Calais to Orleans

Try Via Michelin's route planner and Google Maps. A satnav suitable for caravans is very useful. This is the way we do it and have had no problems.

Rouen

Evreux

Dreux

Chatres

Orleans

A16, A28 & N154 most of the way.

+1 - a good overnight if you need one on this route is Camping St. Claire at Neufchatel en Bray

Spot on.

Then A10 passed Orleans

A71 junc 3 to Nouan le Fuzelier

Or the A1 motorway towards Paris and follow the Bordeaux signs after you have passed Charles deGaulle airport. 

Birderbily's route is the one we use too, it is largely toll free as well.  There is a L'Eclerc garage at Nonancourt at the junction of the N12/N154 16ks west of Dreux, it is on the south side of the roundabout.  A useful fill up stop.  We avoid Paris at all costs.

This is the usual route which nearly everybody uses but the section between Rouen and.Chartres is slow and tedious. Unfortunately the only way to avoid it is using the Paris route which I may try next time.

Be aware that Camping St. Clair fills up very early as it is extremely popular with Brits.

I think nearly everyone else is looking for cheapness - so that's why they tolerate Rouen, and then appeal on here for help to avoid the low height tunnels and cow corner, then the Chartres ring road with its innumerable roundabouts, and afterwards the inevitable traffic jams at Nonancourt. But it's cheaper.

We never go South through Rouen but travelling North is simple if you carry on until you pick up the Calais signs. The Autoroute goes well into the city, over the river, then it’s dual carriageway to join the A28. Very quick. Maybe South is more difficult or maybe people follow the SatNav which will likely take you through the southern part of Rouen city. We had to consistently ignore the SatNav and follow the Calais signs.

This year, to avoid Chartres, Dreux etc. we went Limoges, Chateauroux, Tours, Le Mans, Rouen but it was a mistake to go from Chateauroux to Tours; we should have carried on to Vierzon on the Autoroute then Tours.

There is little in distance between the Rouen and Paris routes.  Driving through Rouen is not too bad.  There are no height problems in the tunnel at Rouen.  Don't know what you mean by 'cow corner' ET.  OK there are a lot of roundabouts at Chartres but no worse than Chichester!  Never come across the 'inevitable traffic jams' at Nonancourt.  On the other hand I have come across mind boggling queues around Paris and paid a fortune for the privilege of using their motorways.  Each one to their own route but I know which one I would use, and all my neighbours used the same,  when we lived in France for many years.  OK maybe I would go via Paris in the middle of the night and I was in a rush but not normally.

Mark there you have it.  If you are travelling this weekend it is a BLACK WEEKEND in France when the roads will be dreadful and the Paris area should be avoided.  Good luck. 

Just seen Hitch's post.  Going south is easy and well signed around Rouen, then well signed town to town.