places to visit Santander to Barcelona

[RebeccaKristy]

Hi all, we are hoping to get the ferry to Santander, July 05. It is eye wateringly expensive! But living in Cornwall is a nightmare, as a drive to Folkestone, or even Portsmouth is a real chore on these Bristish roads.
My question is regarding the route to Barcelona. Where is worth visiting, and stopping for a while? Which routes would you all take? We are on a tiny budget (due to high ferry costs) hoping to stay in stopovers as much as possible. Will be taking at least a week to do it, then some time in Barcelona and up through the Pyrenees! Should mention that we have the kids with us (6 and 9).

Thanks

 

[hilldweller]

There is a game reservation a short drive from one of the ports. Used as a first stop by many. Can't remember the name but this might jog someone's memory.

Usually it's just a one stop run to the coast, stopping a night in Zaragozza.

 

[sallylillian]

Hi all, we are hoping to get the ferry to Santander, July 05. It is eye wateringly expensive! But living in Cornwall is a nightmare, as a drive to Folkestone, or even Portsmouth is a real chore on these Bristish roads.
My question is regarding the route to Barcelona. Where is worth visiting, and stopping for a while? Which routes would you all take? We are on a tiny budget (due to high ferry costs) hoping to stay in stopovers as much as possible. Will be taking at least a week to do it, then some time in Barcelona and up through the Pyrenees! Should mention that we have the kids with us (6 and 9).

Thanks

It is expensive, we travel from Cornwall too but Plymouth is such an easy run to on a Sunday morning and if you are on the Pont Aven, it has a great restaurant, and we just look at it as a night in a hotel with benifits! Have a good crossing.

 

[RebeccaKristy]

Have a good crossing.

Thank you, I guess you know how bloody far the other crossing are. Can't pay with Tesco points though which is a real bummer! my son gets travel sick, is the crossing usually ok?

 

[RebeccaKristy]

Usually it's just a one stop run to the coast,

I have never been to Spain, want to see a bit of it, but not sure if there is anything to see there!

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[sallylillian]

Thank you, I guess you know how bloody far the other crossing are. Can't pay with Tesco points though which is a real bummer! my son gets travel sick, is the crossing usually ok?

It is all down to the weather in Biscay, which has its bad moments, however the Pont Aven is a large ship and takes the sea well. If your son has issues get some proprietry pills of some description and take them whilst in the ferry queue, not once it starts to get rolly, also have ginger biscuits on hand, the ginger helps.

 

[sedge]

I have never been to Spain, want to see a bit of it, but not sure if there is anything to see there!

You jest! Mountains, plains, green fields, brown scree, eagles, kiss me kwik resorts (complete with English Breakfasts Roast Dinners and Fish and chips, oh - forgot - and curry LOL) - Moorish architecture, amazing history, fantastic rivers and lakes, fab beaches, huge cities, tiny hamlets - skiing water skiing shooting futbol sunbathing swimming fishing walking hiking - Irish bars, bodegas - it's a huge place with everything from Paella Western filmsets to palm forests to new high security prisons.

Plus good food, good wine and sunshine.

Not all that much there at all really .....

 

[hilldweller]

I have never been to Spain, want to see a bit of it, but not sure if there is anything to see there!

There are some fine sights in Spain but nothing spectacular between the port and Barcelona bar the rugged scenery which won't impress the kids.

I've ridden through Barcelona once and blasted past many times so know little of it apart from what I pick up on here. There is the Gaudi architecture of course and the must see street Las Ramblas ? Which because of it being must see is well equipped with pickpockets.

Just south is the delightful town of Peniscola. Has a simple cheap aire and campsites. Glorious beaches.

That ferry is a very expensive, have you considered going to Caen ? Then Brittany. Great for kids.

 

[DBK]

Have a read of the first part of my blog (the B by my name on the left) which covers the bit from Santander into the Pyrenees. Coming back from Barcelona (not sure why you want to go there with small children!) you might get some ideas from this account of a cycle ride I did east to west along the Pyrenees last year.
https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/Spain2014

If you are going to the Pyrenees find time to visit the Ordesa national park and probably the most striking place in terms of scenery anywhere in Spain.

The Spanish love kids so you should be fine. My suggestion would be to drive slowly, there are things to see in almost every village.

July the 6th is the start of the fiesta in Pamplona where they run bulls through the streets. The fiesta goes on until the 14th but I suspect every camping pitch will be full. Something the kids would remember though. "Mummy, when does Daddy get out of hospital?"

