Driving down to South of France

[Riklet]

Alrighty folks I posted for some ferry advice elsewhere but now looking for some more travel kinda advice for a trip I'm doing for a wedding near Marseille in late May. Ive decided to drive and make an adventure out of it, driving across to Northern Spain to get the boat back rather than do the return trip.

It should be better weather in most of the France than the UK so that's a bonus. I can speak French pretty well (I actually work in French at the moment!) so that's not a big issue. Ive never done a long road trip like this and im considering doing this solo, at least until Arles as I will have some mates there. Also I like Arles a lot!

Anywhere else on the way I could stop I stayed the night in Bourges once with my dad.. seemed nice enough but it was pissing with rain everything was shut we ate pizza and stayed in a hotel where everything was automated even the key return.... nice enough place but not rushing back! Most of rural france is dead as a doornail and not much more welcoming so I suppose that's a factor. At least it gets more attractive as you head south...

I am probably getting ferry to Le Harvre or Calais and then down from there. Not set on any particular route altho I was considering more west side and then going across south east into Provence that way via Nimes. I am also considering avoiding toll roads and doing it over 3 days.

I guess lots of you have done similar.. was it fun? How easy is it to wild camp in France or sleep in your car on a matress? Im keen to see some proper wild nature tbh!

 

[skyscraper101]

Just make sure you've got all your leggally required car stuff in order. I think France requires stuff like having a safety vest and a warning triangle among other things by law. And a UK sticker if there's no union jack identifier on the registration plate. GB ones no longer valid.

 

[not-bono-ever]

I’m sure you will get lots of advice.

Tolls can add up hugely. Provincial Restaurants can shut early and at weekends but the les routier lot are usually worth the effort if you want decent grub at a fixed price kinda vibe

 

[A380]

Just make sure you've got all your leggally required car stuff in order. I think France requires stuff like having a safety vest and a warning triangle among other things by law. And a UK sticker if there's no union jack identifier on the registration plate. GB ones no longer valid.

And a bottle of decent red and pack of Galloise in the glove compartment.

 

[wemakeyousoundb]

also lots of "camping municipal" in France,
another unofficial site about them: here

3 days avoiding toll roads should take you there easy, be ready for roundabouts though, loads of roundabouts, think milton keynes levels of roundabouts on your way down.

There are some free motorway including the A75 (highest motorway in europe IIRC) but with a paying "bridge de millau" (tallest bridge in the world as of September 2020) on it unless you go down the gorge and back up, that is a bit of a way west but not so much if you are going via Arles.
Plenty of non motorway roads too going that way through the central mounts.
Have fun.

e2a: most of the campings will be open by late May

 

[dessiato]

Get one of these Via-T - Bip&Drive

I have Spain, Portugal, and France on mine. They're very useful for more than just paying tolls.

 

[Dystopiary]

Just make sure you've got all your leggally required car stuff in order. I think France requires stuff like having a safety vest and a warning triangle among other things by law. And a UK sticker if there's no union jack identifier on the registration plate. GB ones no longer valid.

Yes and that includes a breathalyser.

 

[mx wcfc]

I guess lots of you have done similar.. was it fun? How easy is it to wild camp in France or sleep in your car on a matress? Im keen to see some proper wild nature tbh!

I've never wild camped in France, but we have slept in the car at a petrol station/cafe car park, with no problem.

Another time we stopped at a service station with a B&B, Had an early night and came out early in the morning and found hundreds of parked cars with people asleep in them.

Might be worth paying a toll to stop at an "Aire". Big ones are like our service stations, but there are plenty that are just somewhere to stop with picnic tables and, crucially, toilets.

 

[Ted Striker]

Do whatever you can to get the quicker ferry back from Santander/Bilbao (if that;s your planned route). 2 nights (42h or something) felt like a low-security prison.

 

[planetgeli]

Drive back. France is stunning,

 

[Lucy Fur]

Read up on the "priorité à droite" rule for driving. This is most disconcerting when vehicles give way to traffic coming on to the roundabout, rather than waiting for an opportunity to enter the traffic already on the round about. Bon voyage!

 

[wemakeyousoundb]

I've never wild camped in France, but we have slept in the car at a petrol station/cafe car park, with no problem.

Another time we stopped at a service station with a B&B, Had an early night and came out early in the morning and found hundreds of parked cars with people asleep in them.

Might be worth paying a toll to stop at an "Aire". Big ones are like our service stations, but there are plenty that are just somewhere to stop with picnic tables and, crucially, toilets.

I think the service ones have a time limit on parking, the rest ones in between don't.

 

[Lucy Fur]

I think the service ones have a time limit on parking, the rest ones in between don't.

Still usually 24hrs, so fine for an overnight stay, but expect lorries coming and going constantly.

 

[Riklet]

Read up on the "priorité à droite" rule for driving. This is most disconcerting when vehicles give way to traffic coming on to the roundabout, rather than waiting for an opportunity to enter the traffic already on the round about. Bon voyage!

Not too worried about this as Ive driven a rental car in France before (1993 Twingo privately rented off Getaround... drove around Provence and Marseille and survived). I ignored this rule in a village coming down a hill when I just didnt consider I would have to give way and got honked at. Tbh I think the roundabouts with this rule are largely gone, things have moved on. But I will be careful!

 

[Lucy Fur]

Not too worried about this as Ive driven a rental car in France before (1993 Twingo privately rented off Getaround... drove around Provence and Marseille and survived). I ignored this rule in a village coming down a hill when I just didnt consider I would have to give way and got honked at. Tbh I think the roundabouts with this rule are largely gone, things have moved on. But I will be careful!

If you've done Marseille and survived you should be absolutely fine! I live in the Gers, and nothing moves on to quickly roung here.

 

[planetgeli]

But I will be careful!

It's no different to anywhere else in western Europe. Idiots/mistakes can be anywhere. I've driven up and down France 4 times, absolutely love it. But nearly got killed in a tiny place called La Colette (or similar) by a bloke driving out onto the main road (not busy, country road) without seeing me. Saved by my own actions. About a km later up the road, he flashed me to stop. Thought he was some nutter going to blame me and kill me, turned out he wanted to apologize in person.

 

[wemakeyousoundb]

Read up on the "priorité à droite" rule for driving. This is most disconcerting when vehicles give way to traffic coming on to the roundabout, rather than waiting for an opportunity to enter the traffic already on the round about. Bon voyage!

pretty sure that was only the one on the arc de triomphe, and it changed a while back. it sure was fun if hairy at times.

 

[bluescreen]

Just make sure you've got all your leggally required car stuff in order. I think France requires stuff like having a safety vest and a warning triangle among other things by law. And a UK sticker if there's no union jack identifier on the registration plate. GB ones no longer valid.

This includes a Crit'Air vignette - increasingly necessary for urban areas.
Lots of advice here

Driving in France | AA

Heading to the Continent? Here’s all you need to know...the latest on drink drive limits, breathalysers and reflective jackets

www.theaa.com

 

[Lucy Fur]

pretty sure that was only the one on the arc de triomphe, and it changed a while back. it sure was fun if hairy at times.

Still very much a thing in the Gers where I live, but departments can vary massively.