Spain to the train as toll free as possible? (1 Viewer)

[Badknee]

We're setting off in a couple of weeks back to the UK and wonder if anyone has a toll free as possible route up to Calais please?
I know there are southbound routes but thinking junction numbers etc might be different going north as not every junctions have four slip roads.
Not really bothered either east, west, straight up the middle (usually Millau).
Thanks in advance.

 

[Speve]

Just stick it in your satnav with toll free setting

 

[gus-lopez]

I go from here to Valencia,Sagunto, Teruel, Zaragoza, Huesca, Jaca, through the Som Port tunnel, Pau , Langon,Bordeaux, Angouleme,Poitiers, Tours, Chartres, Dreux, Evreux,Louviers,Rouen, Abbeville, then you can either go along the A16 coastal or straight on on the D928 to St.Omer & left down to Calais .
Cost = nada.

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[funflair]

Just stick it in your satnav with toll free setting

That's what I do, no need to pay a cent.

Martin

 

[funflair]

I go from here to Valencia,Sagunto, Teruel, Zaragoza, Huesca, Jaca, through the Som Port tunnel, Pau , Langon,Bordeaux, Angouleme,Poitiers, Tours, Chartres, Dreux, Evreux,Rouen, Abbeville, then you can either go along the A16 coastal or straight on on the D928 to St.Omer & left down to Calais .
Cost = nada.

That looks familiar

Martin

 

[Speve]

That looks familiar

Martin

Yes very

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[gus-lopez]

Additionally at Langon you want to swop on to the North side of the Rivere Garonne, on to the D10, to ensure you don't get trapped into using a toll section near Bordeaux.
After Louviers you want to go under the A13 & on to the D6015 so that you are on the North side of the River Seine heading towards Rouen as that way you miss out the majority of the town & exit straight on to the either the N28 leading to A28 towards Abbeville, or the D928 which heads the same way..

 

[gus-lopez]

But remembering you are around Barcelona then I'd go to La Jonquera, continue to Beziers & left at Beziers on to the A75 which is free all the way apart from toll for the Millau Bridge.Stay on that all the way to Clermont-Ferrand & then A71 to Orleans, & shortly after hang left on to N154 to Chartres where you can continue the rest as my first post.

Either way after Dreux there is a nice small aire with all services free at Nonancourt

 

[Badknee]

Just stick it in your satnav with toll free setting

Yes I can do that but there might be big cities I don't want to go through

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[Badknee]

I go from here to Valencia,Sagunto, Teruel, Zaragoza, Huesca, Jaca, through the Som Port tunnel, Pau , Langon,Bordeaux, Angouleme,Poitiers, Tours, Chartres, Dreux, Evreux,Louviers,Rouen, Abbeville, then you can either go along the A16 coastal or straight on on the D928 to St.Omer & left down to Calais .
Cost = nada.

Thanks Richard.

 

[Badknee]

But remembering you are around Barcelona then I'd go to La Jonquera, continue to Beziers & left at Beziers on to the A75 which is free all the way apart from toll for the Millau Bridge.Stay on that all the way to Clermont-Ferrand & then A71 to Orleans, & shortly after hang left on to N154 to Chartres where you can continue the rest as my first post.

Either way after Dreux there is a nice small aire with all services free at Nonancourt

We're not finished with Spain yet so either route is fine by us.

 

[funflair]

Yes I can do that but there might be big cities I don't want to go through

It should take you around or if like Rouen there is a perfectly good route through it will use that.

Martin

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[Speve]

We have not been routed through cities using no tolls there is nearly always a bypass.

 

[busby]

Yes I can do that but there might be big cities I don't want to go through

Most are bypassed..not Rouen though..Busby.

 

[LesW]

Rouen is easily ''bypassed' get a decent Michelin map that shows the width of the roads, and plot a lovely traffic free drive through the French country side...

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[suavecarve]

But remembering you are around Barcelona then I'd go to La Jonquera, continue to Beziers & left at Beziers on to the A75 which is free all the way apart from toll for the Millau Bridge.Stay on that all the way to Clermont-Ferrand & then A71 to Orleans, & shortly after hang left on to N154 to Chartres where you can continue the rest as my first post.

Either way after Dreux there is a nice small aire with all services free at Nonancourt

My usual route HOWEVER after another episode in Rouen I m going to try going round Paris if time is a factor. It cant be worst than the M25 or Rouen.
I thought i had Rouen sussed but new sat nav (garmin) wanted to give me some fun and add an our or so to the journey

 

[JockandRita]

I go from here to Valencia,Sagunto, Teruel, Zaragoza, Huesca, Jaca, through the Som Port tunnel, Pau , Langon,Bordeaux, Angouleme,Poitiers, Tours, Chartres, Dreux, Evreux,Louviers,Rouen, Abbeville, then you can either go along the A16 coastal or straight on on the D928 to St.Omer & left down to Calais .
Cost = nada.

@Badknee. That's the route we went down Paul. On your Truck Sat Nav, just choose Motorways, and non tolls, although I think I already programmed those settings for you.

