Before the sea, waves of tourists on the Chartres-Bois-Paris motorway rest area

Relatively fluid traffic at lunch break time on the A11 motorway near Chartres, but the Chartres-Bois-Paris motorway service area is crowded with those stopping to eat.
Fortunately, game stands and relaxation areas are available@lecho_chartres pic.twitter.com/101Epe0zuf

— Thomas Desprez (@TomaDesprez)
July 30, 2022

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For Anthony and Lucie, forty-somethings from Lille with two children, the departure took place around 7.30 a.m. “Too bad for the traffic, this day had been planned for two months. We are going on vacation for two weeks in La Tranche-sur-Mer, we have time. »

Crossover: still difficulties this Saturday afternoon

Entertainment at the rest area

Same story on the side of the animators of the motorway area. “We feel that holidaymakers are less in a hurry than before,” says Stéphanie Lecomte, assistant to the Île-de-France distribution manager at Vinci Autoroutes. “Some came to take a ten-minute break and finally they stayed for an hour,” she describes. It’s hard not to give the children a few minutes with the presence of sandpits, educational and recreational activities, table football, gazebos for picnicking and even giant beanbags for lounging. “Once inside, it’s hard to get up,” admits Luc, who left Meaux, also heading to Vendée.

books offered

Books are also offered by the motorway company, to the delight of Amélie, 43 years old. “I restrained myself from taking only two: Sur les chemins noirs by Sylvain Tesson and The Slowness by Milan Kundera. A fitting title for this heavy traffic day.Animations were proposed by Vinci Autoroute and by the zoo refuge La Tanière. Photo:Thomas Desprez.

La Tanière, a refuge zoo in Nogent-le-Phaye, has also set up a stand with activities for everyone, on the initiative of Vinci Autoroute. “We offer a quiz to win places. But also coloring, memorization and sensory activities where you have to find the corresponding animal according to the hair or feathers, ”explains Lucie Goujon, responsible for volunteers and events for La Tanière.

The highway is fluid but a traffic jam has formed at the entrance to the rest area due to a lack of parking spaces. Photo: Thomas Desprez.
On the rest of the rest area, all the tables are taken, some families have taken out the folding chairs and are having lunch in front of their cars.
Even if many had taken their meals, queues of ten meters spread out in front of the catering services. “Since this morning, we have seen waves of tourists, a first around 9 a.m. for the early morning coffee break. Since noon, the area has been full,” says Stéphanie Lecomte. Waves of motorists, before finding those of the beaches.

The gendarmes of Dreux carried out road check operations this Saturday, July 30