Spain via France etc,etc. (1 Viewer)

Kanberlingo

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Hi all,

SWMBO wants to re-connect, early in the New Year, with our time in France when we were Caravanners many years ago.
But this time, she wants to go down to Southern Spain (Cadiz) area, via France to see our Son, who lives there.

No maps have been looked at yet, but amazingly my SatNav came up with a route when I, just for a laugh, typed in his address. So, all you seasoned travellers out there, how would you go about it. Time is unimportant. So the advice we are looking for is, Ferry v Tunnel, gas cylinders on the ferry/tunnel? & further supplies en-route. Stop-overs for maybe a week or so at a time (site names, areas etc.) or just 1 night halts. Plus any advice/info/experiences you've come across would be greatly appreciated.:thumb:

BeeJay
 

savantuk

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I went down to Spain in September/October. I travelled from home (Longtown) which is on the Scot's border, via Calais, and the down to Barcelona.

All was on main roads (except in the UK), and the saving in tolls paid for the fuel. It took around 10 days to get down, all of which were very pleasureable - you get to see much more of the 'rael' France if you stay on main roads.

We came back a different way, but still via A roads. Mileage was around 3.5K.

I'd do the same trip again tomorrow, though to be absolutely truthful, I'd rather start from Dover!!
 
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Kanberlingo

Kanberlingo

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I went down to Spain in September/October. I travelled from home (Longtown) which is on the Scot's border, via Calais, and the down to Barcelona.

All was on main roads (except in the UK), and the saving in tolls paid for the fuel. It took around 10 days to get down, all of which were very pleasureable - you get to see much more of the 'rael' France if you stay on main roads.

We came back a different way, but still via A roads. Mileage was around 3.5K.

I'd do the same trip again tomorrow, though to be absolutely truthful, I'd rather start from Dover!!

Hi Doug,
Thanks for the reply. Longtown eh! Would that be the same Longtown that has a CL called Low Moor Head, which we've stayed at a number of times, & has traffic going past doing 100mph:winky: That's one helluva fast country lane.

I'm with you on the "Dover" comment. Any continental touring for the likes of us "ooop norf" starts with a marathon drive to get "darn sarf"

BeeJay

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GregM

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Hi all,

SWMBO wants to re-connect, early in the New Year, with our time in France when we were Caravanners many years ago.
But this time, she wants to go down to Southern Spain (Cadiz) area, via France to see our Son, who lives there.

No maps have been looked at yet, but amazingly my SatNav came up with a route when I, just for a laugh, typed in his address. So, all you seasoned travellers out there, how would you go about it. Time is unimportant. So the advice we are looking for is, Ferry v Tunnel, gas cylinders on the ferry/tunnel? & further supplies en-route. Stop-overs for maybe a week or so at a time (site names, areas etc.) or just 1 night halts. Plus any advice/info/experiences you've come across would be greatly appreciated.:thumb:

BeeJay

We are thinking of doing similar some time next year, going to Costa Brava. Well me and the kids like the idea but the better half is not as keen as we drove in the car a few years ago with just one stop over each way which she didn't enjoy and expects it to be the same but I would like to spend a week to 10 days each way travelling although this will be flexable, any recommendations of route/sites/Aires it would be appreciated.
 

scotjimland

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Hi Beejay

In January, the weather in France will be to say the least.. bad , I see no point in hanging around France..
Head down the west coast to avoid the snow, personally would use the toll roads at this time of year.. it's faster and the time gained offsets the fuel wasted slowing down to negoitate endless French villages with a zillion roundabouts.. Winter isn't the time to appreciate the French countryside.

Dover, Rouen, Le Mans, Bordeaux, San Sebastian, Burgos, Salamanca, Seville, Cadiz

Not many sites open in France and even fewer through central Spain.. but there are plenty of aires in France. Buy a guide or ask on here about a specific place. There are quite a few that you could use in the Google map in my signature.. take your pick..

In Spain there are few aires, we usually get off the main road and look for a truck stop cafe .. buy a meal and get permission to stay the night, never had any problems.

