Took a trip to France today................

I was struck by how much difference there was in road noise on French motorways. Usually, I have been over there in a saloon car, aircon on, windows shut....so shielded from noise. However, as it was hot today and had the roof down, the French motorway was a much quieter ride than the M20. You could actually talk to each other in France, whereas on the M20 you had to bellow your lungs out and gesticulate ("Bandits, 12 o'clock......heat shields up). There is also so much more room. When you consider France has pretty much the same population as us, but with a much larger area, roads are not crowded (excepting South of France during the French holidays, or the Paris ring road)

My favourite route is Calais to Boulogne to the old town for lunch, then down to the small village of Camiers on the D940. There is a lovely beach at St Cecile Plage, the war cemetery designed by Lutyens at Etaples just down the road and a great view from the hills above Camiers towards the sea.

I go 4 or 5 times a year to pay homage to family. My Dad was born there and my Grandfather married my Grandmother there after the great war (not necessarilly in that order!) I am always struck by how much more relaxed driving is there........save for the Renault 5, or Citroen Dyanne that is always on your tail, no matter what speed you are going.....even up hill!

Got my favourite vittals from the Intermarche......saucisson, fromage, beurre doux, 2ft long butter cake (mmmmmmmmm!) jars of peas/carrots (nice than it sounds and best eaten straight from the fridge, believe me) and jars of apple pulp to eat with plain yoghurt.

Now back home, watching crap on telly, but with a large glass of a very pleasant St Emillion in hand.

Bonnet de douche!

Sounds brilliant!
in fact, sounds like a good idea for a forum meet; nip over the channel, play on the french roads... perhaps an over-night stay...

I'd certainly be up for that

Door to door for me (Brentwood) was about 260 miles. Got the 9.15 ferry out, 5.45 back and still had time for eats and shopping. Could go a bit earlier and come back a bit later. I have suggested it, but met with very luke warm response.

la bonne vie en France! sounds so great to me Petach I fancy trying it too, family holidays in France normally dictate sensible traveliing in the e46 but 2 up in the zed, without the kids is now definitiely on the wish list!
:wink:

Sounds like a top day

This is one of the reasons i love my trip to Le-Mans each year not just the race but the drive down although i tend to go Autoroute as its a lot quicker and less tiresome for a driver.

The only thing i find not so relaxing these days is the speeding tickets will be driving a little slower this year normally cruise down around 100mph on the 85mph sections but will try and stay below 90mph this year fines are getting bigger.

Know what you mean about tailgaiting as you say no matter what speed there will still be a small French car stuck to your bumper and they will overtake on the brow of a hill on a blind bend this is why they have had a huge crack down on speeding as the road deaths over there are scary compared to here.

Looking at doing some driving in France on my own have you ever used the Peage Tag bit like the Dart Tag for Dartford Tunnel and Bridge this way i do not need to worry about running around my car to collect a ticket or pay every time i get to a toll.

Would you recomend any seaside towns along the coast for a one night stop over with safe parking for my Z as i only live 45 mins from tunnel and often think i could drive down Sat morning chill out on the beach for the day a few beers in the evening and drive back Sunday have been to Le Touquet always stay in the Novotel by the beach as i like the private underground parking space but there must be other places along the coast.

Funny thing is, you and Tweed are furthest from Dover. I have to confess, I just love going there and driving. I feel so at home there, and you can get up to a fair lick of speed without anyone taking too much offence. Police near the port have been known to pull Brits (me included......not for speed, but out of sheer cussedness), however, further down the road is not usually a problem. Some nice country roads away from M/Ways, toll booths and les flics in their homo-erotic garb of knee high leather boots, tight trousers etc on their patrol motorbikes makes it fun, especially when you spot a nice looking Auberge en route for lunch and a glass.

(Never see a nice looking female flic in that get up!)

"Would you recomend any seaside towns along the coast............"

I always go to Camiers (for reasons of family visits) and St Cecile plage. There is a cheap-ish hotel there called Les Cedres. I have stayed a couple of time. It ain't luxury, but it ain't a flea pit. It's not full of chavvies, so parking car should be ok.

http://www.hotel-cedres.com/modulosite2/fiche.php?id=191&fr=1

You are a mile from a fantastic expanse of beach at St Cecile, (http://www.panoramio.com/ photo/9632272) Great for kite flying, looking at WW2 bunkers, paddling, swimming walking etc. Some reasonable restaurants in the square near the beach.

the beautiful War Cemetery at Etaples, (http://grandadswar.mrallsophistory.com/etaples_cem.html)

Le Touquet of course and some nice villages/towns further in land.

