Best way round Rouen?

[Suandpete]

My OH is currently en route from Deux- Sèvres (motorway from Saumur

almost all the way) to Boulogne.  He is using the new part of the

A28 and left it at the junction (23) suggested by Viamichelin to make

his way around Rouen.  He has just rung to say that it was

obviously the wrong exit to take as he ended up in the middle of Rouen

and it took him 40 minutes to get out.

Is there anyone who uses this road regularly and can give us advice for

his return on Sunday - and also for repeating the journey next weekend

(ie directions on the best way round Rouen in both directions). 

Thanks in advance.

[YCCMB]

We use the left bank of the river route as it seems much much quicker. On entering Rouen on the bypass, follow the signs for the airport and leave the bypass, climbing a small hill to a set of lights. Keep following the airport signs through these lights and you'll turn right, after which you take the right-hand lane and fork away from the airport towards signs for Evreux and keep following this road through a little place called Amfreville-la-Mivoie and towards Tourville la Riviere, where there's a giant commercial centre. The autoroute is signposted from there and you can pick it up before the A28. We can usually get to the commercial centre and top up with fuel at the Carrefour there, before continuing on our way, which is also quite handy.

Hope this helps. It's cut down our journey time through Rouen enormously since we started using it and I know lots of others go this way.

[Sunday Driver]

Getting through Rouen is a piece of cake.

Southbound:

You're on the A28 from Calais - keep going down the big hill and through the tunnel heading for Centre Ville. You're now on a twisty urban dual carriageway with lots of exits. Look for the exit signposted Caen. This takes you onto a dual carriageway along the riverside through an industrial estate. When you're out into the countryside again, pick up the A13 direction Caen. Then pick up the A28 for Le Mans/Alencon.

Northbound:

At the top of the A28 from Le Mans, swing onto the A13 direction Paris. After a few kilometres, you'll find another motorway blending in from your left side - get into the nearside (right hand) lane because you'll be looking for the Calais exit which a bit hard to spot, being just after a slight right hand bend. The A13 carries straight on down the hill towards the Tourville Carrefour and on to Paris.

After you've taken the Calais exit, a couple of kilometres or so later you'll be back on the riverside industrial estate road heading into Rouen. At the end, take the exit signposted Calais which takes you onto the twisty urban dual carriageway, follow this up the hill, through the tunnel, and you're away.......

[Suandpete]

Many thanks - should save my bacon for his trip back tomorrow and then again next weekend!

[Miki]

My money says you will still arrive at the railway station [;-)]

[Suandpete]

I'll let you know!

[fulcrum]

I'm sure I posted this yesterday but it seems to have disappeared.

The road to ruin is how we used to refer to Rouen.

We got so lost one year that we drove right to the end of the cobbled industrial estate road and ended up crossing the river on a small car ferry. It was a very interesting experience and I can only say that it was a good job we weren't in a hurry.

[Cassis]

Shame to miss the Colourful Cow roundabout.

[PaulC<P><IMG src="http:forums.livingfrance.comimagesline.gif"><BR>Paul, Debbie and Josh, <BR>London & Dept 24<BR><a target=_blank href="http:www.les-brandes.net" target=_blank>http:www.les-brandes.net<A><BR><P>]

Glad it's not just me.... most of the route to the southwest is sorted with the great new autoroute extentions but Rouen is still the one that leaves me in a cold sweat.  rubbish signs, bad roads, free visit to the rail yard with every trip... after two years of driving it I think last week was the first time we did both direction without getting totaly lost ! (Also the GPS gets really confused so dont think that will get you out of the place ether !)

Paul

 

[Suandpete]

Well that worked SD!  Thanks very much.   South to North next weekend.....

[fulcrum]

[quote user="PaulC"]

Glad it's not just me.... most of the route to the southwest is sorted with the great new autoroute extentions but Rouen is still the one that leaves me in a cold sweat.  rubbish signs, bad roads, free visit to the rail yard with every trip... after two years of driving it I think last week was the first time we did both direction without getting totaly lost ! (Also the GPS gets really confused so dont think that will get you out of the place ether !)

