Getting to Le Mans

[Geordie]

Isn't it to the left?  or is that coming back - its a real pain with a caravan, and yes I know we get in the way, but only at Rouen

I think if you cut to the left you cross the central reservation - I've never tried it myself, but ....

[Perdu]

You'd think they could have got that right, wouldn't you? When our ministry built the first motorway it was intended as a by-pass round Preston.

If ever a place needed by-passing more than Preston...

 

What are you saying about my lovely city Perdu ?

I wouldn't want to live anywhere else, thank you !


Hmm, Chris. I think I was saying that Rouen needed by-passing more than Preston. Wasn't I?

I do remember the excitement when I was a kid when travelling to Scotland in dad's Austin Ruby, year after year to see how much further the "New" motorway had spread towards the climb over Shap. (Travelling at an exciting 35mph to Bonny Scotland every year) Even when we had the A40 Devon or the A35 each year was an adventure.

And we used to stop at Preston for a cuppa before the By - pass was opened, I quite liked it in a young kid on holiday sort of way...


So to paraphrase my (rich) hero Michael Winner, "don't take on so, it's only a commercial"

 

[Nordic]

fewer chances of map reading cockups

I gave up trying to read a map and driving at the same time - also no longer let the wife look at the map and say things like 'You have to turn left somewhere up ahead', 'This road isn't on the map' and 'I think you should have turned left back there'.  Just keep a list of major towns along the route, follow any signs for the same and if in doubt keep straight on.  Crap advice?  Maybe, but it works for me.  I think the buggery bit  is when you hit that bit where you have to filter right, you're trapped in the left lane and have to cut across to the right - woooaaaaahhh!

Know what you mean, this year due to last minute drop out I drove on my own.  Without the aid, or interferance, of a map reader i got there and back with out getting lost once, and i got to choose the music!

The junction you are talking about I guess, is at the top of the hill just before you get into Rouen on the way home, everyone is in the  outside lane storming up the hill when you need to get across sharpish to the right otherwise you have a nice trip thru Rouen city centre.

[Lorry]

I think if you cut to the left you cross the central reservation - I've never tried it myself, but ....

I friend of mine did once, it makes a real mess of the car and the 'van - thats how I got the cheap awning

I'm sure at the end of the industrial area road, you have to fight your way to the left, and then go up a semi circular bit onto the bridge, but I recall they were rebuilding that.  I've gone via Caen the last couple of years so it may be all different.

[redstu]

Aaaagh

I had thought that with the new Peage the route from the Tunnel would be easy, seems that I was wrong.

Our small convoy (3 cars) with no previous experience of Rouen should be passing sometime on Thursday after taking the tunnel at about 13:00 (folkstone).

Would an eta at the circuit of about 19:00 be taking it easy

[Kpy]

ok i am getting a bit confused now, not to hard i hear you say

where abouts do we pick the new road up? is it before Rouen or is it after the roundabout with all the plastic cows on it.

Andy

From the "cow roundabout" you take the usual route to join the A13 motorway - signed to Caen and Le Mans. The junction with the A28 - signed Alencon and Le Mans comes up almost exactly 10 miles after you join the A13.

[Gilles]

For those people wanting to come with their spouses and include a touristic trip to the Loire Valley, the Le Mans-Tours last section of the A28 will be open next wednesday, so you won't have to drive across Chateau du Loir and its memorious traffic jam.

[Bob U]

For those people wanting to come with their spouses

Don't be silly Gilles

[Lorry]

........, so you won't have to drive across Chateau du Loir and its memorious traffic jam.

And don't forget the wonderous one way system

[Lord Buddha]

Does anyone think that a little carpet bombing of Rouen (in the style of our hero Bomber Harris) would encourage the foul French to speed the road improvements up?