France September 2019 Overview
France, September 2019 Normandie and the Lot Valley
Hymer motorhome trip to France
Another motorhome journey mostly through rural France visiting sites in Normandie that are associated with William the Conqueror followed by some visits in the Lot Valley staying mostly on aires.
Read about each day of our motorhome journey through France by clicking on the links in the table below.
The overview map (left) shows our overnight locations during this motorhome trip through France. Our original intention had been to make another journey through Spain, we usually wait until September to visit Spain because temperatures can be too high for us in July and August. It's also school holidays, so there are a lot more people about wherever you go.
However, we left the ferry booking until too late so there were no places available with cabins. Perhaps we're not the only ones who wait until schools are back before taking off for some sunshine.
Plan B was to drive through France to Spain, but experience on previous journeys through France has taught us that driving a motorhome through France is something that you don't want to rush, and being practical and realistic, you can't rush. In a car maybe you can rush by taking the Peage and spending money on road tolls, but in a motorhome that's over the 3,500 kg barrier that's something you don't do easily.
We now allow 5 days to travel diagonally across France. Yes, it is possible to take the Peage but motorhomes are limited to 90 kph on French motorways including Peage. Our Hymer motorhome has a plated weight of 4,250 kg which makes the cost of French toll roads more expensive. It's very difficult to work out the cost of French toll roads in advance, but our limited experience tells us it really is not good value for our money for us.
Generally, French food and other goods are more expensive than similar things in the UK. That always surprises us. Wine really is a lot less costly, especially good French wine. For comparison, the French government taxes wine at 3 euro cents a bottle, compared the UK at £2.33 per bottle, both governments charge VAT on wine as well. More information on wine taxes in Europe (opens in a new window).
Overnight costs
Our overnight costs (aires etc) are given in this table, France is wonderful for motorhomes, we wonder if the UK will ever catch up. Click the link to read about our motorhome travel through France each day.
Day | Location | Type of place | Cost in € | Page link - click to view |
1 | Home to Calais | - | 0 | Lancaster to Calais |
2 | Calais | aire | 10 | Calais to Forges les Eaux |
3 | Forges les Eaux | aire | 7.5 | Forges les Eaux to Monet's Garden |
4 | Foundation Monet | car park | 0 | Monet's Garden to La Bouilee |
5 | La Bouille | car park | 0 | La Bouilee to Carsix, cider farm |
6 | Carsix | cider farm | 5 | no travel this day |
7 | Carsix | cider farm | 5 | no travel this day |
8 | Carsix | cider farm | 5 | no travel this day |
9 | Mayet | roadside aire | 0 | Carsix to Mayet |
10 | Voeil-et-Giget | aire behind Marie | 0 | Mayet to Voeil-et-Giget |
11 | St Cirq Lapopie | riverside aire | 7 | Voeil-et-Giget to St Cirq Lapopie |
12 | St Cirq Lapopie | riverside aire | 7 | a day at St Circ Lapopie |
13 | Cajarc | aire | 7 | St Cirq Lapopie to Carjarc |
14 | Vieillevie | aire | 0 | Carjarc to Viellevie |
15 | La Pérouille | aire | 0 | Viellevie to La Pérouilee |
16 | Chartres | aire | 0 | La Pérouilee to Chartres |
17 | Incheville | aire | 9.50 | Chartres to Incheville |
18 | Calais | aire | 10 | Incheville to Calais |
19 | Calais to home | - | 0 | Calais to Lancaster, UK |
Total cost | 72.50 |
Our Hymer motorhome records the time travelled and miles per gallon on two trip meters, so it is straightforward to write the figures down each day. They are presented in a small table on each day of our treks. A brief summary of this trip shows that in the 18 days we spent sixty five and a half hours driving, covered almost two thousand one hundred miles at an average speed of thirty one miles per hour. Miles per gallon ranged a lot depending on the type of roads and terrain. Generally we achieve much better fuel economy on motorway type roads and roads where there is not much stopping and starting.
Summary of trip
Total miles |
mpg | average speed mph |
hours driven |
2089.3 | 30.5 | 31 | 65:28 |
Day 1 - Home to Calais via Eurotunnel
Loading the Hymer B544
UK motorway traffic
Nepalese meal in Folkestone
Arriving aire de camping cars Gravelot
Home to Calais via Eurotunnel by motorhome
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Day one of our motorhome trek through France, September 2019. Outward journey from home to Calais. This is always the great problem of living so far north in the UK, you have to make the journey south on the M6, around London and to Folkstone - if you are crossing via Eurotunnel. We like the tunnel. For a motorhome it's no more expensive than a ferry from Dover to Calais but the thing that make it so attractive for us is the effortless entry and boarding process. If only the airports could handle flights as well as Eurotunnel handles trains we might, but only might, go back to flying. Being realistic, that is not going to happen as long as airline passengers are willing to put up with being treated how they are. Customers do have real power, as I have said before, we could put any of the supermarkets out of business in a short time, just stop buying from them. If nobody flew airports would be changing, but as long as they don't have to, they never will. End of airport rant!
It's over 320 miles from home to Eurotunnel in Folkstone, we allow a full day for that, packing the Hymer in advance so that we have the bare minimum of things to put in before leaving. All the checks such as tyre pressures, fuel etc have been done, plus a thorough cleaning inside and outside. We are up early and anxious to be on the road, it's unusual if there are no delays so we want to be off.
Normally we drive alternately, and keep going as much as possible. We take a flask of coffee so that our morning break can be as short as possible.
On this trip we drank our coffee at Stafford services, reached Warwick services by lunchtime, stopping there for a quick lunch before pressing on to Folkstone, arriving in about 7 3/4 hours including stops. Average speed 45 miles an hour. We had a meal at The Lemon Leaf (Nepalese Restaurant), it's a good stopping point as it's only a short distance from Eurotunnel. The food is very good and reasonably priced.
Then it's off to Eurotunnel, and check in, very easy, the camera reads your registration number and you confirm details on the screen and the barrier goes up, no human intervention. Passport control was quick and we were in the holding are in minutes waiting for boarding. Onto the train easily then just 35 minutes to Calais sat in your own vehicle. Unloading was quick too as there were not many high vehicles on our crossing and we are at the front of the train.
Our route from the terminal took us past the large Auchan supermarket, so we called off with the intention of doing our shopping but had only 10 minutes before closing time as 2100, so bought very little before heading for the aire de camping cars at Grevelot. Ten euro for 24 hours, not cheap, but so convenient. Automated entry and lots of space on almost level tarmac, disposal facilities but no toilets or showers unless you go on the camping site next door. We think that's a waste of money as we want to be up and away in the morning.
We settle down for the first night in France thinking about the days to come. In the past we used to spend hours planning our journeys, we're a lot more relaxed about where we're going to stay next and what route we will take.
Summary of motorhome journey
Total miles |
mpg | average speed mph |
hours driven |
335.6 | 28.5 | 45 | 7:21 |
Totals for this journey |
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335.6 | 28.5 | 45 | 7:21 |
aire de camping cars Gravelot