Routes from Calais

How to get through France avoiding the Paris area.

Few things can be worse at the start of a long-awaited holiday, than being stuck for hours in a monstruous motorway 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 (or above on a smartphone) shows how all regions of France can be reached by motorway or dual-carriageway (divided highway) trunk road, without going through Paris.

There are two main routes south from Calais: the A16 motorway, via Boulogne, Abbeville and Rouen, and the A26 motorway via Arras and Reims (Rheims) .
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). Click to check out the busiest weeks for French road and holiday resorts


Through France to Spain
Covid information. Internal borders within the EU are open to traffic
The map above shows the best England-Spain routes avoiding Paris. There are three possible Calais-Spain routes for traffic heading for the Mediterranean coast - Costa Brava, Costa Blanca and Andalucia. The route via Reims and Dijon is recommended for lorries and cars with caravans. The route via Clermont Ferrand, rising three times to over 1100 metres (about 3500 ft), crosses the Millau bridge, but includes some long and steep climbs. The route via Limoges is longer. More information on Routes to Spain.

Routes in brief

► via A16 To central southern & southwest  France:
Follow: Boulogne > Abbeville > Rouen > Evreux > Chartres > Orleans...

 !!   Take care when leaving Calais if you use a Tomtom satnav. Default routes will probably try to send you via Paris rather than via Rouen. So follow motorway signs for Boulogne, then Rouen, then Evreux and  Orleans.  Follow the roadsigns, not the satnav !
   This is mostly on the N 154, which is almost all dual-carriageway as far as Chartres. Join the A10 motorway before Orleans.
Click for detailed A16 - A28 route guide and map

► To southwest France:
Follow: Abbeville > Rouen > Le Mans > Tours...
As above as far as Rouen.  After that, follow signs for Caen. Join the A13 motorway, then just west of Rouen branch off onto the A28 for Alençon and Le Mans.
   Alternatively, take this route avoiding most or all tolls

► To western Normandy and Brittany
Follow: Abbeville > (Rouen) > Le Havre > Caen > Rennes...
Traffic for northwest France can actually avoid Rouen altogether by following Le Havre, then Caen, on the A 29 motorway that leaves the A 28 before Rouen.

► via A26 To Alsace, Switzerland, Alps, Provence:
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 or Strasbourg (via A4). 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 follow Marseille or Grenoble depending on your destination
 Click for detailed A26 route guide and map .

South from Lyon:
Unfortunately (particularly on peak weekends in summer), 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 Destination signboards rather than road numbers, except on motorways.

Other key driving pages :

• Driving in France - tips and information
• French rules of the road
• The  A10 Paris - Tours - Bordeaux route
• The A4 Paris - Reims - Strasbourg route
•  E19  -  E44   Click for the route from Rotterdam and Brussels to Rouen and beyond
• General  motorway and trunk route map of France