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Routes from Calais | |
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 Map © Copyright About-France.com The trunk roads marked in green are all dual carriageways; bear in mind that speed is limited to 110 km/h on dual carriageways, rather than the 130 km/h allowed on motorways. The routes marked in grey are the main routes from Paris (which are liable to be very busy). To check your route, visit the About-France.com France routefinder map page, and key in the details of your journey. |
Few things can be worse at the start of a long-awaited holiday, than to find oneself stuck for hours in a monstruous traffic jam, rather than relaxing at one's holiday destination. When travelling from the UK or from Belgium or Holland to anywhere in France, it is always best to avoid Paris, particularly during summer weekends. The map opposite shows how all regions of France can be reached by motorway or dual-carriageway (divided highway) trunk road, without the need to go through Paris. There are two routes south from Calais: the A16 motorway, via Boulogne, Abbeville and Rouen, and the A26 motorway via Arras and Reims (Rheims) . For traffic heading for the south west of France, the route via Rouen is strongly recommended. There is just a bit of confusion at Rouen itself - but once you reach Rouen, follow signs for Paris and Evreux (if you are heading for Orléans) or Caen and Alençon (if you are heading for Le Mans) until you rejoin the motorway. Traffic bound for Normandy and North Brittany can actually avoid Rouen altogether by following Le Havre, then Caen, on the A 29 motorway that leaves the A 28 before Rouen. Traffic heading for eastern and south east France - Alsace, Jura, Alps, Provence, should leave Calais on the A 26 motorway, following signs for Arras and Reims. After that, it is plain sailing all the way as far as Lyon. Remember to take the A 39 motorway at Dijon, as this motorway is relatively traffic free; if you follow Beaune, you will soon join the very heavy traffic on the A6 Paris to Lyon motorway. From the A39, you join the A 40, then the A 42. Before reaching Lyon, follow the signs for St Exupéry airport, then keep following Valence & Marseille, or Grenoble, depending on your destination. If following Marseille, take great care when you join the A 43 Grenoble-Lyon motorway, just after the airport. Traffic bound for the south must take the next exit off this busy eight-lane (2 x 4) motorway, after just five kilometres. The exit is not the best of motorway intersections, so keep the signs for Marseille firmly in view, as you do a 270° exit onto the A 46 Lyon outer ring-road. Unfortunately, there is no fast way of avoiding the A7 Rhone valley motorway if you are heading for Provence or the Riviera. The alternative is to take slow routes through the hills. REMEMBER: when driving in France, follow Destinations rather than road numbers.
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