East or west end of Pyrenees to get to Mediterranean coast Spain S of Barcelona?

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BarumMike

Joined
May 30, 2021
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Devon, UK
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81,606
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C class motorhome
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I'm a newbie
Thanks for all the very helpful replies to my post about night stops getting from Dieppe to the Pyrenees.
Next decisions are which end of the Pyrenees to cross by into Spain aiming for the Mediterranean coast south of Barcelona? We fancy visiting Amposta and the Ebro delta mentioned in Lenny HB's thread "Lenny's search for winter sun", and then heading down the coast. I believe that using any of the tunnels would now require us to carry snow chains (winter tires regulations in France). Irun-Pamplona-Zaragossa seems one option. The alternative is Perpignan, past the eastern end of the Pyrenees and along the Spanish Med coast. Any advice welcome, including stops.
Do we need to worry about security (Barcelona doesn't have a good reputation)?

We will have two e-biles on the back.

Thanks in anticipation.
 
Despite the expense of the tolls along the med stretch of France. I prefer this longer route. I like the resorts just over the border in Spain.
 
Eastern route for us. Weather should be kinder to you this time of year. Crossing northern Spain in Winter could be nasty. We stop 3 times from the channel tunnel to Benicassim using the A20:
Stopping at;
1.Camping Car park at Dreux
2.Camping Montreal at St Germaines Les Belles (open all year)
3.Any of the Camping carparks around Toulouse or Carcassonne.
Had only 1 potential incident... a UK car driver claiming the old " I've been robbed in Barcelona, passports and wallet stolen, can you help me... " at a fuel station. A firm NO and he was off in a cloud of exhaust fumes. We carry 2 electric bikes as well on rear rack. Two locks..one alarmed, and we never leave the van unattended when we stop whilst travelling on the motorways
 
Due to the size of our rig, our preferred choice is now to cross France to the med via Carcassonne and cross the Pyrenees on the Eastern side. It's longer but easier for us. We've done the Irun-Zaragossa climb many times and its and absolute swine for us being so heavy. Very picturesque in good weather but tough for large rigs and 5vers. Most m/homes will be fine though.
Did the Somport once as visiting a relative near Pau. NEVER again with this set up. thought my gearbox was gonna explode!
The eastern crossing is by far the gentler route. Another benefit is that you spend far less time at altitude in the winter.

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We crossed the border a week or so ago at the Mediterranean end, nice warm, easy drive with good stopovers. As already stated, no tolls apart from a very short stretch near Alicante.
We normally use the Irun / Zaragoza route but it can get a bit wintery to say the least.😀
 
BarumMike said:
Thanks for all the very helpful replies to my post about night stops getting from Dieppe to the Pyrenees.
Next decisions are which end of the Pyrenees to cross by into Spain aiming for the Mediterranean coast south of Barcelona? We fancy visiting Amposta and the Ebro delta mentioned in Lenny HB's thread "Lenny's search for winter sun", and then heading down the coast. I believe that using any of the tunnels would now require us to carry snow chains (winter tires regulations in France). Irun-Pamplona-Zaragossa seems one option. The alternative is Perpignan, past the eastern end of the Pyrenees and along the Spanish Med coast. Any advice welcome, including stops.
Do we need to worry about security (Barcelona doesn't have a good reputation)?

We will have two e-biles on the back.

Thanks in anticipation.
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I don't think you need chains as long as you have tyres with the snowflake on.

Regarding routes it really depends where you want to go and it's helpful to check the forecast.

We always think it's a shame not to do a bit of sightseeing en route, so in December we stopped at Nonancourt and Cahors ( we love Cahors, had a nice sunny but cold morning, the market is superb)
We then crossed using the E9 and stopped at a nice aire at Gironella.
Going back we re planning on going via Somport but will check the weather first. Where we stop will depend on how we feel. Don't forget to fill with water first.
 
The French law regarding winter tyres is not being inforced until next winter.

Central routes over the Pyrenees are much nicer.

The Atlantic end from Baritz the coast road is a nightmare loads of small towns with 30kmh limits, paying a few Euro for the Autoroute is worth it (did Lenny really say that).

Last October we went via the Med on the coast road now that's quite a hairy road.
Came back in November via the Somport tunnel, not a route I would do by choice just convenient from where we were in Spain, roads on the French side are grim & loads of lorries.
We prefer the Aragnouet to Bielsa tunnel, nice route good roads and hardly any lorries.

Has to be a really bad winter for the routes over the Pyrenees not to be clear, we have winter tyres & snow chains, never used the chains and not needed the winter tyres.

Aragnouet to Bielsa tunnel route 3 years ago in February.

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If we leave north devon 8 o’clock Saturday morning, we cross on the channel tunnel mid afternoon, first night stop is nonancourt. Next day we travel non toll to chatereaux, then join dual carriageway way, non toll and toll, to toulouse, then overnight at montrejeau. Then t day we travel via viehla, and arrive in Benicarlo around 4pm Monday

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Steve devon said:
If we leave north devon 8 o’clock Saturday morning, we cross on the channel tunnel mid afternoon, first night stop is nonancourt. Next day we travel non toll to chatereaux, then join dual carriageway way, non toll and toll, to toulouse, then overnight at montrejeau. Then t day we travel via viehla, and arrive in Benicarlo around 4pm Monday
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Thanks Steve and other replies. Really useful and love photos Lenny.

Steve, it looks a great route. I struggled to find "Viehla"and then twigged it was a typo for Vielha. The road is the French D33/N125, Spanish N-230 south from Montrejeau past Vielha on the Spanish side. It doesn't look too high but may be in the zone for the French winter tyre regulaions. These "will not be enforced" this winter. Am I right it is within the zone, and can I get away without winter tyres or chains this winter without being turned back by the fuzz? Assuming weather is kind.

I will research other suggestions.
 
BarumMike said:
may be in the zone for the French winter tyre regulaions. These "will not be enforced" this winter. Am I right it is within the zone, and can I get away without winter tyres or chains this winter without being turned back by the fuzz? Assuming weather is kind.
Click to expand...
Yes OK but if there is heavy snow they can turn you back or make you wait until the road is clear.
You just need to check the weather forecast regularly.
 
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We did this yesterday but I wouldn’t recommend it. Stunning scenery but we were lucky with the lack of snow and traffic.
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If I go down through Barcelona I always prefer to use the ring road motorway that runs along the coast passing the Olympic yacht marina rather than the second ring road motorway the opposite side of the centre of the city. I think the lanes are narrower and busier on that one.
 
Thought i had our route sorted now worried about taking zaragoza route from camping larrouleta to benicassim after seeing other posts. If i take madrid route will i avoid the moutsinous roads as travelling in jan eek! Or should i do toulouse carcassonne route. Thanks nervous first timer abroad with mhome in winter. 7.5m.

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I personally have never done it in winter but plan to do so soon. I know the route well from Larrouleta and go Irun, Pamplona Zaragoza and the Valencia. You’d go north to Benicassim or south towards Benidorm.

The route via Madrid is well away from Benicassim and is more likely to suffer from snow as it is higher mountains
 
Thanks yea im gonna stick with this route from larrouletta. I found an aire yest in camalocha spain, near a castle cant now find it any ideas pls 🤔
 
This seems a good argument to use the Santander ferry and skip all this. Especially when the French insist on winter tyres.

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Thinking about coming north from barcelona towards Toulouse on the E9. Will there be snow and ice now?
 

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