Calais To Spain Avoiding Expensive Tolls ? (1 Viewer)

Oct 1, 2013
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Normally we cruise down through France in the summer, but next week we want to zap down to the warmer weather a bit quicker :)

Just looked at Google maps and it's nearly 5 hours faster by using toll roads, but I'm a Yorkshireman ;)

Have any of you lovely folk got a route that maybe just takes in a couple of tolls round major traffic hotspots ?
I don't mind paying a few bob if it saves a load of hassle :)

Cheers :)
 

tonka

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@Yorick

See my route in the resources..
Time savers..
Use Toll between Boulogne and Abberville €12 but saves 30-40 mins.
Rouen. Once you come out the tunnels look for signs for Paris and Follow them to the A13. As you cross the river get ready for a tight right hand bend. From the A13 to Paris you will have a short bit of Toll rd as you shoot off for Evereux. It's only a few Euros 3/4 max (not used it for a while).
Tours to Poitiers is a slow stretch, big time saver here but no idea on cost as only done it in car. Come off at JN30 to rejoin N10 otherwise you will have a big toll charge,,, Almost all dual carriageway to Bordeaux.
Avoid rush hour at Bordeaux, it's as bad a Birmingham..
Use A63 to Irun, some new tolls 2 x €5.30 from memory plus more as you reach border.
Spanish tolls not as bad as France.

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Yorick
Oct 1, 2013
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WHOOSH......... Here I am..

@Yorick

See my route in the resources..
Time savers..
Use Toll between Boulogne and Abberville €12 but saves 30-40 mins.
Rouen. Once you come out the tunnels look for signs for Paris and Follow them to the A13. As you cross the river get ready for a tight right hand bend. From the A13 to Paris you will have a short bit of Toll rd as you shoot off for Evereux. It's only a few Euros 3/4 max (not used it for a while).
Tours to Poitiers is a slow stretch, big time saver here but no idea on cost as only done it in car. Come off at JN30 to rejoin N10 otherwise you will have a big toll charge,,, Almost all dual carriageway to Bordeaux.
Avoid rush hour at Bordeaux, it's as bad a Birmingham..
Use A63 to Irun, some new tolls 2 x €5.30 from memory plus more as you reach border.
Spanish tolls not as bad as France.
That is fantastic and just what I wanted.

But, maybe SWMBO wants to go to Barcelona - who can tell ? ;)

Is there a similar route down the east side of France ?
 
9

9526

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If you're going via Barcelona then follow Tonka's excellent route and after Chartres go on the A71 and A75 via Millau then follow signs for Perpignan/Barcelona

A few more tolls but it's quite hilly in central France and the D roads whilst fantastic for sightseeing are quite a bit slower.

It's only money ;)

I'm on @tonka s winter route 2nd week in January :party2:
 
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Yorick
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If you're going via Barcelona then follow Tonka's excellent route and after Chartres go on the A71 and A75 via Millau then follow signs for Perpignan/Barcelona

A few more tolls but it's quite hilly in central France and the D roads whilst fantastic for sightseeing are quite a bit slower.

It's only money ;)

I'm on @tonka s winter route 2nd week in January :party2:
Smashing :)

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Feb 9, 2008
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Gellyneck

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More than toes wet now!
Just pay the tolls you tight Yorkshire man. Tighter than two coats of paint!

You're lucky if you've actually seen a Yorkshire man putting a second coat on unless, of course, it was to save putting another lump of coal on the fire!:whistle::giggle:
But maybe he was trying to impress another local?:confused:
 
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Hagstrom

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Within 50 metres after crossing into Spain near San Sebastian, look for right turn off motorway onto the C121A towards Pamplona. Free dual carriageway up to the top of the Pyrenees, single after, on the way down to Pamplona.

I hear that the ACSI campsite at Haro doesn't close until the end of November.

The single carriageway road from Pamplona towards Tudela is as quick as the tolled AP15, beside it. Around Tudela, the free A68 is as quick as the AP68.

Come off at Magellon, taking the shorter way past Zaragoza, rejoining the free A23 near Carinena. Surface is a bit iffy at first but improves after a while. Truckers use this route because it saves 30 minutes. There's an Aire at Carinena or you can continue to Teruel and stay in the Dinopolis car park, quite safely. Supermarket and Diesel/LPG nextdoor.

