Road /Weather conditions / Jan/ Feb / Driving to Spain ? (1 Viewer)

[Tony50]

Help please, driving from Calais to Spain

 

[funflair]

Unpredictable would sum it up I think, certainly be prepared for the worst and you should then be OK.

Martin

 

[monzer]

Any idea of the route you are taking? Or maybe which part of Spain you would like to pop in to first? You may find yourself climbing the Pyrenees on one route. This takes you very high over a long distance and once you have reached the top, it takes you down to sea level again over a very short distance.

I did it in my old van in January. Snow ploughs were out, fast lane was completely white. It's a bit scary and I did think of stopping till daylight in a small mountain town but I kept going and was glad when I got down the other side. I'm now actually glad I did it as it's a bit of an adventure to look back on.

I haven't done any other routes but I have read that staying more to the West is an easier drive.

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[Dogeared]

Went Calais to southern Spain in mid Jan this year, took about five days taking it easy in case the weather was awkward. Weather pretty good all the way, came back at the end of March, again weather reasonable. Just take it easy and prepare to take a day out.

 

[Tony50]

thinking going all the way down west coast of Spain down to America region never done it before in winter

 

[DavidG58]

thinking going all the way down west coast of Spain down to America region never done it before in winter

can I propose that your next purchase is an atlas

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[PhilandMena]

Here you go.
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

Tolls: 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, (€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) (Fuel costs approx. €147.84 (Based on 1056 K @10K per Ltr. @€1.40 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. Also here are Repsol fuel stations 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

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

Finally, for those looking for a data sim card for their ‘mifi’ unit or tablet (WiFi) this is the best deal in the UK and possibly the best deal in the whole of the E.U. at this moment in time. A massive 50GB of 4g data for only £30.00 a month on a monthly rolling contract. Cancel the contract after two months to get the full 3 months usage throughout the whole of the E.U. Other options also available.

(Tip!) (Go on their online webchat and ask them to confirm the contract starts when you activate the sim and if they agree (they did with me) keep a copy of the webchat that they will email to you, otherwise the contract will start from the day your order the sim card). After two months contact customer services by phone and cancel the contract by giving them 30 days’ notice. This prevents their fair play usage kicking in after 3 months and you paying through your nose for Wi-Fi. If they say the contract started from when you made the order contact the complaints number and they will honour the agreement made with the Chat agent! (UK number is 03333 041 524 (standard call charges apply, they will even call you back if you ask them and they are very helpful)). The Wi-Fi coverage is exceptional.

https://www.vodafone.co.uk/shop/bundles-and-sims/sim-only-data-bundles/

Vodaphone APN settings for an unlocked MiFi.

https://search.vodafone.co.uk/search?proxystylesheet=default_frontend&q=APN+settings&x=0&y=0

 

[busby]

Usually sunny down the coastal route,,,,,Thats why your going i presume,,BUSBY,,

 

[Mikeco]

Used to do Calais to La Manga by driving through France in January and always found it hard work.
Found out that the best way was.
Early morning ferry and drive to Camping Acacia just outside Tours
Then onto Camping Laroulette at St Jean de Luz
From there to Aranjuez just south of Madrid.
Personally I would ignore anyone who says take your time and use the N roads as that makes it even harder.
Nowadays we go Plymouth to Santander so much easier.

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[Tony50]

Here you go.
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

Tolls: 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, (€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) (Fuel costs approx. €147.84 (Based on 1056 K @10K per Ltr. @€1.40 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. Also here are Repsol fuel stations 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

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

Finally, for those looking for a data sim card for their ‘mifi’ unit or tablet (WiFi) this is the best deal in the UK and possibly the best deal in the whole of the E.U. at this moment in time. A massive 50GB of 4g data for only £30.00 a month on a monthly rolling contract. Cancel the contract after two months to get the full 3 months usage throughout the whole of the E.U. Other options also available.

(Tip!) (Go on their online webchat and ask them to confirm the contract starts when you activate the sim and if they agree (they did with me) keep a copy of the webchat that they will email to you, otherwise the contract will start from the day your order the sim card). After two months contact customer services by phone and cancel the contract by giving them 30 days’ notice. This prevents their fair play usage kicking in after 3 months and you paying through your nose for Wi-Fi. If they say the contract started from when you made the order contact the complaints number and they will honour the agreement made with the Chat agent! (UK number is 03333 041 524 (standard call charges apply, they will even call you back if you ask them and they are very helpful)). The Wi-Fi coverage is exceptional.

https://www.vodafone.co.uk/shop/bundles-and-sims/sim-only-data-bundles/


https://search.vodafone.co.uk/search?proxystylesheet=default_frontend&q=APN+settings&x=0&y=0

Thanks very much for the info and the time you spent putting the Info together, it's very much appreciated
Tony A.

 

[Northernraider]

I arrived in Spain this January via Portsmouth to Santander ....needless to say the day I arrived I was shocked to find loads of roads in Spain closed due to very heavy snow lol.

But they Spanish are certainly on the ball with clearing them and keeping them going because next morning I drove up through the mountains and over towards zaragozza

 

[EuroTrotters]

May I suggest you use my Brittany Ferries Discount and get 10% off a crossing to Spain?

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[Reallyretired]

We had snow going down last year in March.

 

[JockandRita]

In January this year, we saw snow everwhere when driving over the N135, but the road itself was clear.

We'll be heading down in December, keeping to @tonka's Western Route in Resources, almost the same as @PhilandMena's route.

Cheers,

Jock.

 

[Ivory55]

Sitting here planning your trip now it’s easy to forget that the day light hours are much shorter then. It’s a lot easier to find your stop over place in daylight .

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[tonka]

Sitting here planning your trip now it’s easy to forget that the day light hours are much shorter then. It’s a lot easier to find your stop over place in daylight .

A very valid point.
Also no cats eyes on the roads and the French don't seem to like paying for road lighting. So all adds up to make night driving a bit harder on the eyes.

 

[mart]

Drove down in February and had snow while dring over the hills around Barcelona . Not much fun at the time ,but good experience to look back on.

 

[MikeD]

Unpredictable would sum it up I think, certainly be prepared for the worst and you should then be OK.

Martin

As above be prepared for the worst. We crossed Spain in March this year in a huge snow storm. White out stuff, they dont have rescue areas on the motorways for no reason.

Either drive down west coast of France to the med and then travel down along the coast into Spain or as mentioned live with a possible rough Biscay trip and two days drive to the costa's.

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[busby]

Dont worry,,,hundreds of trucks use those roads every day..its not like UK where a couple of flakes of snow bring the whole country to a standstill,,,BUSBY,,

 

[gus-lopez]

Don't know why you are worrying about snow in January they Had it in Pais Vasco on my way to the Uk on the 14th May.

 

[jearing]

I'll be travelling down to spain in january via portsmouth to santander ferry, then driving to la manga day and a half to two day's driving, hope the weather is not to bad maybe see some funsters on route Ha ha

JOE

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[Nicepix]

thinking going all the way down west coast of Spain down to America region never done it before in winter

can I propose that your next purchase is an atlas

Or a better Spell Checker

 

[Tony50]

Or a better Spell Checker

Your a Funnnnnnnnnnnnny Funster ( not. )
Ref. for you in case the wine or something else is dulling one's brain Monday's Post should have read Almeria, apologies for my mistake.

 

[DavidG58]

Your a Funnnnnnnnnnnnny Funster ( not. )
Ref. for you in case the wine or something else is dulling one's brain Monday's Post should have read Almeria, apologies for my mistake.

It was the 'west' coast of Spain that I had spotted

enjoy your journey and the planning

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