Driving to Spain for the 1st time!

[Mauramac]

Not too sure if this is the best place to start this query but here goes.
Recently we have been wondering how easy/hard it would be to drive down to Spain in our small camper with our 2 dogs.
Never been further than UK before (mainly because of the dogs) but we both miss our holidays in Southern Spain and have been pondering buying a little place out there to spend the winter months.

This is all just speculation at the moment and we would probably rent a property for a while to see if we enjoyed it or not before leaping in and buying.

Firstly though we have to know from experienced people all the pro's and cons of driving that sort of distance.
We only have a small camper - day van which we had converted to our spec by Poplar Motors. We don't sleep in it but it has full toilet, fridge, hob & sink. We have a small gated off area in back for the dogs when we are in transit. Storage is OK but not massive. We would want to make the journey to Spain comfortable not rushed and have opportunity to have as many stop overs on the way as needed staying overnight in dog friendly accommodation along the way.

So does anyone do it this way or do you all sleep in your MH's? What are the best routes to take and places to avoid. Is there any advantage in taking the ferry to Santander (hubby not keen ) but might consider it. Lots more questions but that will do to start with ha ha.

Love to hear from anyone who does this regularly.
Maura x

 

[magicsurfbus]

Main disadvantage of a ferry mile for mile is cost, but if you want to take in the sights anyway what's the point of bypassing France?

If you don't sleep in your van it rules out aires, which would be your cheapest overnight option in France. You might take a look at Municipale camping sites in France, which are local authority run with basic facilities and tend to be less costly than privately-owned sites with all the trimmings. There's also the ACSI discount card scheme.

Toll roads are quicker and generally easier to drive, but there's the added expense.

Petrol (like here) is cheaper in French supermarkets than at Autoroute service stations.

 

[Speve]

We drive down every year with our two dogs we use aires through France and Spain and the occasional campsite if we want a longer stop it’s all part of the winter break for us we leave end of November and go home end of March or sometimes stay even longer just go with the flow.
The problem with ferries is the more direct ones have dog friendly cabins but they are like hens teeth very hard to get and I believe it’s one dog per cabin, so we opt for tunnel and drive and enjoy the scenery.

 

[Mauramac]

Thanks so much for your quick reply and some great info there. I agree about missing out of the sights and would like to think we could take in some of the sights on the way. I guess we just haven't got our heads around that need to get to the destination asap mode but it will come. Not too worried about costs on the way as comfort is our main priority these days. What is it like getting decent accommodation along the way when you have 2 little dogs in tow? You know how tough it is here in UK but we have absolutely no experience of travelling through France and Spain with pets.

 

[PhilandMena]

This will help with your routes and keep your costs to a minimum.
Dover- Calais is the cheapest way to cross. Murcia region of Spain for this time of year. Weather wise nothing to gain moving further south until March onwards.
Go for it! It will be an adventure if nothing else.

Firstly, routes and route maps for France and Spain. This first link is an award winning database about France. It’s big and with a host of information on best routes to many locations. I have selected the famous N10 route from Calais to Irun which is used by many motorhomes when travelling to Spain. It’s almost Toll free (more on that a little later) and almost all duel carriageway from start to finish with the exception of about 100 K. This route is great for motorhomes small, medium and large. Note: (HGV’s are not allowed on French roads, Sunday’s, so plan your journey over a weekend if possible).

https://about-france.com/tourism/no-tolls-routes.htm

Tolls: We avoid the toll road from Calais to Abbeville and save 12.50 Euros. The non-toll route is quite scenic and fairly straight forward, between Boulogne-sur-Mer and Abbeville.

At Abbeville, join the A28 and cross the river Sein at Rouen. We take the second exit immediately after crossing the bridge (about 50 m past the first exit at the end of the bridge), swing down and under the bridge you have just crossed and continue on this road and join the A13 motorway until the N154 which takes you down to Evreux. (Note: there are a number of different options for getting through Rouen and no doubt other members will have their own preferences. We find this very straight forward on both outward and return legs). Approaching Tours on the D910 join the A10 toll road at Jct. 19 and exit at Jct. 23. This will take you through the city via the toll road, (about 2.50 euros). At Jct. 23 take the exit lane for Montbazon which returns you to the D910. (Reverse for the return leg). That’s the last toll to pay until you hit the bottom of the A63 after Bordeaux.

