[Closed] Driving in France on Aug 15/16th is it really that bad?

I've never heard of Assumption Day, but a quick google tells me I've been in France twice in the last couple of years during it and have never noticed, so perhaps it's not such a big thing?

Chunnel wasn't that bad - we had a delay of 70mins due to operation stack being cleared from the previous night on the way out. Coming back was very quick - something like 50mins from getting to the terminal, grabbing something to eat and loaded and on our way.

You'll be fine driving - only problems will be if there's an accident and things snarl up.

Same here, i've never heard of it, Last year i drove to Southern Spain setting off on that date and i cant say i even qued at any of the Tolls, Just been to the Alps and didnt even get held up despite Operation Stack, the alternative route off the Mtwy around the villages was a tad slow but once back on the Mtwy we were thro with no hold ups out and back,

We had a NIGHTMARE journey in France 2 summers ago - use of capitals fully justified!

you guys got lucky ive 2 sets of friends who waited 14 and 20 hrs respectively! thats what put me off using the chunnel + its an extra 5 hrs to get to the chunnel as I live in Plymouth.

cheers though at least im not have to worry about loads of traffic!!

I doubt it's much longer from Roscoff to Morzine than from Calais and you've not got the driving on the English side to contend with. A quick check gives a driving time of just over 10hrs - we were 9hrs for Chamonix to Calais.

Driven from Calais to the Alps (with overnight stops in Troyes one year and Arras the other) that holiday weekend for the last 3 years, doing it again this year.
Absolutely no bother at all, if anything I would say it was quieter on the main roads than a normal weekend. Its certainly not like UK bank holiday traffic.
I think the France tend to do more stuff locally with family, unlike the un-healthy obsession the masses in the uk have with a day out at IKEA and the Trafford Centre on BH Sunday !!
The only mild inconvenience is there will be virtually nothing open on the Sunday, so make sure you have stoked up at the supermarket on the Saturday and the car is full of petrol of you will have to pay top dollar at the motorway services.

Regards,

Phil

Ah well in that case going on the Tunnel would be a stupid thing to do if you can get straight out of Plymouth. We had our Tickets booked before this operation stack thing kicked in or we would have found alternate routes.

15th of august is bank holiday in france . it can be a very busy week end due to people coming back from holidays and others going for a long week end .

i think traffic will be mainly coming back from the south and below Lyon anyway .

Hi Carl 😆 ,
we usually find the holibobs and sundays in france are just a bit tricky for fuel, - although th peage fuel stops are open- you just pay a bit (lot ) for the privilege- just cost us €45 for the mont blanc tunnel!

Came back from Les Arc area on Saturday just gone. It felt like we were the only vehicle on the roads. Did a combination of Motorway and D-road shortcuts. Cost 32 Euros in tolls and took us 11 hours including dropping mates off at Geneva Airport. We drove into Calais at 21.10 and the train pulled out at 21.35. Not a single vehicle in front of us in the entry booths/customs.

Driving down the week before we took the ferry to avoid Stack and got put on an earlier ferry than we had booked (though it was delayed so ended up leaving about when we had planned). Drove down via Belgium and Luxembourg-Metz-Jura to collect from Geneva Airport. Zero tolls and quiet roads and diesel @ 70p in Luxembourg means the extra 50 miles make it a much nicer option than the motorway bash. Needs a slightly more relaxed approach. Saying that we took the 5pm ferry on Friday while mates took the 9pm tunnel. We arrived in resort about an hour after them having gone via Geneva Airport so really don't think there is a lot in it overall.

we drove Calais to Montpellier over that weekend last year - most of it on the Saturday.
Worst bit was Lyon (maybe an hour delay), but that's always a bit dodgy, south of Lyon the traffic was much heavier with changover-day traffic coming & going from the south coast resorts, but certainly not bad enough to change my holiday plans around.

Going again on Friday so hoping it will be just as good this year!

[i]you guys got lucky ive 2 sets of friends who waited 14 and 20 hrs respectively! thats what put me off using the chunnel + its an extra 5 hrs to get to the chunnel as I live in Plymouth.[/i]

Why wouldn't you just get the ferry over from Plymouth?

We've used it and it was decent.

Been stuck on the A6 on a couple of occasions and it can be pretty dire. You can check your route here:
http://www.autoroutes.fr/en/traffic-forecast.htm

One thing to remember is that French people are extremely conservative and can only eat between 12.00 and 2. If you stop at a service area in that interval, the place will be packed; outside, not. But the open air stops are much nicer anyway, if you plan ahead with a picnic.

We've booked the ferry from Plymouth now so happy with that and we are travelling from 2200 overnight..fingers crossed for a relatively traffic free journey.
@br we looked at the chunnel as it is £140 vs £600 for the ferry, but as someone said up there its not much difference in driving time and having the last 6 hours of your journey not driving will be nice, coupled with a short 15min drive home after landing...worth every penny I think!

We're doing the Channel tunnel on the morning of the 15th, then driving to Mont St Michel.
I've never heard of this Assumption Day thing, but that along with the other Channel tunnel issues has got me dreading it...

@ Legoman : calais to Montpelier , would be easier and cheaper to go through Massif central.

We're going Hull-Zeebrugge as we fancied driving through Belgium rather than northern France- apparently my exciting story about Dijon is now getting slightly old. Excited about the buffet and bunks experience!