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Hi we are looking for some advice when travelling from Callais to Olivet, Orlean.  We have a caravan and three young chn aged 7,6 and 3.  We are travelling down to Pepignan over three days.  Day 1 Callais to Olivet, Day 2 Olivet - Saint Flour and on Day 3 Saint Flour - Pepignan.  We arrive on Friday 27th July at Callais and our ferry gets in at 9.30am.  We've been advised to stop North of Paris to avoid the midday/lunchtime rush hour and start back again at 2.30ish.  Has anyone done this and do you agree or is there another route?  We are trying to make this as easy as possible for the kids.  Any suggestions i.e. campsites, travel through Paris with a caravan on a Friday would be gratefully received.  Thank you.

I would go around to the west of Paris, using the Abbeville, Rouen, Evreux, Chartres,Orleans route.  You should avoid the worst of the traffic on that Friday because you'll be well under way before the traffic starts getting bad.

It will also save you quite a bit in tolls.  The first section, to Abbeville is toll, but then toll-free until you get to just south of Chartres, join the A10 at that point, hen the A71, and that takes you to the south of Orleans, when you can come off for Olivet.  By the way, fill up in Olivet as it is amongst the cheapest places in France to fill up (if you're using diesel)!

We've done that route lots of times.  There is almost always a hold-up south of Evreux where the route crosses the N12 near Nonancourt, but though it looks bad, it doesn't usually take long to get through it.  There is quite a good 'Aire' on that section, which may be a good place to stop for lunch.  We've done the same journey and been on site at Salbris south of Orleans by 3.30 - and we don't rush, just meander.

According to viamichelin it will take 5 hours 20 minutes using the route I've described but take that with a pinch of salt on a busy day in July!

It's worth it to avoid going anywhere near Paris.

Thanks for your advice Tentz and Val A, looks like you've both suggested same route.  No, we'd rather not go through Paris so we'll follow your advice and go the way you've suggested.  We think we'll get most mileage out of the 'children' on the first day as they will be so excited...

We'll meander as well.

Thanks again

Emma

Have a good holiday Emma!

I hope you all have a wonderful time.  Where are you staying near Perpignan?  We were down in that area last year, and very near this year!  We were lucky and had great weather and I hope you do too!

I don't know either site, so can't help there! 

The Agde area is popular, and in peak season sites are always in demand. Sept Fonts looks to be tucked away at the back of the town, and in busy periods this might be a big advantage. Traffic may be busy along the D612A and the D912 - so if you're going inland for the day I'd take the back roads into town, cross the bridge and then head out towards Bessan, and then find your way from there.  You'll avoid the long queues on the D612.  There are lots of ways through using the back roads - we bought a very large scale map and can find our way from almost anywhere to almost anywhere else without going on the main roads.

The HyperU supermarket is the best and does the cheapest fuel around.  The bread and cakes at the 'concession' Boulangerie shop in the HyperU mall, as you come in from the end nearest the petrol station, are great.  The do lovely baguettes at 49 cents (or 5 for 2 euros - so if you're doing sandwiches for four it may be worth while), and their tarts, quiches and pizzas are great too!  The Crevettes from the fish section of the HyperU are lovely - they're often about half price during the week compared to the weekend - 5.50 instead of 11.50 a kilo when we were there just a couple of weeks ago.  To get to the Supermarket from your site you'd have to go around the 'inner by pass' - if you look on Satellite view you can see the road with several roundabouts and you can see the crescent shaped supermarket and carpark.  There's a Lidl just across the D612, too, a short distance from the HyperU, (don't end up going down the sliproad and on to the D612 though) and meat and chicken is very good from there, and reasonably priced.  I don't think the Lidl shows up yet on Satellite view - it's only a couple of years old but it's approximately where the 'Renault Agde Garage' wording is.

On market day park up at the top end of the town, rather than try to drive in - it can be chaotic if traffic is busy. 

It's an area we've been to loads of times before, so if I can help with anything let me know.