Winter Sun - First trip (1 Viewer)

johnson56

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Hi
Recently joined so first posting.
Not new to a motorhome however not travelled abroad with our van only camping many years ago.
Any suggestions where we could go to for a 15 - 18 day trip to get some winter sun. My wife suffers from Rheumatoid Arthritis & the damp weather in the UK is bad for her health so a trip overseas where its a lot warmer would help a lot. Suggestions on ferry crossings & routes would be appreciated. Would it be feasible to travel within the 15 - 18 days?

Many thanks.
 

TerryL

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If it's winter, i.e. Jan/Feb, sun you're after, generally you'll need to get to southern Spain. It is doable in your timescale but to avoid hours of driving you should really look at a ferry to Santander/Bilbao then you've only 2 days to drive south. Spanish motorways are generally very good and a toll free route is easy enough to find - been a couple of posts recently.
 
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LAM

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:cooler: Havn't done the journey yet (planned for next year), but the journey down to Southern Spain can be driven in a day from Bilbao via motorway

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Judge Mental

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I am guessing you are still working and time restricted... If so I would negotiate for a longer holiday ....

I can get down to Benidorm in 2 days...but still would not consider it for just a few weeks. Tend to go for 6 weeks at a time but last year only had a month..it was fine had a great time and returned relaxed and suntanned, but considering fuel and tunnel cost I would not consider it for a shorter period. I dont think you wife will feel the health benefit with such a short visit anyway...Sorry

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jaykay

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This is interesting, and also surprising. I am a newbie so have no experience of motorhoming abroad.

I would have thought with four days driving each way, ten days relaxing in the sun would be well worth it. Unfortunately I will be looking for holidays of this duration next year as I still have many years of working full time.
According to google, Calais to Benidorm is 16 hrs driving so four days seems reasonable?
 
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I certainly would not like to do it in 16hrs I would agree 4hrs per day more than enough and it's nice to look at the scenery sometimes.:party2:
 
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bobandjanie

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Hi, anything is do able, its down to cost, when I worked 2 or 3 weeks was great, even then it was Christmas flights expencive accommodation expencive and so on. :)

When you have all the time in the world, things are different, and the longer you stay the cheaper it becomes, :D the other thing is, they call it winter sun !
But in the 5 months we had last year we had
2 full days of rain and 13 nights when it rained, in the month we have been here its raining today and might be tomorrow............. But it could rain the whole time your here. :cry:
But the odds change over a longer period, but then you could have wonderful weather like most years, our daughter comes out in January let's hope its nice. (y)

I would say the costa blanca is far enough, but the sites were full last year, the site we are on is full January and anything like last year until the end of March. :eek:

Only you can decide. (y) Bob and Janie.
 
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Judge Mental

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What do you mean?

what am I supposed to do for the other 18 hours in the day X 4 in a cold and desolate France/northern spain? Have left here on a monday and been swimming in the pool wednesday lunchtime. Really see no sense in hanging around in winter......not talking about in season touring here..just a run to the sun?

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jaykay

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what am I supposed to do for the other 18 hours in the day X 4 in a cold and desolate France/northern spain? Have left here on a monday and been swimming in the pool wednesday lunchtime. Really see no sense in hanging around in winter......not talking about in season touring here..just a run to the sun?

I see now, thanks. I thought you were suggesting that 4 hours driving was to much! I guess its easy to just drive as long as you feel like it and then stop. I am looking forward to having that sort of freedom :)
 
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Judge Mental

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I see now, thanks. I thought you were suggesting that 4 hours driving was to much! I guess its easy to just drive as long as you feel like it and then stop. I am looking forward to having that sort of freedom :)

my take on it is this. I drive all morning as long as I can with the odd coffee break. stop for a proper lunch break. drive on until feeling I have had enough. find somewhere convenient to stay via sat nav. preferably near civilisation so I can spend a few hours drinking and eating to get over the trials of the day..get a good nights sleep. Basically the sooner I can get there the better in winter..

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Last March we had 21 days to get to Manilva near Gibralter, we never used any toll roads and visited friends in Montpon on the way through.

We visited Pamplona for a morning, and then stopped at Zaragoza but did not visit. We then drove all the way to Gibralter and had 6 days followed by 3 nights at carhenga and 2 nights at Benidorm.

Are we doing this again "yes'. But with the following exceptions,
1 ferry to Santander and drive to beni.

2. Min 1 mth .
 
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Aug 18, 2011
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This is interesting, and also surprising. I am a newbie so have no experience of motorhoming abroad.

I would have thought with four days driving each way, ten days relaxing in the sun would be well worth it. Unfortunately I will be looking for holidays of this duration next year as I still have many years of working full time.
According to google, Calais to Benidorm is 16 hrs driving so four days seems reasonable?
Being as its about 1300 miles from Calais to Benidorm thats some driving. I would imagine with a motorhome 3 days would be glogging it a bit.I to am riddled with R.A. Been doing Spain in van for eleven years now and what a difference the Med climate makes to me. I was on sticks eleven years ago,,,can cycle and walk for miles now. Mind you we are out for over half the year. BUSBY:)
 
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Ed Excel

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We booked to Santander last January, trying to avoid snow in France on previous trips. Turned out to be wishful thinking. The BofB was upside down so the ferry only went as far as St Malo. However, running down the West coast probably kept us out of any bad weather. And, if you need to be there quickly, St Malo to Cartagena took two days, using motorways where available.

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Just a couple of hours on an aircraft pick a car at the airport and you have all the freedom you could desire. Sorted...........;)
 
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I look at anything less than 800kms /day as I'm not making progress. :LOL:

Did that for 40 years week in week out. Prefer to take it easy now, relax and smell the daisies ...Enjoy the journey and finish the day as relaxed as when it started. BUSBY:)

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PORKSTER

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unfortunatly not everyone has months on end to travel I went for 3 weeks and had great time on way home I enjoyed the days and traveled from tea time to midnight worked for us.
 
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