CALAIS TO BARCELONA

[macgee]

Im driving to barcelona on 29th August and I've been given different routes by several mapping companies.
Ignoring tolls which I'm happy to pay what is the best and quickest route?
Via Lyon or via Clermont ferrand.
East of paris or west?
I'm hoping for one stop, going via Tunnel at 6am. where should I aim for as a night stop? Big car so plenty of comfort and distance driving not a problem.

I'd be grateful for any advice as Ive never done this trip before.

Thanks in advance to all.

[mushroom25]

my parents live in perpignan, and their friends live in perello, so have done this journey a few times.

favoured route is a26/a1 calais-bethune-cdg then around the east side of paris to the a10, then a10/a71 paris-orleans-bourges-clermont, then a75 across the massif central (including viaduc de millau - awesome!) to a9, then a9 beziers-narbonne-frontier, then along the motorway in spain via girona to barcelona.

if on a day or time when paris area could be expected to be busy, then a16/a28 Calais-Abbeville-Rouen, then a158/n158 Rouen-Evreux-Chartres and re-join the a10 at orleans, then as above. This diversion adds an hour to the journey, but is quicker if paris is busy.

where to stop depends on how far you've got to drive before you reach folkestone. But Calais to Orleans is about 5 hours, Orleans to Clermont about 3 hours, and Clermont to Perpignan between 4-5 hours depending how busy the a9 is. Barcelona is about 3-4 hours from the border.

[Playbill]

I have done the journey to Barcelona (and further south) and went via Clermont-Ferrand. I am sure this is the quickest - Lyon is too far to the east.
You should go round Paris to the east. At the time you are leaving you will be south of the city well before the evening rush and should aim to make an overnight stop once you were beyond Clermont. It is about 830 miles going this way.

[macgee]

thanks to the two of you. Playbill, I gather its 830 miles from calais to clermont & I will be on the French side @ about 8am so I should do that easily?
Can either of you recommend a town just past Cleremont for a bed and dinner?
Thanks again

[mushroom25]

you should be passing clermont about 17h00-18h00 allowing for fuel & food stops - about 30mn south of Clermont is Issoire, which would be a good place to stop, as it's less than 5mn off the a75.

[Playbill]

TOTAL mileage from Calais to Barcelona is about 830 miles - sorry for confusion.
I agree with mushroom25 -Issoire is good place to stop as it is close to the autoroute.