Suggestions wanted (1 Viewer)

[hdvrod]

Afraid this is a bit vague,but we are off to France,Spain,Portugal end of next week going for approx 7 weeks, using the tunnel,and travelling down through France crossing into Spain,near Bayonne.We have travelled around Spain and Portugal on the Bike quite extensively,but this will be first time in the MH(bike in trailer) looking to a sort of circuitous route anticlockwise round the 2 countries ending up going through Andorra back into France taking in the south of Spain en route,any suggestions as to a interesting route welcomed

 

[Jim]

My advice is not to plan too much as you can become a slave to it. As you know Campsites are in abundance in those countries, even in high season, so we just tend to bimble along, its amazing the sites you find,even without really looking, especially reccomendations from people we meet on the road. Best of luck with your trip:thumb:

 

[Sundowners]

We just got back from circumnavigating Portugal - anticlockwise, plus toured in Spain and France.

We do not usually use campsites and found as we were travelling most days it was just as convenient to use aires, where you have water and a place to dump - mostly free of charge.

We used this website http://www.campingcar-infos.com/index1.htm
and picked out aires at around lunchtime each day, as you knew at that time of day the area that you might be at when it is time to look for somewhere to kip for the night. You do see the signs in the towns and villages for the aires, but they are sometimes hard to find. You do need internet signal to gain this information unless you download the information onto a usb stick for €8 which we did when we got to France and had help with the language, Frankie (Yodeli) a funster helped us, so it was easy to use any where and at any time as it's not always easy to get a signal. We did have a Portuguese dongle which helped when we were there.

Not sure if you have time to get it or you may have already got it, but the book All the aires of France from Vicarious Books is invaluable - they also do one of Portugal and Spain. When you think the cost of it is one night in a campsite.

We have always concentrated on the south of Portugal previously, but found the north to be so beautiful, we love the mountains and travelled on some fantastic roads with views to die for. After going as far north as Viana de Costello we made a bee-line for Barcelos as there is a HUGE market there every Thursday - not to be missed, well worth travelling to get there. We then headed over to Branganca where we filled up our bottles with LPG and then headed directly south through the mountains to Izeda, and stayed the night at an aire there then south onto Pinhel, we try to take the smallest roads on the map, slower but you get to meet more of the real Portuguese (lovely friendly people).

We wish you happy travelling and hope you enjoy your trip as much as we did.

Nigel and Pamala

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