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Hagstrom

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PS If you're going as far as Alicante or beyond past Murcia, you can avoid the tolled coastal AP7 motorway by taking the A7, inland towards Alcoy, stay overnight free at Ibi, in the aire. Very safe.
 
Jul 29, 2013
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Tolls in Spain are a lot less than France and IMO worth paying especially to avoid med coastal Costa del Sol etc
 

Charlie

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You may find these links helpful, particularly the N10 route via Bordeaux. You can also travel most of the A 63 Toll road south of Bordeaux for free by exiting at Jct 18 and rejoining at Jct 17. The N10 route is very popular and almost always snow free due to it's proximity to the Atlantic.

http://about-france.com/routes-from-calais.htm
http://about-spain.net/travel/map.htm

Safe Travels.

Any chance of a bit more detailed information on the snow free routes .. We hope to head down to Spain after the Christmas break but I don't think the long ferrys are an option. Not too bothered about dodging the tolls its the weather that concerns me !

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Feb 9, 2008
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Any chance of a bit more detailed information on the snow free routes .. We hope to head down to Spain after the Christmas break but I don't think the long ferrys are an option. Not too bothered about dodging the tolls its the weather that concerns me !
All the information you need is in the links I have provided. Look at the option of using some tolls to the south west of France and it is all mapped out for you. Same with Spanish link, it's all there again and gives you options of using tolls/non tolls across Spain. The French N10 route is on the Western side of France all the way down to the Spanish boarder at Irun and by the time you hit the Bordeaux area your into fairly good weather anyway.
If your really struggling to find the information come back to me and I'll spell it out in detail.
Safe Travels.
 
Feb 9, 2008
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Those costs plus the fuel make the Santander or Bilbao ferry look very attractive.
You could not be further from the truth! I suggest you look at that again. The total cost from Calais to Santander, using Toll routes is roughly €320 of which toll fares are about €150. Double that and your looking at around €650 return. Using Non toll routes in both directions would only cost around €250. I think the return ferry fare is around £600-800. A bit of a no brainier but it's down to personal preferences.
 
Feb 9, 2008
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Have used @tonka route planning and works a treat. These days no rush so no tolls.
A good route! It's the same as the N10 route as far as Bordeaux described in the link I posted earlier, with the exception of a couple of small toll fares to get round Rouen and through Tours. I use it every time then down the A63 which is probably the best way to get down to the Spanish boarder in winter due to the amount of traffic at the bottom end. Can be a bit of a nightmare if you go off it and only costs a few Euros at the bottom end anyway.
 

mustaphapint

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You could not be further from the truth! I suggest you look at that again. The total cost from Calais to Santander, using Toll routes is roughly €320 of which toll fares are about €150. Double that and your looking at around €650 return. Using Non toll routes in both directions would only cost around €250. I think the return ferry fare is around £600-800. A bit of a no brainier but it's down to personal preferences.
Return fare quoted at £550 for 7m long and 3m high with cabin both ways, including the Voyager club discount. Not a great deal in it really. As you say it's down to personal preference and also how quickly you want to get to Spain. Although I have enjoyed the cruise to Spain on several occasions I would probably choose in future with the MH to drive through France and avoid all the tolls.

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Feb 9, 2008
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QUOTE="mustaphapint, post: 1617232, member: 39344"]Return fare quoted at £550 for 7m long and 3m high with cabin both ways, including the Voyager club discount. Not a great deal in it really. As you say it's down to personal preference and also how quickly you want to get to Spain. Although I have enjoyed the cruise to Spain on several occasions I would probably choose in future with the MH to drive through France and avoid all the tolls.[/QUOTE]
That's less than I thought it would be but not aware what is involved in the Voyager club membership , I suspect it's not free and would add to the overall cost.
It's not worth avoiding all tolls costs and I'm going to cherry pick a page out of the about France .com website and post here so members can get a better understanding of options open to them. It's quite a big document to work through and I suspect some are put off by it's size or not able to find the relevant bits. Or not interested.
 
Feb 9, 2008
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That is fantastic and just what I wanted.

But, maybe SWMBO wants to go to Ba;)rcelona - who can tell ?

Is there a similar route down the east side of France ?

Any chance of a bit more detailed information on the snow free routes .. We hope to head down to Spain after the Christmas break but I don't think the long ferrys are an option. Not too bothered about dodging the tolls its the weather that concerns me !

