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I want to see THAT BRIDGE!

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OK, I know it sounds mad, but I want to go and see that bridge which Norman Foster's just designed in the south of France. Does anyone happen to know if anyone's organising tours from the UK? Ideally flying from Bristol, train is a possible alternative for all or part of the trip, just not sure I could cope with all those hours on a coach!
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  • robowen
    robowen Posts: 3,042 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Its a fantastic piece of engineering. :o

    So beautiful to look at :)

    Have a look here : http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4091813.stm

    click on the bridge half way down, this gives you some idea of where it is, and how it was built. :)
    If only everything in life was as reliable...AS ME !!
    robowen 5/6/2005©

    ''Never take an idiot anywhere with you. You'll always find one when you get there.''
  • Savvy_Sue
    Savvy_Sue Posts: 47,336 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Well that's a start, reminding me of its name, and I hadn't seen all those piccies so THANK YOU. I feel less mad for wanting to go and see it 'in the steel' now.

    Anyone seen any tours?
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  • it looks unbelievable - the French like to be show offs with their civill engineering projects - I've walked across the pont du normandie which is pretty spectacular but this is a different league.
    Looking at multimap.co.uk - Millau is close to Rodez to which ryanair fly - hire a car through them - rent a gite through https://www.gites-de-france.fr (done that lots of times-its easy peasy)
    its got to be done!
    Treat everyday as your last one on earth! and one day you will be right.
  • rotate
    rotate Posts: 159 Forumite
    We went to Rodez with Ryan Air and then hired a car in Rodez,however it is better to try and get one at the airport as transport into Rodez is expensive Taxis only.Stayed in a fantastic old fashioned hotel near the town centre,straight out of a 50s french film,cheap and fun.
    We drove to the Tarn gorge which the bridge crosses absolutely fantastic,like a mini grand canyon,with the crystal clear Tarn flowing thru,The bridge must be a great timesaver for people not wanting to go down the windy hairpin bend road to the bottom and then up the other side.We went in early spring and the traffic was OK,however in Summer it used to be a real nightmare.
    I can recomend the area lovely scenery,great food and v relaxed
  • Backbiter
    Backbiter Posts: 1,393 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts
    It looks truly breathtaking. Fair play to the architect and engineers.
    But: "Motorists are expected to pay 4.6 euros (£3.18; $5.60) for a trip across the bridge."
    So the French charge about 25% LESS to cross that than they charge us to cross the Severn Bridge which they built and operate and which has (I believe) paid for itself a few times already.
    It could be £3.18 each way, though, which would make it about 30% MORE than the Severn Bridge.
  • Savvy_Sue
    Savvy_Sue Posts: 47,336 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Stayed in a fantastic old fashioned hotel near the town centre,straight out of a 50s french film,cheap and fun.
    Do you happen to have details of the hotel? Without trying I have found flights for c. £150, car hire for £140 and return travel from the in-laws to Stansted for £40, so it's looking plausible.

    Flights though! £30 each way for the tickets for the 3 of us but over £40 in taxes etc! Ghastly.
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  • rotate
    rotate Posts: 159 Forumite
    Found details-Hotel Broussy, 1 Ave Victor Hugo.
    Tel05 65 68 18 71.It overlooks the main sqare,which has a number of good restaurants around it.Excellent Plat du jour's,tasty,good value.
    However Rodez is a bit boring ,good Cathedral,nice open air market. When we go again we will hire a car at the airport and drive to the Tarn area and stay there as the scenery is much nicer
  • Savvy_Sue
    Savvy_Sue Posts: 47,336 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Thank you! Will look into that, think it will have to be a short break anyway so staying in Rodez could well be fine!
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  • Savvy_Sue
    Savvy_Sue Posts: 47,336 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Just back, and it was super, although I would suggest that February is not really the month to go ... not that I'd recommend high summer either as I think the area will be packed! I found the bridge totally awe inspiring - how can anyone conceive of doing it the way they did? And we also upheld the proud tradition of English lunacy by go-karting and quad biking while the snow fell gently around us, and getting our car stuck in the snow the next day :o when we tried to drive up a steep track to a car park to see the wolves. Seem to have brought the cold weather back with us as well ...
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  • chappy
    chappy Posts: 280 Forumite
    100 Posts
    If we used this bridge it would take an hour off our journey time on the drive down to Spain

    Scary pants of an husband is refusing to use it but then again I refuse to fly

    Still time to work on him yet
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