Snow may a problem in Spain.. bon voyage

jim
 

hilldweller

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and the saving in tolls paid for the fuel

I thought only a woman could make a statement like that.


Our route this year:

Calais
Abbeville
Rouen
Le Mans
Tours
Saint Maure de Touraine - stop in good free aire.
Niort
Pessac
Biarritz
Saint Jean de Luz - Stop a couple of nights.
Vitoria
Burgos
Madrid
Aranjuez - stop two nights
Jean
Granada
Torre del Mar - stop 4 nights

Then on to Morocco.

Of that whole run *the* sight is The Alhambra but we've seen it in the past. We have visited Toledo but not this time. Worth a look. Aranjuez has a spectacular palace. The caves at Nerja are worth a visit as is Nerja. Torre is a really nice place to stop.

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Parcverger

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You could always se the A20 Paris-Limoges-Toulouse-Spain, calling in at where else but Parc Verger (Welcome to Parcverger Limousin) en route for either a stopover (we have some drive-through pitches) or a few days to enjoy a real break. Main thing is if you want to stop at Parc Verger ring ahead to book - were open all year but we have some visitors who enjoy staaying here for months at a time, even during the French winter (which is not that bad!).

Discount for MHFunsters too!

Bob
 

bevo

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route

we use
calais
abbeville
rouen
chartres
gien
clermont ferand lovelly camp site just past Camping le clos auroy, all about the Auvergne, Puy de dome, Welcome to our site, here you can choise what you preffer to see, volcanoes, mountains, lacs and rivers. Take your time please to visit this great site

millau super aires in town
beziers
perpignan
then over the border into spain
n11 towards barcelona
it's a bit longer but the roads are very good
the a75 is exellent

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chrissie

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Would agree with Jim as it being very cold in France early in the year. We went down the beginning of January intending to take our time traveling down. The heater water inlet pipe froze one night with the heater on :Eeek:. Another problem if you use aires, we couldn't find any with the water turned on at that time of the year until we got well down into the south.
 

scotjimland

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You could always se the A20 Paris-Limoges-Toulouse-Spain, calling in at where else but Parc Verger (Welcome to Parcverger Limousin) en route for either a stopover (we have some drive-through pitches) or a few days to enjoy a real break. Main thing is if you want to stop at Parc Verger ring ahead to book - were open all year but we have some visitors who enjoy staaying here for months at a time, even during the French winter (which is not that bad!).

Discount for MHFunsters too!

Bob

Hi Bob

down your neck of the woods the winter does seem a bit milder, when we visited in Jan 08 it was very pleasant , quite warm.. so as you say, it's not all bad..

Looking forward to another visit ..:thumb:

jim
 

ronald4874

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Cadiz

For about 5 years we travelled to S/Spain in Feb/March and found on several occasions we were involved with bad weather. Through Le Mans minus 9 deg, another time 4inches of snow through France and part of Spain.
So now at that time of the year we now use the Bilbao from Portsmouth at about £290 one way and come back via France in May to Portsmouth with LD lines. Working out the cost of the Bilbao 2 day cruise verses road trip (fuel etc) and ferry crossing into France I found only £10 difference. So you pays your money and takes your choice.
Some go via Dover and pay for the extra mileage, if you do go that way take the east side of Paris on the A7 down to Nevers then Clermont Ferrand and over the top to Beziers. Be warned, via Millau is very cold and the motorway is higher than Ben Nevis so bad weather can be expected.
Our normal route in the old days would be Poole /Cherbourg, via St Lo, Nantes, La Rochelle (To pick up cheap fuel) Bordeaux and into Spain to Burgos, Madrid. This route is not too bad for weather and its possible, in one day, to be in Spain without rushing.
Good Luck Ron

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Averhamdave

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We'll be off to Benidorm (costa blanca) again, leaving on the evening of 26th December!

This will be the third time we've done it and have previously found France so cold and miserable that we justs drive and drive.

The first time I did the 1400 miles from my driveway (using the tunnel - courtesy of Sea France who were on strike) to Benidorm in 48 hours. That was in our old Cheyenne with 2.8TD. Second time took it slightly slower - we had travelling companions and took about 60 hours and that was in our new, faster van.