Oh, and not forgetting Montreuil sur mer, nice old cobbled hilly town. My great grandfather died in a field near there digging his turnips (Cris de coeur). My great grandmother was killed in an allied bombing raid on the cement factory in Camiers in 1944. My nan washed uniforms in the field hospital at Etaples in WW1. As you see, I have a real connection with the place and adore it. The only place we ever went in the 60's for our hols. No running water in my nans house, mud floor, outside lavvy which was just a fly infested pit, but great food, and great times as a ten yr old.

Tag is definitely the way to go if you are likely to go a few times - the alternative is getting out, walking round the car to stick your credit card in and hope a UK one works...

Tag is around 30 euros deposit, then standard toll charges plus just a single 4.50 euro payment for each month in which you use it...well worth it.

And its a roadster owners dream....top down, smoooooth uncrowded roads and just go....but increasing number of mobile cameras, especially within a mile or so of the tolls (which is the only place they can manage to stop you, as I've found to my cost!)..... :headbang:

lacroupade said:

Tag is definitely the way to go if you are likely to go a few times - the alternative is getting out, walking round the car to stick your credit card in and hope a UK one works...

Tag is around 30 euros deposit, then standard toll charges plus just a single 4.50 euro payment for each month in which you use it...well worth it.

And its a roadster owners dream....top down, smoooooth uncrowded roads and just go....but increasing number of mobile cameras, especially within a mile or so of the tolls (which is the only place they can manage to stop you, as I've found to my cost!)..... :headbang:

Click to expand...

Where can i purchase a Tag ?

Will they work in any part of Europe or France only ?

How do you top them up on line or at a machine ?

Know what you mean about the cameras was having a burn coming back from Le-Classic 2008 and my mate spotted a tripod when we arrived at the tolls they were pulling loads of Brit cars to one side was i pleased when they waved me through last thing i wanted was to get done again as 3 weeks earlier had picked up 3 points and a £60 fine on the A2 in Kent coming back from Le-Mans.

Have heard they are really cracking down on speeding giving out big fines and bans on the spot always use to cruise around 100mph in the 85mph sections gonna stay below 90mph this year well try very hard to.

Have you heard much about getting points put on a UK license when speeding in France ?

petach said:

"Would you recomend any seaside towns along the coast............"

I always go to Camiers (for reasons of family visits) and St Cecile plage. There is a cheap-ish hotel there called Les Cedres. I have stayed a couple of time. It ain't luxury, but it ain't a flea pit. It's not full of chavvies, so parking car should be ok.

http://www.hotel-cedres.com/modulosite2/fiche.php?id=191&fr=1

You are a mile from a fantastic expanse of beach at St Cecile, (http://www.panoramio.com/ photo/9632272) Great for kite flying, looking at WW2 bunkers, paddling, swimming walking etc. Some reasonable restaurants in the square near the beach.

the beautiful War Cemetery at Etaples, (http://grandadswar.mrallsophistory.com/etaples_cem.html)

Le Touquet of course and some nice villages/towns further in land.

Oh, and not forgetting Montreuil sur mer, nice old cobbled hilly town. My great grandfather died in a field near there digging his turnips (Cris de coeur). My great grandmother was killed in an allied bombing raid on the cement factory in Camiers in 1944. My nan washed uniforms in the field hospital at Etaples in WW1. As you see, I have a real connection with the place and adore it. The only place we ever went in the 60's for our hols. No running water in my nans house, mud floor, outside lavvy which was just a fly infested pit, but great food, and great times as a ten yr old.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the info some lovely looking places there was never really into the War history until my mate who came to Le-Mans with me gave me a guided tour on the way home Pegasus Bridge,Ouistreham,Sainte-Mere-Eglise,Omaha Beach were just some of the places we visited interesting stuff especially as a lot of buildings and bunkers are still as they were.

Tag can be purchased on line and is attached to your CC, so all charges get re-charged on that one.

Re the mobile cams ... I have heard that parking sensors work very good with them