Driving around Paris

Yeah, the problem that you have seen is that the transportation networks in France center on routes into and out of Paris. Without taking some two-lane roads to cut the corner, it looks from the maps that you'll need to drive around Paris and then down to the A6 to get to Auxerre. As long as you're on the freeways, it won't be too bad. You may get caught in a "bouchon" (traffic jam) but better that than getting lost in a suburb.

If you plan to drive anywhere that close to Paris, make sure you have an excellent and very detailed local map. My experience was that things are just not that well signed. Last May we were trying to drop a car at Orly and spent three hours circling around Paris. We drove unintentionally into Paris twice as a result of lacking adequate maps, during rush hour heading into a holiday weekend. (And the idea was, nothing could be easier than dropping the car at an airport!) Not an experience that I would recommend.

I think it's no worse than driving any other big city like Chicago or Washington D.C. As for the route, if you don't do the Peripherique, you're likely to be re-routed to winding 2 lane roads with slower speed limits. But if you're not comfortable with the idea of driving that close to Paris, then you should try a different route.

You've two choices: 1 - what you are describing that some software recommend - - essentially the Paris peripherique 2 - using the Peripheriqu I'lle de France Option 2 is what I think you're proposing as an alternative. It's sort of an outer ring road mostly labeled A-86 on the east side of town. This routing can be just as crowded as the Paris peripherique, what's worse is that it's a bunch of segments with lots of exchanges. You will miss a turn, you will get off to get turned around, you will get lost again .....and it will go on and on. Don't try it. There's an equally rotten Option 3 which involves a tangle of freeway further east. Here's the steps to get you past Paris and headed south: 1. Leave Roissy headed south on the A1/E19. 2. After about five miles (about even with the north side of Le Bourget) make a cross-over turn onto the E15.
(if you miss it - - you won't, it's well-signed - - continue and pick up the peripherique of the city - - don't try to correct by getting off). 3. In another ten miles you'll come to the peripherique. It'll be a turn, but you're sticking with the E15. The signage should aslo say 'peripherique interior' meaning you're getting on going clock-wise (south). It will also probably say Chartres and Orleans. 4. About a mile after you cross the Seine you'll leave the peripherique. The signs will say E15/E50/A6b/A6 and who knows what else. They will also say Chartres and Orleans. 5. The only other place you can screw up is just west of Orly. Stick with the E15/A6 signs and the Evry sign and you'll be fine.

The reason a lot of people get screwed up is that they don't know what's out in front of them in the way of cities and towns. (If you're in DC and want to get to Boston, it'd be better following the sign to NYC initially rather than the one to Miami). This route is so easy that you could take my highway numbers and cities, toss my landmarks and toss the gps and map in the trunk and you'd breeze down to Auxerre. If you hit traffic on the perpherique (probably not, you're going the wrong way and the time of day should be okay), just ride it. The alternative stinks.

We do this nearly every year, arrive at CDG and go to family exiting at one of the Auxerre exits. However, we prefer to hop on the Air France CDG-Orly bus to pick up our car at Orly, which is near the A6. We sleep on the bus and let the driver hassle the traffic, wreck his clutch, and use his gas going around Paris. BTW, we're both Paris drivers, but know the giant bumper-to-bumper Paris area jams too well. We do this for both rentals and leases.