We are going back next month and will probably do an east/west traverse of the Pyrenees if the weather is good. I'll write it up on here and it should be ready the week before you leave!

This website and app look good for stopovers: http://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/campercontact-new-website-soon.104003/
Plus the aires book from Vicarious of course although compared to France the country is almost as bad as the UK for lack of aires.

 

[hilldweller]

which has its bad moments

Oh boy yes. We were waiting and it was announced boarding is delayed because the ship has not yet arrived. What got off were Martians, well by the light of the fluorescents their skin had a green tinge. But we got on and had a good but boring crossing.

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[MikeandCarolyn]

There is a game reservation a short drive from one of the ports. Used as a first stop by many. Can't remember the name but this might jog someone's memory.

Usually it's just a one stop run to the coast, stopping a night in Zaragozza.

think that's Cabarceno-It's a free Aire in off season,you can hear the elephants and see them without paying to go into the reservation.
At night egrets roost in the trees around the lake.

 

[sedge]

The safari park aire is west of Santander, not sure you'd want to go particularly west from Santander? There is a resort JUST west (cheek by jowl) called Santillana - fantastic beach. You could go on the mway all the way via Zaragoza, but I just slapped from S to B avoiding motorways and it took me via Pamplona and then a windy (that's a road with bends LOL) route to Lleida which you'd go past anyway on the motorway. ISTR from years ago that Jaca wasn't bad. And as I can't be bothered to check the map, does that route take you through Huerca?

Is Tibidabo still an attraction in Barcelona? We had a smashing day up there, again years ago. Funicular up and down.

 

[hilldweller]

think that's Cabarceno-It's a free Aire in off season,you can hear the elephants and see them without paying to go into the reservation.
At night egrets roost in the trees around the lake.

Well spotted.....

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Ca...&sspn=3.019866,5.509644&oq=Cabarceno&t=m&z=15

 

[RebeccaKristy]

You jest! Mountains, plains, green fields, brown scree, eagles, kiss me kwik resorts

I just meant between these destinations!

hink that's Cabarceno-It's a free Aire in off season

Oh my book said free all year, how much is it in season do you know?

Barcelona (not sure why you want to go there with small children!

Why? Want to bore them with some fine art and architecture, but is it too crowded or something?

 

[MikeandCarolyn]

I just meant between these destinations!


Oh my book said free all year, how much is it in season do you know?


Why? Want to bore them with some fine art and architecture, but is it too crowded or something?

Ah-we weren't sure about it being free all yr.
If you want fine art and architecture you could have a look at the Guggenheim in Bilbao
I think Barcelona is suffering from being a World Heritage site now.
Parc Guell was free 1st time we went 9yrs ago,in Oct last yr all the best bits were roped off and you had to buy 'Timed tickets'
On the plus side Casa Battlo was open so we did that.
Spent hours just strolling the Ramblas and enjoying tapas in several bars
The Opera building was worth seeing-we also found a museum of erotica (but guess it's not for your youngsters)

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[DBK]

I'm sure you will be fine, cities not really my thing other than in small doses. http://travelmamas.com/the-best-worst-of-barcelona-with-kids/

 

[Waves]

Here is a few
Broken Link Removed Cabarceno Have stopped there very good


not been to this

http://www.campercontact.com/en/spain/valencia-03-12-46/morella/6516/motorhome-parking-parking.aspx Been here very good

http://www.campercontact.com/en/spa...15389/motorhome-parking-stop-go-la-volta.aspx Been here Very good

Have a good trip I am off to Santander on April 5th and return from Roscoff on the day you go

John

 

[Momo]

This is the route I'd take from Santander to Barcelona:

Santander Docks to Laredo (Beach)
Laredo to Castro Urdiales (Beach and great food!)
C. Urdiales to Bilbao (Guggenheim? Tapas on Siete Calles? No beach but fabulous barbecued Sardines in Santurce!)
Bilbao to Orio (Stop and have barbecued fish to die for! Beach.)
Orio to San Sebastian (Fabulous city with great beach & tapas)
San Sebastian to Fuenterabia (now called Hondaribia) and have tapas on the main street which is fantastic. Last day on beach).
Hondaribia to Pamplona. (Inland. Running of the bulls!)
Pamplona to Jaca or Huesca.
Huesca to Lleida.
Lleida to wherever in Barcelona.

Aires & Parking info:

https://sites.google.com/site/acactivoguia/home

From Santander to Hondaribia is my favourite coast! Bear in mind also that July will be quite hot (30ºC +/-) so the children will probably be wanting to swim before you go inland to Pamplona!