But remembering you are around Barcelona then I'd go to La Jonquera, continue to Beziers & left at Beziers on to the A75 which is free all the way apart from toll for the Millau Bridge.Stay on that all the way to Clermont-Ferrand & then A71 to Orleans, & shortly after hang left on to N154 to Chartres where you can continue the rest as my first post.

Either way after Dreux there is a nice small aire with all services free at Nonancourt

And that's the route we came back, but this time, we crossed the Millau Bridge (instead of going through the town) and managed to only pay a Classe 2 toll, (around €12,40). There is a free overnight stop just off at the next junction north, listed in the Camper Contact (no services).

Good luck.

Jock.

 

[jongood]

Just stick it in your satnav with toll free setting

IMO This is bad advice and can get people into trouble. Even with a truck satnav I would not trust any GPS to route avoiding hazards.

Granted there are different systems out there and I havent tried many of them but have had many experiences where the GPS will suggest routes that I know to be completely unsuitable.

There are also places (Bayonne springs to mind) where it makes sense to use a short section of toll road.

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[JockandRita]

IMO This is bad advice and can get people into trouble. Even with a truck satnav I would not trust any GPS to route avoiding hazards.

Granted there are different systems out there and I havent tried many of them but have had many experiences where the GPS will suggest routes that I know to be completely unsuitable.

There are also places (Bayonne springs to mind) where it makes sense to use a short section of toll road.

I appreciate totally, exactly where you are coming from Jon, however, the recent Truck maps that I use are extremely accurate, and it's those maps which I have downloaded on to Paul's (Badknee) Sat Nav.

The same maps kept me on Motorways and major routes, avoiding tolls, and city centres. Like you and I, Paul is also an experienced HGV driver.

Cheers,

Jock.

 

[joka250]

My usual route HOWEVER after another episode in Rouen I m going to try going round Paris if time is a factor. It cant be worst than the M25 or Rouen.
I thought i had Rouen sussed but new sat nav (garmin) wanted to give me some fun and add an our or so to the journey

My opinion from recent experience going round Paris is worse than Rouen by a factor of 20 and compared to M25 a factor of 15.

 

[chaser]

IMO This is bad advice and can get people into trouble. Even with a truck satnav I would not trust any GPS to route avoiding hazards.

Granted there are different systems out there and I havent tried many of them but have had many experiences where the GPS will suggest routes that I know to be completely unsuitable.

There are also places (Bayonne springs to mind) where it makes sense to use a short section of toll road.

the thing with satnavs is you need to look at some sort of map before you set off to get to know what to expect, if you have a rough route in your head you only need the satnav at junctions to get the right road , if its obviously trying to send you to somewhere that isnt on your route, follow the signs and it will soon reroute to your way of thinking

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[chaser]

My opinion from recent experience going round Paris is worse than Rouen by a factor of 20 and compared to M25 a factor of 15.

correct

 

[Clive]

Just reverse this one
https://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/c...uth-a-motorhome-route-through-france-to-spain

 

[jongood]

Why are people finding Rouen difficult? Through the tunnel - over the river - tight right back under yourself and straight on past the cows to the paris autoroute then hang a right onto N154 cost about 3 euros?

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[jongood]

the thing with satnavs is you need to look at some sort of map before you set off to get to know what to expect, if you have a rough route in your head you only need the satnav at junctions to get the right road , if its obviously trying to send you to somewhere that isnt on your route, follow the signs and it will soon reroute to your way of thinking

This is exactly what I do, so I get to go where I want to go not where it wants. Some of the GPS routing is mad IMHO

 

[Badknee]

Just reverse this one
https://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/c...uth-a-motorhome-route-through-france-to-spain

It's not just a case of "reverse this one" as from experience there are m/way junctions that don't work reversed as not all have four slips.

 

[PhilandMena]

For your consideration.
Firstly, routes and route maps for France and Spain. This first link is an award winning database about France. It has a host of information on best routes to many locations. I have selected the famous N10 route from Calais to Irun which is used by many motorhomes when travelling to Spain. It’s almost Toll free (more on that a little later) and almost all duel carriageway from start to finish with the exception of about 100 K. This route is great for motorhomes small, medium and large. Note: (HGV’s are not allowed on French roads, Sunday’s, so plan your journey over a weekend if possible).

https://about-france.com/tourism/no-tolls-routes.htm

Tolls: Avoid the toll road from Calais to Abbeville and save 12.50 Euros. The non-toll route is quite scenic and fairly straight forward, between Boulogne-sur-Mer and Abbeville.

At Abbeville, join the A28 and cross the river Sein at Rouen. We take the second exit immediately after crossing the bridge (about 50 m past the first exit at the end of the bridge), swing down and under the bridge you have just crossed and continue on this road and join the A13 motorway until the N154 which takes you down to Evreux. (Note: there are a number of different options for getting through Rouen and no doubt other members will have their own preferences. We find this very straight forward on both outward and return legs). Approaching Tours on the D910 join the A10 toll road at Jct. 19 and exit at Jct. 23. This will take you through the city via the toll road, (€1.80). At Jct. 23 take the exit lane for Montbazon which returns you to the D910. (Reverse for the return leg). That’s the last toll to pay until you hit the bottom of the A63 after Bordeaux.

