Spain 31st December (1 Viewer)

[pinkie]

Dear All,

Poppy, myself and the labradoodle will be arriving in Northern Spain at lunchtime of the 31st December at Gijon.

We would like to take the coastal route down Spain to Algeciras for the ferry across to Morocco, no time limit really, but expecting to take up to 7 days I guess.

Has anyone got any ideas of a good stopping place a few hours distance from Gijon, I'm in an old Hymer, so won't be travelling fast!!!

Also, are any funsters going to be in Spain at that time 31st -7th Jan say, I don't really fancy Barcelona (I know plenty of you are somewhere but not sure where). So we can plan to stop en-route at campsites to say hello, as haven't met anyone yet.

Really looking for any recommendations of good places to stop en-route.

Thanks! (Oh and "ho ho ho") Bah humbug!

 

[tonka]

From Gijon, looking at the map, it makes more sense to go straight down and be on the coast near Gibralter.. You could maybe see who is at Zahora as thats not far away,,

Ref Barcelona... I think you mean Benidorm and it makes little sense to track across to there..
Most that I know who are going to Morocco and staying at Benidorm will be heading down but wont be near the port until around the 12th.... We have an arranged meet up the 12th at Camping Bellavista.....

Have a browse on here for a stopover...
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[hilldweller]

Has anyone got any ideas of a good stopping place

Have you got the ACSI card ?
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You are never lost for a stopping place with that and at a discount at that time of year.

It makes no normal sense to go "the coastal route" from Giron. Might be pink sense though.

My route would be Leon Salamanca Caceres Saville Cadiz and call in at the FUN encampment at Zahora for a day or two.

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[sedge]

I think you may have underestimated how long it would take to get from the Atlantic to the Med coast? Viamichelin says it's 536 miles from Gijon to Barcelona, and takes 11.5 hours. Nearly 8 hours of that are on motorways so it will expect you to travel at 70 mph for those hours.

It's 2 days drive EASILY, not stopping anywhere really, except to eat and sleep.

 

[makems]

Expanding a bit on Brian's post:
If you haven't already done it get the "All The Aires Spain and Portugal" which has details of nearly all the following
There is a nice Aire in Leon by the river and a short walk for the centre of the city which is worth a day
There is an aire in Valladolid but if your van is over 7m you might struggle to fit in the parking so bays as it's really just a regular car park (parking charges apply).
Just before you get to Valladolid and just off the motorway is Palencia which has a perfectly good free aire and no problems for big rigs. Not much to see here but there is an Aldi, a Lidl and cheap diesel (ask at the Tourist office, they will tell you where the cheapest diesel is and it's literally round the corner from Aldi)
There is no aire at Salamanca. There is an ACSI campsite but it is quite a long way out of the city (which is worth a day or even two). There are however two free parking spots where you can stop overnight right in the center of the city. One is next to Lidl but has an awkward entrance (we drove in through the exit, it was much easier).N 40deg 57'27". W 5 deg 40'38"
The other place is easier to access but fewer spaces behind a church right by the river N 40deg 57'17" W 5 deg 40'4" Lovely place, Salamanca!
You won't be alone in either place, it's well known to the French and Dutch.
Cacares is another lovely place worth a stop. The church is famous for the storks nests on every buttress. The aire is small and usually busy but it's adjacent to a school and sports facilities and there is no problem spilling over onto the parking spaces next to the football pitch if the aire is full. This is another free one.
Depending how far you want to drive you might want to stop at Zafra where there is an aire that is ok for a night stop but not much to see.
In between Caceres and Zafra is Merida a simply wonderful place well worth a couple of days. The largest Roman ruins in Spain are here if you are into that sort of thing. Even if you aren't it is still mighty impressive. There are a couple of parking places that are in the new Aires book which we haven't visited yet. We found another parking place N 38deg 55'7". W 6deg 20'10" which is 11 euros a day.
In Seville there are a couple of aires in the book we usually stay at the one that is at the marina in Puerto Gelves just South of the city on the West Bank of the river. It's not ACSI but it's a bit cheaper than the usual ACSI rate anyway.
The beauty of this one is you can get a bus right outside the marina into Seville which is well worth seeing. You can easily spend a couple of days there.
From Seville it's an easy run down the motorway to Zahora where there will be plenty of Funsters. Don't bother trying to avoid the tolls on this stretch as it's only about 6 euros and saves you a lot of time driving through the numerous towns.
Hope that helps. We will be landing in Bilbao on the 9th Jan and will be running Straight down to Zahora stopping overnight at some of the above. We are planning to be at Algeciras on the 14th to cross to Morocco with the rest of the gang on the 15th.
Hopefully we will see you there.
Mike

 

[pinkie]

Thanks guys - clearly being blonde again - thank you for pointing it out!!!!

My first thought was to go straight down but then I wondered if I was missing too much, but that's given me some great info to work on, we shall travel straight down and I will start looking up places and planning a route.

I'm not an ACSI (or whatever it is!) member but will look into it now.

I can't wait to get going now. My gas on the van is all tested now, it was fine, so it seems everything is in order.

I've bought my Camping Morocco book and my Michelin Morocco map, and am waiting for my dog friendly Spain campsites book to arrive, oh and got my satnav that I've looked at and put down again!

Oh, so looking forward to some sunshine and warmth again!

Thanks!

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[busby]

Thanks guys - clearly being blonde again - thank you for pointing it out!!!!

My first thought was to go straight down but then I wondered if I was missing too much, but that's given me some great info to work on, we shall travel straight down and I will start looking up places and planning a route.

I'm not an ACSI (or whatever it is!) member but will look into it now.

I can't wait to get going now. My gas on the van is all tested now, it was fine, so it seems everything is in order.

I've bought my Camping Morocco book and my Michelin Morocco map, and am waiting for my dog friendly Spain campsites book to arrive, oh and got my satnav that I've looked at and put down again!

Oh, so looking forward to some sunshine and warmth again!

Thanks!

Go to Vacarious Books for your ACSI book and All the Aires in Spain and Portugal. BUSBY

 

[pinkie]

Now bought All the Aires France & Spain/Portugal and the ACSI card!

I must be ready! x

 

[makems]

Now bought All the Aires France & Spain/Portugal and the ACSI card!

I must be ready! x

You can't go wrong with that lot. We wouldn't be without them.

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