Whatever you decide enjoy yourselves!

 

[DBK]

This is the route I'd take from Santander to Barcelona:

Santander Docks to Laredo (Beach)
Laredo to Castro Urdiales (Beach and great food!)
C. Urdiales to Bilbao (Guggenheim? Tapas on Siete Calles? No beach but fabulous barbecued Sardines in Santurce!)
Bilbao to Orio (Stop and have barbecued fish to die for! Beach.)
Orio to San Sebastian (Fabulous city with great beach & tapas)
San Sebastian to Fuenterabia (now called Hondaribia) and have tapas on the main street which is fantastic. Last day on beach).
Hondaribia to Pamplona. (Inland. Running of the bulls!)
Pamplona to Jaca or Huesca.
Huesca to Lleida.
Lleida to wherever in Barcelona.

Aires & Parking info:

https://sites.google.com/site/acactivoguia/home

From Santander to Hondaribia is my favourite coast! Bear in mind also that July will be quite hot (30ºC +/-) so the children will probably be wanting to swim before you go inland to Pamplona!

Whatever you decide enjoy yourselves!

Many thanks for that, I may do that in reverse, well anticlockwise, not actually in reverse gear!

 

[RebeccaKristy]

From Santander to Hondaribia is my favourite coast! Bear in mind also that July will be quite hot (30ºC +/-) so the children will probably be wanting to swim before you go inland to Pamplona!

That sounds good. Why is it your favourite? Any advice on budget? Street tapas sounds fabulous!!! Can you give me a guide price for that for my budget?

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[hilldweller]

From Santander to Hondaribia is my favourite coast!

I hope you've carried on a bit. Biarritz is a sight not to be missed and has a nice aire though a bit out of town.

 

[magicsurfbus]

West of Santander on the coast near Vidiago you've got Camping La Paz which has a lovely unspoilt beach. (43.399667, -4.653172)

You've also got Altamira where they've made a life-sized replica of the prehistoric caves where some of the oldest human art in Europe was discovered. (43.377721, -4.122036)

At Sopelana to the east you've got a straightforward campsite near to a big sandy beach. (43.389407, -2.985880)

I agree with hilldweller about Biarritz - worth a look if you've got the time, and three aires around the edges, with good bus services into the centre. Our favourite aire is Anglet, next to the beach.

If your kids like Theme Parks there's Port Aventura just south of Barcelona near Tarragona.

Barcelona itself can get bloody hot in summer and isn't very pedestrian friendly as there's a lot of traffic buzzing around. It's great if you're into Gaudi's architecture, and the Sagrada Familia cathedral is a must-see. Parc Guell might hold some interest for youngsters as well. Also unusual is Poble Espanyol which is all sorts of traditional Spanish buildings put into one compound, like an open air museum. Personally speaking the above two Gaudi spots were enough for me and I didn't feel the need to go traipsing round in the heat looking for others.

If you need a break from the city, Sitges just down the coast is quite pleasant. We based ourselves on a campsite there and got the bus into Barcelona each morning.

We've also used a campsite in a refreshingly green patch of Spain on the coast near Figueres called Camping Nautic Almata (42.205262, 3.105752)

If you're planning on looking at the French side of the eastern Pyrenees, Collioure is quite pleasant, with an aire above the town and a free shuttle bus up and down the hill. Also Lagrasse - they allow campers to stop overnight in a grassy car park near the river.

 

[RebeccaKristy]

You've also got Altamira where they've made a life-sized replica of the prehistoric caves where some of the oldest human art in Europe was discovered. (43.377721, -4.122036)

That is the exact kind of thing worth seeing. The kids would really get it! Good advice re where to stay outside of Barcelona, we could have one day on and one day off that way. Are the Aires you are talking of free/cheap? I've not done this before and don't really trust that we can just rock-up and stay somewhere. The comments you have made are REALLY helpful thank you.

 

[magicsurfbus]

If your younger child is in a state primary school the Altamira cave will be great place to visit - they have to do Prehistory in KS2.

Are the Aires you are talking of free/cheap? I've not done this before and don't really trust that we can just rock-up and stay somewhere. The comments you have made are REALLY helpful thank you.

I understand your initial mistrust of the aire system but it's alien to the UK - in France and elsewhere it's a well-established fact of motorhoming life, God bless them.

The aires we used were all in France - we haven't used any in Spain yet but they are there, and the arrangement is similar. They range from what are basically overnight tarmac car parks through to designated MH areas tacked onto campsites complete with grassy pitches and access to some (but not all) of the facilities. Most aires have a bit of nearby grass for sitting outside on, but it's generally expected that you don't spread all your gear out.

