driving from calais to paris

Vicky and I drove this (the other way round) after a 9 hour journey from the south of France. We then discovered the main road was closed. For 250km. Dud.

(Driving/parking in Paris would scare me rigid, but you're a crazy thrillseeking motherfucker. I say do it)

It's about 2 to 2 and a half hours of easy motorway iirc. I don't know what Paris parking is like but driving is a pain - you can't drive defensively cos you won't get anywhere.

It takes about 2 hrs. There two ways. The Motorway that goes through boulogne is slightly longer distance wise but is generally less busy. It's very simple.

http://www.viamichelin.fr/ will tell you distances times and how much the tolls cost.

Insurance should cover you but you hav to inform your insurer if you are going abroad and they will send you a green card. By law you have to carry a hazzard warning triangle and spare lightbulbs in france have to put beam deflectors on your lights. Parking is OK in paris, covered parking is much cheaper than lond especially further out. It cost us about €12 for 24hrs last time we were there in a car (couple of years ago).

Paris is spelled P-A-R-I-S in french and distances are in kilometres.

If you're wanting to visit Paris, i wouldn't take the car. If you want a road trip in France, I'd probably go somewhere else as your main destination.

You don't need to have a car in Paris itself, the drivers are mental, actually finding your way around once you get there can be complicated particularly as you need your wits about you just to survive on the road, and from what I remember parking can be a pain.

Driving somewhere that isn't as big as Paris is fine, and lots of fun.

budget for tolls if using motorways

Lille is a really good self drive option, lots to see and do, plenty of good grub and booze, interesting enough and easy drive down and lots to see outside the city itself.

Other options - reims and do the champagne region, or do a coastal tour over to Normandy/Brittany, or how about down to the Loire valley - booze and chateaux as well as the chocolate factory (can't remember the name of the chocolate now! Something beginning with B I think)

how about driving to Lille then taking the train? or is that just silly?

not that silly, there are really cheap ferries (norfolk line is good and cheap, but takes 2 hrs) and there are all sorts of deals on the TGV once you are inside france. You can book in advance at http://www.sncf.fr/ and then pick up your tickets in the automatic machines at the station.

sven that might be an idea actually! and then i can put more towns i've visited on my tally.