villonniere and it's just off Junction 20 of the A20, about half way from the channel ports and the P-O. so you'd need to be arriving in Calais no later than 10 am I should think. Have a look on www.lavillonniere.net - Sarah and Chris who run it are smashing and will provide a good and very reasonably priced evening meal as well if you let them know in advance.

Also, we make our first stop after Calais (or last stop going back the way) at a great service area called Baie de Somme, about an hour's motoring time from the port. There are little lakes and boardwalks and lots of wildlife for the kids to see/feed.

Have a good trip!

Polly and Steve · Post by **Polly and Steve** » Fri 19 Feb 2010 15:19

Durrrrr - the service area is on the A16 just north of Abbeville!

Marguerite & Steve · Post by **Marguerite & Steve** » Fri 19 Feb 2010 19:26

Polly and Steve wrote:www.lavillonniere.net

Hi & Welcome, yes like Polly said, it is a great stop over, we have been using them for a few years now. The route from there to Toulouse is so straight forward, then onto Perpignan then down to Port Vendres, that is the most straight forward route, also there are plenty of stops for the kids to run around. My son does that route with his 2 young children with no problems at all, and they are still sane when they arrive...

Rose · Post by **Rose** » Fri 19 Feb 2010 23:39

When I have worked as a tour guide we always stopped at the Baie de la Somme. You can climb up the tower there and reflect on the number of soldiers who lost their lives there. There are also some humungous fish there.

Keep off the road on 5th June. I am driving down from Normandy for the first time ever. I miss my dog who died a couple of years ago and want to buy another one. I want to check out the possibility of getting another dog in September and driving down south in the future.

I have worked out a route which avoids the Pont de Millau as I don't want to spend a couple of months stuck there. A brilliant site is www.iti.fr. Tells you how much the tolls will cost you and the amount spent on petrol. Have used viamichelin before - it is another good site.

I have decided to stop at Brive. Has anyone stopped there?

thumbelina · Post by **thumbelina** » Sat 20 Feb 2010 07:37

Yep! I like Brive - have also stopped at a Logis in Donzenac - not far from Brive - used to be lovely!

Have also stopped in Limoges.

Marguerite & Steve · Post by **Marguerite & Steve** » Sat 20 Feb 2010 09:13

thumbelina wrote:Yep! I like Brive - have also stopped at a Logis in Donzenac - not far from Brive - used to be lovely!

If you read the information page for this Logis, it sounds interesting.

We have also stayed at a Logis in Ussac, that was ok as well, lovely food.

thumbelina · Post by **thumbelina** » Sat 20 Feb 2010 09:18

That was the case of the one at Donzenac. It was quite funny really, the rooms were quite 'boutique' hotel-ish and the food was outstanding, but it was in the village off of the main drag, not even terribly well signposed, as I recall!

Don't think it's even still in business now. La Gamade was just over the road from where we stayed, M. As I say, bizarre really, tiny village, nothing there and you had two Logis almost opposite!

If you do decide to use the A20, beamer, I can heartily recommend a visit to Collonges La Rouge on the way down.

Beautiful village!

http://www.collonges-la-rouge.fr/

polremy · Post by **polremy** » Sat 20 Feb 2010 11:25

Will you be in your beamer, beamer?

mand · Post by **mand** » Sat 06 Mar 2010 17:40

Hi Having read this post. what route do you all take to get to limoges. we always go from calais to dreux or chartres stay overnight there then go across country to never N7 and follow down to clermont ferrand and so on...we have only been doing this route recently before that it was calais -Paris and then heading for the N7 via fontaine bleu but i find the peripherique to stressful for me...

would love another toll free route for a change of scenery

john · Post by **john** » Sat 06 Mar 2010 17:50

Yes,that's the route we take Mand. The gradual improvements to the N154 have made all the difference.

CarinaD · Post by **CarinaD** » Thu 11 Mar 2010 17:47

Is the peripherique stressfull with a tom tom?
I'm hoping our latest gadget will do all the driving for us!! well the nasty navigating bits anyway!

collioure_bee · Post by **collioure_bee** » Thu 11 Mar 2010 18:51

My mate insisted on using Tom Tom round the periphique and all the way down here despite me knowing the way. It told him to go the wrong way and despite me insisting the road wasn't right he took it. The road was a dead end somewhere near Versailles. Not impressed. We went back the way I told him and the bloody thing kept insisting to go back to the dead end for a long way down the road. So I personally, wouldn't touch one with a barge pole and rely on just maps.

