There are a few threads on this topic carried across from EF but most are around ten years old or older.
I have a couple of questions:
Normally we travel on a Sunday but we’re going on a Monday morning from Luzern way.
What is the traffic like going through Basel at 06:00am?
I normally drive cross-country via Epinal, Nancy. Has anyone does this recently?
Thanks!
Doesn’t anyone drive through Basel in the morning?
Nope.
Some Navigation apps let you set the departure time …
I have always found it best to get on the A5 after Basel and burn pedal to the metal to Frankfurt, then the A3 past Köln/Bonn to the Dutch border and then down to Calais.
Pootling through France at the top speed of a 2CV sucks and although your trip has a few Kilometers more the cost for the French maut makes it more expensive than the extra petrol or diesel you use.
Just my two cents.
circumvent Basel via Reinfelden/Black Forest to A5, then Strasbourg-Metz-Reims-St Quentin-Arras-Calais. Simples.
I do a similar trip, but since I live just outside Basel, I bypass Basel completely.
I can tell you that once every 3 months or so, there are huge traffic jams (probably due to some incident) that locks up traffic completely.
Not sure if 6am is early enough to avoid the morning rush. Depending on where you are coming from you might be stuck at that miserable section near Härkingen.
Personally I never found much issue driving through Basel before 8am, have done the trip several times but YMMV.
Last time, we decided to stop overnight at St Quentin, as this was a good spot to recharge the Tesla, had an Auchan supermarket to pick up good food, and a few decent restaurants. We stayed at the IBIS which had private parking and was cheap and convenient.
Ultimately I dont mind the slower parts as it makes for variety and if we have to stop in a smaller village you are more likely to get a decent sandwich than on the highway service stations.
There is a beautiful corner of the world just a few kms behind Calais at Escalles with a nice little one star camping ground but two great bars nearby and the view
from the cliffs is spectacular.
Thanks. That confirms what we found - absolutely no traffic at all going North through Basel.
I’ve stayed there before. Laon is a nice place to stay too.
We drove straight through this time but on they way back, we stopped for a a couple of night in Arras and stayed at the B and B hotel which is opposite an enormous Auchan supermarket.
Some B and B hotels have bad reviews but this one was spotless and has gated and locked parking.
I’m driving to Dunkirk tonight to catch my ferry to Dover tomorrow morning. Traffic shouldn’t be an issue, but what might be is the fact that I’m driving an EV 
Shouldn´t be a problem if your extension cable is long enough.
No worries in a Tesla - the car will work out your charging stops…
Overall it worked pretty well, although I wasn’t too pleased that it took me on French country roads all the way to Reims. I wished I’d planned the journey using google maps and then put the waypoints (e.g Strasbourg) into the trip computer.
Also I just realised that when superchargers are maxed out at some sites, the charge speed for everyone halves. That was the case in Calais where my usual 170kw/hr was throttled down to 70kw/h. Never seen that before.
I love driving on the country roads to Reims - Col de Bussang, Epinal, Bar-de-Luc etc although there are some quite severe speed humps though some of the village now.
As well as some sneaky hidden cameras.
I will be heading out to that little one star campground in Escalles in just two weeks for a week of staring at the sunset, French wine, fossil hunting and good food.
Yes, I was once caught out by the satnav wanting to avoid autoroute tolls. Though that route to Reims has a €7.00 toll for a tunnel. If you simply drive on towards Strasbourg the satnav will re-route.
I have always made that run out of school school holidays, so never had a problem with full superchargers. The Novotel in Tinquieux Reims:
Last week I had a few days jollies and took my own advice getting to Calais and that little campingsite in Escalles.
My think was to drive up to Venlo, fill the Astra to the brink just before the border, I have an unlimited tank card and private ownership of the company car, so that works.
Drive past Antwerp and hit Calais a few hours later…
HoooooBoy did I ever sucker myself, the first traffic jam was just past Ulm… half an hour stop and go, then five to ten Kilometers until the next one.
And so it went past Antwerp where I spent three hours in a traffic jam in front of the Kennedy tunnel.
I had booked in advance but the booking only stays live until 16:00 then if somebody wants it they get it… I arrived at half past six.
I did however get a tiny sliver to park the astra and set up camp, which in my case is take the wire donkey out of the back and blow up the LiLo.
Went for the arrival beer, thirsty as heck. Nice ice cold 1664 brewski and the chick behind the bar wants 9.60 Euro, No! I say, “I only want one”… “That is for one” she says…
I have never been so sober on a vacation. But it is a lovely place, literally my ideal seaside location.
By the way, riding the wire donkey on sand is hard a f***!
