Crossing the Pyrenees

[Viennese]

Has anyone crossed the Pyrenees using the Bielsa Tunnel? Or the Somport one? How was it? I was not aware there were so many tunnels linking France & Spain.
Many thanks

 

[tonka]

Somport used by MANY of us
Have a look on youtube as there are several videos. Spanish side is better for roads than the French side due to the terrain. Great drive.

Be aware in winter always check weather forecast, can be fine not far away but can change quickly.

 

[WillinFrance]

Crossed over many times using Bielsa Tunnel. All the tunnels and cols are open now.
Bielsa can be one way with caravans, camping cars and trucks, but all operated automaticly with traffic lights.
Really depends where you want to be in Spain.

 

[daveinspain]

Somport tunnel approach is good on the Spanish side, but the French side is narrow with overhanging rock and frequent large trucks who won´t slow down or give way!

 

[Viennese]

Crossed over many times using Bielsa Tunnel. All the tunnels and cols are open now.

Really depends where you want to be in Spain.

When do they open? We are hoping to cross mid-April next year. Too early?? We are heading for Zaragoza.

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[tonka]

When do they open? We are hoping to cross mid-April next year. Too early?? We are heading for Zaragoza.

If it's your first trip I would stick with the somport. It only closes in real bad weather.
April should be fine but you never know, find a good weather app / website and just check when you get south of Bordeaux. If it does look dodgy then you can stick to the main route and go down and cross at Irun. 99% April will be ok dont worry about it. There will be some funsters coming back that way after their winter breaks so you can get more info nearer the time.

 

[olley]

Went through the Biesla a few years ago before it was one way controlled by lights, very glad we only met cars coming the other way.

 

[Viennese]

If it's your first trip I would stick with the somport. It only closes in real bad weather.
April should be fine but you never know, find a good weather app / website and just check when you get south of Bordeaux. If it does look dodgy then you can stick to the main route and go down and cross at Irun. 99% April will be ok dont worry about it. There will be some funsters coming back that way after their winter breaks so you can get more info nearer the time.

It's our first attempt at crossing the Pyrenees, have usually gone round by the coastal route before. That is SO helpful, thanks very much Tonka, that is really helpful.

 

[GPW]

I went through one of them last July, possibly the Bielsa, it was about 8km long IIRC.
We weren't aiming for it but had a slight navigation anomaly and thought it was a tiny one until it went on and on and I noticed the distance marker signs.

Then suddenly we were in Spain. On that trip I learned that it was VITAL never to use Google maps for navigating, but to get a good paper map and stick to the roads you want, there are no short cuts in the Pyrenees, just endless half paved twisty turny roads that are a challenge even in a decent small car (which we were in), let alone a camper, and you will end up either stuck or wild camping when you run out of diesel.

 

[olley]

I went through one of them last July, possibly the Bielsa, it was about 8km long IIRC.
We weren't aiming for it but had a slight navigation anomaly and thought it was a tiny one until it went on and on and I noticed the distance marker signs.

Then suddenly we were in Spain. On that trip I learned that it was VITAL never to use Google maps for navigating, but to get a good paper map and stick to the roads you want, there are no short cuts in the Pyrenees, just endless half paved twisty turny roads that are a challenge even in a decent small car (which we were in), let alone a camper, and you will end up either stuck or wild camping when you run out of diesel.

Sorry that's just scaremongering we went through the beisla in a 30' 9 ton RV without any trouble.

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[Lenny HB]

Used the Biesla for our trip down to Spain in Feb & back in March. A great route through the Pyrenees, good roads, the tunnel is one way traffic light controlled. Will certainly go that way again.
French side ½ m before the tunnel.

 

[GPW]

Sorry that's just scaremongering we went through the beisla in a 30' 9 ton RV without any trouble.

Not really, it's just reading comprehension

The tunnel was easy, but the reason we ended up there was trying to avoid the tortuous roads that Google Maps put us onto when I should have stuck with the roads on our paper map.

 

[WillinFrance]

When do they open? We are hoping to cross mid-April next year. Too early?? We are heading for Zaragoza.

Bielsa Tunnel is open all year, only closes when conditions are really bad, but well signposted on route. Also look on the website, it gives you the current road and tunnel conditions.

Consorcio Túnel Bielsa-Aragnouet

www.bielsa-aragnouet.org

 

[Viennese]

Thanks very helpful, from a logical route point of view Bielsa would be our choice.

 

[gus-lopez]

When do they open? We are hoping to cross mid-April next year. Too early?? We are heading for Zaragoza.

They are open all the time. Only shut due to excessive snow conditions in winter withe the Bielsa being the one likely to be closed longer. Som port I used twice last week & in decent weather or a lovely sunny day I'll go over the top as it barely adds 30 minutes to the time.
Som port is an 8km top quality tunnel. As already stated the spanish side is top quality single &dual carriageway where as the French side is the original 2 lane road , all the way down to Oloron-St.-Marie, but to make up for that the scenery is absolutely stunning. Plenty of places along there to stop/overnight if needed.If it is a decent day you can spend hours watching the eagles.
I always use it from spain in to France coing up from Huesca via Jaca ,som port then all the way up to Langon & the set sat nav fro Cadillac as that ensures you won't end up on the last part of the toll to get to the Bordeaux ring road & also when I join the ring road it is anti clock wose for a shortish distance before exiting on the Paris/Angouleme dual carriageway.

To be honest I hope the French manage to continue to block the proposed E7 which is muted for there. You only have to experience what has been lost with the new road farther on, on the spanish side through the Mon Repos to appreciate what has been lost. Yes it is far, far faster but the spanish to french route is now tunnels & the glorious views have all been lost. Admittedly the return from France is on bridges,in the open & they have incorporated a picnic area & viewing point at the top which still gives stunning views.
Yes as some have stated it is a bit tight once you get to Bedous& on alongside the reopened railway & the trucks don't hang about BUT , they stay on their own side of the road. They aren't stupid , or I've never met one, on the few one way corners.& at the end of the day it is far ,far better than it was even only 5 years ago.

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[GPW]

A really nice place to cross involves going over to La Pierre Saint Martin:

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.com

Then down the NA-137 into Camping Asolaze.

Check the weather first, it's all dry and sunny in July. La Pierre is closed and useless IME - it's just a route marker, Asolaze has a great restaurant and bar (but the biggest van I saw there was a T6, I'm sure a 6m Ducato would be fine but no idea about larger stuff getting there). No phone signal there for me on 02. You can view the route on Streetview anyway.

Stay on the 'main' roads like the NA-137, D132 or D113, do not allow Google Maps to take you on any minor roads as you will regret it.

 

[busby]

When do they open? We are hoping to cross mid-April next year. Too early?? We are eading for Zaragoza.

I crossed at Bielsa in late April this year.Very scenic ,,plenty of snow on the mountains but roads clear.BUSBY.

 

[Taran_Las]

I've driven the Somport tunnel. It's just over 8 kms long. As I hate claustrophobic tunnels I found it hard work driving for such a distance with my eyes closed