French Peage

[JuanVecino2023]

I’m looking to drive down to South of France from Calais, avoiding the leave.

I’ve use AI to give me the theoretical times, but has anyone done this in the real world?

I recall heading to Le Mans one year and due to an accident we went off piste from the motorways and it got very rural quickly,

Apple Maps suggests it only adds a couple of hours, but I’m less confident.

 

[Mehdime]

If I understand correctly, you’re asking: how much extra time would avoiding paid motorways (“autoroutes”) add to a journey from Calais to somewhere in the south of france?

The south of France is… rather large. So the answer is: how long is a piece of string.

But you most definitely shouldn’t ask an AI chatbot here. Google Maps and Apple Maps will give you estimates. They won’t be necessarily 100% accurate. But at least they’ll be based on real up to date traffic data. An AI chatbot on the other side will literally just make Poo poo up based on what randomers have been posting on Reddit about vaguely related topics at some point in the last 20 years.

The time it takes will be largely driven by whether or not you avoir major urban areas at rush hour.

 

[dspuk]

Use Waze or Google Maps to plan the route and put in the time you are leaving Calais.

Based on historical info for that time of day it will give you a time range between which is generally very accurate.

Using "AI" is as much use as a chocolate fireguard unless it's part of a long Reddit thread, in which case it's either written by a lunatic or as is more common today, AI.

 

[Sad]

We much prefer sticking to the smaller roads in France when we can - you see so much more and it makes the journey itself part of the adventure rather than just getting from A to B.

That said, if we're short on time and need to cover ground quickly, we'll plug it into Google Maps or TomTom first. If the péage saves us a decent chunk of time, we'll happily pay and use it.

 

[motoYAKA]

As said already, using Google maps will give a better indication of time/ distance.

This year we again avoided the peage, but did a mix of free-to-use motorways and avoiding motorways completely, largely as we wanted to see some of the country, but also depended on how we were doing for time. We therefore mostly used the free motorways around large cities and where the scenery was not so great - rural roads are great for seeing the country, but there are huge expanses of wide open farmland that is not that scenic.

 

[Black Forest]

Have a look at “via Michelin”.

You can set it up for your vehicle so it knows the mpg. Then add the typical fuel price per litre. The put a route start and finish point.
It will calculate: time, fuel cost, toll cost for a selection of routes, motorway or non motorway. It’s a good free planning tool.

 

[sidepod]

From a lot years experience it’ll take an order of magnitude longer to do the trip sans paege.

It’s not clear what the object of the exercise is?

Just remember not all of France is beautiful winding roads through vineyards etc.

A big part of your non-motorway route will be “long straight section behind truck/roundabout/long straight behind truck/roundabout/non descript town/traffic light/speed bump/roundabout “ and so on.
Throw in a few agonising waits trying to overtake a beard in a great white relying on your other half to tell you it’s safe to pull out!

It’ll get tiresome very quickly!

Probs best to research a few nice areas to explore and just send it down the paege between them?

 

[colintfcolintf]

Remember that the non motorway speed limit has reduced from 90kmh to 80 kmh in many parts of France

 

[Corradobrit]

From a lot years experience it’ll take an order of magnitude longer to do the trip sans paege.

It’s not clear what the object of the exercise is?

Just remember not all of France is beautiful winding roads through vineyards etc.

A big part of your non-motorway route will be “long straight section behind truck/roundabout/long straight behind truck/roundabout/non descript town/traffic light/speed bump/roundabout “ and so on.
Throw in a few agonising waits trying to overtake a beard in a great white relying on your other half to tell you it’s safe to pull out!

It’ll get tiresome very quickly!

Probs best to research a few nice areas to explore and just send it down the paege between them?

So very true. Choose your 'scenic' routes VERY carefully.

 

[Corradobrit]

You're more likely to get caught out in a speeding trap on non motorway roads. Waze doesn't know the whereabouts of them all and its easy to get caught out.

 

[chockswahay]

From other threads and postings by @JuanVecino2023 I think he likes a bit of 'speed' so the rural roads will frustrate quickly (I love them but then I'm never in a rush). Having said that I would say it's worth asking AI for fast toll free routes and it will list the free motorways. Only (minor) thing to think about if using toll roads is that they are private so in the event of breakdown the VW network can not be used..... you have to pay private operators first then claim back later.

 

[willwander]

You're more likely to get caught out in a speeding trap on non motorway roads. Waze doesn't know the whereabouts of them all and its easy to get caught out.

