How Long to Drive from Calais into Spain

Tiny

Tiny

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Just wondering how long, in days, it takes others to drive (sensible speed and drive hours) from Calais into Spain. Want to plan a trip in new year, will have approx. 5 to 6 weeks.

Want to avoid toll motorways. Any thoughts on good routes and stopovers/ aires etc.
 
4 days makes a relaxed trip, we don't really plan if we find somewhere nice we stop for the nice.
The A75 south of Clemont Ferrand is free and some nice stops just off the route.
Have a look at my last trip, top link in my signature.
 
Depends where in Spain but it’s around 1200 miles to somewhere like Murcia in the South East so decide on how many miles you like to do in a day
Its 4 days travel for us in Winter although some one will say a day and a half is enough.
 
Tiny said:
Just wondering how long, in days, it takes others to drive (sensible speed and drive hours) from Calais into Spain. Want to plan a trip in new year, will have approx. 5 to 6 weeks.

Want to avoid toll motorways. Any thoughts on good routes and stopovers/ aires etc.
Click to expand...
Calais A16-A28-N10-A63 misses most of the Tolls...
Do the Spanish Border @ Irun in 2 Days 675 Mls....stay the Night half way at Naintre Aire...stay @ Larroulata Campsite just before the Border... same again down to South Coast 2 Days via Zaragoza...Nice Aire Halfway ish @ Carinena...
 
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Calais to Spain is about 1,000 Km. Give or take a few. Takes between 11-14 Hrs depending on route.
Here's you route below. Choose the minimal toll option.

Firstly, routes and route maps for France and Spain. This first link is an award winning database about France. It has 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

Fuel & Toll costs. For a class 2 Motorhome. Calais – Irun. Toll = €153.80 Fuel €158.11 Based on 1083 K @10K per Ltr. @€1.46 per ltr. 3.5T motor-home). N10 Calais - Irun. Using partial Toll = €11.50. Fuel €154.17 Based on 1056 K @10K per Ltr. @€1.46 per ltr

Tolls: Avoid the toll road from Calais to Abbeville and save 13.20 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, (€1.80). 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. (From Jct 6 €8.90 in total). 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. Also near here, cheap fuel with easy access (https://www.fuelflash.eu/en/alcampo...rcial-txingudi-zona-araso_b_-ventas-80-33301/) and shopping opportunities. 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



A popular app/website. Used by many and worth taking out the small subscription. Loads of up to date reviews here too.

https://www.searchforsites.co.uk/


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/

One of the best off line MAP ‘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.
 
All depends on the weather.
If you are leaving say January at our darkest month with no festivities.
I would go across France heading to Irun.
Route is Rouen, tours, Poitiers,Bordeaux.
Can do it all toll free, we tend to pay at the beginning to Abbeville, and at the end into Spain.
We use Mapme App to plot the route and place stopping spots on the map Enroute .
We tend to get up at 6 am drive, stop,drive, stop,drive ,stop and then at the overnight for 4/5 pm, have a walk around, earlyish night and repeat.
we-have got to Beasain in Spain on the second Day.
From there it’s easy roads to Seville and the Algarve.
which is an easy Two Days.
we Don’t shop en route, ( maybe for wine and bread 😀) but just for the journey.
The very best time we did this route was between Christmas and the new year.
The worst was a Head wind all the way from Lockerbie to Malaga, used 25% more fuel, but on a dead line to meet up with our daughter and family having a year out.
our opinion is head south and follow spring back.

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Jays2 said:
We tend to get up at 6 am drive, stop,drive, stop,drive ,stop and then at the overnight for 4/5 pm, have a walk around, earlyish night and repeat.
Click to expand...
He did say sensible speeds and drive time, that's flipping loony.
 
It’s just how we do it, not looney speeds, national speed kept to, pre-prepared food for 6 days in the fridge.
Just cook the rice/ pasta from dried.
Just to clarify, we do this drive to get to the better weather and the extra 2 hours of daylight that driving south gives us.
We did this in reverse, as I am sure many of us did March /April 2020!
 
Lenny HB said:
4 days makes a relaxed trip, we don't really plan if we find somewhere nice we stop for the nice.
The A75 south of Clemont Ferrand is free and some nice stops just off the route.
Have a look at my last trip, top link in my signature.
Click to expand...
Lenny HB has it spot on.
Four days of easy driving, leaving time to find a decent aire and have an explore in the area you arrive in.

As a very rough guide I have often advised folk on 'a river a day'.
Day 1. Channel/Calais down to the River Seine.
Day 2. Seine to the Loire.
Day 3. Loire to Dordogne/Lot.
Day 4. To the Med. :cool:(y)

Richard.
 
bobnick said:
Many years ago i once did Calais to Alicante in 19 hours. Never again.
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Similar here in a Sprinter,6.00 am start Gibraltar to Saintes, following day, 7.00am start reached Leeds Yorkshire 4.00pm.
That was 14 years ago and l thought nothing of it but wouldn’t consider it now.

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Littlewheels said:
Similar here in a Sprinter,6.00 am start Gibraltar to Saintes, following day, 7.00am start reached Leeds Yorkshire 4.00pm.
That was 14 years ago and l thought nothing of it but wouldn’t consider it now.
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I was in a Citroen Relay.
 
Clarky said:
Lenny HB has it spot on.
Four days of easy driving, leaving time to find a decent aire and have an explore in the area you arrive in.

As a very rough guide I have often advised folk on 'a river a day'.
Day 1. Channel/Calais down to the River Seine.
Day 2. Seine to the Loire.
Day 3. Loire to Dordogne/Lot.
Day 4. To the Med. :cool:(y)

Richard.
Click to expand...
Trouble with exploring this time of year is, its Bloo*y Freezing in France :(
 
4 days to Benidorm for us.
1st stop Chartres aire
2nd stop La Surprise aire (free water)
3rd stop Le Boulou aire
4th stop BENIDORM! 🤩

Just the first and last drives are a bit extreme, the last drive was 8 hours non stop, apart from a diesel stop .

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Richard n Ann said:
4 days to Benidorm for us.
1st stop Chartres aire
2nd stop La Surprise aire (free water)
3rd stop Le Boulou aire
4th stop BENIDORM! 🤩

Just the first and last drives are a bit extreme, the last drive was 8 hours non stop, apart from a diesel stop .
Click to expand...
I spotted the flaw in your plan - there isn't an Aire at Chartres.:LOL:
 
Lenny HB said:
I spotted the flaw in your plan - there isn't an Aire at Chartres.:LOL:
Click to expand...
Whatever this is then 🤣

Screenshot_20211130-114639_Maps.jpg
 
Lenny HB said:
It's a car park, last time we stopped there we were woken up at 5am by loads of French oldies meeting for a coach trip, talking in very loud voices outside our van.
Click to expand...
Bonus. We need to be up and driving 😊
There were a few other vans there and of course someone parked right next to us 🙄

20210901_142918.jpg
 

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