First winter trip to Spain (1 Viewer)

Aug 4, 2013
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hi folks hoping you can help me, we are new to this aspect of motorhoming, we know we are one triangle short of a trip but could do with a bit more advice.:happy:

We would like to take extended winter trips going forward so this is intended to be a bit of a fact finding mission. We have travelled to the south of France and briefly into northern Spain a couple of times and stayed mostly on sites, just an odd night on larger Aires. We are planning on ferry to Santander /Bilbao to save some travel time (only got 2/3 weeks). We are thinking of then driving via Zaragoza down to Valencia, doing a loop down the bottom then North again from Cadiz / Seville,

We dont have snow chains or winter tyres and will check the weather inc bay of biscay as we go. Can anyone recommend any good sites / stopovers where there will be space / ok access we are 9.2 metres. We would like to visit Seville, Granada, Alhambra but we the coast / love outdoors too.

Hoping you can help and make our planning a bit easier. :smiley:
 
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Granjan
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Cheers @tonka ... I suppose I am hoping for some personal recommendations that have space.

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hilldweller

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Cheers @tonka ... I suppose I am hoping for some personal recommendations that have space.

Right now that varies minute by minute, the popular sites have been full since Dec.

There was plenty of room at Las Dunas, Puerto St Maria which is Cadiz as near as makes no difference. Great sherry town.

There is a campsite right in the middle of Granada, a bit tatty when we were there but can't beat the location next to the train/bus station.

Otherwise, you must have 2000 sites to try.
 
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Granjan
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Ok cheers @hilldweller , will keep scouring, I suppose I have no idea what to expect, just want a nice break and as little hassle as possible, the only time we stayed on a site in Spain before we were lucky to be able to squeeze on the pitch and that was with forward planning. :)
 
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Hagstrom

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If we're talking winter and not at Easter, (busy sites) then you hit an ASCI site at Haro after about 1.5 hours out of Bilbao; Dinopolis car park Teruel, A23, great to overnight in; free Aire at Ibi on the (inland) A7; Totana Camperstop, South of Murcia, just off A7; Los Escullos or Cabo de Gata ACSI sites, East of Almeria; Maria ASCI site, near Velez Blanco, off A92; Granada Beas ACSI site, A92; Antequera ACSI site A92; Olvera ACSI site; Dos Hermanas, Seville; which takes you nearly to Portugal, where I'd recommend the private Aire at Caldas de Monchique and maybe the Aire at Manta Rota, which would take the length but can be grotty if anywhere near full.

The only site I'd be nervous about, if it was well occupied, with a 9.2 metre van, would be Beas. As above, start with an ASCI membership and get the Spain/Portugal Aires Book from Vicarious Books. We never book in low season but don't often find ourselves on the coast, more the Parque Naturals.

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funflair

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Hi Granjan

We are currently in Spain at Granada after coming down from San Sebastián, last year we did the route Zaragosa to Valencia and then down the coast to Cartagena and then turned around and followed the coast up to the French border at Narbonne. This year we came straight down Spain from the San Sebastián we stopped at Palencia which is good for larger vans, we stopped at Salamanca which is just car parking but but we got 8.5 metres in no problem, we stopped at Seville which is no problem at Areas Autocaravanas, Córdoba no problem once you get in the car park entrance, the easiest way us 10 metres up the one way street Ooops, now in Campsite for Granada Reine Isobel which again you would get into and bus stop outside for Granada, Totana is great for outdoors walking/cycling or just doing nothing types and large vans no problem.

If you do the Pamplona Zaragosa route there are 100s of miles of nothing as you come over the top and I would happily stop in one of the service stations in the middle of nowhere. Nice campsite Camping Altomera at Navajas before you hit the coast near Valencia, the Camperstop at El Saler is good for big vans and a bus into Valencia.

We have really enjoyed the direct route to Andalusia compared to previous and would do this again, lovely drive Córdoba to Granada with snow on the hills and again nothing but olive trees and service areas you could stop at in the middle of nowhere.

