A four day trip into northern / mid France (Djon area)

Several times we see requests for suggestions for a short break in France with decent roads.

Here is one suggestion for a trip lasting four days.

Day 0ne

Takes you south from Calais to Semur, just north of Dijon (not to be confused with Saumur, south of Le Mans). This is about 320 miles with roughly an hour of motorway to start. The balance of the route is all N and D roads.

Day two

A twostage rideout

Part 1. 100 miles on great D roads

Part 2. 100 miles again on great D roads

Day three

A mile rideout of about 110 miles, again on D roads.

Day four

Returning to Calais from Semur, on a different route to day one. 320 miles, with just 90 minutes of motorway at the end to take you back to Calais.

All very doable in four days, or three if you drop day three and just go for a long weekend. A great Bank-holiday break for instance.

Catching the 08:15 ferry from Dover will get you, if you don't daudle, to Semur by aboiut 17:30.

Leaving Semur at 08:30 will get you to Calais in time to catch the 16:30 ferry, again if you do not daudle.


Excel routes for all four days

View attachment Excel routes.zip

Garmin routes for all four days

View attachment Garmin Day one asnd two.zip

View attachment Garmin Day 3 and 4.zip

Some links to Semur

http://aolsearch.aol.co.uk/aol/imag...g&b=image?query=semur&invocationType=imageTab

http://france-for-visitors.com/burgundy/canal-de-bourgogne/semur-en-auxois.html

http://www.ville-semur-en-auxois.fr/accueil


Where to stay?

Try Logis de France: http://www.logis-de-france.fr/uk/re...g=EN&action=fastadvsearch&logis=semur&x=7&y=7

Which maps?

(1) The Michelin blue 'Holiday' routes map 726.

This maps the whole of France on one sheet and is very clear for reading, being much less cluttered. The green 'Bis' 'holiday' routes, all on the map, are very good. They are always a mixture of N (National) and D (minor) routes and get you off the superslab motorways. They are well signposted (a specific yellow / green sign) and often run you parallel to motoways. So, if you lose time, you can always nip onto the super slab to slap in half an hour.

(2) A copy of the Michelin whole of France in the yellow ringbound book 1:200 000 scale. This is a very good scale and matches all but Michelin's (or GSN's) very local 'high detail' maps, which you probably will not need. It takes you right down to minor roads. My parents live just outside a tiny French village of a few houses in rural Provence; if that's in there it's good enough for most things, I guess. The great thing about having this book is that it saves you carrying multiple paper maps and works just as well if you want to go elsehwere in France next year or in 2009.

The book will not fit in a tankbag but will definitely slot rather well into a pannier or into a plasic bag strapped behind you (or you can rip the pages out and do a bit of folding).

I am still using the 2003 version (the road numbers have changed and a couple of motrways may have appeared) but a fresh Blue map fills in the gaps. I used this method to criss-cross France many times on D roads (Frog equivalent of our B or minor roads) N,S, E and West, well before GPS and it was 100% satisfactory for daily runs up to 400 miles even.

Thanks everyone for all your help guys
Wrapping you are a star mate.
Do you by any chance know if I can transfer them files to my
Zumo 660 and if so how do you do it.
(not too good with pc,s either lol)
Thanks again all
Bob

Wapping. Not wrapping sorry
Predictive text eh !!

Yes, the routes are Garmin Mapsource files.

Download the files to your PC.

Open the files up in Mapsource.

Connect your 660 to your PC.

Send the routes to your 660.

Job's done.

Thanks again wrapping
Bob

Sorry !WAPPING !