Just registered guys.
Can you tell me which route you woud take,leaving calais about 1100hrs. Also what would be a fair driving time to do it in?
Cheers
I would go via Rouen Evereux Dreux Chartres and pick up the peage at Orleans.
I seem to recall that you can get to Bordeaux in a shift from Cherbourg but not from Calais. About 11 hours driving iirc.
It’s been a while since I’ve been there though so I’m willing to be corrected.
Vince
calais to paris to orleans to tours to poitiers then either the national 10 or stay on the a10 to bordeux.
you can do this in a 10 hour drive if you have a big engine truck, are not too heavy freighted and get no delays, it is tight but it can be done only just.
depends on who is paying as to which route you take.
Johnny
That bit between the A1 and A10 round Paris,is that difficile to negotiate(that’s my french word for today)
I will not be paying but as a matter of interest roughly how much that way?
Sounds like a 9 hour drive and the rest the next day, I like a leisurely pace you knuw>
disgo:
Johnny
That bit between the A1 and A10 round Paris,is that difficile to negotiate(that’s my french word for today)
I will not be paying but as a matter of interest roughly how much that way?
Sounds like a 9 hour drive and the rest the next day, I like a leisurely pace you knuw>
Disgo,
Not to put too fine a point on it, Paris is a right pain. Whether you take the peripherique (old inner ring road), A86, or N104, it all depends on the time of day and you need 110% concentration on signs to make sure of the right lane without banging into anyone. Even in the middle of the night you are plagued by the boy racers.
I think Johnny’s idea of 10 hours whichever way you go is really pushing it. It’s a 10 hour drive to where I live in between Limoges and Perigueux.
As everybody here knows I agree with Vince in everything. We are both big fans of the Rouen, Evreux, Dreux, Chartres route but I would not continue to Orleans but take the N10 from Chartres towards Tours and jump on the A10 at Chateau-Renault. Then as Johnny said continue on the A10 all the way or leave at Poitiers Sud for the N10 down past Angouleme. It is cheaper which is why all the Spaniards and Portos go that way but I also think I have timed it quicker. Bit of a nuisance for a few kms south of Angouleme where there is no HGV overtaking, but if you’re heavy that won’t bother you too much.
Haven’t got a clue of cost, I just kept pushing the boss’s card in the little slot under the octagonal lane sign and he sorted the money later.
If you’ve got the time to take it easy, leaving Calais at 1100 hrs, and you eat midday, pull off the A16 at J24 and continue on the N1 towards Abbeville. At Chez Jo (can’t miss it the truckpark is bigger than the village) just after the village off Hautvillers you will be very well fed in good company. Then down to the roundabout taking the (free) A28 to Rouen.
If, like me you prefer to eat and relax with a drink in the evening, 4.5 hours will get you somewhere around Chartres for your short break, and then another spell will take you to the giant truckstop at Vivonne, 14 kms on the right hand side of the N10 south of Poitiers, where you will be very well served. The secret in France is to note down all the restaurants and plan your journey round them! That’s my philosophy. You should get there at about 9pm. If you stop there the night the run down to Bordeaux next day is about 3.25 hrs so easily reachable in one hit, although there are many gastronomic distractions on the way, the best being La Belle Cantiniere on the right hand side just after Mansle.
In Bordeaux, check out Chez Orlando at J43 of the A10 Carbon Blanc, or L’Albatross under the Pont Aquitaine. For this take the northern & western Rocade over the Pont, then first exit signed for the Centre Routier, go past that to the roundabout turn right and the one you want is the last but one resto on the right (there are about 4 or 5) just before you go under the bridge.
Impeccable!
Bonne route et bon appetit!
Salut, David.
Thanks for your time and trouble with the in depth replies guys.
David I like the way you do the job,my kind of working.
I’ve just come up that way, from Castets to Caen, in a little under 10. I had 25 tonnes of Spanish Onions on, with a tired 420 horses pulling them 
. I know they where Spanish Onions, cause I loaded them in Madrid 
. I delivered them in Glasgow this morning. I came up from Castets on Monday, shipping across on the overnight boat and had been told I was going to be tipping on Tuesday night. Having timed my breaks to a 10 hour drive, my boss phoned me late in the afternoon, to tell me that I was now tipping in the morning . Ah well, thats transport for you 
.
Simon:
I’ve just come up that way, from Castets to Caen, in a little under 10. .
Simon,
That makes it about 8.5 from Bordeaux to Caen and as Calais is 308 kms further that makes my estimate of just over 12 hrs driving for Bordeaux-Calais just about right.
