[sxrxg]

Crit air probably isn't needed for passing Paris, it is cheap though and easy to do online.

For passing Paris i now always go via the N330 from Senlis to Meaux and then the N36 to Melun. Probably adds 15 minutes to the total drive however i find it much more relaxing, also not being on a motorway makes it easy to stop for drinks/pastries.

As for other changes make sure you have a UK sticker and not a GB one, also allow more time for getting through border control/customs I was surprised how much longer it took compared to pre Covid/Brexit.

Finally it might now be hunting season in Font, i can't find any information for this year however it looks like you might want to consider where you climb on Mondays/Thursdays assuming they stick to the same days as last year https://www.seine-et-marne.gouv.fr/Actualites/Calendrier-des-jours-de-chasse-a-tir-sur-le-massif-de-Fontainebleau#:~:text=%C3%80%20Fontainebleau%2C%20la%20chasse%20%C3%A0,2022%20au%2027%20f%C3%A9vrier%202023.

[yetix]

Bleau.info is generally good for hunting season info on a particular crag in my experience.

[JamieG]

Also worth checking your passport as I think post brexit you need something like at least 6 months left on it to get into the EU.

[spidermonkey09]

Also worth checking your passport as I think post brexit you need something like at least 6 months left on it to get into the EU.

3 months

[Tom de Gay]

Hi Nik, I tried the other way at Easter. I found the end bit through Melun – negotiating traffic lights, cyclists etc – a bit much at the end of the long drive so just went the standard route on the way back. Will depend on time of day and whereabouts you're staying of course.

Anything else significant likely to have changed in the last 5/6 years??

This might have happened longer than 5 years ago, but the roads and car parks for the Apremont areas around Science Friction are closed. The parking for these areas is by the Real Thing chips café.

You can't climb on the Elephant.

The tree that used to cross L'Araignée at Cuvier fell over last winter, making for a dab-free problem, with somewhere to perch and contemplate.

€1500 fine for camping in the forest.

€8 for a fancy loaf of bread in the Barbizon bakery. The bakery in Larchant is good.

Have fun! Allezallezallez!

[Bradders]

I always go on the A1 to just after you've passed under Charles de Gaulle airport, then A104, N104, A6, and you're there.

There's one slightly tricky section where you need to make sure you're in the correct lane, and it's not completely obvious, but otherwise always found it very quick, keeps to major roads without having to go into Paris or the ring road.

My beta for the drive. Avoids Melun, never had any difficulty with it.

[sirlockoff]

I always go on the A1 to just after you've passed under Charles de Gaulle airport, then A104, N104, A6, and you're there.

There's one slightly tricky section where you need to make sure you're in the correct lane, and it's not completely obvious, but otherwise always found it very quick, keeps to major roads without having to go into Paris or the ring road.

My beta for the drive. Avoids Melun, never had any difficulty with it.

this? https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Calais,+France/Fontainebleau,+77300,+France/@48.7904659,2.4384935,10.86z/data=!4m19!4m18!1m10!1m1!1s0x47dc3f75d7f1e363:0xacbed9e08cd279f4!2m2!1d1.858686!2d50.95129!3m4!1m2!1d2.4777922!2d48.6275212!3s0x47e5e0decbcb3121:0x4500a5cc14f7c167!1m5!1m1!1s0x47e5f38bf6baad81:0x40b82c3688c5a90!2m2!1d2.70162!2d48.404676!3e0?entry=ttu

[Bradders]

Yes if staying in Fontainebleau itself, although I usually stay on the Milly side of the forest. In which case you continue on the N104, instead of going down the A5b, then down the A6.

[nik at work]

Thank you all, very helpful as ever.
Looking forward to re-visiting the foret, it has been far too long…

[nik at work]

Post trip report…
Got a crit d’air cos… why not. Was easy online and not expensive. Took a while to arrive though (almost 3 weeks) so if you need one plan ahead. Whether I actually needed one or not I dunno…

Driving there and back just went on the peripherique, it’s the route I know and hasn’t changed as far as I can tell in the 6-ish years since I last visited. Was relatively painless.

The track to 95.2 parking is in a very poor state!

Unfortunately it rained every day we were there, with a couple of brief dry spells where we managed to hunt out the odd dry problems. Frustrating as it was my youngest first trip to Font where he was actually climbing so a shame he didn’t get to do more, the flip side of this is I didn’t spend as much time being out-climbed by an 11 year old as I otherwise would have…

Brilliant place, loved it. We’ll be back soon… I better get training…

[nik at work]

Also Boolder app is brilliant (if you have roaming data…?). Not as definitive as bleau.info but works so well, didn’t get the hard copy guidebook out once we started using it. I imagine the future may well be beautiful paper guides as “coffee table” references to keep at home, and apps in the field.