Just found this website and hoping you can help me. I have to drive a 4.3M high truck from Calais to Magny Cours and would appreciate some help regarding the best route around Paris.
Currently thinking A26 (A1) then A104 / N104 around towards Evry then A16 , A77, then N7.
I would appreciate any comments regarding any height problems or any othe routes which are known to be better.
Many thanks
Michael
thats the way id go too came up that way about a month ago dont remember a low bridge only i think its the A6 not the A16
Can’t help you with specifics about going via Paris, but I think you will have problems, or at least you will need to be routed.
I would go via Rouen-Evreux-Orleans-Bourges with an overheight load myself at a guess
isnt there a hight limit on the tunnel down into rouen? or is it 4.5M?
I think at 4.3 you shouldnt have a problem around Paris. Im thinking of us running 4.2 trailers with the roofs open when carrying JCB for Transalliance.
Most French trailers run a lot higher than the rest of Europe
malcolmj:
isnt there a hight limit on the tunnel down into rouen? or is it 4.5M?
There is, but there is a diversionary route signposted. Never been on it, mind.
The Diversion is down the old road into the centre of Rouen.Not a problem just traffic.When you cross the river turn right towards ZI Portuaire,1st traffic lights by some silos turn left,up to the roundabout turn right.After that Evreux is signposted.That misses out all the traffic lights thro’ the industrial area.
The tunnel IS 4.5 by the way so no need to divert.But stiil Turn right ,it’s a lot quicker.
dont i remember a low pipe bridge as you go along the river by the big cable factory as you leave rouen on the N15?
Yes there is a bridge just before Pont de L’Arche,but I wouldn’t go that way. .Into Rouen then out on the D3 up to the A13.That misses all the lights past St Etienne de Rouvray.
Oh & I just noticed Harry Monk said Orleans- Bourges,I would go Orleans -Gien-Nevers.
Thanks for the information. Think I’ll stick to my original plan. The route via Rouen seems quite a bit longer.
Might look longer but I avoid Paris like the plague.
On the outward journey I avoided Paris altogether. On the return journey I decided to come back via Paris. Here is what happened…
I had been to Magny Cours with an artic containing a racing car and equipment. On Sunday morning I set off back towards Paris following another race lorry.
Now I know that you aren’t supposed to drive before 22.00 on Sundays but, French rules state that if you have been involved in a sporting event you can drive up to 150km.
Most race truck drivers seem to ignore this and tend to drive all the way back to Calais. I checked with the French race organisers who told me I was ok to drive back as long as I had a copy of the race entry form. Both myself and the other driver made sure we had these in case we were stopped.
All was going well as we approached Paris on the A6 until…the truck driver in front of me decided to pull out and overtake something.
He appeared not to have seen a small car next to him, probably in his blind spot.
The result was, he clipped the rear end of the car as it tried to pull in front of him and the car swerved, bounced off the kerb and spun across the carriageway and wrote itself against the barrier of the central reservation. It was like watching a flipper on a pinball machine!
The driver stopped as quickly as he could and a large fat lady got out of the wreck and proceeded to give him alot of verbal abuse.
At this point I had eased my way past the scene and carried on , not wishing to get involved as there was no doubt the police would be called. Luckily no one was hurt.
I later spoke to the other driver on the phone who told me the following.
The local police arrived fairly quickly, the driver told them that he thought the car had flashed him to pull out , meanwhile the fat woman continued to give both him and the police the “verbals”.
Apparently the police were not interested in the accident and told both parties it was an insurance job. They never bothered to breathalyse either driver or to inspect the truck driver’s tacho , their main concern was getting the road clear.
They did however make the truck driver follow them to the police station where they told him that he could not carry on his journey until 22.00. and fined him 90 euros for driving on Sunday! Apparently his copy of the race entry was worthless.
Meanwhile, I had carried on around the A86 which wasn’t too bad on Sunday afternoon and reached Calais without further incident.
Personally I think that the truck driver was very lucky to escape with no more than a 90 euro fine. Maybe the police were near the end of their shift and didn’t want the paperwork. Who knows?
I have to take the same truck from Santander to Estoril in 10 days and would appreciate some advice and help. I have posted a new message about it in this forum.
bogie153:
the driver told them that he thought the car had flashed him to pull out
So he now knows that over the water a flash means the exact opposite to what it means over here. 
i am sure the height limit in france is 4.2m,personally i would be very cautious about going there at 4.3m
vastly exp:
i am sure the height limit in france is 4.2m,personally i would be very cautious about going there at 4.3m
France, like the UK, do not define a height limit.
bogie153:
I had been to Magny Cours with an artic containing a racing car and equipment. On Sunday morning I set off back towards Paris following another race lorry.
Now I know that you aren’t supposed to drive before 22.00 on Sundays but, French rules state that if you have been involved in a sporting event you can drive up to 150km.
Most race truck drivers seem to ignore this and tend to drive all the way back to Calais. I checked with the French race organisers who told me I was ok to drive back as long as I had a copy of the race entry form. Both myself and the other driver made sure we had these in case we were stopped.
Never had a problem driving a race car transporter on Sundays in France, the Police just seem to ignore us. However Italy and Germany require permits, but this is sorted by the race organisers.