You might get some ideas here. http://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/to-spain-without-tolls.123596/

Martin
 
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Hagstrom

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(Hi Martin/Jen, We have been at Totana for the last three weeks when there have been over 20 van's in every night! So if you're coming to Totana, best arrive before lunch to get a good spot. Moving off tomorrow. Sorry to hijack, GranJan.)
 
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funflair

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(Hi Martin/Jen, We have been at Totana for the last three weeks when there have been over 20 van's in every night! So if you're coming to Totana, best arrive before lunch to get a good spot. Moving off tomorrow. Sorry to hijack, GranJan.)

Cheers, nice to know it's busy, will try to get in early Wednesday most likely.

Martin

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Granjan
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If we're talking winter and not at Easter, (busy sites) then you hit an ASCI site at Haro after about 1.5 hours out of Bilbao; Dinopolis car park Teruel, A23, great to overnight in; free Aire at Ibi on the (inland) A7; Totana Camperstop, South of Murcia, just off A7; Los Escullos or Cabo de Gata ACSI sites, East of Almeria; Maria ASCI site, near Velez Blanco, off A92; Granada Beas ACSI site, A92; Antequera ACSI site A92; Olvera ACSI site; Dos Hermanas, Seville; which takes you nearly to Portugal, where I'd recommend the private Aire at Caldas de Monchique and maybe the Aire at Manta Rota, which would take the length but can be grotty if anywhere near full.

The only site I'd be nervous about, if it was well occupied, with a 9.2 metre van, would be Beas. As above, start with an ASCI membership and get the Spain/Portugal Aires Book from Vicarious Books. We never book in low season but don't often find ourselves on the coast, more the Parque Naturals.


Thank you very much for that we are asci members and I will order that book tonight. Great to have some starting points :)
 
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Granjan
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Hi Granjan

We are currently in Spain at Granada after coming down from San Sebastián, last year we did the route Zaragosa to Valencia and then down the coast to Cartagena and then turned around and followed the coast up to the French border at Narbonne. This year we came straight down Spain from the San Sebastián we stopped at Palencia which is good for larger vans, we stopped at Salamanca which is just car parking but but we got 8.5 metres in no problem, we stopped at Seville which is no problem at Areas Autocaravanas, Córdoba no problem once you get in the car park entrance, the easiest way us 10 metres up the one way street Ooops, now in Campsite for Granada Reine Isobel which again you would get into and bus stop outside for Granada, Totana is great for outdoors walking/cycling or just doing nothing types and large vans no problem.

If you do the Pamplona Zaragosa route there are 100s of miles of nothing as you come over the top and I would happily stop in one of the service stations in the middle of nowhere. Nice campsite Camping Altomera at Navajas before you hit the coast near Valencia, the Camperstop at El Saler is good for big vans and a bus into Valencia.

We have really enjoyed the direct route to Andalusia compared to previous and would do this again, lovely drive Córdoba to Granada with snow on the hills and again nothing but olive trees and service areas you could stop at in the middle of nowhere.

You might get some ideas here. http://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/to-spain-without-tolls.123596/

Martin

Cheers Martins, more great ideas thank you! Will study them all now.

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Granjan
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Valencia-South-Cadiz-Home! Are you gonna stop anywhere or drive for 3 weeks?

We usually stop 3 or 4 nights minimum each place so we have a chance to look around, cycle, kayak, etc. We have enjoyed the aires that we stayed at in France when in company of other vans, bit nervous to go it alone. We have been to southern Spain in hotels/apartments and hired cars but not been in winter or in motorhome. We would like to see some of the real Spain. :)
 
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funflair

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Hi @Granjan i think what @Boringfrog is trying to say is Spain is a BIG country and that you are trying to pack a lot into just 3 weeks, we have 6 weeks for the Spanish bit of the trip and are running out of time.

Martin
 
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jumar

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(Hi Martin/Jen, We have been at Totana for the last three weeks when there have been over 20 van's in every night! So if you're coming to Totana, best arrive before lunch to get a good spot. Moving off tomorrow. Sorry to hijack, GranJan.)
Totana Camperstop should soon start to quieten down, most of the Dutch visitors will be leaving if the past years are anything to go by.

