Drive 'through' Paris or avoid? (1 Viewer)

[magicsurfbus]

I did drive through Paris in a car once, and ended up at the Arc de Triomphe which must be the scariest and most anarchic multi-lane roundabout in France. I don't even want to think about going there in a MH.

When you stand on top of the Arc de Triomphe and look down on the traffic it's like watching the behaviour of shoals of fish. A lot of drivers hang back until a bus comes along like a whale then they all scuttle across in a group on the bus's sheltered side. Attenborough could do a programme that would knock snakes and lizards into a cocked hat.

 

[Clive]

This is a very helpful site for routes through France. https://about-france.com/driving.htm

 

[gus-lopez]

Yes , Rouen, Evreux,Dreux, Chartres is best way

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[suavecarve]

Done the perepherique, wouldnt say never again but needs good consideration before taking your prize and joy into tight lanes with shed loads of vehicles cutting you up at the last minute in tunnels. Not for the inexperienced.

We do Rouen or Belgium, dependant upon where we are headed.
I have posted this before, which i and others have used as back up to getting round Rouen and not running the risk of having a convertible motorhome. You only need to get in the wrong lane once and its then trying to reverse up the dual carriageway.

Without a satnav, bypassing Rouen caused no end of problems last year, ended up in the town centre and trying to get out was hassle beyond belief. I believe others have struggled aswell.

Copied from MMM last month.

Over many years we have not found a sensible alternative to bypass Rouen. The motorway becomes Dual carriageway at the city's edge and drops down through a tunnel. Exit this in the inside lane and in 1.5km take the 3rd exit signed to Vernon. The slip road ends in traffic lights - go in the centre lane to turn left across a dual carriageway. You should now be in the right hand lane for the next set of lights. Go straight on then bear right onto the D6015 signed for Vernon. In a little while the Seine appears on your right and you are clear of the City.

I would be really tempted to keep these instructions they were written by a driver for a driver and worked really well for us.

 

[busby]

It will depend on what time you intend to pass through.

Paris will be empty in AUG,,BUSBY,,

 

[Delboyarapaho]

I have driven the Periphique in an Auto trail Arapaho (Tag axle 8.7m). It wasn't easy but very doable. Normally I would agree with others and say avoid if you can BUT you did say in your post you are travelling in August. Depending on when in August you are going I would think again. Remember most of Paris empties at the beginning of August so if you are just after them you may get a free ride. If however you are driving that route at the same time as the Frogs, don't even think about it. The entire route south will be carnage! Good luck

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[treetops1]

Did Paris again last year coming down ,not for the faint hearted for all we have being lucky .Had a car catch fire in front of us just managed to swerve past the smoke avoiding everything ,the same trip coming out of a tunnel ,looked like two Chinese chaps trying to change a tyre got past ,to this day not sure how .When it’s busy it’s busy .We have decided to avoid it in future .Rouen is better when it’s busy ,as the traffic lights give you chance to think ,but you need to stay clear of the low bridges .Just onother one of life’s experiences lol. Enjoy if you can

 

[camel]

Thanks again for all the replies. A little it more info for the trip. We live in the North East and crossing using the chunnel (almost free with Tesco points) and returning from Amsterdam into North Shields (Newcastle) leaving only a 20mins drive home. We'll be in Calais 23rd August.
I don't mind driving down to the chunnel with a holiday to look forward to, but coming home from the chunnel last time was nearly 8 hrs!
We are going to north east Spain, meeting up with family in L'estartit for a week. Then a more leisurely week to get back up to Amsterdam

Replies seem to now point us 1 or 2 ways:
Rouen, Chartres, Orleans, Bourges, Clermont Ferrand OR
Rheims, Troyes, Dijon, Lyon

Either seem good, Rheims possibly quicker, don't mind a decent spell on motorway/toll roads.

