First of all, remember to drive on the right!!!
Note 1: A “Peage” is a toll booth. In any given section of motorway, you collect a ticket from a machine at the start, and then pay someone in a booth at the end.
Note 2: A sign saying “Aire de.......” refers to a rest area. These vary in size and services available from a basic picnic area to something akin to a motorway services area in the UK. (The signs and symbols indicate what is available).
Note 3: The motorway speed limit is 130kph (80mph) in good weather,
or 110kph (68mph) in bad.
On leaving the Channel Tunnel terminus, follow the signs for the A26 to REIMS. This is a toll motorway.
The first peage is after junction 3. You just take a ticket. (Machines are on the left or right of the car).
Keep following A26 for REIMS. (The signs offer a variety of destinations that change along the route, but REIMS is common to all of them).
Eventually you’ll come to another peage. (The toll at this point in April 2000 was 103FF for a car).
Now it gets a bit confusing as you follow a ring road around REIMS. Follow signs for LYONS as the A26 becomes the A4 (ring road) and then returns to being the A26 again. Don’t turn off the A4 as you pass around REIMS.
Where the motorway appears to divide and you get back onto the A26 again, continue to follow signs for LYONS and then TROYES. You then come to another peage where you collect a ticket. Keep following signs for TROYES.
Stay on the A26 to the very end, ignoring exits that would take you into TROYES itself. Then take the A5 to AUXERRE and SENS.
Shortly after joining the A5, leave it at junction 21 signposted TROYES CENTRE, and AUXERRE, and arrive at a peage. (The toll at this point in April 2000 was 58FF for a car).
At the next roundabout, take the third exit signposted N71 for TROYES.
At the next roundabout, take the second exit signposted for SENS and AUXERRE.
At the next roundabout, take the third exit signposted N77 for AUXERRE
Stay on the N77 to AUXERRE, passing through a number of villages on the way. At the village of ARCHIES you can see the cathedral at AUXERRE in the distance. This is the first and last time that you see it until you are in the centre of AUXERRE.
At the next roundabout, pass under a bridge over the roundabout, and take the third exit signposted for AUXERRE CENTRE. This takes you through an industrial area. Keep following signs for CENTRE VILLE. Eventually, you cross over the River Yonne (The cathedral is to your right). Turn immediately right at the far end of the bridge and drive alongside the river. At the next traffic lights, turn right again and cross back over the river. On the far side of this bridge, bear right, and then take the first right signposted PORT DE PLAISANCE. This brings you to the riverside again, with the entrance to the “boatyard” straight ahead (off to the right of the road as it bends left) through wire gates (that are never locked). As you drive alongside the water, you see a circular building on your left marked “INFORMATIONS”. Please make yourself known there to Natalie or to Paul.
UK TO AUXERRE BY PLANE/TRAIN
There are regular flights from Luton to Paris with EasyJet, and, presumably, other UK airports. From Charles De Gaulle airport, Paris take the RER ("Underground") in to central Paris and on to Gare du Lyon. From there you can get a train to Auxerre. You can buy a ticket at Gare du Lyon and pay by credit card if you wish. (At the time of writing there was a train leaving at about 3.30 pm (French time) where the journey takes about and hour and a half).
To find the boatyard from the station at Auxerre exit (via the only door!) look over the main road and to your left. You will see a road "forking" off to the left. Aim for this, walk on the right hand side pavement and follow it all the way down to the bridge over the river. Then follow the river bank/road down to your right. The port may then be found quite easily. The whole walk is level, and will take about 15 minutes.
For more details of rail travel to France click here for the SNCF (French railways) website.