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Granjan
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Hi @Granjan i think what @Boringfrog is trying to say is Spain is a BIG country and that you are trying to pack a lot into just 3 weeks, we have 6 weeks for the Spanish bit of the trip and are running out of time.

Martin

Unfortunately we dont have that much time available at the moment, the distance isnt a great worry to us since 24 hrs each way will be on the boat, we just want a sample trip really and then next year we will probably expand on that. We always enjoy the drives too. :)
 
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Eeyore

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Watch your arrival times in Spain when you book your ferry . Some boats arrive late and you might well not want to drive after dark. There are Aires at the marina, an easy 10 minutes from the port, in Santander and you can stay on the dockside at Bilbao. It is worth checking though as this would be effectively a wasted night.

Vitoria Gasteiz aire is a good one if you arrive early enough to drive for 2 hours but don't want to go as far as Zaragoza.

Carbaceno aire is also very pleasant, about 25 minutes out of Santander but not the easiest after dark.
 
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Granjan
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Thanks @Eeyore think you are right it will be evening when we arrive/disembark so we wont travel far that night. (y)

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Eeyore

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The coordinates for the new Santander marina aire are:

43.42780
-3.80511
Ctra al Puerto Deportivo
39600 Santander
Tel. +34 679 715 479

There is 6 amp EHU, clean water, and a drive over waste dump and cassette emptying point. No problem arriving or leaving at any time. It costs 6 Euros and you have to drive round to the marina offices ( worth doing for the magnificent views from their 360 deg windows) to pay. You can see the ferry arrive and depart from your pitch.

Follow the other passengers leaving the port. You will then join the S10 motorway ( to Bilbao) at junction 1. Leave it at junction 2 ( signed Puerto Deportivo) and the road loops under the motorway and then carry on along the waterside until you get to the Marina. The aire is right at the end and has signs. If you look at it on Google you will see the chandlers premises next door.

Quiet and very convenient.
 
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Eeyore

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hi folks hoping you can help me, we are new to this aspect of motorhoming, we know we are one triangle short of a trip but could do with a bit more advice.:happy:

We would like to take extended winter trips going forward so this is intended to be a bit of a fact finding mission. We have travelled to the south of France and briefly into northern Spain a couple of times and stayed mostly on sites, just an odd night on larger Aires. We are planning on ferry to Santander /Bilbao to save some travel time (only got 2/3 weeks). We are thinking of then driving via Zaragoza down to Valencia, doing a loop down the bottom then North again from Cadiz / Seville,

We dont have snow chains or winter tyres and will check the weather inc bay of biscay as we go. Can anyone recommend any good sites / stopovers where there will be space / ok access we are 9.2 metres. We would like to visit Seville, Granada, Alhambra but we the coast / love outdoors too.

Hoping you can help and make our planning a bit easier. :smiley:
 
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Eeyore

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Sorry, ignore above, poor WiFi...

If it were me I'd ignore southern Spain, which has packed and busy campsites and Aires in winter, and concentrate on the real glories of Spain while they are not full of tourists or hot enough to fry you.

Salamanca, Toledo ( where we were yesterday), Aranjuez, ( today,), Burgos, Segovia, Palencia, Santiago de Compostela, Evora, etc etc etc are all superb and should not be missed. Spain has some magnificent places and an astonishing history

It's usually cold but, in our experience, sunny and dry and, if you wrap up warm you can enjoy good food, wonderful sights and no crowds. Take your passport as many places allow free entry to EU passport holders and they now want to see passports rather than simply trusting you as they used to do.

As someone pointed out earlier: it's a huge country, with excellent roads but you don't want to spend your holiday driving.
 
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Granjan
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Cheers Eeyore I am looking at lots of links and taking screen shots, We will probably take your advice, I have ordered the Aires book and will will endeavour to take the trip as it comes and ramble a bit, we will just try to avoid the rain having lived in a wet cloud for much of the winter, bright dry and sunny sounds good.
 
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