Does Anyone have any suggestions on the best route to take to get to morzine.
I will be using a sat nav but it’s not always the best way and I havnt been before.
Is it worth going around any tolls or pay and get there easier?
Thanks

Unless you’ve a couple of days to do it over the toll Autoroutes are the way to go.

Assuming you’re starting from Calais the route I’d recommend is A26/A5/A31 Reims, Troyes, Dijon then A39 down to Bourg en Bresse down to the A40 (signed to Geneva, then Chamonix/Tunnel de Mont Blanc) leave the A40 at Cluses and follow the Les Gets/Morzine signs up the hill.

^^^ That’s the way we go

That’s great thanks. Yes leaving S. Wales on a fri night, Calais first thing sat morning.
Do you know how much all tolls cost approximately?

I’m going in a few weeks and have worked the tolls out to £70 each way (per vehicle)…

Via Michelin will estimate costs for various routings.

Just make sure you do the Reims route not Paris. Went that way last week, did overnight stop at Dijon way down, way back left at 11am got to Calais roughly 8hrs later with a lunch stop @ 80 to 85 mph. Tolls are 60 odd quid each way.
Diesel is about 140 euro/l at supermarkets, 156 on peage. Make sure you brim it in Calais.

Agree with the Troyes route. Also you can buy a ‘telepeage’ box that fastens to your windscreen and lets you use the auto lanes. The big Gare du peage have stands that sell them. Saves loads of time if it’s busy.

There’s a very easy to get to Carrefour just off the route at Reims Tinqueux (sp?) for cheap fuel.

Anyone any other tips further south?

Agree with the Troyes route. Also you can buy a ‘telepeage’ box that fastens to your windscreen and lets you use the auto lanes. The big Gare du peage have stands that sell them. Saves loads of time if it’s busy.

Wondered about that before, how easy is it to buy one en route? Don’t you have to register them?

You can buy one before you go at Sanef but it’s 40 Euros set up costs which is a bit steep, especially since you don’t actually get any money of tolls

Credit card payment is GP pitstop fast on a peage. I thought it had rejected my card it came out so fast, then the barrier went up.

No need for a tag IMHO. Hardly ever a queue, nothing like the severn bridge or dartford.

As already suggested use http://www.viamichelin.com will give you all the info you need. I don’t have a sat nav but will be map booking it to Verbier in 2 weeks time.

As above +10000000 for avoiding Paris (2km shorter much longer)

nickjb – Member
No need for a tag IMHO. Hardly ever a queue, nothing like the severn bridge or dartford.

Clearly you are well organised and don’t travel at the busy times. 4hrs was our queuing record, ad it telly that was on the AutoRoute south of Lyon returning from the coast but it was 1am

There can be queues and the tele-peagelines are always the shortest/non-existant

Route is as above, avoid Paris but that’s the way the sign posts take you anyway. Stop just for fuel and to rotate drivers for the quickest trip. The average French driver avoids the toll roads so you should find them clear and fast.

AutoRoute south of Lyon

…that’ll be Vienne then, had some long ones there myself (my folks live in the Ardeche). It’s a notorious spot that though, if you hit it at the weekend in August you’ll always queue, never experienced anything like it anywhere else.

Is Paris really that busy? We’re off to Les Arcs next month, and were planning to going via Paris. We’ll be leaving Calais around 13:30hrs on a Friday, breaking overnight at Lyon.

Is Paris really that busy

Yes. Lots of ludicrous behaviour by motorbikes/mopeds as well. Not pleasant at all IME.

Alternative route is Calais -> Belgium -> Luxembourg -> Metz -> Alps. Gives a lot of option for stop-offs that are interesting and there’s cheap petrol in Luxembourg so you can fill up on the border before leaving and save 15% on the price in France. Also, no tolls through that part of France, Belgium and Luxembourg.

I would NOT go via Paris like everyone else says. There’s no good reason to do so unlike going around London for Dover etc.

Done the Belgium route from Zeebrugge off the North Sea Ferry before. Cheaper and picturesque but several hours longer, depends on your priorities, really.

Don’t go to Paris unless you really have to is the key piece of info.

I’d personally avoid Lyon for anywhere north of Grenoble too, Les Arcs/Bourg St Maurice via Annecy now the new bit of motorway’s is in is not a bad route.

Unless of course you’re going to Lyon for the food, which is very good 🙂

everybody should drive through Paris at least once in their life. smack bang straight across the middle of it.

@strike – plan for going via Paris to add 2-3 hours to the trip. If you want to stop off and do some sight seeing then fine, if not you’d be mad to go that way. It does get the adrenaline flowing though especially “sessioning” the arc de triomph round about !

I’ll be avoiding Paris then!!!

Thanks for all your replys and I will also be avoiding Paris.

Slightly off topic but we are driving to Verbier in a week, can anyone recommend a B&B/hotel (with secure bike storage, or quiet rural where we could leave bikes in car) that is maybe 1- 1.5 hours away from Dunkerque ferry? thanks.

..that’ll be Vienne then, had some long ones there myself (my folks live in the Ardeche). It’s a notorious spot that though, if you hit it at the weekend in August you’ll always queue, never experienced anything like it anywhere else.

Which is where we’re going through (again). I just assume it’s bad and enjoy the sunshine. Won’t be so much fun with a 2 y/o this time..!

Increasingly I’m thinking about buying a place in southern France I holiday there that often.

We always stay here on the way out to Verbier

http://www.hotel-le-lac.fr/hotel-charme-le-lac-saint-point-jura-doubs.html

And here on the way back

http://www.holidayinn.com/hotels/us/en/ashford/asdke/hoteldetail?cm_mmc=mdpr-_-GoogleMapsUK-_-hi-_-asdke

keep er lit!

@Tracey – why would you stop in the Jura, you’re only a couple of hours away from Verbier by then ? I’ll be riding in the Jura Thursday and Monday, uplift via the train, can’t wait 🙂

We set off midnight on the Thursday, get the 6.00am tunnel across and drive till about 3.00pm. Then stop off Friday night so that Kevin is refreshed for the next days ride. Use to do it it one go but found this a better option than travelling Friday night.

Ah we are on the 0800 ferry from Dover to Dunkerque on Friday and Bike Verbier had space for us to stay Friday nigth so we can recover Sat whilst everyone else arriving. Driving back we leave Sat am but ferry not until 1000 on Sunday so looking at Hazelbroucke or somewhere 40 mins away to chill out.