 | Home > Series Land Rovers > Driving to the south of France - is it mad in a series? |
 
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| carpetsauce Member Since: 19 Mar 2021 Location: Essex Posts: 58  
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I did Arbroath to Zermatt and back a month later in a lightweight towing a trailer. Totally doable if comfort and quietness isn’t high on your list. Frequent breaks @ 10mpg (I wasn’t paying). I was 19 at the time. Wouldn’t do it now.
ps. If you go you’d be sensible to check the low emission zones on your route. A Series landy is hardly Euro6. |
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4th Jul 2023 4:25pm |
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| o4dn Member Since: 08 Jan 2010 Location: South West Posts: 530  
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I just drove across France in my 88" Series 3 soft to to go to the Mans Classic.
Totally doable, enjoyable even, just avoid motorways and stay on B and C roads and enjoy the scenic! Plan some breaks, take your time, don't push the car would be my advice. “A Land Rover immobilized is a moral defeat for the driver and bad publicity for the vehicle, […] it's up to you to do justice to your Land Rover!” - Land Rover Driving Technique. -- 2009 2.4 Puma Defender 90 SW 1979 Land Rover Series 3 88" |
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4th Jul 2023 5:55pm |
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| defender9 Member Since: 12 Mar 2016 Location: Fylde Coast Posts: 1613 
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As an owner of various Series Land Rovers over 50 years I would as others have said, drive one for a good while if you can they can be very tiring to drive for long periods. I only drive my Series LR for probably no more than 50 miles and that is enough, however when I was much younger a couple of hundred miles wasn’t a problem. They are very much an acquired taste and while your trip may be doable you need to go into this with eyes wide open rather than rose tinted glasses.
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5th Jul 2023 6:35pm |
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| Caterham Member Since: 06 Nov 2008 Location: Birmingham Posts: 6264  
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I would suggest you're completely bonkers to do the South of France.....if you're in any kind of a rush.
On the other hand if you've got plenty of time and are happy to break the journey up and travel at a leisurely speed then why not. I was one of 9 to travel to Spain from Calais in a 2.25ltr LWB utility / with long bench seats c/w caravan. Thankfully I was too young to know what the hell was going so my mental scarring is limited. |
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5th Jul 2023 8:11pm |
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| ibsley Member Since: 01 Aug 2023 Location: Nimes Posts: 23
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Seeing this thread a bit late: very interested how you get/got on.
Also, perhaps tangential (please point me in the right direction if this is out of place here) but I have a place in the SoF and would be up to meet anyone adventurous enough to take the fam 'down here' in a series. Have you a strictly predetermined route? Are there any France meet ups? |
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7th Oct 2023 1:19pm |
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| edward Member Since: 08 Jan 2023 Location: Lincs Posts: 151
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We chickened out in the end and flew … but I am taking the Puma down to the alps this winter for a ski trip so that’s a partial recce. I think we will bomb down given we aren’t there for long but we next summer the ambition is still to do SoF… but maybe not in a series… also very interested to hear people’s route suggestions.
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7th Oct 2023 3:00pm |
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| Birdy Member Since: 07 Oct 2011 Location: Côte d'Azur Posts: 851 
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SoF is a big place - where are you aiming for? When we drive to the Canal du Midi or the Golfe de Saint-Tropez, either way we aim to quit Calais as early as possible, in the olden days overnight in Dover and an early ferry, now it’s better to get the faff of passport stamping and obnoxious UK “Border Force” clowns out of the way (and in our case the Dartford crossing), then ferry over to overnight and breakfast in or near Calais. We mostly use the motorway for the Northern part of France, cruising at around 100 km/hr (± 65 mph), don’t gain any time driving faster than that, you’ll need an extra fuel stop! Six or so hours actual driving breaks the back of the journey and gets the industrial North of France out of the way.