I would agree with the west coast route but mainly to avoid the eastern side toll roads, the cost of which can mount up. Head for crossing the border at Bayonne/San Sebastian. From there I head for Zarragoza then Valencia then Benidorm whereas you will head south!

Good luck
 

savantuk

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I thought only a woman could make a statement like that.

Hey Brian, I resemble that unkind remark:whatthe:

A £200 saving for a pensioner is nothing to laugh about, that's £200 for the trip back too.

That's especially true if you've had to make the trip from the Scots border to Dover as well:Angry:

I feel a certain disonance here:roflmto:
 

hilldweller

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Hey Brian, I resemble that unkind remark:whatthe:

All was on main roads (except in the UK), and the saving in tolls paid for the fuel.

The way you've phrased that just doesn't quite work for me, it sort of reads, because of "paid for the fuel" it implies money was generated by not spending it. It seemed to be bordering on female or Gordon Brown economics.

You don't have to convince me about saving money, the Italian Job was shifted into Belgium Oh Please! just to save £50 tolls. You're perfectly right, French tolls double the fuel cost.

I hope my flippant remark has caused you no long term damage and that you will continue to have you fuel paid for by the magnanimous French toll authorities.

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lebesset

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I can understand people who have a couple of weeks holiday using pay motorways because of time restraints

but I take it that the vast majority of posters here are not in that category

so why use them except maybe in inclement times ?

btw , I live not far from millau on the ..down the centre ...route , and have done so for these many years

but in answer to the question , for where you are going at the time of year mentioned ....west coast , no alternative
unless , of course ,you enjoy driving around france the long way round in cold and grey weather , normal in france in the winter
 

JayDee

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Hi Beejay

In January, the weather in France will be to say the least.. bad , I see no point in hanging around France..
Head down the west coast to avoid the snow, personally would use the toll roads at this time of year.. it's faster and the time gained offsets the fuel wasted slowing down to negoitate endless French villages with a zillion roundabouts.. Winter isn't the time to appreciate the French countryside.

Dover, Rouen, Le Mans, Bordeaux, San Sebastian, Burgos, Salamanca, Seville, Cadiz

Not many sites open in France and even fewer through central Spain.. but there are plenty of aires in France. Buy a guide or ask on here about a specific place. There are quite a few that you could use in the Google map in my signature.. take your pick..

In Spain there are few aires, we usually get off the main road and look for a truck stop cafe .. buy a meal and get permission to stay the night, never had any problems.

Snow may a problem in Spain.. bon voyage

jim


The highlighted bit is decidedly true.
A few years ago we took the MH down to Fuengirola through France and found snow around the Pyrenees to be somewhat problematic until we got south of Vitoria. The main roads (autopistas mainly) where OK but anything else had quite a bit of snow.
We had difficulty camping on our way down through France and then we discovered that the network that our phone had locked on to was out of order. We had assumed that the sites were closed - it was February after all. Hope you have better luck. Of the places to visit on the way down many are on the Ruta de Plata, part of an ancient commercial route from Cadiz into France, now used as a modern pilgrimage route; Segovia (which isn't; has a fine aquaduct), Salamanca, Caceres. Merida, and of course, not to be missed Sevilla worth a few days of anyone's time.

Heading back how about Cordoba, Toledo and, just south of Madrid it would be worth taking in Aranjuez; all around the palace if lovely.

Whatever you do have a great time.


John
 
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Kanberlingo

Kanberlingo

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Hi Beejay

Dover, Rouen, Le Mans, Bordeaux, San Sebastian, Burgos, Salamanca, Seville, Cadiz

Not many sites open in France and even fewer through central Spain.. but there are plenty of aires in France. Buy a guide or ask on here about a specific place. There are quite a few that you could use in the Google map in my signature.. take your pick..

Snow may a problem in Spain.. bon voyage

jim

Thanks for that link Jim. Brilliant:thumb:

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Kanberlingo

Kanberlingo

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We're still evaluating all the replies & advice, but France is coming across as a no no in the early New Year. So the ferry crossing of Plymouth/Santander is now coming into the equasion.