Lotsa little towns (all look abandoned) where you have to slow to 50kph for 200 yards, often accompanied by a speed camera.

 

[Corradobrit]

Have a look at “via Michelin”.

Nice. Just downloaded and seems like a very useful resource. Thanks for the suggestion

 

[dspuk]

You're more likely to get caught out in a speeding trap on non motorway roads. Waze doesn't know the whereabouts of them all and its easy to get caught out.

Speed traps on sat nav has been illegal in France for some time but all the locals use Waze to mark them as “police cars”. Even on motorways. Never been caught out.

 

[BristolCali]

I’m looking to drive down to South of France from Calais, avoiding the leave.

I’ve use AI to give me the theoretical times, but has anyone done this in the real world?

I recall heading to Le Mans one year and due to an accident we went off piste from the motorways and it got very rural quickly,

Apple Maps suggests it only adds a couple of hours, but I’m less confident.

It adds about 2 or 3 hours avoiding the tolls if you’re going to Lyon so it’ll be more than that. I would pick an area to explore and avoid a section rather than all the tolls.

 

[JuanVecino2023]

Apologies - autocorrect in the OP. Péage was corrected to leave.

 

[JuanVecino2023]

From a lot years experience it’ll take an order of magnitude longer to do the trip sans paege.

It’s not clear what the object of the exercise is?

Just remember not all of France is beautiful winding roads through vineyards etc.

A big part of your non-motorway route will be “long straight section behind truck/roundabout/long straight behind truck/roundabout/non descript town/traffic light/speed bump/roundabout “ and so on.
Throw in a few agonising waits trying to overtake a beard in a great white relying on your other half to tell you it’s safe to pull out!

It’ll get tiresome very quickly!

Probs best to research a few nice areas to explore and just send it down the paege between them?

This was what I was driving at (NPI!), Apple Maps has the travel time as 10 hours with péage, 13 sans.

I suspect the reality will be somewhat longer.

I have driven the length of France in the past, but it was broken up with lovely stretches like the Route Napoleon etc.

I think you have addressed my primary concern, additional time aside, the route might be both boring and frustrating.

I was planning to overnight in Burgundy area perhaps Dijon, night one, then arrive in the Med area (bassin de Thau), night two.

 

[JuanVecino2023]

So very true. Choose your 'scenic' routes VERY carefully.

Indeed, my concern. Massif Central could be interersting, but I can imagine some very dull bits particularly Nothern France.

 

[JuanVecino2023]

From other threads and postings by @JuanVecino2023 I think he likes a bit of 'speed' so the rural roads will frustrate quickly (I love them but then I'm never in a rush). Having said that I would say it's worth asking AI for fast toll free routes and it will list the free motorways. Only (minor) thing to think about if using toll roads is that they are private so in the event of breakdown the VW network can not be used..... you have to pay private operators first then claim back later.

There is wisdom in this.

Part of the exercise is being a miser. Part is the revolutionary in me not wanting to cough up yet again to maintain the péage.

I will search for toll free sections!

 

[sidepod]

Think of it another way. You’re paying to not share the road with countless t**ts, to**ers, ars***les and c***s! Enjoy the space.

 

[Corradobrit]

And you're saving fuel by not having to negotiate countless roundabouts, traffic lights. Rediculous 30kph urban speed limits in 2nd gear. Wear and tear on brakes and transmission. To me motorways often make total sense, especially travelling in Northern France and the often uninspiring Grand Est.

 

[Betsycalifornia]

I’m looking to drive down to South of France from Calais, avoiding the leave.

I’ve use AI to give me the theoretical times, but has anyone done this in the real world?

I recall heading to Le Mans one year and due to an accident we went off piste from the motorways and it got very rural quickly,

Apple Maps suggests it only adds a couple of hours, but I’m less confident.

You can expect to add roughly 4 hours to your journey, assuming Coquelles (tunnel) as your starting point and Basin de Thau area as the end point. That’s without extra stops for the extra time driving.

 

[JuanVecino2023]

Think of it another way. You’re paying to not share the road with countless t**ts, to**ers, ars***les and c***s! Enjoy the space.

As always I enjoy your work.

 

[JuanVecino2023]

Out of interest, has anyone ever left a UK registered car in France first occasional use? How have you found local regs if parked off street etc

 

[sidepod]

Out of interest, has anyone ever left a UK registered car in France first occasional use? How have you found local regs if parked off street etc

Is it an insurance thing? Do you only get 90 days (ish)? outside the UK?