I thought I would copy a relevant page from the 'about France' website that will provide more detail for members who are looking at various options. Not sure if the links in the page will work but if not you can get them from the link I previously posted. Bit of a long read but worth it IMO

ALL ROADS SOUTH LEAD TO SPAIN ......
There are four main routes south through France, and all of them lead to Spain.
They all include long stretches of toll motorway, but three out of four also include long sections of road that are not toll roads.
While it is of course possible to find a route south through France from Calais to the Spanish border avoiding all tolls, this is generally a pointless exercise except for very slow-moving vehicles, as it would involve hundreds of kilometres on slow road with numerous towns and villages to negotiate.

Routes to Mediterranean Spain:
Destinations : Barcelona, Valencia, the Spanish Costas from the Costa Brava to the Costa del Sol.
The Spanish border crossing is at le Perthus, south of Perpignan
Recommended routes: Distances from Calais to the Spanish border at Le Perthus
  • a) All motorway, avoiding Paris. : Leave Calais on the A 26 following signs for Reims. Then follow down through Reims, Troyes, Dijon, Lyon, Valence, Montpellier and Perpignan, to the Spanish border at Le Perthus.
    Distance: 1238 km Map, showing motorway hotels - Calais, Reims, Dijon, Lyon route
  • b) All motorway, via Paris. Leave Calais on the A 26 following signs for Reims. Then follow down through Paris, Orleans, Clermont Ferrand, Beziers, Perpignan. Motorway free from Clermont Ferrand to Béziers, except for toll on Millau viaduct.
    Distance: 1174 km Map, showing motorway hotels - Calais, Rouen, Orleans route
  • c) Mostly motorway, avoiding Paris. Leave Calais on the A 16 following signs for Abbeville. Then follow down through Rouen, Evreux, Chartres, Orleans, Clermont Ferrand, Beziers, Perpignan. Motorways free from Abbeville to Rouen, and Clermont Ferrand to Béziers, except for toll on Millau viaduct.
    Distance: 1172 km Map with hotels
  • d) The fastest route without any tolls: see To the Mediterranean without tolls Distance, a little over 1200 km. But it will take about 3 to 4 hours more driving than any of the other routes
Routes to northern and western Spain,
via southwest France.
Destinations : San Sebastian, Bilbao, Madrid, Portugal, Asturias, La Coruña .
The border crossing is at Irun.
Recommended routes
  • a) Fastest route - all motorway or dual carriageway except through Rouen. Leave Calais on the A 16 following signs for Abbeville. Then follow down through Rouen, Alençon, Le Mans, Tours, (or Rouen, Chartres, Orleans, Tours) and the A10 to Bordeaux, Bayonne and the Spanish border. See tolls and details below
    ► Map, showing motorway hotels on these routes
  • b) The fastest route without any tolls: see Calais to Bayonne / Irun without tolls Distance, about 1100 km. But it will be over 3 hours more driving than the motorway route
  • c) Alternative good routes - See tolls and details below
► For quiet B&Bs near A10 or A20, check out the B-and-B in Francewebsite.
► For nice places to stay in northern Spain, check Small hotels in Northern Spain
Map, showing motorway hotels on these routes

Savings on tolls: for cars, 53 € difference between the fastest and the cheapest routes: for camper vans the difference is about 85 €, and for HGVs and trucks, about 170 €.
NB: The shortest route..... Since the savings on fuel and on distance make the shortest route an attractive proposition for HGVs (trucks), it is not necessarily a route that is recommended for cars on weekdays. But HGVs are banned from the roads on Sundays in France, and there are far less of them on Saturdays. Routes 3 & 4 are recommended as offering a good balance between speed and toll costs.
 

Charlie

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I thought I would copy a relevant page from the 'about France' website that will provide more detail for members who are looking at various options. Not sure if the links in the page will work but if not you can get them from the link I previously posted. Bit of a long read but worth it IMO

ALL ROADS SOUTH LEAD TO SPAIN ......
There are four main routes south through France, and all of them lead to Spain.
They all include long stretches of toll motorway, but three out of four also include long sections of road that are not toll roads.
While it is of course possible to find a route south through France from Calais to the Spanish border avoiding all tolls, this is generally a pointless exercise except for very slow-moving vehicles, as it would involve hundreds of kilometres on slow road with numerous towns and villages to negotiate.

