Bordeaux to Portugal (1 Viewer)

[colleen murphy]

Always get great advice from you Funsters so could you please provide some further help:
Presently north of Bordeaux but planning to now travel on down South. Got plenty of time so prefer to travel on non toll roads suitable for our large Fifth Wheeler rig. Plan to cross border and travel along the north coast of Spain into Portugal . Any advice regarding routes, aires and suitable campsites greatly appreciated.

 

[Yorick]

Pay the tolls to cross into Spain. It's horrendous otherwise.

 

[Hagstrom]

Lots of threads on here detailing how to avoid the tolls south of Bordeaux.

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[Speve]

Worth paying tolls around Biaritz area as roads are a nightmare for any larger vehicles

 

[shawn&emma]

Personally don't like the coastal route. Its a great drive from Bordeaux down through Langdon, Mont de Marsan, Orthez then over the Pyrenees to Pamplona from St-Jean-Pied-De-Port. All non toll and some great scenery.

Its a little slow going with a big set up, we've a 10m van towing car transporter trailer, we've traveled that route all times of the year and over the mountains hardly any traffic. We normally stop at the aire at Mont de Marsan and then go straight over and stay a few nights at the aire just out of Pamplona.

Which ever route you take have a great time.

Shawn

 

[PhilandMena]

I would advise staying on the A63 toll road for the last 3 toll booths and crossing the border on the toll road and staying on the AP-1 toll road until the A 15. All non toll from there.

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[rosalan]

As you have a large rig, you may be a little restricted in your choice of routes into Spain.
The road from St John Pied de Port has several tight hairpin bends which are fine in my 7.2 metre fixed body. Further south is a long free tunnel. The Spanish side is fine but several blind hairpins on the French side, make this uncomfortable for many drivers, although large trucks use this route. As mentioned above, the main roads in the region of San Sebastian would certainly be my first choice with a fifth wheeler. Your SatNav should be able to find a route avoiding tolls.
I am not sure whether you can use Motorhome Aires but Vitoria and Burgos both have good reasons architecturally to visit them.
If you stay in northern Spain, the weather can be depressing, with high rainfalls.
Install Camper Contact or Park4night both free without frills and the choices for stopping over are huge.
Good Luck!