Heading to Portugal in December - route to Faro (1 Viewer)

[Nethernut]

we are planning in heading to Portugal in mid December. Thought we would head to Faro and then wander round and up for a couple of months. We don't do toll roads, can anyone recommend a good route? Assume we drive down west coast of France into Spain, then wondered if the route via Salamanca is viable in winter?

 

[Funnymunny]

We have done the trip to Portugal 8 times in the past 11 years, mostly in January going down and March back.
We head down through Rouen, Chartes then the N10 all the way down to Bordeaux. There are a few places where it pays to pay the toll, around Tours for a short distance then from Bordeaux down into Spain.

From then on you can avoid the two sections of tolls if you want but the first section to Vitoria Gasteiz will cost you as much in fuel as the 12 euros or so it will cost you to stay on and then the section near Burgos is about 12 euros which you can avoid. From then on down past Salamanca and Caceres to the Algarve is all free motorway.

The route is good at any time of year, if there is any risk of snow then the snow ploughs will be out waiting at the side of the road unlike in Britain where you don't see them until a week after. We have only ever had a snow shower going up over Beja and that was no problem.

We did get bad snow in March 2 years ago when waiting for the return ferry in Gravelines but luckily were at the ferry terminal.

RD

 

[Nethernut]

Thanks, very helpful.

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[camperstop messines]

Reply from Funnymunny is spot on.

But the "Rota de la Plata" all the way to Seville is soooo boring. Whenever we go back north visiting relatives we go off the "Ruta" at Caceres into Portugal via Evora, Beja, Algarve. Lovely scenery, time difference to the route via Seville is negligible. Also, you don´t have to use a lot of the horrendous EN125 from the E/PT border to Faro.

 

[Sundowners]

If you have the time use the country roads, we never pay tolls and we see the real France, Spain and Portugal, and drive slow enough to enjoy our surroundings and hopefully meet some local people.

 

[glastry]

So much agree with Sundowners,we end up on toll roads only by default (relaxed navigation practice's).
If travelling in the really cold season,we have
gone directly from Salamanca over to Aveiro,which is
Usually an easy drive and often feels like having gone from cold weather to a bit of heat.
The run down the west coast is magic and off season we found the parking easy.That said,it can be very windy and in some places a wee bit of
careful parking is sometimes needed to avoid being sand blasted.
Parking overnight in rural Portugal has generally been good for us,and very relaxed.Given the opportunity we have often asked the local police about overnight parking ,and have seldom been refused.
That said, as most of us know_nothing stays the same and in many ways that is good.Places where winter parking was previously tolerated can overnight become unavailable,and we must adapt to this.
There is a perception that many 'recognised' parking places are being ruined by people who stay for weeks and sometimes months in one place, and this may well be the case.This year the 'french' vans are more numerous and have been blamed for getting people moved on in many cases.
I would say that nationality is largely irrelevant and that we all
must learn to keep moving,and to respect the generosity that is still available in so many places.
This of course does not apply to the folks who like to stay on a site, and is aimed at new vanners,who like us,just a few short years ago,wished there was some relevant advice available.

Drive, park ,live,Move on,motorhoming.
(Now where did I cog that from)

Just rolling along.

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[glastry]

Not a correction,as such. Just to say that Sometimes the
Toll road can make very good sense,particularly after a
Trying day with the sat nav, and also if you like driving in French fields when it's been raining,I can strongly recommend rear wheel drive. O ____it where's the map.

 

[JJ]

Drive, Park, Live, Move On, Motorhoming.
(Now where did I cog that from)

Just rolling along.

Oi!


JJ

 

[PhilandMena]

I have put some links in the resources section you may find useful.
Safe Travels.

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