If destination SW, or even through Andorra and the Pyrénées, your route will be Rouen → Chartres → Orléans, last time we went that way we got as far as Vierzon on the first day (Chalet de la Forêt). Then Limoges, Toulouse and eastwards to the Camargue. Or, if you’ve the time to taste the Pyrénées, continue South to Ordino in Andorra, then a nice route is La Seu d'Urgell → La Molina → Ripoll → Céret → Argelès Plage → Narbonne → Agde and so on. An alternative taking in the Millau viaduct might be Calais → Rouen → Chartres → Orléans → Châteauneuf-sur-Loire → Gien→ Bonny-sur-Loire → Neuvy-sur-Loire→ Cosne-Cours-sur-Loire → Sancerre → Pouilly-sur-Loire → Moulins→ Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule→ Charroux → Clermont-Ferrand → Millau. If you’re making for the SE, almost ANY route is wonderful! After the boring first-day motorway of Calais → Arras → Reims → Troyes → Dijon, you’re spoilt for choice and fabulous overnight stops. There’s the popular Route Napoléon or equivalent (e.g. Dijon → Lyon → Grenoble → E712 Monestier-de-Clermont → Aspres-sur-Buëch → Sisteron → Castellane → Sainte-Maxime)., but plenty to choose from, I’ll recommend hotels (can’t really go wrong with a Logis de France, though) en route. In the middle of those you’ve Avignon, Marseille, Martigues which is even prettier than St Trop (then again, MANY places are, even my local port, Le Lavandou); like I said, SoF is a big place, let me know your interests, I’m happy to advise. Mind you, the Alps are so beautiful (even in Summer, we were recently in the Col de la Faucille), you might simply stop there! Check your tyre specs for Winter driving though, plenty of threads on here... Peter |
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8th Oct 2023 2:06pm |
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| Birdy Member Since: 07 Oct 2011 Location: Côte d'Azur Posts: 851
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@ibsley
I notice you’re in Nîmes. We’ve a boat moored in Capestang on the Canal du Midi, you’re exactly half-way from our gaff on the Med. We’re on the boat for a few days from the 16th, then again throughout November. Rather than hi-jack this thread, pm me? Peter |
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8th Oct 2023 2:38pm |
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| edward Member Since: 08 Jan 2023 Location: Lincs Posts: 151
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Really helpful thanks. We did Cannes to St Tropez and around this year, was great fun. Not entirely sure where we will go next year. Maybe further west…. Wil let you know how we get on.
One thing that troubles me slightly is at all the car parks seem to have height barriers! |
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8th Oct 2023 2:40pm |
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| west4x4 Member Since: 23 Jan 2010 Location: Rutland Posts: 138
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Depends how used you are to it. I’ve done some long days on Team Faff trips and others if you are not used to it it will break you. A defender is a lot better although obviously no rolls Royce.
We did Milau Viaduct to Dieppe nonstop coming back from the Pyrenees and did LEJOG nonstop from Halifax both times just swapping drivers There’s no glory in doing mega miles but back in say 1970 these were normal cars and people just drove them. Think of your passengers too |
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10th Oct 2023 8:52pm |
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| Mountain_man Member Since: 09 Dec 2011 Location: Right side of Offas Dyke Posts: 756 
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Back when I was in uni I bought a LWB Series 3, fitted a full length roof rack, and 9 of us headed down to the Vercors on a caving expedition. The roof rack was 3 foot high with all out kit and inside was pretty tight too. We once got it above 50 mph on a long downhill stretch of motorway. The thing drank a gallon of oil on the way down and another on the way back. Whenever it rained we all had to put on our waterproofs as it let water in from so many different places. But an adventure it certainly was. I have also driven to the South of France and then taken the ferry on to Tunisia in a Stage 1 V8. Most memorable part of that trip was the amount of petrol the thing drank, and driving through Lyon in the dark, in the rain, with no lights as they had all chosen that moment to pack in!
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10th Oct 2023 10:28pm |
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| spudfan Member Since: 10 Sep 2007 Location: Co Donegal Posts: 4480 
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You accept a series vehicle for what it is and don't curse it for what it is not. I have a series 111, I drive it and I enjoy it. On a long journey you would plan for more breaks, take your time, be prepared to sit in traffic rather than over taking. Don't forget the series was THE vehicle in times past for expeditions. Fair enough we might not be as hardy as those intrepid travellers but it will be an experience you will always remember. Then there are the looks of envy those folks in their fast fancy insulating from their environment cars will give... Enjoy and post some pictures as it will probably inspire someone else to do something similar.
 1982 88" 2.25 diesel
1992 110 200tdi csw -Zikali 2008 110 2.4 tdci csw-Zulu 2011 110 2.4 tdci csw-Masai |
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3rd Nov 2023 10:08pm |
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| Billy_Whizz Member Since: 28 Jul 2014 Location: EUROPE Posts: 25 
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South of France? Mine got to Greece and back without missing a beat
 Click image to enlarge |
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30th Mar 2024 10:40pm |
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| spudfan Member Since: 10 Sep 2007 Location: Co Donegal Posts: 4480
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Great stuff! 1982 88" 2.25 diesel
1992 110 200tdi csw -Zikali 2008 110 2.4 tdci csw-Zulu 2011 110 2.4 tdci csw-Masai |
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30th Mar 2024 11:20pm |
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