Route to Barcelona from Calais (1 Viewer)

[ianhyslop]

Can anyone help me with a toll free / motorway free route to Barcelona from Calais .I am hoping to leave next week via the tunnel , so I am asking for this help as I don't finish work till two days before leaving . So time is tight . Many thanks in advance , Ian

 

[DavidG58]

Google maps gets it petty much as we would do it, definitely would not do the Paris option and might avoid Andorra

If you use a sat nav, just set it to toll free and head south

 

[gus-lopez]

Calais ,Abbeville,Rouen, Evreux, Dreux, Orlean continue on A71 to Vierzon & to Clermont-Ferrand. Then on to A75 all way down to near Beziers (there is a toll to cross Millau bridge but that's all )then down the A9 all way to French border. Then A7/E15 to Barcelona. Although personally I would use the toll road A7/E15 for the shortish distance to Barca

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[davidathomas42]

I just paid my toll bill from April today. Calais to La Rochelle area and back. £155!!!! WTF!

A years road tax in the U.K. for one trip. Bit of a joke but the roads are good for covering distance.

What is crap though are French services. Spanish are atrocious!

We have M&S. Gregs. Subway. WHSmiths. Burger King. KFC. McDonnalds. Krispy Cream. And all days breakfasts that have been sat there all day.

Spain you get some dodgy cured ham and cheese sandwich and a load of Spaniards smoking and that's your lot.

Love the roads and the trips but by god if we could transplant a decent UK services down there.

 

[Xabia]

Love the roads and the trips but by god if we could transplant a decent UK services down there.

But at least you can stop,on French and Spanish motorway services for as long as you want for free, try doing that in the U.K.!

 

[gus-lopez]

I just paid my toll bill from April today. Calais to La Rochelle area and back. £155!!!! WTF!

A years road tax in the U.K. for one trip. Bit of a joke but the roads are good for covering distance.

What is crap though are French services. Spanish are atrocious!

We have M&S. Gregs. Subway. WHSmiths. Burger King. KFC. McDonnalds. Krispy Cream. And all days breakfasts that have been sat there all day.

Spain you get some dodgy cured ham and cheese sandwich and a load of Spaniards smoking and that's your lot.

Love the roads and the trips but by god if we could transplant a decent UK services down there.

Agree about the French ones but the Spanish at least the food is edible reasonably priced , as is the fuel which is usually the same as anywhere else & the coffee is drinkable unlike the machine stuff on French toll roads.
When I've used the spanish toll roads I have never had a problem getting meals ? Admittedly not burgers & shite like that.
There aren't any decent Uk services.

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[Huwmari]

Just mosey-on-down on the A roads, avoiding the motorways and you will find all sorts of bars and cafes to stop for coffee and village boulangeries or restaurants for lunchtime. OK the journey will take longer than it does on the motorway but it will be so much more pleasant - and definitely much cheaper!

 

[The Wino]

Looking for similar calais to lompnas (near bourg en bresse) in a couple of weeks its a pity theres not a smart search engine so you can look at the toll and time saving wouldn't mind paying for some but I'm sure others cost quite a bit with not much saving.

 

[Terry242]

Looking for similar calais to lompnas (near bourg en bresse) in a couple of weeks its a pity theres not a smart search engine so you can look at the toll and time saving wouldn't mind paying for some but I'm sure others cost quite a bit with not much saving.

Try the route planner on ViaMichelin which gives up-to-date toll charges.

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[Deleted member 29692]

Gregs. Subway. WHSmiths. Burger King. KFC. McDonnalds. Krispy Cream. And all days breakfasts that have been sat there all day.

Have any of those places started selling anything edible then?

European services areas don't have crap like that because most of the people in Europe have too much sense to eat any of it.

 

[Camdoon]

I think the clue is that the OP is leaving after work which suggests he is likely to want to get to Barcelona rather than gambol through France for 5-10 days. The Rouen, Evreux, Dreux, Chartres route as advised by GL is a good mid range cost drive with a number of Village Etapes en route for a more interesting overnight. Many of the stages can be swapped to toll free but the novelty of driving through camera enforced speed limited small villages and or numerous (shelf spilling, fuel guzzling, French cutting) roundabouts while following the ring road, finds me longing to get to a decent dual carriageway within a short time.

 

[Camdoon]

Have any of those places started selling anything edible then?

European services areas don't have crap like that because most of the people in Europe have too much sense to eat any of it.

Why would anyone in a motorhome with the ability to heat hot water and fridge, eat in a motorway service station? McDonalds France is the biggest franchise outside the USA.

