Driving through Paris, Oui or Non?

[BigH]

I'm off to Toulouse for a few days and thought I'd drive down via the tunnel. That's not a euphemism, honest, I just thought it would be good to use the tunnel... Anyway, the AA Route Planner, bless it, has given me what looks like a pretty direct route, except it has me making a bee line for Paris, - straight through and out the other side. Well, it looks like there might be a bit of a ring road involved, presumably La Periphique, but thats about it. I've never driven in or around Paris before, - is this feasible, or is it going to add several days to my journey? If so, has anyone a recommended detour? - I reckon I'd hit Paris about 12 ish on Friday afternoon.
H

[Bentley boy]

I have driven round the peripherique on a Monday morning & it wasn't too bad ( but I am used to driving in central London  ) just don't play chicken with the locals  if they want a gap let them have it 

[knetter]

Hi BigH,

I have driven through paris a couple times using the boulevar peripherique. I can recommend it, in stead of using the big ring around paris. Having said that, the BP is pretty easy, but busy, specially round lunch time. You could use the big ring, but that will add about an hour to your travel time. The BP will take you roughly 15 min. to get thru it. Plus you get close up views of the eiffel tower

[nickliv]

I have driven round the peripherique on a Monday morning & it wasn't too bad ( but I am used to driving in central London  ) just don't play chicken with the locals  if they want a gap let them have it 

OR drive something huge that you don't really care about, and plough on regardless.

[Barry]

NON!!!!
Don't go anywhere near the periherique on a Friday lunchtime/afternoon.There is a route round paris to the east, but I've never used it, as we are usually travelling down on a Sunday, when Paris is ok.
Have you looked at Rouen/Evreux/Dreux/Chartres route (N154), joins the A71 just north of Orleans. Again never used it, but anything to avoid going anywhere near Paris on a Friday.

[BigH]

plough on regardless

What! You reckon those Parisian b*stards will have my regards off?
H

[Steve Pyro]

H,  don't forget when you leave to sing that Stranglers song. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPhwggDy7qo

[Kpy]

Paris on Friday is a total NON.
This Friday is the first day of the school holidays and all routes out of Paris will be complete and utter misery.
The route suggested by Barry is the one I always use from my home just north of Rouen to anywhere around Toulouse. There's some slow going on the N154 between Chartres and where you join the A10 north of Orléans, but it's infinitely preferable to mixing it with the mob around Paris.

[nickliv]

They'll have your regards, and will make off with bashing in your back bumper, given half a chance, and if you're on a bike, they may scrape your helmet too.

[BigH]

complete and utter misery

Thanks KPY, - I don't think that leaves much room for manoevre, Rouen-Evreux-Chartres it is!

they may scrape your helmet too

Holy Mackerel! Do they know no limits?

Stranglers Steve, ugly....

H

[nickliv]

We did the peripherique once. That was enough. Jesus.

The whole nation isn't terribly adept at, well, behaving in a queue, and the 'pherique was just one big one that day. Guys on bikes were manhandling them into the central reservation, between the armco, and flying along at a fair clip. In both directions. IIRC the central reservation was about 6 feet wide, I have never been so terrified on behalf of another person in my life.

Then I remembered that they were French, impatient, and bikers, so my anxiety soon went away.

I'd sooner drag myself through piss soaked broken glass with my lips than go on that bloody road again.

[Andy Zarse]

I can recommend it, in stead of using the big ring

Oh God

Anything is better than a big ring

[nopanic - neil]

I can recommend it, in stead of using the big ring

Oh God

Anything is better than a big ring

this discrete thing might help for the ring as well

[Andy Zarse]

complete and utter misery

Thanks KPY, - I don't think that leaves much room for manoevre, Rouen-Evreux-Chartres it is!

they may scrape your helmet too

Holy Mackerel! Do they know no limits?

Stranglers Steve, ugly....

H

Avant garde I know, but if it was me I'd go from Pompey or Newhaven via Le Mans and Tours, and then cut across east somewhere before Limoges. A bit devil may care but a more pleasant route possibly?

Toulouse city centre absolutely stunk of garlic last time I was there, I think it must have been the sausages. I also saw an engine flame-out on a test of an A340 outside the Airbus factory. Again, I think it must have been the sausages.

Finally, avoid the sausages.

[Andy Zarse]

I can recommend it, in stead of using the big ring

Oh God

Anything is better than a big ring

this discrete thing might help for the ring as well

Brad brought Germaloids cream to LM this year. I'm a big fan of shark's liver oil personally.