Avoiding Paris

[rabbit]

I need to drive from Vannes up to Rotterdam. Google maps gives the most direct route via Paris. Is there a decent road that passes to the west of Paris and avoids the périphérique. My alternative is to go further west via Caen but that is a bit longer. Thanks

[Blaze]

If you take the Paris route, you'd need to think carefully about the timing - the rush hour is a nightmare. I see that the Caen route has a lot of roadworks but at this time of year, it may be less busy. If you could drive up on a Sunday, you'd at least avoid the lorries.
There may well be a way you could skirt Paris but I think you'd find that in the long run, it would be easier to take the Caen route as the alternative would probably take even longer.
We'd take the Caen route sans hésitation but then it's more direct for us.

[niemeyjt]

In another forum, far, far, away, there was a chap (an ex-politician?) called Mac who had a route.

Did anyone save a copy?

[RobertArthur]

@ Rabbit, to avoid Paris, via A29, A84, 9 h 24 min, 892 km.

See this map for more details and time consuming alternatives.

From the Belgian border: quite often roadworks during weekends, the same around Antwerps. Check Belgian traffic information and apply filters.

[exile]

Viamichelin.com has 3 routes none of which go via Paris - but as RA warns, all go through Antwerp. In the dim and distant past I did have a route through the Western harbour area that involved a toll tunnel IIRC which could save over an hour or more. I was always travelling at peak times due to having an all day meeting before setting off from Rotterdam.

[RobertArthur]

@ Rabbit, Go West young man, turn left before going to the Kennedy tunnel. Several years of roadworks have changed everything, old maps not very useful. An impression of the new landscape and more specific information about the Liefkenshoek tunnel.

[Char]

In another forum, far, far, away, there was a chap (an ex-politician?) called Mac who had a route.

Did anyone save a copy?

A10 direction Paris - off at junction Ablis/Rambouillet - N10 twards Rambouillet - Continue on A10 - After Trappes take A12 towards Paris - Turn right before junction with A13, signed St Germain en Laye - Then turn left at traffic lights onto N186 dir. St Germain en Laye - Follow through St Germain - Look for signs to Cergy Pontoise - Take N184 - over Seine at Conflans - keep following dual carriageway - Still N184 - then onto A16 towards Calais or Boulogne.

It's the route we've used for the last 10 years or so - it's better than it used to be as it's mainly duel carriageway now a days.