London to Barcellona: quick way down and back up.

[er-minio]

I'm going to Barcellona in a couple of weeks for a mate's wedding and decided to ride down as I didn't do enough miles in the south of France this summer.

It's gonna be quick. I'll be travelling on my own. Two days going down, two days going back, so it's gonna be a fair share of motorways, but I wanted to get off the motorway in a few bits. I don't know "that side" of France that much. Travelled from Italy to Normandy/Brittany and then down to Tours on the bike ages ago, that's all.
I mostly travelled in the south of France or towards Switzerland, going back to Italy by car/bike.

I'll be getting the train to Calais. Splitting it as google maps routes it is 700 something kilometers per day, that I am ok with.

I was considering probably doing quite some distance on day one (instead of splitting the trip in half) on the motorway in order to probably find easily some nice roads when further south. There is always some fast, winding "national" roads in France where you can still make some decent progress along the day.
I use them as much as possible when I travel towards Switzerland and Italy and I was hoping to find something similar on the west side.
Didn't have time to check my Michelin atlas yet, so any suggestion is welcome.

Thanks!

 

[sidestand]

I'd go A28 from Calais down to Rouen
Then take the RN roads t0 Orleans, via Dreux, Evreux, & Chartres.
A71 from Chartres down to Clermont Ferrand (Clermont good for an overnight stop )
A75 over the Massif Central down to Beziers (toll free except for the Millau Bridge)
Autoroute to Narbonne, then the N9 down to Perpignan
Take the coast road south of Perpignan round to the Bay of Roses (spectacular twists around thee cliff tops
Then Girona down to Barcelona

 

[Wapping]

Then Girona down to Barcelona

Could have been a line from Route 66

 

[(RIP) Mark H]

2 Days, I know one trip on a bike did Cambridge to Parlafrugel (40miles this side of Barcelona) in 15 hours non stop save a little nap on a grass verge all AutoRoute, I regularly went to same destination by car in 24 hours non stop except for fuel and a more lengthy doze ect

 

[Our Gee]

Done Sidestand's route many times although we do turn East onto the N60 at Orleans then the N77 / A77 to Nevers and Moulins then the D2009 down to Clermont-Ferrand. This misses out quite a lump of the Peage A71. A good overnight stop is the Ibis at Issoire. It's just off the A75 Jnc.12. Massive Carrefour right next door.

 

[Wapping]

A good map for looking at basic routes across France, without all the distraction every goat track and hamlet, is Michelin's 726.

Fire up Google maps. Ask it to plot a basic route from A to B and have a look at what it suggests. Then ask it for the same excluding toll roads and highways and see where it takes you. That will give you the reasonable basics. Repeat the same in ViaMichelin. Compare their suggestions with the 726 map and any other map you fancy.

http://www.mapsman.com/store/product.php?id=243


PS It's a very safe bet that no main road will ever beat a motorway for time when getting from A to B. Ask any long distance trucking company.

 

[er-minio]

A good map for looking at basic routes across France, without all the distraction every goat track and hamlet, is Michelin's 726.

Thanks, will do.
I'm having a look at the route this evening.

PS It's a very safe bet that no main road will ever beat a motorway for time when getting from A to B. Ask any long distance trucking company.

I know that very well. I normally drive across Europe (UK/Italy) more than a few times a year
That's why I plan to do more miles on the motorway on day one and get on some national roads the second day.

 

[earthmover]

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?283430-Barcelona&highlight=barcelona


Any use?
Mark

 

[er-minio]

Yes thanks, managed to create a couple of routes on the zumo. Used some of your post as inspiration as well.

 

[earthmover]

Glad it was of use! I've been back 3 times since, and would go again tomorrow!
Hope you enjoy it.
Mark