What on earth have you got under the bonnet Johnny? 
Salut, David.
I have done Calais and Zeebrugge to Bordeaux, being very naughty with Hazardous. No problem with 10 hours but the problem comes with the 80kmh
I had a good run through Paris on Monday night, I reckon it took me less than an hour, round the Peripherique. There are hardly any trucks to be seen at 10 pm. I certainly would still avoid it during the day though
It is unfortunatly for some,that the days of the f1 lorry driver are like the
stone-age a dying breed although there appears to be a small herd
which have not yet died out,but as the day and era of modern technical
knowledge will unfortunatly errase the last of a dying specis.
Spardo recommmends this
As everybody here knows I agree with Vince in everything. We are both big fans of the Rouen, Evreux, Dreux, Chartres route but I would not continue to Orleans but take the N10 from Chartres towards Tours and jump on the A10 at Chateau-Renault. Then as Johnny said continue on the A10 all the way or leave at Poitiers Sud for the N10 down past Angouleme. It is cheaper which is why all the Spaniards and Portos go that way but I also think I have timed it quicker. Bit of a nuisance for a few kms south of Angouleme where there is no HGV overtaking, but if you’re heavy that won’t bother you too much.
and I agree with him and you can just get from the BP Truckstop at St Andre Cubzac just north of Bordeaux to Calais with a 10 hour day
Vascoingles:
Spardo recommmends thisand I agree with him and you can just get from the BP Truckstop at St Andre Cubzac just north of Bordeaux to Calais with a 10 hour day
Just what do you agree with, Vas? It’s 876 kms from Calais to Bordeaux. That is for a 10 hour drive, an average of over 87k/hr, even if you use autoroute all the way that is pushing it a bit. Pas possible IMHO and also in the opinion of my ex Boss, who I was with Saturday night (see report ‘How’s this for a works do?’ in the ex-pat forum). He reckoned 13 hours to my 12.25 estimate. Who wouldn’t want a boss like that, mind you I don’t remember him being that generous when I worked for him!
I assumed that disgo wanted to work legal, with legal tackle, of course if you have a rocket ship, anything is possible - warp factor 2 Mr. Spock.
Salut, David.
Spardo:
Simon,
That makes it about 8.5 from Bordeaux to Caen and as Calais is 308 kms further that makes my estimate of just over 12 hrs driving for Bordeaux-Calais just about right.
What on earth have you got under the bonnet Johnny?Salut, David.
Thats why I gave you my start and finish points Spardo. So that you could work the differences into your calculations .
Simon:
Spardo:
Simon,
That makes it about 8.5 from Bordeaux to Caen and as Calais is 308 kms further that makes my estimate of just over 12 hrs driving for Bordeaux-Calais just about right.
What on earth have you got under the bonnet Johnny?Salut, David.
Thats why I gave you my start and finish points Spardo. So that you could work the differences into your calculations
You just knew I was ‘Calculator Man’, didn’t you? 
Salut, David.
Spardo have done it myself often enough in 10 hours
Vascoingles:
Spardo have done it myself often enough in 10 hours
Vas,
I don’t dispute it , but do the maths, not legally, and that was what I assumed Disgo wanted.
Salut, David.
Spardo it was a legal a nice clear run all the way with a vehicle limited to 91 kms an hour and 20 tons of after shave loaded.
Vascoingles:
Spardo it was a legal a nice clear run all the way with a vehicle limited to 91 kms an hour and 20 tons of after shave loaded.
OK Vas you win but, which is it, ‘often enough’ as you previously said, implying many times, or, ‘a nice clear run’ as above, implying once?
All I know is that 876kms at 91k/h would take 9 hours and 36 minutes flat out all the way. That must have been some motor with 20 tonnes, as I said in an earlier post to Johnny.
Take it easy mate,
Salut, David.
I used to run to Portugal with car engines (38 tons gross) using the route Spardo recommends, and on a good drive would get as far as Barbezieux, Claude’s Elf truckstop in 10 hours, this is 40 minutes short of the Cabbage patch, I was always getting overtaken by Spanish, Portuguese and a few other European trucks, I don’t doubt they would get as far as the BP at St Andre De Cubzac, but for anyone with a normal truck with a limiter working as it should you would have to keep your foot away from all the peddles apart from the gas…I reckon to average 78 kph over French mixed driving, 81 kph in Spain. but, if I add Paris into the French route I lose another 2 kph over the days driving