The A26 is a 357.6 km (222.2 mi) long French motorway connecting Calais and Troyes. It is also known as the Autoroute des Anglais as it is the main route from the Dover-Calais ferries and the Channel Tunnel to most parts of France and often contains large numbers of British cars, particularly during the summer holiday season. Before the opening of the A16 in the 1990s the A26 formed part of the road route between London and Paris.
The road forms part of European route E-15 and E-17.
The motorway starts at Calais, at a junction with the A16 and N216 (which links to the Car Ferries). From there it runs southeast past Saint-Omer, Béthune, Lens and Arras. Near Arras is a major intersection with the A1, which runs south to Paris.
The A26 continues southeast, passing near Cambrai, Saint-Quentin and Laon before meeting the A4 at Reims. The two motorways merge (overlap) for 36 km (22 mi) before splitting up near Châlons en Champagne (formerly Châlons-sur-Marne), with the A26 heading south. The terminus is at Troyes, where the A26 meets the A5, which provides connections to southern and eastern France.
A26 is completely covered by Sanef 107.7, but slightly different: before Reims, it is on northern zone, after Reims, it is on eastern zone.
1 Junction with A16 (Paris to Dunkerque, A216 spur to RN216 and the Calais Ferry Port, and the A26.
Rest Area: Nortkerque (Northbound), Zutkerque (Southbound)
2 Nordausques: Ardres
3 Saint-Omer Centre – Boulogne: Saint Omer and Boulogne-sur-Mer
Péage Saint-Omer
4 Saint-Omer Centre, Thérouanne: Saint-Omer
Rest Area: Grand Riez / Villefleur
Service Area: Rely / St-Hilaire-Cottes
5 Lillers: Lillers and Saint Pol-sur-Ternoise
Rest Area: Le Réveillon / La Grande Bucaille
6 Béthune: Béthune
6.1 'Aix-Noulette' A21 to A26: Lens
Service Area;: Souchez / Angres
7 Arras nord: Arras and Vimy
Rest Area: Les Trois Crêtes / La Cressonière
A1 (Lille to Paris with A26
Rest Area: Bonnettes (southbound) Bois-Dhuez (Northbound)
Service Area: Rumaucourt (Southbound) Baralle (Northbound)
8 Marquion: Cambrai
A2 (Paris to Brussels) with A26
Rest Area: Plateau (Southbound) Vacquerie (Northbound)
9 Masnières: Fins, Bantouzelle
Rest Area: La Haute Bruyère L'Omignon
10 Saint Quentin Ouest: Saint Quentin
A29 (Rouen) with A26
11 Saint Quentin Sud: Saint Quentin, Tergnier and Chauny
Service Area: Urvillers
12 Courbes: La Fere
Rest Area: St Brice / Broyon
13 Laon: Laon
Rest Area: la Croisette (Southbound) Les Pélerins (Northbound)
Service Area: Mont-de-Nizy / Champ-Roland
14 Berry-au-Bac: Neufchâtel-sur-Aisne and Soissons
Rest area: Cauroy / Loivre
Péage Courcy
15 Reims - La Neuvillette: Reims, Reims-Champagne Airport
16 Reims - Colbert: Reims
A4 (Paris to Strasbourg) with A26
A4 (Paris to Strasbourg) with A26
Rest Area:Les Grands Traquiers (Southbound)
17 St-Gibrien: Châlons-en-Champagne
Rest Area: La Garenne (Northbound)
18 Mont Choisy: Châlons-en-Champagne and Fère-Champenoise
Rest Area: La Bardolle (Northbound)
19 Europort Vatry: Europort Business park
20 Sommesous: Fère-Champenoise and Vitry-le-François (RN4)
Service Area: Sommesous
Rest Area: Le Champ du Carreau / Champ-L'Épée
21 Arcis-sur-Aube: Arcis-sur-Aube and Brienne-le-Château
Service Area: St Arcis-sur-Aube
22 Charmont: Troyes
Rest Area: Villechétif / Les Crocs de la Terre
23 Thennelières: Troyes, Vendeuvre-sur-Barse and Parc Naturel Regional De La Forêt D'Orient
A5 (Paris to Dijon) with A26
The A26 will be extended to Auxerre after 2025. and perhaps to Bourges thereafter but that is not programmed before 2030. It would, if completed, replace N77 and N151 as part of the second version of the Grand contournement de Paris.
