Le Mans, route.

[Richard Knight]

Can anyone remember the route to Le Mans that was advocated by Mr Tiff Needel. Apparantley It was not the most direct from Calais but was a great drive. Alternativley if you have any other suggestions please let me know. Thanks Richard.

 

[Alex Foster]

Richard
I hope this picture comes out. If it does you owe me a beer[]

 

[Alex Foster]

and you will need these instructions courtesy of John Sim

Calais to Rouen, continuing on the Autoroute past Rouen and picking up the D579 at Pont l' Eveque.
Follow the D579 through Lisieux and then Vimoutiers being a good coffee stop.
After Vimoutiers pick up the " scenic" D916 to Argentan.
At Argentan take the N158 to Alencon and then the N138 to Le Mans

 

[Guest]

Alex

Actually, the A28 is complete from Alencon to Le Mans, joining up with the A11 north of Le Mans, and is a far better road than the N138 (too much heavy traffic and too few dual-carriageways).
Because we stay in a Gite in a small town south of the track, then we carry on the A11 towards Angers. I know the A28 may not be ideal porker territory, but then neither is the N138, sepecially if it rains; I have pulled out from behind a lorry, to be met with a wall of spray, and zero visibility, and this on a one lane each way road.

 

[Alex Foster]

Messenger-the-don' t-shoot [rearrange]

 

[Guest]

Dear ' Messenger-the-don' t-shoot [rearrange]'

I' m not shooting the messenger, just correcting the message.

 

[Guest]

Coming home on the Monday with thousands of other petrolheads on the N138 can indeed be " fun" . There are hundreds of trucks to pass and hundreds of trucks coming towards you. On the rare clear straight bits of road you end up with 20 plus cars pulling out and drag racing down the wrong side of the road. You will keep the right foot welded to the floor along with everyone else until you run out of bottle - sometime after you redline 3rd and 4th and are well into 5th - and pull back in and let the mad bikers have a go. It is frightening stuff. I am surprised there are not more accidents.

A11 is safer for sure, but the N138 is tradition. Make sure you have a strong relationship with your passenger (don' t take SWMBO) and trust their judgement for overtaking...

Richard

 

[Alex Foster]

John
All I was doing was answering a direct question with a direct answer copied from the Le Mans forum. I was not expressing any view on whether the route was good bad or indifferent.

BTW - love your avatar[]

 

[Guest]

The direct Rouen to Le Mans route is pretty good too with a mixture of very fast straights and winding hill sections. I do remember one bit having loads of roundabouts which gave plenty opportunities for heel and toe braking before out-dragging the slow traffic on the exits.

A word of warning to the Le Mans virgins out there, beware the Euro slip-roads. They are a lot shorter and tighter than those in the UK.