Thanks
Jit
Can anyone give some guidance on the best route to travel to Basel by car, we are driving from the UK late afternoon and plan to stay over one night enroute to split the journey any suggestions where.....
Take a look at the transport forum and/or to a search. There are dozens of threads repeating the same tips.
Definitely agree with grumpygrapefruit but in short, my 2 pennies:
1) Use a ferry (the tunnel is really cheap if you are doing a 48 hour return trip but expensive for everything else).
2) Get a Tomtom and set it to avoid toll roads (French motorways are expensive and not lit at night)
3) Program Tomtom for Luxembourg city
4) Fill up with petrol in Luxembourg (cheapest in Europe - or the countries you'll be travelling through anyway)
5) Once in Luxembourg set Tomtom for Colmar (still avoiding toll roads)
6) Once close to Colmar program Tomtom for Basel, include toll roads so that you can go through the Colmar tunnel.
7) Once through the tunnel reprogram Tomtom avoiding Toll roads again.
These the pretty much the steps I followed a few weeks back and I reckon it is the cheapest/most effective method.
But definitely recommend the drive, much easier than you'd think..
Hi snoopy1664,
How long did that journey take you? We always take the tolls roads as the quickest, but that comes at a price. We have avoided toll roads in the past and it took a very long time, but I did not do the route you mentioned below.
Thanks
Don't ask
Actually door to door (from east London) it took ages but that was because I missed the ferry and had to wait 2 hours for the next one and I pulled over several times for sleeps in the car.
I reckon you can easily do it in around 10 hours if you go non-stop...
I'll check with my colleague (who's done it many times)...
"From here to Calais take about 8 hrs if you go via REIMS.. If you go via Luxembourg it takes about 8.45 Hrs.."
(Here being Zürich so knock off an hour for Basel).
I believe my record is 6:30 from Calais to Zurich - 5:15 at Basel
I allow 8.5hrs for the 850kmh (Zurich to Calais) - via Colmar, Strasbourg ( ), Reims and up (or the reverse).
I haven't travelled back as frequently over the last few years - but Colmar only surpassed the German side once they sorted out the approach to Strasbourg - which always seems to have traffic.
I don't see the problem with paying for the French motorways. Going through Belgium creates its own problems - Belgian drivers, poor surfacing from Namur to the French border, and heavier traffice on the Lux-Namur section.
You pay your money you take your chances. I "budget" 12 hours door-to-door (Zurich - central london)
If you are not coming from London - one route I find pleasant (but more time consuming) it Portsmouth Le Havre. You then go:
Rouen, Evreux, Chartes, Auxerre, Beaune, Basel, Zurich
There is a fantastic restaurant at Avallon, which with reasonable driving is the perfect lunch stop ( http://www.relais-fleuri.com/ )
I guess I should point out I usually prefer driving through the night which is why the lack of French motorway lighting is an issue for me and Belgian roads and drivers isn't...
I'm also a huge fan of the night drive, especially in the summer months when French highways are clogged with holidaymakers. The only issue is that the first morning ferry from Calais gets you into Dover in time for morning rush hour around the M25... its taken me 4 hours from Dover to NW London
Interesting reading. Thank you. Will try to experiment a little on the next drive to the UK. We drive approx every 3months so I am sure we plan it so we can take a different route on the way back.
I would drive through if there are lots of things in the car.
We took a ferry from dover, booked in advance, Then, France to Zurich.
Used navi. So the details are unknown.... But sure we were through France, paid toll few times. I wouldn't just avoid driving through France cos of its toll if it is shortest way to come to Basel.
We left about 2pm from London. Arrived in Zurich around 4am. And we got a warm welcome in the North of Zurich from night workers.
It is tiring, if you don't share driving the way or stop overnight on the way, taking nap is essential. We were 2 men and one woman. Only two men were driving but one of the guy somehow took a quick nap while he was driving. So during the day, sleep one, so that this person can stay up at night while the other Drives. Or drink red bull more than one, then certainly u can stay up for few days. ^^
This is the route I took a month ago, logged with Google Tracks.
https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&mid=1373292175
I have no idea why it is a collection of random distances, I can only assume the GPS was dropping in and out. You can see the whole route if you scroll to the next page of routes.
Of note:
- E40 in western Belgium is undergoing roadworks so can be slow going. Go via Lille instead and avoid them (no tolls that way either)
- Depending on the time of day, Luxembourg is the worlds largest car park, particularly one intersection of the motor way that goes from 3 roads to 1 (6 lanes to 2). Avoid peak hour.
- If you want to avoid the Colmar tunnel, there is a great driving road through the Alsatian hills outside of Colmar (see the route above)
Time, from Basel to Canterbury, including tunnel, was 8.5 hours.
Take the channel tunnel - it's quick and can be quite cheap... You will need to buy same day return which often ends being cheaper than return for planned separate days or fairy.
Google maps are probably best for quick routes.
Good Luck!
Zurich to Dunkirk via Strassbourg and Luxembourg is around 8 hours including stops and 11euros in tolls (strassbourg to luxembourg section).
This was one driver with a few quick sandwich and coffee stops approximately 2-3 short stops in total
I thought they claw back the difference on your card if you don't use the return leg.
It never happened to us, so I don't think so (unless we were just lucky)
This only happens on the Ferrys,if you do not do the return leg. I just got back last night, driving from the U.K and last few times have used the eurotunnel and always book same day return,approx 7 times in last 12 months. Ive never been charged for not taking the return journey and neither have my friends here, who i advised to do the same.
The route i take from Basel to the U.K...just got back last night.. is Basel to Luxembourg,not avoiding the toll roads. Cost, just over 13 Euros. Then fill up in Luxembourg. Then Set Sat Nav to calais,avoiding toll roads. Total time to calais from Basel is just over 7 hrs. I only take the one stop in Luxembourg,then straight on to Calais.
WOAH! Impressive!