Best Route from Basel to Calais

Transportation, Travel and Trips
21
When we used to run ski trips by coach from UK - the coach company always did the route via Germany- Huge savings on tolls + filling up both ways in Luxembourg. I'd go this way from Basel.

22
I'm with Cata1yst on this one I always stick to the German side skim Lux and tank up on cheap fuel, I am on Diesel mind.

The road from Lux to Namen/Namur is just dead straight and you can nail it, then head for Brussels, Gent Brugges etc... takes no more than 4 hours from Lux.

For the crossing I always use Dunkirk to Dover with Norfolkline takes 2 hours sitting watching BBC World News, you can get each way for about 16 quid and if you turn up early they'll let you on!

Edit: Sorry got names mixed up!

23
The German side is all autobahn and generally better looked after than the french side, the drivers better disciplined re lanes and tailgating. The service station have 21st century toilets

The French side goes to A roads, and traffic lights, 8 hours is enough is the car without having to put up with French A roads ....

24
Judging by some of the times being quoted - you guys lack commitment. I've done Calais to Basel in 5:15 - and then Zurich in 6:30!!!

Bloody roadworks.

However, it was lateish in the evening, and I budgetted for being pulled - I wasn't - and so kept the cruise at 168kmh (under the french 40kmh and we confiscate your car limit on the motorway - 170kmh)

It was a buttock clenching - and thirsty journey (for the car).

We AVERAGE 8 hours from Zurich to Calais (or vice versa)

25
That is a myth, in all the years and many miles of driving, have never known anyone being fined/surcharged at the peage booths.

26
Just to answer that, the dear Gendarmes are now using average speed calculators and more and more are sitting on bridges over the mway just before the peage -

27
That's not what he said, is it? I cannot comment on the leg behind Luxembourg, but since I drive for many years now from here to Trier: The German side is not the fastest to get to Luxembourg, the Alsace route is far less roadworks and traffic jams than the A5/B10 route. Let alone that the German side is partially not Autobahn but main road... full of trucks.

The fees for a passanger car to drive from Basel to Sarregemuines is around 3 Euro if you take the shortcut over Molsheim -> Saverne avoiding Strassbourg. To Luxembourg you stay longer on the Autoroute, so it will be a bit more, but the fees in the region are nowhere near the prices they charge around Paris.

28
You have now!

And made to park up until the "legal" arrival time at the péage.

29
I usually use French side Alsace to Lux then Belgium to Calais.

Last time I did this in the summer Luxembourg had some roadworks going towards Belgium.

Avoid Brussels at all costs , try to come south via Namur, Charleroi, Mon, Tournai then Lille - E42 Route (watch for the speed cameras in Lille). Or you could come south toward Lens missing out Lille this turn is just after Mons.

The French side in the Alsace to lux splits into a single lane road south of Strasbourg, which doesn't take too long to get through.

Probably best to check all this in advance. I think the tolls up to Lux were about 20 Euro one way, 13 + 7 Euro or something like that for the straight route.

The peage's drive me mad literally on this section to Lux having to keep to the speed limit + 10% just in case over excited pc plods decide to pull me.

I agree the DE equivalent is twisty has more traffic and less speed is possible at the north end nr Luxembourg/Strasbourg dependent on where you cross over.

Anyway will report back soon when I ship my stuff over again, I'll end up doing this journey from Cardiff to Zurich.

30
As I said, I did Calais to Basel in 5:15 - including 2*10min fuel stops - and didn't pick up a single ticket at the tolls.

However, I also know that you don't cruise at 155kmh from Reims to Calais and expect to get away with it.

145kmh on the cruise - and if the police are out and about - they won't (touch wood) pull you. I have done it god knows how many times - and never been pulled.

I steamed past a queue of traffic pulling off to LeMans last year - hitting the brakes late and pulling into the queue. I didn't get pulled. The british plated car behind me - who did the same thing did.

31
Thats presumably because although you were being a bit of a tw%&t doing that, the bloke that followed you was an even bigger tw%&t.?

32
Coming down the E40 (for example) into France from Belgium you need to extremely careful crossing the French border.

On that road I've hit 250kmh Belgium side it's a dead straight road and little traffic on it.

The french plods need no excuse to abuse a foreign plated driver + car, even better on English plates.

As you say, I wouldn't risk this sort of stunt on a road on in France, from other people's experience. Belgium yes, France no.

I might take that 5hrs on one day, we'll see. If I started out at midnight I might beat that.

33
My best time was 4 hours but that was 14/15 years ago when the French were not so up tight about people driving fast on the autoroute. It is anyway a toll road so in a reasonable world it would be private & not subject to national speed limits.

34
Not the first time though. There were 2 of us doing 155kmh in Northern France - I was first past the police radar - yet they pulled the English plated car behind

Good old French racism - best in the world

35
My experience in that is that they usually target the Swiss plates as

a) he possibly speaks French and

b) he s got more money to pay a "spot" fine

I have noticed just recently in France that french drivers have definitely increased their speed. Until a year ago, at 140/150 I was never overtaken, these days, im in the trucks and grandads lane. Why is that? Is it because Sarkozy will get his head kicked in the election and there will be amnesty for all speeding points on the licence?

36
Until a few years ago French cars couldn't do 140-150kmh

37
This is turning into Wacky races, well I'm Dick Dastardly and I've done Munich to Calais in 45 mins!

Beat that!

38
Hi all

Interesting to hear everyone's stories so now after my Basel to Calais journey I thought I would share mine as well.

So the route I decided to do was through France

Basel - Nancy - Saint Dizier - Calais

Departed at 13:00 arrived in Calais at 19:15 and managed to get my eurotunnel two hours before the booking time.

It was a pleasant cruise hardly any traffic and did not even need to refuel just made a couple of pit stops for the boys room.

So till next time......

39
Did you go via Epinal? Route?

40
It was through the Vosges mountains in the Lorraine region