UK to Portugal in a car.

[Hollyberry]

Your ideas, advice and experience welcome on the following.

Friend is planning to spend 6 months in a Portugal with her recently widowed mum who lives there.
She'll be renting somewhere rather than actually living with her mum.
I suggested she drive so she can take plenty of her things with her and also have her car there.

She'll be doing this alone so any ideas for route, with places to stop ( Campanile, Formule type places) on way?

I suggested she swap her car for a small motorhome but can't convince her!

Thanks, all.

Forgot to say--- she's heading for Portimao

 

[Cossieg]

I would go on the Santander ferry and then drive down in 1 hit once off the ferry.

 

[Chockswahay]

We have only sailed into Gijon but the motorway from there towards Seville is a nice easy drive, then just before Seville turn right towards Portimao........... 650 miles easily done in two days.

To stop on the way I might suggest Leon, Salamanca, Caseres or Zafra (of course Seville is well worth a visit anyway)

 

[Hollyberry]

Thanks for replies. I hadn't thought of Santander ferry ( duuuuhhhhh) and would have had her driving all through France.

Sailing to Spain for the shorter drive is far more sensible---thanks.

 

[sedge]

Not sure what chain hotels are common in Spain TBH Holly, but FWIW in France we always used to steer clear of the Formula Ones TBH as they have (or certainly had) shared bathrooms. We would still go for the 'BB' chain. Only a couple of € more per night and a reasonably good continental breakfast. They have always been absolutely pristine with comfy beds, Omo white sheets and towels changed daily even if you stay a week and sort of 'moulded plastic' ensuites - reminiscent of MoHo bathrooms actually but bigger LOL No telly, no luxury but more than adequate.

Kyriads are quite good - more upmarket with bigger rooms, TVs and easy chairs, nicer and better quality furnishing fabrics, huge choice at breakfast with the option of hot food, and restaurants where you can get dinner. Set menus or a la carte. But of course - you do pay quite a bit more. Still not OTT and it's easier not having to look for somewhere to eat.

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[DanielFord]

We have driven to a small village near to Faro several times. The route we took was ferry to Santander. From Santander we drove to Porto, and stayed for 3 or 4 nights depending on our mood. Then from Porto down to the Algarve, that was in the years prior to us purchasing the motorhome.

We stayed in the Novotel in Porto, it was cheap, and the accommodation perfectly acceptable.

 

[2657]

I know of a good basic hotel in Plasencia with secure( behind strong steel gate) parking which is a major consideration when travelling with lots of stuff.
I use www.booking.com but http://www.hotelalpemar.com/ not listed at the moment so would have to book direct.
Hostal Real is just up the road and has parking but not as secure. Plasencia is a convenient stopover en route.

 

[MikeD]

We use Ibis hotels when we travel in the car. Its part of the Accor group.

They have around 800 hotels across Europe. Clean, secure and usually the food is pretty good.
Some do not have restaurants in the hotel if they are local to others in the city and check for secure parking.

http://www.accorhotels.com/gb/united-kingdom/index.shtml

 

[Hollyberry]

Thanks for all the brilliant ideas. Friend is visiting in a couple of weeks so she can look at all the info.

Cheers everyone.

 

[Funnymunny]

If taking the ferry to Santander a good stop about half way would be the Hotel Regio in Salamanca, a decent place and easy to find

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[flatpackchicken]

Hotel Regio in Salamanca, Address:
Road Number = N-501 Santa Marta de Tormes, Salamanca, Salamanca, 37900 Spain, SATNAV COORDINETS 40.949185,-5.614971
226 miles from Santander Ferry port good first stop maybe
Broken Link Removed
Then No tolls road all the way to Portimao 441 miles from Salamanca to Portimao Via A66 to Caceres, Merida, Zafra, Seville, then the A49 to Huelva, and then to last fill up in Spain 37.2398,-7.38085 and then into into Portugal.
Regards Garry Flatpackchicken

 

[Minxy]

Sorry to hear of your friend's loss, can't be easy for her being so far from her Mum.

As an aside to the above make sure she checks out if her car insurance company will cover her for being abroad for that length of time in one go, also if the car is due to have an MOT during the 6 months she'll be there, tell her to get it done BEFORE she goes so she doesn't have any problems especially if she might be delayed and not get back to the UK in time if the return date is close to the MOT date. Also her own travel insurance needs to cover her for long trips as does her home insurance.

 

[DanielFord]

If taking the ferry to Santander a good stop about half way would be the Hotel Regio in Salamanca, a decent place and easy to find

Seconded, we have stayed here many times, it is lovely, feels like it should be more expensive than it is.