To save toll fares on the A63 south of Bordeaux please read the route recommendations in the above link. Do not come off the A63 near the bottom as all roads will be heavily congested and it’s worth paying the last few tolls. (Fuel costs approx. €126.72. (Based on 1056 K @10K per Ltr. @€1.20 per ltr. 3.5T motorhome)). This route is also recommended during winter, due to its proximity to the Atlantic ocean, which means little to no problems with ice and or snow, unlike using the A75 to cross the Massif Central. Although the A75 is quickly cleared, it is advisable to have winter tyres fitted and there may be some small delays due to snow ploughs clearing this route.

If heading to the Mediterranean side of Spain, it’s worth taking the N121-A to Pamplona after crossing the Spanish boarder on the A63 at Irun. It’s clearly sign posted (Large white sign) about 300 m after passing through the last toll booth and crossing the river. You will find more details in this link for the N121-A and how to navigate Spain toll free.

https://about-spain.net/travel/no-tolls.htm

If you decide to pay Tolls in order to save time getting to Spain, your best route options are in this link.

https://about-france.com/tourism/routes-to-spain.htm

Should you choose to plan your own routes anywhere in Europe and also establish Toll costs, (or toll free costs) use this link. Under route options, select caravan then select toll roads. Toll costs for a class 2 motorhome will be calculated for the whole journey. You can also choose Non toll routes and other options. This is currently one of the best online free route planers.

https://www.viamichelin.co.uk/

As for stop overs on routes, you can’t go wrong using the App below which is free but I would recommend getting the paid version for about £6.00 which you can then use off line. You will find numerous places to stop along the above route and I have deliberately not made any recommendations so drivers can make their own choices. This app is also brilliant for finding other places too and highly rated by many users.

https://www.campercontact.com/en/content/app

There is another popular app/website that is used which you may also find useful if you’re doing a lot of wilding and looking for free overnight stops. It too is used by many motor homers in Europe. Get the paid version to use off line for around £9.00

https://www.park4night.com/

Finally, probably the best off line maps ‘App’ and used by many. It also includes a sat-nav function which is quite good and can also be used off line. Again many motor homers use this, especially in Morocco.

Broken Link Removed

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[treetops1]

Hi Mauramac traveling through France and Spain is easy . The main thing is to get you pet passports sorted which includes rabies injection .The difference for yourselves It is a hard three days to get southern Spain depending where you live,which takes much longer with animals ,you need to take probable a lot longer if you have sight seeing in mind .you also need ample room for you dogs bearing in mind they will still spend a long time caged up during your travelling. I am sure once you sort out the legistics you will find all the roads are all good and the best routes are all laid out on the forum .Welcome to motorhome fun and enjoy lol.

 

[EX51SSS]

 

[Dilbert]

Hiya if you're not sleeping in the van most hotel chains take dogs .we have done it many times by car and never had a problem. Formula one, Accor , campanile chains all good for mutts. Maps and apps available online or paper maps from the channel tunnel terminal or services we used to do Calais to montelimar, stop at the Accor there and on to Alicante the next day about 1000 miles in total using toll roads. I've a van now so take our time and stay off the toll roads. I find it easy taking dogs via the tunnel no checks going out go into pet control on the way back after vet check for worming tablets. Vets a lot more expensive the nearer you get to Calais. Happy travels!

 

[mikebeaches]

It looks as though you live in Kent, so you're very well placed to use the Eurotunnel. And it is probably the dog-friendliest way to get to the continent.

Looking at hotel chains, like Accor, is a good idea, as suggested.

It's also well worth using one of the big on-line agents for easy accommodation research such as https://www.booking.com

But we mostly use Hotels.com: Broken Link Removed because every 10th night that is booked, you get a free night! You can build up the ten nights all at different individual places or, two nights here and three nights there etc. Very flexible and easy to compare prices.

If you see somewhere you like and the price is right, but you can't see any reference to whether dogs are accepted, just google the individual property and email the question - then you can make the booking through the online agency.

Good luck with your travels!

Oh, and I nearly forgot -