Paul

 

[/quote]

You're right Paul. We actually decided to have a look around the centre one of the many times we got lost. In spite of the huge industrial estate and the crappy looking (well mostly) buildings along the route in and out, we found it to be a town with a lot of character. So if you do get lost and you have the time then stay in a hotel and make an evening of it. You may be surprised.

[Sunday Driver]

[quote user="Suandpete"]Well that worked SD!  Thanks very much.   South to North next weekend.....
[/quote]

My reputation is intact!  I await next weekend with baited breath......[;-)]

 

 

[Alan Zoff]

I still reckon the quickest way round Rouen from Calais or Boulogne is via Paris!

I've tried Sunday Driver's route past Rouen a couple of times - I may have been unlucky but even allowing for hold-ups on the peripherique, we invariably do much better going through the capital. That said, we are aiming for central France rather than west of centre.

[Sunday Driver]

Agreed that Paris is better for central France - provided the Peripherique is clear.  Have you tried the outer routes around Paris - cutting across to CDG airport, then using the clockwise autoroutes round to Creteil?  Or splitting east to Cergy Pointoise, then south through St Germain en Laye towards Versailles and Rambouillet, then linking across to the A10? 

 

 

[Alan Zoff]

Thanks S D.

Seem to have tried several routes round Paris - including a few unintended disasters - and tend now to stick to the peripherique, trying to avoid busiest times, unless I have had advance warning of delays.  I make about 8 crossings of the city a year and on the whole have got through without major problems.

I haven't tried the Cergy Pontoise-Versailles route you mention (you presumably meant West rather than East). How does it compare with peripherique on an average day?

As you imply, much depends on the state of the peripherique. It works really well until it gets to saturation point. What's really needed is an early warning system 20 miles north and south of Paris centre to let you know what peripherique traffic is doing. It's usually too late to take avoiding action by the time you get to the Paris overhead signs. And I haven't had a lot of success picking up warnings from radio stations - but then I could do with a better radio....

Of course, Paris will be a doddle when they have finished the new undergound motorway links, assuming the construction companies/EU don't run out of money. (Have a feeling these won't be toll-free like existing Paris roads, except perhaps to local residents....)

[Ian]

Sunday Driver, I'm just back from a trip to Poitou Charente, passing through Rouen both ways. I have to say that your directions were faultless - concise, clear and accurate. Thank you for them.

The only thing I can add is that, travelling south, I missed the slip road onto the A13 westbound. There were roadworks at that point, with lanes coned off, so it may have been my fault. However, on the way back, I had a look and it seemed as if the slip road itself was coned off. Maybe I missed a detour.....

[Brilec]

I use a different route now through Rouen, which I think is quicker, and it is certainly shorter.

Look at www.mappy.co.uk (or www.mappy.fr) and search for Rouen. You proceed south on the A28 which goes under the city, then comes out onto the bridge over the Seine. On this bridge, keep to the LH lane or you will be shunted off. Just keep straight ahead following this road which does a large S towards le Petite Quevilly where it becomes a dual carriageway the N338. There is actually an underpass for the set of lights where it crosses the N138 out of Rouen, just get into the LH lane again. This road then joins the N138 further south, and eventually joins the A13 west. Then on to the A28 south towards Le Mans etc. The return trip is the reverse (as all the Haynes manuals say), Take the Rouen Ouest turn from tha A13 (J 23) then follow the N338 up to Rouen. Just after the first roundabout keep to LH lane for the underpass, then go straight on, and you get to the bridge, again you will need the LH lane here as otherwise you get shunted off again. Over the bridge and then on to the A28 and the tunnel. Of course, if you are trying to use the N28 south of rouen you might have a problem finding it on your 10 year old map. There can be a little traffic on that bit south of the bridge, but it is only for about a mile. Note the radar marked on the mappy maps. The signposted route takes you via J22 of the A13, which is further and slower.

[Alane]

This is the route we use and find it around 10 minutes quicker than the river side route. I've never posted it before as it seems a tricky route when described but is actually quite simple in practice.