Spain Or Portugal ?

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MotorhomersRus

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Carthago E Line
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Hi Folks
We're currently on the Marbou Aire in France :))
So what do you all recommend
Spain or Portugal
We have never been to either so a novice on these countries
We fancy both and can't decide :(
Also what's northern Portugal like as not sure how far we can get
We have to be back in Calais on the 19th June
Recommendations of where to go and Stop would be most appreciated.
Thanks in advance
From us
Tosan
Otherwise known as
Tony & Sandra

Ps it's raining here if it makes you all at home feel better :)
 
Last edited:
Do both.
Drive through France, do a bit of Spain and then head to Portugal.
The Algarve is good. The northern west coast of Spain is a bit industrial for me
 
Scattycat said:
Do both.
Drive through France, do a bit of Spain and then head to Portugal.
The Algarve is good. The northern west coast of Spain is a bit industrial for me
Click to expand...

Agree do both then you will decide for yourself.

North Western Spain, Costa Verde, is said to be beautiful around Finistere, one day we will make it. It always rains when we try.
 
Porto is a must for at least 3 days to get around all the port houses. Hic! Kopke was our favourite although we drank the most at Sandeman. Oh the city's beautiful too.
Enjoy.
Nik
 
Along the Northern cost & into Portugal if you fancy;)

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Is Italy very expensive? Forestboy, I hope you're going to say it isn't.

Portugal and Spain are both cheap - even if you stay on acsi campsites, rather than aires. We recently spent 4 weeks in Spain and Portugal. Tosan, I think you could do both easily in the time you've got. The driving's very easy, roads are good and there's not a lot of traffic.
 
Tosan said:
Hi Folks
We're currently on the Marbou Aire in France :))
So what do you all recommend
Spain or Portugal
We have never been to either so a novice on these countries
We fancy both and can't decide :(
Also what's northern Portugal like as not sure how far we can get
We have to be back in Calais on the 19th June
Recommendations of where to go and Stop would be most appreciated.
Thanks in advance
From us
Tosan
Otherwise known as
Tony & Sandra

Ps it's raining here if it makes you all at home feel better :)
Click to expand...


What Scatty said....at Euro 1.39 (roughly) to the £ either is good to go...However what Forestboy says about Italy has much merit though it is more expensive it's a place you will never forget and always want to return to! (Talking about the North never been south of Rome....yet.)(y)
Like the Portuguese though..........................super laid back, like on the opposite of steroids:D
 
Thanks everyone
Decision Decision !
Italy might be better in August when we come back
So if we do Spain & Portugal which route which first Portugal or Spain ?????

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Tosan said:
Thanks everyone
Decision Decision !
Italy might be better in August when we come back
So if we do Spain & Portugal which route which first Portugal or Spain ?????
Click to expand...

The route...for me down through Western Spain via Salamanca on free and very fast dual carriageway. Take your choice thereafter.........left, right or wherever. Enjoy and Good Luck!!(y) (Have a look at Devonbeekeepers thread about his most recent visit. A brilliant and up to date take on Spain) (y)(y)
 
Italy camping is no more expensive than anywhere else in Europe we use ACSI and Bordatlas. Currently camped in a beautiful forest campsite 20 yds from the beach on Lake Garda about 2 miles north of Peschiera 15 euros a night. Off to Florence Pisa and Lucca tomorrow got tickets for the Uffizi for Friday. Some rest tidy van do some laundry then 4 days at MotoGP at Mugello. Had a fantastic meal today in a little restaurant on the edge of Garda in Malcesine the most idyllic setting you can imagine 30 euros for 2. Drinks, salad, tagliatelle and 3 different fish skewers, superb and all freshly cooked while we waited.
Go to Italy if you dare but prepare to fall in love.:):)
 
Difficult to get to Portugal without going through Spain :)...............sorry couldn't resist!

Northern Spain can be beautiful this time of year but can also be wet. We have always used sites so cannot advise on aires etc but do as vwalan says..........beat me to it!!

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forget driving fast go slow follow the coast on nroads and even smaller ones . have a great adventure .
i never use sites so just free camp the whole way.
there are aires but they arent where we want to stop.
 
I really liked Porto. but my better halve did not like the hills.
 
