Nancy to Calais route ideas

[yoyo]

We're heading back to Calais from Nancy tomorrow and looking for route suggestions. Looking for around 5 hours of riding or thereabouts.

We don't mind a bit of motorway if need be. I've got a couple of routes ready but the ride out through Belgium was a little boring and I'd rather not repeat it.

Any thoughts? Thanks.

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[wessie]

you'll need to do mostly motorway to do that in 5 hours.
I usually cut across via Bar Le Duc from the A26 at Chalons en Champagne. It cuts out some miles and tolls going up to Metz. Takes about the same time.

 

[Wapping]

We're heading back to Calais from Nancy tomorrow…. Looking for around 5 hours of riding

Nancy to Calais is five hours, direct on the motorway. That is nonstop.

 

[er-minio]

I'd agree. All, or most motorway.

You can get out of the motorway at Reims (my route is going the other way) and continue via B roads. This this a two or three years back and, if I remember correctly, it was a pleasant ride until Nancy – to counterbalance the initial motorway slog. But still >5 hours.



Actual time:


But we were also going at a fairly leisurely pace.

 

[Wapping]

Quite why bods assume there is always a great way to go over 300 miles, in a limited period of time is a mystery. Made harder when they “Leave tomorrow”.

This is not bad.

https://kurv.gr/4svUx

Cross country from Nancy to St Quentin, then motorway up to Calais. Estimated time (nonstop) is eight hours, of which six is Nancy to St Quentin and then two to get you from St Quentin to Calais.

Factor in a couple of stops of 30 minutes each, gives nine hours.

Get up and leave four hours earlier. Bingo! You’ll arrive in Calais at the same time as your hoped for five hour journey.

 

[yoyo]

Thanks for the tips, agreed it was a big ask to get it done in that time frame without sitting at 120 and yep a bit more poor planning on my part.

The 5 hour day had been working for the last 9 days but it'll have to be a longer day.

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[er-minio]

Last return leg is always the longest, tbh.

 

[Wapping]

One possible tip for the future.

If time permits, I try to go over to France mid-afternoon and stay somewhere within half an hour of Calais. Similarly, for my return, I try to spend my last night within say thirty minutes of Calais, too.

Why?

A. Doing it for the outward journey, saves time. Not least, it saves an hour due to the time difference between the UK and France. I can then kick off the first day of my holiday proper in France, having saved the time I would otherwise have lost by crossing over that morning.

B. The crossings from the UK to France in the mid-afternoon and those from France to the UK in the morning are less busy.

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

I did Amiens to Thann (near Mulhouse) last month, via Nancy and it took 6.5 hours all on motorway at a solid 80, with only 20 mins of stops
The last bit south of Nancy was on glorious normal roads through Vosges valleys
It’s a slog

 

[KMD]

One possible tip for the future.

If time permits, I try to go over to France mid-afternoon and stay somewhere within half an hour of Calais. Similarly, for my return, I try to spend my last night within say thirty minutes of Calais, too.

Why?

A. Doing it for the outward journey, saves time. Not least, it saves an hour due to the time difference between the UK and France. I can then ki kick off the first day of my holiday proper in France, having saved the time I would otherwise have lost by crossing over that morning.

B. The crossings from the UK to France in the mid-afternoon and those from France to the UK in the morning are less busy.

This^^
For us, the drive to Folkstone is at least 5.5 hours, so even setting off at 0600 with a breakfast stop along the way it’s usually gone 1pm by arrival. We then try to get a couple of hours done on the French side heading for the Ibis or Kyriad in Laon. That gives us a bit of a launch pad for the next day. On the way back we aim to stay overnight somewhere like St Omer and get an early train the next day.

When it comes to covering distance, you can’t beat the Paege. Expensive, my recent Tag bill was £149, but worth it for me to have well surfaced, less congested roads with a decent speed limit and plenty of services. You certainly notice the difference as soon as you’re back on UK roads.

 

[yoyo]

We made it to the Sure Hotel Best Weston, its 7 mins from the terminal ready for a 9am ish boarding tomorrow.

We sacked off the 6.5hr route and did the motorway, I don't think my stiff neck would have coped with another 90 mins of riding.

KMD you aren't wrong about the Peage, quiet and quick, cost less than €20.

Hotel has a huge bed in a tiny room, hopefully the beer will be cold!

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[Engineer]

These days on I'd add in one overnight stop north of Reims somewhere - why not have two days great riding instead of one boring or highly stressful day?

 

[J biker]

Nancy to Luxembourg without motorways, not bad at all. Just after an hour north of Luxembourg, once it gets tedious (soon) turn on to motorways and better roads.
I have done it a couple of times recently.
Apart from Nancy to Luxembourg not much can be saved from it imo.
Even with more time available, the last 2 hours north are just not great.