@ Doug, So is it the same Longtown ????????????????? With the CL in Swan Street.

BeeJay
 

lebesset

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you are just as likely to experience snow on that route , people tend to forget that spain is the second most mountainous country in europe after austria , and the motorway over the top out of santander isn't finished yet
 

savantuk

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We're still evaluating all the replies & advice, but France is coming across as a no no in the early New Year. So the ferry crossing of Plymouth/Santander is now coming into the equasion.

@ Doug, So is it the same Longtown ????????????????? With the CL in Swan Street.

BeeJay

Hi Beejay,

I'm pretty certain that it's the same Longtown on the River Esk - just a couple of miles from Gretna. It has a Swan street too.

Swan St. has two butchers shops, a newsagent, one flower shop, and electrical shop, a printers, two bakers shop, a hairdresser, Longtown primary school, the library, and the health centre, but I'm pretty certain that I have never seen a CL.

I've only been in Longtown 8 years, so there may at one time have been a CL, but where abouts it may have been, leaves me at a loss.
 
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And I think the first plymouth /santander ferry in 2010 is mid february.

Steve

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Kanberlingo

Kanberlingo

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CL at Low Moor Head Farm
Longtown :Smile:


That's the one. Dellwood33 :thumb: A good mile & a bit leaving town. Only been open app 2, maybe 3 yrs. Owners, Adele & Owen Taylor. But I don't think it's the one that you are from Doug. Must be another Longtown, because this one ain't only a couple of miles from Gretna. :Doh:

& cheers Steve.
 

koffee

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Hi there all,

we're planning on leaving northern France (Montreuil) next weekend aiming for Portugal; I was thinking of the west coast route and then after San Sebastien hugging the northern Spanish coast right around to Vigo and then on into Portugal. Has anyone out there any experience of this route in January?

This is our first winter away so any advice would we warmly appreciated.

Sue

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JayDee

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Vigo and around about

We used to live in Vigo about 30 years ago, so our memories are not what you'd call current. Vigo was and still is a thriving city and there are lots of pretty places in Galicia that are worth a visit (at least there was then :RollEyes:).

Don't remember any snow or ice there at this time of year, but there was plenty of rain and wind - bit like the UK in November.

When we were there a stretch of the autopista from Vigo up to (eventually I guess) Santiago de Compostela was opened, which made part of the journey much easier. Santiago cathedral is I believe (never visited it in all the time we were there :Doh:) a sight worth seeing. The rias are really beautiful (if you can see through the rain).

We used to go down to Portugal every three months via Tuy and over the narrow iron bridge, which I imagine has been replaced ages ago, into Portugal at Valença, where we bought Portuguese bed linen, table linen, towels and such like, much cheaper than they were available in Vigo. Then Spain and Portugal joined the EU and prices skyrocketed - HoHum. Occasionally we went further down to Oporto, which is an interesting place. And Lisbon, which is where we used to take the ship for dry-docking, became one of my favourite European cities.

Not much help here, I'm afraid (sorry), but I hope you find my meandering memories of some interest. :Smile:


John
 
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koffee

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Thanks John,

your memories of the weather were what I had hoped to hear - would rather rain than snow!

We're planning on going right down the west coast of Portugal and then maybe across into Spain for Granada and other southern places.

Sue
 

JayDee

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Thanks John,

your memories of the weather were what I had hoped to hear - would rather rain than snow!

We're planning on going right down the west coast of Portugal and then maybe across into Spain for Granada and other southern places.

Sue

If you get the opportunity (and if it's open) while you're in the Lisbon area have a look at Sintra. Lisbon is well worth a visit, don't know anything about camping around there though.

Take some time out to explore Sevilla. The cathedral is a glorification of the wealth of the archbishop rather than a glorification to God, but is still pretty awesome. The Giralda is well worth the climb. The views over the city are spectacular. The Plaza de Espana is amazing.

Haven't 'done' Granada (yet).


Have a super trip


John

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