Mrs A and I are thinking of taking her MX-5 for a week's holiday in the Black Forest in early September.
The route would be via Dover/Calais with an overnight stop near Ypres to visit the battle site where my uncle died in 1916 and the War Cemetery where he is buried.
Any suggestions on the best route down to the Black Forest?
I was thinking about avoiding the tolls in France, would that be false economy?
All I need to do now is get that tune out of my head: dum-dum-de-dum de-de-de-dum...
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I don't know about avoid toll motorways being a false economy but when I visit France in Oct/Dec this year I will avoid them.
I'm giving myself plenty of time to reach my destination which is actually near to Salamanca in Northern Spain.
I'm avoiding toll motorways for several reasons. Mainly it is because my Panda Cross doesn't cruise well at 80mph and is too thirsty on fuel so the motorways don't give much of a speed advantage. I also want to see the towns and countryside and stop if I see something of interest. There's no doubt that my plan will save money as I'll be driving slowly and I believe the tolls can be quite expensive now. Of course, my slow progress will mean more overnight stops but that is part of the holiday plan and not a disadvantage.
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>> I also want to see the towns and countryside and stop if I see something of interest.
That's quite a cool idea, i'd just have automatically gone for the fastest route, but that's definitely something to think about for me.
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A few weeks ago I took the old A39 (Atlantic highway) from Barnstaple to Indian Queens.
What a cracking drive. Every time I caught something, it either pulled off or an overtaking opportunity opened up. I doubt if I'll ever have another journey like it in my lifetime.
I came back up the A30/M5. It was quicker, but didn't seem like it.
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>> A few weeks ago I took the old A39 (Atlantic highway) from Barnstaple to Indian
>> Queens.
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One of the best biking roads there is I believe. very close to me.
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If you want motorways: Ypres-Luxembourg (fill up with petrol)-Saarbrucken then pop over into France towards Strasbourg and over the Rhine at Gambsheim.
Doesn't seem much point in struggling miles and miles round the German motorways to avoid the French.
Depends on when you're planning on doing it.
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Presently in Mulhouse having been around Freiburg for last week (though staying in France). Whereabouts in the Black Forest are you aiming for?
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Whereabouts in the Black Forest are you aiming for?
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Not too sure yet, we are in the early planning stages; Titisee - Neustadt looks attractive. We are after good walking country and attractive scenery.
Any suggestions gratefully received.
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If you're looking for somewhere to stay at Ypres can I recommend Varlet Farm B&B Good value for money and a big enough breakfast to last a week or so...!
www.varletfarm.com/
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I have to agree with you PU, my son was thrilled to be asked to choose a souvenir from the oddments ploughed up in the battlefields too. I preferred the farm cat!
Pat
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We were at Titisee on Friday; very nice place with lots of hotels but as we were day tripping from a French campsite at Ile de Rhein I cannot recommend anywhere. We were however badly delayed by partial closure of the road near Titisee on account of works to the embankment of the adjacent railway.
Took us most of a day to get from Calais to the Bas Rhein area and I suspect any attempt to avoid the peage would have cost us a hotel overnight. We probably paid about 45Euro going via Reims then Metz and Sarreguemines to a municipal campsite at Oberbronn.
My first experience of driving in Germany - I'll post seperately after I'm home.
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I regular drive from Dresden to Baden Baden to Calais with no problem the secret is to stay on the German side of the Rhine and avoid this part of France like the plague and save a fortune on tolls.I live in Germany in Dresden and find driving in Germany far far better than the UK .
Baden Baden is a beautiful city to visit on the edge of the Black forest you will find hundreds of small (and more expensive large ones)hotels in the area all at reasonable price and above all clean and friendly its a lovely part of Germany perhaps a trip to the Bodensee if you have time.
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Remember to factor in the above "trip" is around 400 miles which is a day or two out of your week. Better to hit your target area and concentrate on that. The lakes are another walking trip altogether.