To save toll fares on the A63 south of Bordeaux please read the route recommendations in the above link. Do not come off the A63 near the bottom as all roads will be heavily congested and it’s worth paying the last few tolls. (From Jct 6 €8.90 in total) (Fuel costs approx. €147.84 (Based on 1056 K @10K per Ltr. @€1.40 per ltr. 3.5T motorhome)). This route is also recommended during winter, due to its proximity to the Atlantic ocean, which means little to no problems with ice and or snow, unlike using the A75 to cross the Massif Central. Although the A75 is quickly cleared, it is advisable to have winter tyres fitted and there may be some small delays due to snow ploughs clearing this route.

If heading to the Mediterranean side of Spain, it’s worth taking the N121-A to Pamplona after crossing the Spanish boarder on the A63 at Irun. It’s clearly sign posted (Large white sign) about 300 m after passing through the last toll booth and crossing the river. Also here are Repsol fuel stations and shopping opportunities. You will find more details in this link for the N121-A and how to navigate Spain toll free.

https://about-spain.net/travel/no-tolls.htm

If you decide to pay Tolls in order to save time getting to Spain, your best route options are in this link.

https://about-france.com/tourism/routes-to-spain.htm

Should you choose to plan your own routes anywhere in Europe and also establish Toll costs, (or toll free costs) use this link. Under route options, select caravan then select toll roads. Toll costs for a class 2 motorhome will be calculated for the whole journey. You can also choose Non toll routes and other options. This is currently one of the best online free route planers.

https://www.viamichelin.co.uk/

As for stop overs on routes, you can’t go wrong using the App below which is free but I would recommend getting the paid version for about £6.00 which you can then use off line. You will find numerous places to stop along the above route and I have deliberately not made any recommendations so drivers can make their own choices. This app is also brilliant for finding other places too and highly rated by many users.

https://www.campercontact.com/en/content/app

There is another popular app/website that is used which you may also find useful if you’re doing a lot of wilding and looking for free overnight stops. It too is used by many motor homers in Europe. Get the paid version to use off line for around £9.00

https://www.park4night.com/

Finally, probably the best off line maps ‘App’ and used by many. It also includes a sat-nav function which is quite good and can also be used off line. Again many motor homers use this, especially in Morocco.

Broken Link Removed

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[Speve]

IMO This is bad advice and can get people into trouble. Even with a truck satnav I would not trust any GPS to route avoiding hazards.

Granted there are different systems out there and I havent tried many of them but have had many experiences where the GPS will suggest routes that I know to be completely unsuitable.

There are also places (Bayonne springs to mind) where it makes sense to use a short section of toll road.

I think it’s a given that you have to use common sense when using a sat nav but don’t consider it bad advice as it’s better than nothing.

 

[JockandRita]

This is exactly what I do, so I get to go where I want to go not where it wants. Some of the GPS routing is mad IMHO

And I do Jon, often retrieving coordinates from Google maps, and inserting them as way points, programming the Sat Nav the way I want to go, rather than it leading me. .

The only time I've had a problem with Rouen, was years ago, (first trip to France) when I was using car mapping on a TomTom 700. It took me right through the city centre to that very low height underpass. Fortunately, I appreciated the signage, and took the upslip diverting over height traffic away from it. Not been anywhere near the centre since using proper Truck mapping..................apart from when the tunnel on the Autoroute was closed in September of last year, however, the diversion signs were excellent to follow, and that's the route the Sat Nav adopted too.

Cheers,

Jock.

 

[suavecarve]

My opinion from recent experience going round Paris is worse than Rouen by a factor of 20 and compared to M25 a factor of 15.

Had my post been 3 weeks i would have agreed with you. As you are aware the junction that comes up where you need to turn left gives you about 150 yards of notice to being in the left hand lane. The sat nav wanted to take me through the town and it gives you about 5 seconds of thinking time to remember the name of the town beginning with an E that you want. (Evreaux) but this sign post and Viernon and Chartres doesnt appear but Elbeuf does (needless to say this is the wrong way). So you are looking at the sat nav, thinking it has got it right and wondering if you are in the correct lane and have a decision to make on your first bit of narrow dual carriageway and surrounded by french city drivers who do know how to cut you up. I made the decision this time to go with the sat nav mainly owing to not wanting to change lane in the last minute and she has been more right than i have. As it was we ended up going toward tunnel of death row where the road signs ahead include one part where all you can see are signs for a one way only and roof removal system until you get round the bend and realise you can go straight on. then she took me right through the outskirts of the town to join the rocade on the other side by the Seine.
The french dont avoid the Paris perepherique and i have had only one previous experience of it which was on a friday night at rush hour getting from the west to the east but going on the motorway bit that goes by the eiffel tower. It was 70kph all the way through, shed loads of high enough tunnels with junctions for the inner lane and if you kept to about 75 kph in the 2nd of 4 lanes all was good. No turning off for me on that occasion. That was ok. I find the M25 ok whenever i use it but i certainly wouldnt use the A25 to get to Gatwick from Guildford just to avoid the M25 unless i knew there was an accident so I will be going all francophile next time i pop over that route.

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