The aires around Biarritz are all the same price, a few euros per day, and you buy a ticket from a machine. The aire at Lagrasse turned out to be free as no-one came to collect any fees, and I don't recall Collioure being extravagant, even with the shuttle bus thrown in. Most aires are still less than 10 Euros a night.

As you're going in July you'll begin to hit the summer crowds, so you'd be best off going for medium-sized to large aires rather than those offering 12 or fewer pitches. Aim to arrive mid-morning when the daily turnover is highest, and for obvious reasons you'll find weekends busier, so plan around that. It's always worth having a back up aire or campsite in mind in case you can't get in but we've rarely had to revert to that and most of our earlier French trips were in July-August, before we retired. Most campsites have a steady turnover of campers so you can usually get in without a booking if you arrive in good time. There are municipal campsites in Spain as well as in France - local authority run and usually a bit cheaper.

My personal aire Bible is http://www.campingcar-infos.com/Francais/recherche.php - others prefer the Vicarious books series, which are written in English. The CCI site I've linked to offers free SatNav files for all the aires (best downloaded close to when you set off) and a free phone App.

For more aire info check the links in my signature below.

 

[sedge]

Collioure is very very nice, and you need that shuttle, it's one hell of a hill.

But ISTR the aire wasn't what you could call cheap - and it was absolutely packed when we went last September. Should think you'd need a shoehorn in the school hols !

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[MattR]

Olot for volcanic scenery and Figures for the Salvador Dali museum - on your way to the Pyrenees from Barcelona.

 

[Peter & Elaine]

Well spotted.....

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Ca...&sspn=3.019866,5.509644&oq=Cabarceno&t=m&z=15

I can recomend cabarceno park we called in last year for one night and stayed for 3 days the wild life park is good we went round in van from opening to closing the park is safe no animals running free if you do go in try to get in early and go watch the bears breakfast it's like bacon butty time at a fun rally

The aires has water and waste dump and a couple of restaurants in village 2 minutes walk away
The parking area is around a lake with some nice walking treks around
Good place to start or end your journey

 

[Momo]

I hope you've carried on a bit. Biarritz is a sight not to be missed and has a nice aire though a bit out of town.

Yes, we lived in Guetxo in 1970-72 and in Hondaribia 1972-1974. I had a poodle in those days and every 3-4 weeks I used to take him to Biarritz for a trim! No groomers in Spain in those days! Another really nice place, close by, is San Juan de Luz which is also worth a visit.

 

[hilldweller]

close by, is San Juan de Luz which is also worth a visit.

Nice campsite too with easy biking to the lovely harbour.

 

[Momo]

That sounds good. Why is it your favourite? Any advice on budget? Street tapas sounds fabulous!!! Can you give me a guide price for that for my budget?

Why is it my favourite coast? As mentioned, we lived just outside Bilbao (17 kms) in Guetxo as my husband was the head civil engineer on the construction of the University at Lejona. We should have been there a minimum of 10 years but every time a part of the Uni was finished, ETA used to go in and blow it up! So Franco decided to halt the project! It did get finished eventually and now the ETA prisoners all take their degrees through this Uni! Obviously, living there we had lots of opportunities to explore.

One of the main attractions for me is that it is so lush - lots of green countryside and trees similar to UK - but with better weather! It also has a very rugged coastline not unsimilar to the West of Ireland. Vizcaya (Bilbao) and Guipuzcoa (San Sebastian) are very well known for food. The best food in Spain! Even the French say so and at the weekend it is full of French who come over just to eat! We had some of the best Tapas in Hondaribia and they were not expensive. The Summer is quite short too (for Spain!) - I remember it was 6-8 weeks at the most - July/August - but even then you would get a few showers which they call "chirimia"!

A Funster mentioned the Sopalana beach - it is a lovely beach and if you don't like sand there is lots of grass where you can sunbathe. The sea can be cold even in the Summer (not like the Med!) with lots of waves which keep you warm! The only thing is that on reaching Santurce you would have to cross the River over to Las Arenas (Guetxo) which in my time meant taking the Transborder across - don't know if they built a bridge yet - and it's a short drive from there and well sign-posted.

Motorhomes can park on the carpark in Hondaribia but it's quite expensive according to the Spaniards! I'll check it out.

Do you have a need to travel across to Barcelona? If not you can cross over into France at Irun which is 5 minutes away from Hondaribia and explore some of the French Basque Country which is also well worth a visit.

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