Good thread this, makes me wonder if there is a corresponding French truck drivers forum where “Les Chauffers” are debating the pro`s and cons of their own favourite British “greasy spoon”!!! 
“Le snotty egg is tres fantstique,Pierre” 
bullitt:
Good thread this, makes me wonder if there is a corresponding French truck drivers forum where “Les Chauffers” are debating the pro`s and cons of their own favourite British “greasy spoon”!!!“Le snotty egg is tres fantstique,Pierre”
Ha ha, quality!!!
Ross.
Rather than pay the tolls from Caen to Poitiers,an alternative route is to go by Flers and and Angers,you get a scenic route in the area called Petite Suise,or little Switzerland,numerous places to have a full blown meal on the way,it is river rafting country,a few small hills.
Loudon has a good place,they are all open at 5 am,for the croissants and sour tasting coffee.
Flip,my fave was the kidneys too,im sure they added some booze to spice it up a bit,fried liver,calves brains too,imagine walking in to Roadchef and ordering that!!
I went to Lukes,on the Rochelle route,now they have weight limits,toll road diversions,what a shame,do you know the Saucise volant,the flying sausage,i was passing by early one night,and saw a wellington boot in the road,a french farmer had been run over and killed,did not look both ways before crossing.
FLIP:
Relais De La Poste in Liposthey was a favourite.
Mustn’t forget Cap de Pin on the N10 too & the half pint sized Kirs.
Of course Liposthey was the Relais De La Poste.
I was confusing it with Cap de Pins, but both worthy of a visit.
bigr250:
bullitt:
Good thread this, makes me wonder if there is a corresponding French truck drivers forum where “Les Chauffers” are debating the pro`s and cons of their own favourite British “greasy spoon”!!!“Le snotty egg is tres fantstique,Pierre”
Ha ha, quality!!!
Ross.
oui, les froid steak hache noir el flottante avec graisse 
toby1234abc:
I went to Lukes,on the Rochelle route,now they have weight limits,toll road diversions,what a shame,do you know the Saucise volant,the flying sausage,i was passing by early one night,and saw a wellington boot in the road,a french farmer had been run over and killed,did not look both ways before crossing.
Another favourite on the Rochelle route was the Fish Restaurant “L’aire Marin” but the the ban put paid to that.
I hope it’s still surviving
squarepeg:
Another favourite on the Rochelle route was the Fish Restaurant “L’aire Marin” but the the ban put paid to that.
I hope it’s still surviving
I used to stop there regularly back in the 80’s when we shipped Cherbourg, top quality every time.
Ross.
Toby speaks about Lukes being good and also was The Flying Sausage on the same road, Squarepeg , L, aire Marin (The Fish Restaurant) is still there and when I drove by it a couple of months ago there were artics parked outside ,so there must be access to it.
kerbut:
Squarepeg , L, aire Marin (The Fish Restaurant) is still there and when I drove by it a couple of months ago there were artics parked outside ,so there must be access to it.
Glad to hear that it’s still surviving.
No problem gaining access to it, the problem is the weight ban in Marans, on the 137, about 40K’s north.
Since there’s no other way round it, trucks heading north/south are effectively forced to use the A10 & A83 and pay the tolls.
Which is probably why the ban was put in place.
bigr250:
I used to stop there regularly back in the 80’s when we shipped Cherbourg, top quality every time.
I fully agree, that’s why I’m very happy it’s still open.
squarepeg:
kerbut:
Squarepeg , L, aire Marin (The Fish Restaurant) is still there and when I drove by it a couple of months ago there were artics parked outside ,so there must be access to it.Glad to hear that it’s still surviving.
No problem gaining access to it, the problem is the weight ban in Marans, on the 137, about 40K’s north.
Since there’s no other way round it, trucks heading north/south are effectively forced to use the A10 & A83 and pay the tolls.
Which is probably why the ban was put in place.bigr250:
I used to stop there regularly back in the 80’s when we shipped Cherbourg, top quality every time.I fully agree, that’s why I’m very happy it’s still open.
