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Hi, we usually sail pompey to st malo, but due to the rising cost have plumped for Dover to Dunkirk ferry. Does anyone out there have a preferred route from Dunkirk to the Vendee, or is there anywhere/thing I should avoid.

Many thanks .......

Depends if you want to pay motorway tolls. If you want the quick toll roads, the viamichelin  or autoroutes.fr websites will give you routes and prices. However, we are a bit mean, and can get down at least to Chartres (west of Paris) at minimal cost.

Dunkirk to Bolougne is free motorway. The A16 then turns into payage. This is worth taking for the first bit, as it goes over  a spectacular viaduct, saving going down and up some steep hills and Bolougne suburbs. Go back then onto the old road for about 50 miles easy driving (mainly country) to Abbeville, where the motorway to Rouen is free again. You may then have to pay a bit more on the motorway to Paris, or head on the N15 to Pont l'Arche, where you pick up the N151 dual carriageway to Evreux, then Dreux and Chartres.

Cannot give you exact routes beyond there - depends where you are heading -  but at least you are beyond Paris at minimal cost . Good municipal sites for overnights at Pont l'Arche or at Nonancourt, between Evreux and Dreux.

The route suggested by Brians dad above is OK as far as Rouen, but I would think that heading for Dreux/Chartres is keeping too Easterly.

After Rouen, pick up the A13 towards Caen for a few miles and take the old N138 towards Alencon and Le Mans.  The N138 has been re-numbered and can't remember it's new name, but it's a good road.  Alternatively, if you don't mind paying the tolls, pick up the A28 down to Le Mans which also goes over 2 decent viaducts - actually, to save a few euros, these were built as single carriageway only.  Le Mans is easy - either the peage around the city or the (free) inner ring road - provided you are not travelling between 14th to 18th June (Le Mans 24 Heures), and 5th to 9th July (Le Mans Classic).  The route after Le Mans depends on where you're headed.

Del

We went from calais last year but although I remember going through Rouen and past Le mans, I can't remember the exact route.  All the roads seemed pretty good.

We are sailing to St Malo this year for the overnight crossing and then on to St Jean de Monts.

as suggested, its a case of deciding whether to pay for tolls or not. we do the calais to the vendee route at leat 3 times per year and have tried all different ways and combinations , we dont tow a caravan etc so cost is based on single car)

our preferred route is A16 toll free to Bolougne, Bolougne to Abbeyville on the toll road (about 7 Euros), Abbeyville to Rouen toll free, stay on the A16 to Caen on the toll rooad (two tolls - total cost under 10 Euros), we then take Caen to Rennes, Rennes to Nantes, Nantes to Challans

all the roads are either dual carriageway or motorway other than the final stretch from Nantes

if you take the toll road from Rouen to Le Mans and then to Nantes it will save around an hour or so but cost about 40 euros

on the way back, if we're not having to rush we avoid the toll road from Abbeyville to Bolougne, puts around 30 mins on the journey i reckon

If you're using Autoroutes, don't go a on Saturday in early august like we did. took us 1 hour to get through one toll booth near Angers.  Other than that, lovely journey. We overnighted near Rouen.