Should maybe have a vote lol

Paul

 

[Fenman]

The only day we would do Paris is a Sunday but not one in August. No HGVs, except fresh produce ones, allowed on the roads on a Sunday and the inhabitants of Paris only get up just before lunch!

The route via Rouen and Chartres used to be about an hour longer but a lot more of it has now been dualled so it's only about 30 minutes more and you can lose that very easily in one hold up in Paris - roadworks, accident or sheer volume.

The other benefit to the longer road is that in between Dreux and Evreux, on the roundabout, is a LeClerc petrol station with very low priced fuel.

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[maxi77]

If you are going to northern Spain why not ferry to Morlaix or Santander not as free as the tunnel but what price easy driving?

 

[WillH]

My son lives in Paris so we drive there a lot. In the van we have driven through the suburbs, nerve wracking but okay. Never use the Peripherique. Advice is to avoid the city unless you are visiting. Be careful if you use the A86, the long tunnel is only 2.2m high, too low for most vans. If you do visit Paris the Huttopia site at Versailles is okay.

 

[hilldweller]

almost go 'through' the middle of Paris before offering various routes south.
Paul

Go for it, it'd a rite of passage for a MH driver and not long before you'll practice on the M25.

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[Barclaybasher]

Did the Peripherique 10 years ago early hours on a Sunday morning - it was like a mad video game on steroids...... exciting though

Four years ago went through Paris central (by mistake) on a Sunday in a 7.4m MH...............apart from buses we were the largest vehicle............. glad to get out the other side............. knackered

.............yeah ! - go for it !

 

[DL42846]

It depends on what time of day you plan on going through Paris. August is normally a quiet time as most Parisians are on holiday and nearly everything shuts down. I would avoid Paris between 06:30 and 10:30 and between 16:30 to 19:00.

 

[TerryL]

Used to love driving round Paris, especially the BP, but there again I was driving a 40ft bright red coach so even the French tended to keep out of my way. I have done it in a car, not so much fun, but only once on the BP in the van.

But my advice is avoid it if you can, it's very intensive driving and very tiring if you're not used to it. Abbeville, Rouen, Evreux, Dreux, Chartres, Tours then Bordeaux is all on very good, mostly fast, non-toll roads. Just need to do a bit of planning on where you overnight because aires are a little thin on the ground this way.

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[Clive]

This one gives you all the stopping places as well. I use this one a lot https://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/m...r-made-motorhome-routes-to-the-spanish-costas

 

[Lenny HB]

All these stories about driving in Paris, I just remembered another one, I was following my customer in his Porsche in my little XR3 he suddenly does a U turn across 4 lanes of traffic, I had no option but to follow (days before mobile phones) oh boy, practically deafened by the horns blasting at me.

 

[EX51SSS]

I did drive through Paris in a car once, and ended up at the Arc de Triomphe which must be the scariest and most anarchic multi-lane roundabout in France. I don't even want to think about going there in a MH.

Strangely enough, the last (ha, and only) time we WALKED towards the Arc de Triomphe, Swmbo looked at the melee of vehicles going around and around and just said, if we go there, I'll cry.

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[maxi77]

I did drive through Paris in a car once, and ended up at the Arc de Triomphe which must be the scariest and most anarchic multi-lane roundabout in France. I don't even want to think about going there in a MH.

Used to go round there regularly as we used a little hotel just off it on business trips. Once after taking several hours to escape the car park at the Paris Airshow I was delivering customers to the hotel and missed the turning, and had to go round again, great fun

 

[TerryL]

Party trick as a coachie was firstly to tell the passengers that nobody was insured on the roundabout round the Arc. Then full throttle towards it, knowing that as traffic joining has priority they would give way (but for safety's sake always kept a sharp eye open in case some Brit came round!).

We'd then "accidentally miss" the exit a couple of times (there are 12!) - but the gendarmerie got wise to that and took great delight in stopping you and relieving you of a few hundred francs.

Great fun!