Routes to Mediterranean Spain:
Destinations : Barcelona, Valencia, the Spanish Costas from the Costa Brava to the Costa del Sol.
The Spanish border crossing is at le Perthus, south of Perpignan
Recommended routes: Distances from Calais to the Spanish border at Le Perthus
  • a) All motorway, avoiding Paris. : Leave Calais on the A 26 following signs for Reims. Then follow down through Reims, Troyes, Dijon, Lyon, Valence, Montpellier and Perpignan, to the Spanish border at Le Perthus.
    Distance: 1238 km Map, showing motorway hotels - Calais, Reims, Dijon, Lyon route
  • b) All motorway, via Paris. Leave Calais on the A 26 following signs for Reims. Then follow down through Paris, Orleans, Clermont Ferrand, Beziers, Perpignan. Motorway free from Clermont Ferrand to Béziers, except for toll on Millau viaduct.
    Distance: 1174 km Map, showing motorway hotels - Calais, Rouen, Orleans route
  • c) Mostly motorway, avoiding Paris. Leave Calais on the A 16 following signs for Abbeville. Then follow down through Rouen, Evreux, Chartres, Orleans, Clermont Ferrand, Beziers, Perpignan. Motorways free from Abbeville to Rouen, and Clermont Ferrand to Béziers, except for toll on Millau viaduct.
    Distance: 1172 km Map with hotels
  • d) The fastest route without any tolls: see To the Mediterranean without tolls Distance, a little over 1200 km. But it will take about 3 to 4 hours more driving than any of the other routes
Routes to northern and western Spain,
via southwest France.
Destinations : San Sebastian, Bilbao, Madrid, Portugal, Asturias, La Coruña .
The border crossing is at Irun.
Recommended routes
  • a) Fastest route - all motorway or dual carriageway except through Rouen. Leave Calais on the A 16 following signs for Abbeville. Then follow down through Rouen, Alençon, Le Mans, Tours, (or Rouen, Chartres, Orleans, Tours) and the A10 to Bordeaux, Bayonne and the Spanish border. See tolls and details below
    ► Map, showing motorway hotels on these routes
  • b) The fastest route without any tolls: see Calais to Bayonne / Irun without tolls Distance, about 1100 km. But it will be over 3 hours more driving than the motorway route
  • c) Alternative good routes - See tolls and details below
► For quiet B&Bs near A10 or A20, check out the B-and-B in Francewebsite.
► For nice places to stay in northern Spain, check Small hotels in Northern Spain
Map, showing motorway hotels on these routes

Savings on tolls: for cars, 53 € difference between the fastest and the cheapest routes: for camper vans the difference is about 85 €, and for HGVs and trucks, about 170 €.
NB: The shortest route..... Since the savings on fuel and on distance make the shortest route an attractive proposition for HGVs (trucks), it is not necessarily a route that is recommended for cars on weekdays. But HGVs are banned from the roads on Sundays in France, and there are far less of them on Saturdays. Routes 3 & 4 are recommended as offering a good balance between speed and toll costs.

Fantastic post !! Thank you ! Bookmarked !

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Sep 4, 2013
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Return fare quoted at £550 for 7m long and 3m high with cabin both ways, including the Voyager club discount. Not a great deal in it really. As you say it's down to personal preference and also how quickly you want to get to Spain. Although I have enjoyed the cruise to Spain on several occasions I would probably choose in future with the MH to drive through France and avoid all the tolls.

I think that you need to factor in the cost of travelling from the Northern coast of Spain to say Benidorm another 500+ miles and more if you are going further south. I agree totally with @PhilandMena and have done the drive down through France a few times now. We take our time and enjoy this part of the holiday and yet to come across any real bad weather. We even found 2 free aires on the way down with free electric to keep the van warm over night.

Colin
 

mustaphapint

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I think that you need to factor in the cost of travelling from the Northern coast of Spain to say Benidorm another 500+ miles and more if you are going further south. I agree totally with @PhilandMena and have done the drive down through France a few times now. We take our time and enjoy this part of the holiday and yet to come across any real bad weather. We even found 2 free aires on the way down with free electric to keep the van warm over night.

Colin
Actually I totally agree with you. As I've only ever used toll roads before on a motorbike or car and then very infrequently I was a bit taken aback by the cost of using them with a larger vehicle over such a distance. For those that want to use tolls all the way to save time I think the ferry is a very reasonable alternative. I do remember from biking trips that once in Spain there are often rural roads that shadow the motorways for a very long way with hardly any traffic on them. I would always prefer non-motorway roads and make the journey part of the trip, unless pushed for time.
 

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