Driving through Paris
 

Hi. Im planning to drive with the Mrs and kids through france into spain... we are heading from Calais through Paris to Clermont Ferrend spending the night there.

I am planning to reach Paris for 7am, shiw kids the Tower etc... what is traffic like at this time. Is Paris easy to negotiate at 7am.

Thanks

You do know it is over six hours drive from Calais to Clermont-Ferrand? Assuming you are driving to Calais from somewhere in the UK, I think you have to either consider somewhere closer to Paris to stop for the night or drop Paris.
Personally I wouldn't drive into Paris or around the Périférique at that time of the morning on a weekday. Nor would I want to drive so far into France after a channel crossing, unless I was starting from somewhere very close to Dover/Folkestone.

Frecnh start later than 7 am, so no big congestion, but the rest of waht hetismij said is spot one : Calsis - Paris will take 3 hours at least and Paris - Clermont Ferrand will take at least 4 hours. Meaning you wake up at 3, on the road at 4, visit and leave at 1 pm to arrive at 5-6 pm at Clermont.

ps : it is périphérique. ;-)

Cheers... the distance isnt a problem... me and mrs share the driving... once drove from albuferia to bilbao in 12 hours.. stopping once for pee and once for fuel...... just wanted to know what traffic was like at 7am in central paris.

There is very little traffic inside Paris at 7am. However, you may encounter quite a bit of traffic on the A1 coming into Paris. Do not take the A16 which is a joy for most of the way but which turns into a suburban traffic nightmare when it ends well before you reach Paris and dumps you on to some of the worst roads imaginable.

I'd try to go earlier - like around 5:30 or 6:00 AM. Then you'll miss most of the traffic.

remember you need "air stickers" for the car.
traffic situations are like the weather unpredictable.
It only takes one indecent and the roads could well be jammed.

what are "air stickers" and how do you get them?

So far there is almost no enforcement for the crit-air stickers and only on French plated cars.

Here's an idea: Check into a hotel on the south side of Paris before 6 PM; show the kids the lit-up Eiffel Tower at 9 PM; return to motel afterward; leave Paris from hotel early next day.

The lit-up Tower is far more striking and awesome for a kid than the early-in-the-morning Tower.

Sundays see very little traffic - try to schedule a Sunday and have roads to yourself at that time.

Cheers for the info... we need to be in Tunes in Portugal for Saturday 5pm... two weeks booked in villa... so taking 2 days to drive down. Leaving bristol and catching 1am chunnel.... arrive france for 2 (3 french time). 3 hours to Paris just tootling along... show kids central paris early doors then tootle down to clermont ferrand. Stay the night... next day down to Millau Bridge... tallest bridge in the world then into Spain to Salamanca for the night... then saturday morning tootle into Portugal. Lots of tootling and stopping wherever looks nice for lunches and dinner etc...

Way home after 2 weeks is to drive North through west side of Portugal into Spain to Santander then ferry home.

You are doing the right thing to take the ferry home -- it would have been a killer drive going back.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...mment-10105939
But they can if they want to.
https://www.theaa.com/european-break...offence-abroad

Have you actually looked at the distance and driving time between Calais and Tunes? According to Google, it is a minimum of 19+ hours driving time, not counting stops and sleep time.

Yes... sleeping at Clermont Ferrand on 1st night then Salamanca 2nd night... loads of time to do drive...

I just hope that the weather will be with you, because that could really mess up your driving schedule, as well as any enjoyment that you generally get out of driving.

Cheers... not going till next August so hopefully ok