Avoiding Rouen

Years ago, after trying to 'avoid' Rouen we discovered the route on the left bank of the Seine, down through Amfreville and Pont de l'Arche on the D6015.  At the end of the Darnetal tunnel take the right slip road signposted Le Havre but then almost immediately get into the left hand lane, turn left, and go through the traffic lights heading for the right hand side of the church in front of you.  Then you're on the start of the D6015, and just follow that until you come out at the junction of the A13 and N154.  Take the N154 down towards Evreux.  Have a look at a map in detail first, so you can familiarise yourself with the roads you need, in advance.

We have travelled to The Loire or Dordogne since about 1999 and we used to hate Rouen. Many years ago a detour was set up following a bridge closure due to boat collision. A fair way out of Rouen we used to turn off the A28 onto the A29, picking up the A151,then A150, A139, A13 then N154 down through Evreux. Our Avtex/Garmin satnav still sometimes picks up on this route.

If you miss it then do not worry as traffic seems to flow a lot better than it did 10+ years or so ago. 

The N154 route is our preferred route as it avoids the tools on the Le Mans toll road. You will have a choice of Aires to have a break and pick up cheap fuel along the way. 

Outside of Dreux is a pinch point at the bottom of a hill and a staggered cross roads, but otherwise an excellent route. At the top of the hill with a small industrial estate to your right is a roundabout and a small unmanned petrol station with cheap fuel where we usually fill up.

If travelling high season you will find the longer non toll roads do not really add much time to your route. Queues on toll roads usually build up and add delay, as do cars awaiting fuel stops, We also average 50+mph with ease on the route you are considering.

Colin

Same here, our preferred route through Rouen after many years not being sure which way to go.

Easy enough to miss Rouen.

Ferry from Portsmouth to Caen then via Le Mans to your destination. It misses Rouen altogether and is 230 miles on big roads instead of 380 miles from Calais.

Best route, but don't try it until at least Tuesday next week!!!!!

LM 24hours 10th & 11th June, 300,000 sell out for the centenary and we are all hitting the Porstmouth ferry from tomorrow night. The autoroute to LM will be rammed until Friday, then back next Monday.

I have been using ValDa's route for years but note it is now part of the Rouen LEZ. If you haven't already got a Crit Air sticker you will need to get one to use this route.

peedee

 I used to hate Rouen because of the Pont Mathilde bridge and associated junctions. When the bridge got seriously damaged and another route was needed I discovered the Pont Gustav Flaubert which despite having some complexity is actually straightforward, used it ever since. Coming from where you are it's likely to be the recommended route from any tech or sat nav. 

We're travelling back from Chanteloup on Friday to Dieppe, don't have a Crit'Air so to avoid Rouen will be using a route via Pont de Brotonne.....

But the OP states that he is staying at Neufchatel-en-Bray!!!!!!!!

The ferry to Ouistreham/Caen would put him well out of the way.

Until 2021 I was a regular traveller to Bordeaux and I was always torn between the tunnel (I never used the Dover to Calais ferry) then continuing via Rouen, or the ferry to Caen and the route via Le Mans and Tours. There are pros and cons either way and I would not argue for the ferry route exclusively for those of us, (including the OP) from the East Midlands for whom the trip to Portsmouth and the tunnel is roughly equidistant; the cost was always very similar taking everything into account, including allowing for the higher mileage, and toll costs, if you use tolls, from the tunnel on the "other side".

Personally I never had an issue with Rouen; when the Pont Mathilde was closed (which was due to an HGV fire damaging the bridge not a boat collision) the optional route, via Quevilly, was found, by me at least, to be good enough to actually use on subsequent occasions after the bridge re-opened. 

Sometimes I used the St Malo ferry, in some ways better still for Bordeaux.

It must be said I wasn't towing.

Never really had a problem with Rouen as it’s quite easy to navigate. The only problem is that on days of industrial unrest the yellow jackets inhabit the roundabout with the cows on it. Fortunately protesters usually go home for lunch and don’t come back!