Chartres, Dreux, Rouen, Dieppe - simple (a fewđ roundabouts in Chartres and Dreux though)
2 Likes
Exactly what I do on my way south and that route is criss crossed by various motorways that take you east or west all avoiding Paris.
If youâre tempted plan the journey to hit Paris A86-D118-A6 before 6am or between 11am-3pm or after 8pm on weekdays.
That should be just about impossible as ferry docks at 5am but it takes about 20 mins to clear the port. Might make the lunchtime gap.
Thatâs good to hearâŚmy next trip across will probably be as a foot passenger. Do they bus you into the ferry from the terminals, or do you have to queue up with the cars, trundling suitcases, through the vehicle passport & customs checks, and then up the vehicle gangways onto the ferry?
Sadly very few pets reach sixty!
2 Likes
I did explain animal equivalent years but they were having none of it 
2 Likes
In Newhaven you go through passport controls, then they bus you to the loading ramp and you walk down onto the car deck and take the lift (strongly advised 
). You come out by the information desk and collect the pass for your cabin if you have one. Coming into Dieppe you wait by the games machines, go down escalators and walk up to the bus. Donât be surprised if you load really late. I always take a small case so I donât have to wait for the luggage.
1 Like
Autun - 71.
Iâm sure itâs possible to avoid Paris, but itâs nice to keep the journey time near the 6 hours it takes from Calais. 
Just googled and its 5 hours and misses Paris on the A13
Oh yes, know this route VERY well.
Flo absolutely hates this section as, when you think you have finished with roundabouts in Dreux (Vernouillet) and you see countryside, suddenly you are presented with the âvillageâ sign for Vernouillet again - and yet more roundabouts!!!
Aaaaarrrrgggghhhh!!!
1 Like
Quite jokey and jovial usually as well - last time I crossed to France on my motorbike I rode up to the kiosk to find the gates shut - âsorry, youâre too late youâve missed the boatâ said the check-in lady.
I did a double-take as I was there at 9pm for an 11pm sailing - then I twigged that the shut gates was because they were unloading the arriving cars off the ferry and she was having me on.
I know they say you should never make jokes with security folks at ports and airports but equally you donât expect comedy routines from them⌠
You dont get any sense of humour on the French side. There had been an accident on my way up which held me up for a long time but still arrived more than 45 mins before sailing. They closed the gate early and refused to let me in. I reported this to DFDS HO and they havent closed the gates early since. I drove to Calais to get home. They have also had a system error when they claimed I was travelling on the wrong day, I wasnt and neither were 22 of the othe travellers. Typical France dont do refunds after charging all of us for a new ticket.
Lucky the crossing is cheap. Not had any problems for many years now though.
Should have been more specific A13 to A86-D118-A6 or A13-A86-A6 none of these goes into Paris but on the outskirts, youâd need empty roads or a kamakazi attitude on a motorcycle to do it in 5hrs
Google maps are usually reasonably accurate time wise and speed limit wise. The point was really being easily under the 6 hours mentioned.
Iâve done that route from the outskirts of Paris for many years at all times of day, from flat in Nanterre, or office in Versailles or Vèlizy Villacoublay best time 2hrs30 from door to door mostly 3-3.5hrs and at times 4hrs. @Ancient_Mariner has a house +/- an hour or hour and half from me. Local knowledge is better than google. I wouldnât believe Google for a trip time from Dover to Nottingham.
I did do it in just under 2hrs setting off around 3 in morning in an Audi 80 Turbo but was well over the speed limit 
Thanks for the legwork gents.
There is a 5+hour route that uses exactly the outskirts of Paris I want to avoid. The Chartres route does look like a time around 6 hours ish would be possible, so will investigate the possibility. My preference of the channel tunnel is mostly because when they get it right it takes no more than 2 hours for a 10 hour total journey time, and no worries of rough seas or travelling overnight with a daft-o-clock arrival.
I will explore a little more.
I like that then I clear Rouen before France wakes and arrive at the house by lunchtime.
Wen we lived in the UK, we used to find Chartes an excuse for a lovely stop over on te drive south. Possibly the finest Gothic cathedral in the world - and now cleaned, so you see it as it was intended to be seen - such a difference! And so many good places to eatâŚ
Yes I used to use the spire as a landmark, never been into the town as I was always hurrying on to Tours.