Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Classic Morgans (pre-CX) Travelling through France

After buying my Roadster from BHM last August we took it for a weeks journey to Devon and Cornwall.

This year we have a friend who is having her 50th Birthday down in Provance and thought that it would be a great idea to drive down in the Morgan over 3 days have a birthday party and drive home again.

The first problem is that it is the first week of August and as such the French holidays so we understand that the roads will be busy.

Can any one suggest good routes down to teh South of France avoiding autoroutes if possible and allowing a maximum driving of about 300 miles per day so therefore between 3 or 4 days and likewise on teh return.

The second question and more importantly what tool kit to take.have been looking at some of the CRUZ kits for motor bikes which seem to include everything one would want plus I have a grease gun already. has any one got any advise.

Will have the car fully serviced by BHM the week before we go and then it has to have its MOT when we get back

Many thanks

Jeremy

Hi Jeremy, I can't suggest any route in particular, but, as you mention staying off autoroutes will probably avoid much of the holiday traffic, as well as taking you through more interesting scenery. Perhaps you could use a sat nav, set to avoid major roads, which will allow you to enjoy the drive without worrying over a map. I'd still take a general map so you can enter 'via points' along the way. You must carry spare light bulbs for the car, a warning triangle, high vis waistcoats and a first aid kit it advisable (I don't think it's necessary to carry the breathalizers anymore). Also you should have full documents- driving licence (paper and photo, if you have both) vehicle registration document, insurance certificate and MoT if applicable. Speed limits are 50kph (30mph) it built up areas, 90kph on main roads, 110kph dual carriageways and 130kph on toll autoroutes. The maximum is lower in the wet- still 50kph in town, but 80kph main, 100kph dual and 110kph autoroutes.
Enjoy the drive, Gerry.

There are a few routes to the south - if you're not doing it on the peage, it would be a long list to go through....

Are you going over on the tunnel?

The best thing to do is get a large map of France and write down every town you'll hit and have this as your list... You'll be picking up these road signs as you drive down. It's quite an enjoyable exercise doing this. And then booking the hotels of course.

I think it's very wise to avoid the peage, whilst French lane discipline is superb, they will ride an inch off your rear bumper which would be quite scary in a little Morgan. The Police were quite hot on speed traps in rural locations last time I was there - so do try to keep to the posted limits.

Another tip is to have some little something visible to remind you to keep to the right. The biggest problem is pulling out of a petrol station or a parking spot and simply forgetting...

Maybe you've driven in France many times and I'm preaching to the converted.

Thats two 3.7 Roadsters heading in the same direction at the same time, as for tools I believe in traveling light and will be taking few tools being happy to stop off at a local garage and borrow a grease gun mid route. We will travel via tunnel and have not finalised our route as yet but plan to travel the minor roads rather than Autoroutes. May go via the alps one way. We will be in Provance 3rd to 10th of August as part of our jolly.

James

There are many very nice B-roads (départementale here when you have time. Depending of where you arrive in France, if it's Le Havre or Dieppe you can go to Le Mans but perhaps you already know. There is the museum to visit. Going south in diagonal, further south there are very nice roads in the Creuse department, going to Gueret or Aubusson for exemple (between Limoges and Montluçon). If you have time to do some more miles and go to Lyon (nice town) I can recomand a very nice Automobile Museum, the Musée Henri Malartre in La Rochetaillée a few kilometers North of Lyon along the Saone river(only about 10/15 I think. The museum is in a castle with a very beautiful scene and very old cars, bikes and motorbikes.
If you are not going to Lyon, in the Massif central there are many very nice twisting roads and then in the Haute Loire department going to Le Puy (very nice view and beautiful landscape in he area including the Le Puy town)and then in the Ardèche department going towards Aubenas and Vals les Bains. Then you can rejoin Avignon (nice to visit also, don't go too far on the bridge... )A few kilmometers south there is a nice little auto museum at Orgon (near Cavaillon) along the "Nationale 7" road. In this area some very nice villages and landscape are worth to be visited (on the other side of the A6 motorway) : Fontaine du Vaucluse, L'Isle sur la Sorgues, les Baux de Provence...
This is just one way but there are many others as nice possible!

A few years ago I made a trip during my holidays from Paris to Marseille nearly all the way by B-roads. I had some wonderful drives with the Elise especially in the Saône et Loire, Haute Loire , Ardèche departments , on twisty and empty départementales, a great joy with fine weather and beautiful landscape. Hopefully my girlfriend likes the car and enjoyed also the trip, some times quite fast in the corners.

Google Earth is useful for checking out those small roads you might be considering in street view and "fly-through" mode. Morgans (as we know!) love small roads but when they are just a bit too rough.. then you might start dreaming about suspension upgrades etc!

I drove up from Avignon on small roads a couple of years ago: never a motorway in sight and very little traffic - just a matter of spending time choosing the route.

1. Map.
2. Google Earth.
3. Sat-Nav and off you go!

Have a lovely trip.. it's a wonderful driving country. Not sure where you live, but you could avoid coming back through France by going over the Pyrenees (amazing!) to Santander and then the ferry back to Plymouth (very civilised). There's always Morgans on that ferry for good reason!
Oliver S.

Plot a route that takes you over the Gt. St. Bernard Pass, Little St. Bernard Pass, Col de I'Iseran, Col Du Galibier, through Briancon, over the Col de la Bonette and then follow the D64, D641, D2205, D6202 to Castellane and then take the D71 along the Gorges du Verdon.

For your return trip, I'd advise a route over Mont Ventoux.

It would have been helpful if you'd given the location you're headed for in Provence.

hello jeremy
i leave near Toulon and st TROPEZ
i can help you to visit cote d'azur
by little road without a lot of people.
we ve a guest house dont hesitate to contact me

Check out my post:
http://www.talkmorgan.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/106306/France_La_Farlede_Morgan_B_B#Post106306

and also my blog on the trip back home with the Morgan last year:
http://blog.bradley.it/?p=149