Have to agree with @Forestboy our first time in Italy (apart from a package hol to sardinia 30 yrs ago) and don't want to leave. Plenty ACSI sites, fabulous food, fabulous weather here in pescheria del garda. Off to Verona tomorrow, lake maggiore Thursday. We are now hooked on the place. Back next spring.
 
Portugal is beautiful & so cheap to eat out if you can find where the locals go.
 
Gazza333 said:
Where did u stay to visit Porto please @Nik
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Hi Gazza.
At that time I didn't have a motorhome but was touring Spain and Portugal on my Moto Guzzi so was staying in hotels. Will go back sometime in our MoHo though.
best regards.
Nik

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In March/April this year we went to Spain and Portugal. Straight down through France as the weather was awful, then we cut across Spain to Salamanca and stayed a couple of nights. Then down to Caceres and across into Portugal. Then spent a few days heading south and driving short periods and then stopping for a night to look around. Visited Marvao, Elvas and Monsaraz on the way down. Then on to Pedros for a few days before spending the rest of the time in the Algarve region before heading back home.

This was our first time is Portugal and we absolutely loved it and the people. It is made for motorhoming. In our opinion much better than Spain. We will be back. With the exception of Pedros (a must visit site at E5.00 or E8.50 with electricity) we used Aires and wild camping all the time without any problems. Most were free, others we paid between E1.50 and E5.00 a night.

We will be going again next year, but will spend longer and visit some of the places we did not get to this time
 
Forestboy said:
Italy camping is no more expensive than anywhere else in Europe we use ACSI and Bordatlas. Currently camped in a beautiful forest campsite 20 yds from the beach on Lake Garda about 2 miles north of Peschiera 15 euros a night. Off to Florence Pisa and Lucca tomorrow got tickets for the Uffizi for Friday. Some rest tidy van do some laundry then 4 days at MotoGP at Mugello. Had a fantastic meal today in a little restaurant on the edge of Garda in Malcesine the most idyllic setting you can imagine 30 euros for 2. Drinks, salad, tagliatelle and 3 different fish skewers, superb and all freshly cooked while we waited.
Go to Italy if you dare but prepare to fall in love.:):)
Click to expand...

Sounds like you have the bug! Italy for us again this year and have been visiting for 25 years. Yes it is more expensive then somewhere like Benidorm ( just returned from there) which is very cheap. But well worth it to us....Italy the best!
 
Tosan said:
Hi @peterc10
How long was your trip ?
Click to expand...
Only 4 weeks and 1 day door to door. We wished it has been longer and are thinking of making it 3 months (January to April) next year.

On shuttle after lunch on Friday. First stop North of Rouen, next at Angouleme. Crossed into Spain near Bayonne lunchtime on Sunday. That's when the weather started getting better so we slowed down a bit after that. Once we got into Portugal we were travelling less each day. Got down to Pedros in the Algrave by Saturday, so took us just over a week from home. Could have done it in 5 days easily if we had not started meandering. Once in the Algarve we slowed down even more.

If you are heading for the Algarve area we can give you some good tips on official and unofficial Aires.

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Our second stop was Marboue,from there we headed to Figueira da foz.From there we followed the coast down and are now on an excellent camperstop on the Algarve.
 
there is a real nice wild amp place above fig de foz up above praia de tocha .
you get to it on a forest road . from praia de mira down .
palheirao praia its called great place . nothing there now , used to be a cafe , but wild and wonderful area.
there is some great forest roads down that west coast. love it.
just hug the sea . if theres a road between you and the sea ,you are on the wrong road.
 
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You had told me that before Alan but I had forgot.:(
 
like i always say you dont need sat nav . just follow the sea .
i like the mapamax map as it names just about every beach /cove etc .
seem to have spent half my life traveling the coasts .
 
Many thanks everyone
You certainly don't make it easy to choose as after reading about Italy we was going there then as we have come down the west side of France we thought better stick to Spain or Portugal :)
Then we thought Portugal but would like to go to the Algarve but don't fancy all that driving out of or 4 weeks away :(
After lots of talks about it and swapping and changing our minds were going to Spain !!!!!!
Well we are tonight ............but who knows in the morning as we might of changed our minds again :))

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