Will be travelling back from Perpignan to Caen with the caravan this summer. Have given ourselves 2 days to get to Caen and have a overnight campsite in Caen prior to an early morning ferry to Portsmouth on day 3.
I was looking for recommendations on routes through France, it looks like the A20 via Limoges or the A75 via Clermont-Ferrand would be the most obvious choices. I wondered if there was much to choose between then in terms of road conditions and tolls?
I'd also be interested in recommendations for mid-way campsites that aren't too far off route ideally with a pool.
Thanks
Dan
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
Via Clermont-ferrand, it's more scenic than via Limoges, it's in the mountains and vulcanos of Auvergne. For the tolls, the motorway is free between south and Clermont ferrand, except the "pont de Millau",and the motorway is free from Brive to Vierzon, so the difference is not very important.
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
There are hills, obviously, and you climb up to 1200 metres at one point, but they are long hills and not steep and on the longer sections there are slow lanes going up and 'run-offs' going down. I share the towing and happily tow on the A75. I think the worst section is going up from Lodeve up to Le Caylar (just north of Pezenas) - which is very winding, and quite slow, but I've towed up there too. I don't like towing down that particular hill though!
We prefer the A75 route to the A20 just because of the scenery, but I know others have expressed concerns about their cars being underpowered. What do you tow with and what's the weight of the caravan you're towing?
From St Flour to north of Lodève, (nearly 200 km),the motorway stays around 1000/ 1200 m, but it's never very steepy, as says valA. The more difficult part is the "pas de l'eslalette, after Lodève. Pay attention also to speed traps, sometimes they are on a way down limited to 90/ KM H.
Here are some views of this motorway. (Page 2, you can click on p 1, 4, 5). The pas de l'Escalette is P 4