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[buttons]

Calais ,Abbeville,Rouen, Evreux, Dreux, Orlean continue on A71 to Vierzon & to Clermont-Ferrand. Then on to A75 all way down to near Beziers (there is a toll to cross Millau bridge but that's all )then down the A9 all way to French border. Then A7/E15 to Barcelona. Although personally I would use the toll road A7/E15 for the shortish distance to Barca

My choice too...

 

[Deleted member 29692]

Why would anyone in a motorhome with the ability to heat hot water and fridge, eat in a motorway service station? McDonalds France is the biggest franchise outside the USA.

I'm quite happy to use motorway services outside the UK. We've stopped for lunch at various places in a few countries and never had any complaints. I agree with you about UK services though.

Wouldn't know about McDonalds. I'd rather not eat at all than eat there

 

[Littlewheels]

What is crap though are French services. Spanish are atrocious!

We have M&S. Gregs. Subway. WHSmiths. Burger King. KFC. McDonnalds. Krispy Cream. And all days breakfasts that have been sat there all day.

Spain you get some dodgy cured ham and cheese sandwich and a load of Spaniards smoking and that's your lot.

Love the roads and the trips but by god if we could transplant a decent UK services down there.

However, when you pull onto a service area in France or Spain you can find space to park.

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[funflair]

I like the Spanish services

Martin

 

[Quick Quick]

Gus-lopez nailed it for you. Good selection of places to stay, if you are not in a rush. I did this trip in March, and bear in mind that in Spain all motorways are Tolls, sometimes worth using. Millau Viaduct worth the money for the view, but see if you can pop into the village as the view is something else.

 

[Sabino]

bear in mind that in Spain all motorways are Tolls, sometimes worth using.

I thick you were just to quick quick quick.
Most Spanish motorways are FREE.

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[Camdoon]

I'm quite happy to use motorway services outside the UK. We've stopped for lunch at various places in a few countries and never had any complaints. I agree with you about UK services though.

Wouldn't know about McDonalds. I'd rather not eat at all than eat there

The McDonald's fact is more about the state of France and its attitudes to food which are going down while ours are going up. The standard of British motorway stops is definitely improving indeed I was with my brother last week and we stopped in two different M6/M74 service stations both of which were well designed around nature, clean, with good food, a wide selection and a good stock of fresh local produce. France used to be a brilliant place to eat but now - supermarkets have franchised out their previously in-house restaurants (the memory of having a steak hache cooked bleu) - something McD's does better than the French ; the working hours directive stops chefs functioning (35 hr per week - my son is a chef and works at least 48hr); les routiers cafes appear to be disappearing; 85% of French restaurants buy meals in (presumably puds but that is still a high %). France, to me is living off its reputation.

 

[nidge]

I just paid my toll bill from April today. Calais to La Rochelle area and back. £155!!!! WTF!

A years road tax in the U.K. for one trip. Bit of a joke but the roads are good for covering distance.

What is crap though are French services. Spanish are atrocious!

We have M&S. Gregs. Subway. WHSmiths. Burger King. KFC. McDonnalds. Krispy Cream. And all days breakfasts that have been sat there all day.

Spain you get some dodgy cured ham and cheese sandwich and a load of Spaniards smoking and that's your lot.

Love the roads and the trips but by god if we could transplant a decent UK services down there.

Obviousl not stopped at Strensham Services then!! Dry cob, no butter and 1 burnt sausage.

Nidge

 

[Fellraven]

I just paid my toll bill from April today. Calais to La Rochelle area and back. £155!!!! WTF!

A years road tax in the U.K. for one trip. Bit of a joke but the roads are good for covering distance.

What is crap though are French services. Spanish are atrocious!

We have M&S. Gregs. Subway. WHSmiths. Burger King. KFC. McDonnalds. Krispy Cream. And all days breakfasts that have been sat there all day.

Spain you get some dodgy cured ham and cheese sandwich and a load of Spaniards smoking and that's your lot.

Love the roads and the trips but by god if we could transplant a decent UK services down there.

That makes a good services? The best service in the world, Tebay West, has none of that crap.

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[Minxy]

I like the Spanish services

Martin

The ones with 'plastic chairs' ????

 

[gus-lopez]

Why would anyone in a motorhome with the ability to heat hot water and fridge, eat in a motorway service station? McDonalds France is the biggest franchise outside the USA.

Slightly off topic but why do they all open at different times in the morning ?

However, when you pull onto a service area in France or Spain you can find space to park.

& normally stay as long as you want.

The ones with 'plastic chairs' ????

Are we talking about the roundabout girls ? Have they moved up market ?

 

[Minxy]

Are we talking about the roundabout girls ? Have they moved up market ?

Roundabout girls ... as in roundabouts anywhere!

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