If you are staying in Limoges, Beamer, I recommend this place for a visit. Very interesting and quite sobering.
http://www.oradour.info/

polremy · Post by **polremy** » Thu 11 Mar 2010 19:44

We once went round the Periferique TWICE when we missed our turnoff.
I remember saying "That building looks very familiar"

collioure_bee · Post by **collioure_bee** » Thu 11 Mar 2010 22:08

LOL at Pole.

Serge · Post by **Serge** » Fri 12 Mar 2010 00:11

polremy wrote:We once went round the Periferique TWICE when we missed our turnoff.
I remember saying "That building looks very familiar"

.......like an early, prototype Satnav?

ps. Typical! - I bet Mr P was well pleased with your comments ..........

mand · Post by **mand** » Fri 12 Mar 2010 01:47

CarinaD wrote:Is the peripherique stressfull with a tom tom?
I'm hoping our latest gadget will do all the driving for us!! well the nasty navigating bits anyway!

the peripherique is stressful whatever you use but on saying that we have used our tomtom on it and wouldn't attempt it without it....the problem with the peropherique is the parisiens who all know where they are going and drive like lunatics on it very much like the arc de triomphe where most just shut their eyes and hope for the best...lol.

if you use tomtom and end up like collioure bees mate then try setting it to find alternative route unless you do that it will keep trying to send you back on it's planned route.

with tomtom it will lose satelite signal with all the tunnels and high buildings but ours still kept with us to tell us the exit.

my hubby loves his tomtom her name is katherine ...lol these sad little men and their toys

thumbelina · Post by **thumbelina** » Fri 12 Mar 2010 07:06

But I don't understand why the perif is stressful.

You just follow the signs!!!

And if it's that bad, you just go Reims, Dijon, Macon, Lyon, Nimes, Montpellier, Perpi!

Kathy · Post by **Kathy** » Fri 12 Mar 2010 07:11

Hubby uses the peripherique both ways on our yearly car trip. Once someone had broken down on a bridge and that caused an immense jam. Normally though he considers it fairly straightforward but it is time consuming.

thumbelina · Post by **thumbelina** » Fri 12 Mar 2010 07:18

Truly, I've never had any problems with it. And the first time I drove it alone was with my four year old as navigator!

If you time it right you can do one end to the other in about forty minutes, although, granted, it can take anything up to three hours sometimes!!

Although if it's that blocked I get off and go through the city.

mand · Post by **mand** » Fri 12 Mar 2010 09:34

we find it stressful because perhaps we are one of the unlucky few who everytime we get on it we tend to get stuck in traffic.

we don't do it both ways when we used to go Paris way before on the way out we would go via Poissy A13 + A86 (hubby was raised near there and likes to return now and then)but i know most people from that area if they have to go into the city or the other side of the city they all take the train because they hate the traffic probs

Marguerite & Steve · Post by **Marguerite & Steve** » Fri 12 Mar 2010 11:35

..we go the other way round Paris, don't touch Paris. Pointoise, Poissy, N10 past Rambouillet, then A10, A71, then A20 to Toulouse, then Perpignan, so easy...................well so Steve says..

Arthur and Lyn · Post by **Arthur and Lyn** » Fri 12 Mar 2010 12:13

Hi
Just back from the UK and we followed tom tom round Paris without any problems and that on a tuesday. We to recommend La Villionaire, Sarah and Chris are great, and they have a mad dog called Maggie who loves children.
In fact our problems only started upon waking in the morning to snow overnight, although it wasn't too bad. Bit of a surprise to get back here to arctic conditions.
The sunny south of France eh.

Rose · Post by **Rose** » Fri 12 Mar 2010 12:33

We have a SatNav and a SatNag - that's me sitting in the back!

Arthur and Lyn · Post by **Arthur and Lyn** » Fri 12 Mar 2010 12:58

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