Take a detector.

Road Angel is recommended IIRC.

I've seen warning signs for speed cams in France before, seen them in Brittany and they tend to have a pic of a camera with 'pour votre securite' and telling you for how long this warning is relevant. The cameras themselves ARE hard to spot though, not the big red and yellow stripes on them like we have here in Scotland

I was thinking Angelica's drive was quite ambitious, but then again, my original plans were probably more so!!! I look forward to hearing how she got on when she returns

The old 'toll booth speed trap' ... i've heard that before, but i've also heard it's just an urban myth. Can anyone confirm?

@Cider

You are correct it is a myth.

The police do not time you between autoroute toll booths, this myth was created by those returning to the uk and getting stopped at the last toll booth before calais (some 45k before calais) The police have a radar site located about 2 miles before this last toll booth and it is manned most weekends and they simply radio ahead as you pass to the gendarmes who are waiting with open arms at the toll booth where you have no chance of escape.

Cheers

It is not a myth. Some years back we flew into Charles de Gaulle and were picked up by a French friend in his car. On the drive back to Auxerre he was pulled in at the toll booth for taking too little time. The barrier stayed down until the Gendarmes had been alerted and they pulled him over on the other side of the barrier!

Plus there are usually Gendarmerie's near a lot of the tolls, yeah?

Totally agree about having a sat nav, not having to worry about maps etc can make it less stressful.

Don't have a sat nav, and have no real intention of getting one to be honest

Using maps and finding my way around is part of the fun for me, i don't want some random screen directing me into a french ditch!!

Hi CiderMonster ... we are driving down in August ... we live in Brittany so at least that cuts out the UK drive and Ferry - last year we did it and set off about 11.30am - drove down (western motorway, Rennes, Nantes, Bordeaux ... and got to just before Carcassonne on the 1st day, stayed in a great hotel, then finished off the trip the next day to Calella de Palafrugell getting there about midday. My hubbie was the only one driving.

We will prob go the same route this year although I think we are taking our van so will be a bit slower.

Abbaye

Shouldn't be long till Angelica is back (if she isn't already)

Looking forward to seeing how they got on with the single-driver journey, so i can hopefully plan for next year

got back yesterday.
all went really well,didnt get lost!!,will post all later
regards angelica

Really looking forward to hearing from you, Angelica

here we go,
with comp print out and map of journey,garmin sat nav
left fleetwood 9 30am
rest stop norton caines sevices m6 toll rd 11 25
£4 50 toll on m6.
dartford crossing £1 toll 1.55 pm
maidstone sevices for lunch 2.30 (took own food sat in there picnic area) because of lorry strike and promised blockades on boarders filled with fuel here)
£ 43.00(287.4 miles from home)
primier lodge folkstone 3.30 £62.00 p.n (had evening meal there,in pub next door)
left lodge 12.45 drove to shuttle terminal(about 6 miles)
started to board 1.20, left at 2,08
got off shuttle 3.50 (french time,)
courcy toll e18.90
breakfast stop champagne servies 6.50-7.40. fuel e58.47 (572 miles from home)
rest stop 10.50 had short sleep back on rd 11.30.
villafranch- limas toll e35.50 at 12 37 (770 miles from home)
stopped for lunch 2.20 had short sleep.
montpellier 1 toll e22.10 at 5.pm
fuel stop 5.30 e68.23.
montpellier 2 toll e15.00
crossed boarder into spain 7pm
macanet toll e7.50
lots of rd works on exit 84a, so we were diverted for about 20 miles
santa susanna toll e 0.70
got to hotel 8.20, 1155.3 miles

we planned this trip before fuel increse and drop in euro.

return journey
stops and tolls same.
but there was lots of traffic getting though lyon.(took us over a hour to go 5 miles)
and there where longer queues at some of the tolls
got to calias at 10 pm(left calella at 7 am)
stayed the night in the cottage hotel which was most welcome,even if the bed was hard. e64 pn
got 9.10 shuttle on sunday morning,
stopped for breakfast at maidstone sevices.
stuck in lots of traffic on m25/m1 due to rd works.
all was ok after that except it poured with rain on m6 toll rd,where we stopped for fuel and lunch(but the rain helped wash off most of the bugs,and there were loads of them)
most enjoyable trip, a little tiring.
but would do it again
angelica

Thanks Angelica,

that's one helluva drive in France, 13hrs!!!!

didn't it feel too much for a single driver??

o/h says, driving was fine as long as you get a good sleep before.
and rest as you need them on the way.
angelica

Angelica,

What route did you take?? (ie, what roads?)

Was it all motorways or did you take some N routes?

Purchased myself a nice big europe road map from Aldi yesterday, so i'm getting serious!!!

cidermonster.
yes we did stick to mainly motorways,(but another time maybe use other roads then there wont be the tolls)
we have the same map from aldi,and its very good.
o/h said he would definatly drive again,but maybe do it a little different,
instead of waiting around in folkstone to go to bed,catch the earlier shuttle and drive a coupleof hours though france,also you lose the hour before you go to sleep (if that makes sense)
angelica

Yeah, it makes sense, however i guess the beauty of using the chunnel at night is it reduces the cost

You went across the Millau bridge, yes? ViaMichelin seems to have that as the advised route, although it does mean going around Paris, which i guess could be an ordeal

Paris depends on the time of day. Outside of the rush hours it isn't too bad. Just take it easy on the periferique and know which exit (Porte) you need (and the name of the exit before yours so that you get some notice and can get in the correct lane to get off)! Just don't be too timid or you will never get round as the French will not give way!

Thanks, Hi de Hi, but i've driven through Glasgow enough times at rush hour to not fear Paris!

Trying to weigh up the pros and cons of stopping this side of the channel.

Pros:
- The people speak English (even if i ain't great! )
- I will be able to get a veggie meal without someone trying to put some meat in it (yes continental Europe, i mean you!)

Cons:
- More expensive to use the channel tunnel outwith night-time
- Less of a 'halfway break' than stopping just past Paris would be
- They won't accept my notes!!

Ah, decisions!! Gonna start working on a breakdown of costs too, good job Via Michelin gives you the toll costs