Travel by Car
It's an easy drive from the UK and other parts of Europe as there is now motorway to within 5 minutes of our base. The motorway system is improving all the time and you don't have to go through Paris or Lyon. Route planning information and customised itineraries, including detailed autoroute directions, toll charges lists, places to eat, stay, stop en-route can be obtained from viamichelin.com.
Driving from the UK
To save you having to enter all the info into Viamichelin, this should link onto the easiest route which avoids Paris and Lyon from Calais:
Calais to St.Nazaire-en-Royans.
The distance is about 580 miles (920km) and driving time about 8 hours 15 mins of which 7 hours 30 minutes is on motorway.
French motorways are much quieter than British ones. The services are more frequent and the food is of a much higher standard. It is now possible to complete the journey from Calais and Le Havre in 8 hours although some people stop overnight to break the journey. You have the use of your car during your holiday and can stock up with wine and food supplies on the way home. The tolls add up to about £50 each way.
Ferries: 'P & O Stena' and 'Sea France' operate from Dover to Calais. These can be booked on the web.
Other routes that people use are Hull-Zeebrugge and Newcastle-Amsterdam.
The Tunnel is a few pounds more than the ferries but much quicker.