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As per Mapmaker reply above:
From Ypres - motorway towards Kortrijk, then Tournai, Mons, Charleroi,Namur, keep on to Lux on the A4, then towards Saarbrucken and turn south towards Sarreguemines (France) and taking the only (short) toll road A4 to pick up A35 just north of Strasbourg. This avoids the dog leg via Karlsruhe.
The A35 is a toll free motorway on the French side of the Rhine so you can keep on this and cross anywhere ie Colmar (pretty town) on to Freiburg (nice old town centre and cathedral) which is on the road to Titisee Neustadt.
I recently did this route in reverse on my way back from Italy - overnighted in Freiburg - but for my outward trip I used the French motorways travalling the normal A26 from Calais to Reims. A poster on here recommended a very good short cut - turning off the motorway just before the Peage south of Reims onto the D994 via Bar-le-Duc to Nancy. From nancy you can cut across to Colmar then Freiburg on to BF.
If you decide to use the French route going this way you only pay as far as Reims and the D994 is a very wide straight roman road that rolls across open countryside and is virtually deserted (cruise at 70 all the way) - presumably the satnav's keep you on the A/N routes.
I can't remember who recommended this short cut but if you are reading - mnay thanks for the tip!
Good luck
Jacks
Last edited by: Jacks on Wed 11 Aug 10 at 11:41
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Came back yesterday from Mulhouse to Dunkerque. Similar route to Jacks (though opposite direction) but missed the D994 trick and joined the A26 from the N4 at junction 20.
The A39 was closed between Mulhouse and Colmar with a diversion via the D52 (which tracks the French bank of the Rhine) as far as Neuf Breisach. We stayed on the 52 - a loveley road through woodland - as far as Selestat and then the N59 through the vosges tunnel to Nancy. Then Toul - St Dizier - Vitry - A26.
Doubt we saved much time over the Autoroute but a very pleasant drive.
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Many thanks one and all for the advice.
Ferry and some accommodation booked. Thanks PU for the recommendation, almost within walking distance to both the location where I believe my uncle died in WW1 and where he is buried in the Tyne Cot Cemetery.
We have decided to stay on the Belgian/Luxembourg side of the border as far as possible on the way out, diverting south into Metz for an overnight stop and then on to the Black Forest via Freiburg.
We will see how we feel about the route for the return journey at the time.
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Have a good trip and don't forget German boch beers can be upto 14%.I am TT for many years but I remember falling foul or over on this nectar.
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>> Have a good trip and don't forget German boch beers can be upto 14%.I am
>> TT for many years but I remember falling foul or over on this nectar.
And the measures can vary. A request for zwei Bier in Baden Baden got us a litre each of Lowenbrau. Very nice and, IIRC less than E10 for the pair plus ein apfelsaft for B junior but was glad of the opportunity to walk them off befor reclaiming the car.
Also, most parking in BB was underground/multi storey with a 2metre height restriction - no good for a Berlingo sporting a large roof box.
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Just returned from an excellent holiday in the Black Forest – many thanks for all the earlier advice.
Varlet Farm lived up to its reputation. With the aid of Charlotte, the owner, I was able to pinpoint the hill where my uncle was killed in 1918. It turns out that the site was just missed by the motorway construction a few years back and a memorial to Scottish soldiers was erected at the spot in 2007.
The MX-5 was great fun on the smooth and generally empty roads in the Black Forest. The B500, Schwarzwaldhochstraße was particularly notable – wide sweeping bends and hills with fantastic views.
By chance, we stayed at a nearby English run pension. The owner told us that the B500 was a particular favourite of motorcyclists, apparently they come from all over Europe just to drive the road: I could see why. I could also see why there had been about a dozen fatal road accidents, mainly motorcyclists, on this road so far in 2010.
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Yes, the Black Forest is wonderful at this time of year (assuming good weather), isn't it?
We've just booked for our annual Christmas Market trip to Cologne. Not as attractive as the Black Forest, but should be just as enjoyable in its own way.
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A Walk in the Black Forest - Notdoctorchris
