We pick up a car at from the airport in Bordeaux on Sunday the 28th August, and travel south to the village of Lacarry-Arhan-Charritte-de-Haut Le Bourg 64470. Not sure of the exact route yet but will not be going on toll roads and will be passing through Salies de Bearn and Sauveterre de Bearn. If I am correct , this is the last day of the French summer vacation. I am wondering what to expect with traffic heading south on this day and also welcome any suggestions of places for a quick stop on the way?
We have allowed at least 4.5 hours to reach Lacarry as per info provided on via michelin site.

Thank you

The main traffic will be on Saturday, 27 August. Anyway, at the end of the season, the French drive northwards. Since you will be driving into the opposite direction, you will not face heavy traffic.

The fastest way is via A63 which is a toll road. The toll would be 20 to 25 Euros. A toll-free alternative would be driving the D-roads via Mont-de-Marsan. This will cost you probably 1 1/2 hours more driving time.

I see no point in avoiding the toll road. It is not worth saving a few Euros by driving minor roads which are much slower and more exhausting to drive. An hour vacation time costs much more than 20 or 25 Euros.

But it is your decision, not mine.

Everyone who's traveling will be going north, in the opposite direction.

I actually would opt for the D roads, but I'm a devoted D-road person who hates the autoroutes.

Here's where we had a quick lunch south of Arcachon:

We arrived in Sanguinet around lunch time, and stopped in the local eatery for lunch the plat du jour with wine and coffee came to 8€ (http://www.cafedulac.fr/ --a pretentious web site for what it is).

From my 2011 trip report. Prices may have changed.

Thanks for the replies,

traveller1959,

1) If we use the A63 and jump off the motorway before Bayonne at some point, would you know if this would save us atleast an hour as opposed to using the D roads?

2) Is the payment system for the A63 straightforward? I don't speak french but have used a couple of toll ways on previous trips; payment is made upon exit?

Thanks for the other responses, still deciding up the route to take, and may cut back inland exiting the toll road before Bayonne. If I decide on this journey, we are open suggestions on sites via this way?

Thanks again

You'll need a chip and pin credit card if you want to use the machines on the toll road, or else you have to find a human at the booth. Payment is made upon exit. You get the card upon entrance and it lists all the possible exit stops.

I will vote again for the D roads. Always something interesting along them. Plus pretty countryside and villages.

>>> 1) If we use the A63 and jump off the motorway before Bayonne at some point, would you know if this would save us atleast an hour as opposed to using the D roads? <<<

You can use the route planners in the web (eg. Google Maps, viamichelin) to calculate driving times for several alternate routes. You can options to "avoid toll roads" or not. The route via A63 is the fastest.

The reason is that on the autoroute, you easily reach an average speed of 110 km/h, while on the D roads, your average speed will be not more than 50 to 60 km/h, because you have many zones with reduced speed, you will drive through towns and villages, you have to stop at traffic lights, you will be slowed by trucks and tractors driving before you etc.

St. Cirq has a point with driving the smaller country roads. But you will have a good portion of small road driving after you leave the autoroute anyway. You have two options to leave the A63:

- If you leave it at Saint-Geours-de-Maremne, total driving time is calculated with 2:52.

- If you leave it already at Castets and drive via Dax, total driving time is calculated with 2:55, roughly the same. This option would be the best compromise between fast and interesting.

- If you avoid the toll sections of autoroutes completely, driving time will be 4:10.

Payment works like this:

The first section of the autoroute around Bordeaux is toll-free. The toll section is announced by the word "péage".

At the beginning of the toll section, you draw a ticket from a machine and the turnpike opens. When you leave the A63, you find another turnpike at the exist, which may look like this:

http://andrechassaigne.org/Gratuite-...A-72,3164.html

Avoid the lane with a yellow "t" - this is automatic toll collection that requires a special system

The lanes with "CB" (CB stands for "carte bancaire") is automatic payment with credit card. My (European) Master Cards and VISA Cards never failed, but I heard that American credit cards may not work, because they do not have chip on them.

Then, usually the right lane(s), have a symbol with a person. There you find a manned booth with a live person collecting cash and giving change.

In other parts of France, especially on the Côte d'Azur, you also find the system that you can throw coins into a funnel, but not on A63.

Thank you again

My original thoughts were the same StCirq, admire the countryside on the way, although I am thinking more time in the southern part of the drive might be better, decisions decisions!

traveller1959

Thank you so much for the detailed reply, in particular the information on using the autoroute!

I will add that driving through Les Landes is hardly my favorite driving experience in France. It can be engulfingly boring, with mile after mile of sand and pine trees. Not exactly entrancing countryside, unless you happen to come across the shepherds on stilts. But all things considered, better for me than an autoroute.

I will add that driving through Les Landes is hardly my favorite driving experience in France. It can be engulfingly boring, with mile after mile of sand and pine trees. Not exactly entrancing countryside, unless you happen to come across the shepherds on stilts. But all things considered, better for me than an autoroute.