Route advice please and toll tags

Hello Trucknet

I am not a seasoned Euro driver and am hoping for a bit of advice, I am booked on the ferry coming in to Calais tomorrow morning and driving down to Circuit de Catalunya, so am aiming for Spain 08160 Montmeló

Looked at a couple of routeplanners and they recommend via Paris which I am dubious about and thought I was best off avoiding it busy city Easter break etc.

I was thinking going this way to avoid it:
A26/E15 Reims - Troyes- Dijon - Lyon - Orange - Perpignan

Am i being over cautious do you think?

I was also wondering if there was anywhere on route I could get a tag for both the Tolls in France and Spain to save faffing with tickets and card payments

Thanks for any help and Happy Easter, David

You could try sending a PM to Trucknet member “Muckles”. As far as im aware he used to run a race team and would be able to give you decent instructions on how to get there. Be quick though as he may be away and you have a ferry to catch!! Good luck.

Edit… tomorrow is the start of Easter and you may be subject to the driving bans for HGV`s in France! That is something I would definitely check up on as the fines could well be more than your race car is worth!!

bullitt:
You could try sending a PM to Trucknet member “Muckles”. As far as im aware he used to run a race team and would be able to give you decent instructions on how to get there. Be quick though as he may be away and you have a ferry to catch!! Good luck.

Edit… tomorrow is the start of Easter and you may be subject to the driving bans for HGV`s in France! That is something I would definitely check up on as the fines could well be more than your race car is worth!!

I’m already onto it,
I’ve never actually run a race team, just the transport operations for various teams.

Checked for driving bans, France seems to be 10pm Saturday to 10pm Monday and nothing for Spain, but they do have regional bans.

There is a limited exemption for Racecar Transporters to travel in France on Sunday and Holidays (going to an event on that or the next day I believe) but although I’ve been stopped several time by the French authorities its been to look at the car not to stop me driving. But I am aware I am mostly pushing the limits of the regs and I always plan that I’ll meet the Gendarme who knows the regs and hates racecars.

I think being Easter weekend all the main routes will be busy, with long queues at the peages.

The route you’ve got is ok and easy but quite expensive on tolls, however if you’re in a truck you shouldn’t go into Lyon but go round it, when you go through the big peage, at Villafranche (you won’t miss that, it’s really big) go over to the right when the lane split, your sat nav will probably keep trying to route you through it, I follow the signs for Marseilles until I get back on route, which will be the next big peage and the signs for Paris on the way back.

The route I’d take would be to Rouen then pick up the N154 to Evreux, then Deux, and Chartres, (this avoids Paris)then pick up the A10 before Orleans, then A71 to Clermont Ferrand then A75 over the Milau Bridge down to Beziers, then A9 into Spain. This is a well used route for trucks, but it is a hilly route, a lot of big climbs and descents and going round a few towns and national roads.

The exit for the circuit is the first one past the second Peage (first peage is at La Jonquera just past the border) on the AP7, once on the exit you have to take another slip to head for the circuit, but no panic if you miss it, just keep going into Granollers and there are some big roundabouts to turn round and have another go.

As for tolls tags I think you’d have to order them in advance, but really there aren’t that many toll booths on route, so you’ll do quite a few hours driving between each one.

Good advice from Muckles. Good route avoiding some peages without real time penalties. There’s likely to be a few holdups especially around Nonancourt-St Remy but that’s going to be less than anything around Paris. Big holiday weekends. . . !
His advice is sound on getting Telepass too. Hardly worth it for a one off trip, but you can get them at offices on the major peages.
Choose your peage lane from a long way out, avoiding the auto ones with 30 signs unless you do get a Telepass Badge. The right (slow lane) usually goes quickest because everyone crowds into the ‘fast’ ones. A75 as Muckles says us a good road, but treat it with respect. Beautiful Norman Foster (I think) viaduct at Millau. Have fun

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Thank you very much for your time and help!

I would also choose the Rouen , Evreux route , but try to avoid stopping at the huge truckstop of La Jonquera on the French and Spanish border.
There have been numerous cab break ins, they watch drivers walk to the shower, so have a window of opportunity to empty the cab .
The same when fueling up there or having a meal or coffee break .
It is a shame, as the place is full of Grand Buffet all you can eat, casino, supermarkets, cafes , restaurants, tourist shops and truck accessory shops, even Romanian and Bulgarian food shops .
Years ago it was a great stop over with no crime, now it is full of ladies of the day and night .
Be careful in motorway rest areas that are lay bys with no facilities in Spain, i would never stop there .
When leaving the cab secure important documents and have photocopies in case of theft but the authorities only accept the original documents of the vehicle and permits .
If possible, park in the coach park at Lloret del Mar or in the parking behind the big hotels, nobody told me to move on, and have a swim in the sea and top up the tan, it must be warming up down there now .
I would avoid Paris over the Easter weekend , with every man and his dog on the move, with wobbly boxes, camping trailer and tourists to contend with .
The free national roads will be packed, then there is agricultural slow moving traffic, and lots of traffic lights and roundabouts .
The French have alternative routes that avoid pinch points and congestion, they are off the main routes, normally a scenic and slower pace of driving along rivers and gorges .
Tune in to the English language traffic radio bulletins in France, 101 FM from memory .
If stopped by Douanes, remain calm, i found they have a great sense of humour about UK and French political ex and present leaders, mention Blair and Thatcher .
Keep the driving hours , breaks, and rest periods 100 per cent in order to avoid huge fines , the Mosses police have a reputation.

Hotels in Spain and France are not too expensive, as an owner driver, i used to treat myself to a room, ideal in the Summer, with air con in the room and some have a bath tub .
In the Winter, to make a change from a cold truck cab .
The hotel owners never object to trucks parking in their car park, which are bigger than UK hotels .
France has the Formula One chain, they are un- manned or manned at check in, if nobody is there, you check in at the locked front door with a bank card .
The Spanish hotels all do a driver menu or menu del dia, daily menu or set priced five to six course meal, served by well dressed staff, on white linen clothed tables , you feel like a King .
Coffee is included, most drivers will chat by the bar before a meal and after the meal with a Digestif to stimulate the appetite and an Apperitif to aid digestion after the meal .
Do not be afraid to eat what the locals have, rabbit stew, pigs trotters or hands of the pig translates as cerdo de mano .
France has Cassoulet, a foul smelling broth and mix of white beans and meats, which tastes very nice .
The Spanish have a very light breakfast of a toasted baguette with olive oil and plum tomatoes on top.
They eat at night very late, from 22.00 to midnight or more.
Shops and businesses shut mid day` ish for Siesta , for two to three hours due the heat in the summer, they go home to sleep and eat .
Motorway food is to a very high standard, ask the till for a drivers discount of about 20 per cent, or fill in their loyalty card, Autogrille has this system, then they post a card to you later on .