I still use the E number rule explained to me by a Transalliance driver, if it is marked with an E number it is a European Funded Trunk Road and the weight limits are illegal. Watch how many French trucks use the RN
When I worked there, we were not allowed to use the autoroutes with a peage, some were a pain in the arse, but in general the roads were good
Fully agree with you Wheelnut,when I worked for Dentressangle , they worked on the E numbers theory.
kerbut:
Fully agree with you Wheelnut,when I worked for Dentressangle , they worked on the E numbers theory.
Lets hope it wasn’t MFMTM then…
My French Mate Told Me
i am sure if we were wrong, the nice Gendarme or Douane would have explained it to us in his best handwriting.
Bet a few on here used to use the coast road to and from Cherbourg,passing through the sea side villages and towns,and a bird sanctuary,they put an end to that for trucks,used to go through Le Mans,dual carriegeway route,the weight limit was right in the middle,and the route did not take you near the centre,never had a problem,factories and businesses near the weight limit that need trucks.
Where the toll starts at the end of the forest road north of Bayone,for years i would save the money,and take the national,it had restuarants for trucks,you get as far as St Jean de Luz and then had to get on the toll before you arrived at the border,a ban at Hendaye,but at night,no problem,now it is a ban from St Geours de Mareme,they have pedestianised the towns,bus lanes,no room for artics nowadays.Flower pots and other street furniture make the national a no no.
Mendy transport used to have their depot,it is now next to the toll road.
Wheel Nut:
I still use the E number rule explained to me by a Transalliance driver, if it is marked with an E number it is a European Funded Trunk Road and the weight limits are illegal. Watch how many French trucks use the RNWhen I worked there, we were not allowed to use the autoroutes with a peage, some were a pain in the arse, but in general the roads were good
I always thought the road number was N137 but I’ve just looked on Google maps and it’s designated as D137 and more importantly as E3, so would meet the above criteria.
Not sure I would risk it though, unless there has been some legal clarification.
Wheel Nut:
toby1234abc:
What is your favourite,and why?Vivonne for the excellent choice of food. I am going for my birthday meal to Vivonne in September on the way to St Macaire.
My choice too, I did a trip to Spain just before I came to Canada, I stopped in Vivonne the first night, it was every bit as good as I remembered.
The Algerians was always a favourite, especially on Cous Cous night, as was Castets, Le Mistral, the one on the north side of the Tunnel du Chat and the one on RN1 between Boulogne and Abbeville, where everyone stopped, Hautvilliers I think 
There was also one where I stopped with Papanumpty, it was called Le Chene Vert, I’m sure we going up through Niort, it was a lovely place, ran by an old driver, spotlessly clean (even the toilets never smelt French 
) I only went in there the once, but it always stuck in my mind
La Chene Vert was excellent,on the back road into Le Mans iirc,also Hautvilliers,happy days & nights there 
, wonderful Bouginion served there,a lot of the lads called Hautvilliers “fat arses”
Flip, yes it was a lovely little place, La Patron shared a liquer with us and we chatted about how things had changed over the years, well we listened really, the old boy was amused that two Englishmen were driving Swedish lorries with French trailers hauling Spanish fruit, in his day Englishmen drove English lorries with English products in English trailers, the French did the same, except, d’accord, their stuff was all French
As I said, the place always stuck in my mind, I never went there again, I usually ran Saumur, La Fleche, when I was over that way, thinking about it we may have been shipping Cherbourg rather than Caen that trip, which may explain the deviation
Too true about the nationalities in their own country of origin,Spanish Pegaso Troner`s,big cigar while driving along,theDutch and Germans always had coffee percolatar machines on their dash the size of my mums bungalow, a cloggie driver once said they read a book while driving along the strips of paint that make a rumbling noise.
Junction 20 of the A20 about 40/ 50km south of Chatearoux there last week good food, clean, and good price for dish of the day 11euros, only down side when will the French stop letting dogs and cats in restaurants. 
.