Driving to Spain through France.

R

Redpete

Active member
We are heading to Moraira in Spain end of the month, its my 1st time doing such a long journey.
Our route is Cherbourg down the west coast, past Nantes, Bordeaux, Pau over the Pyrenees past Canfranc ( I want to see the railway station )
Zaragoza to Valencia then down the coast to our destination. Its about 1000 miles all in.
We have 3 days for the trip.

So I am looking for any do's and dont's on the journey.
We are traveling in a camper and I have all the correct vehicle requirements so that is covered but I would be interested in is any recommendations for places to stop especially overnight.
Is it worth avoiding toll roads as I believe these can be quite expensive and we are not in a massive rush?
How expensive is fuel in France? I know Spain is cheaper than France but I have read that France is more than the UK at the moment.

Plus anything else I might of missed.
Cheers.
 
Redpete said:
We are heading to Moraira in Spain end of the month, its my 1st time doing such a long journey.
Our route is Cherbourg down the west coast, past Nantes, Bordeaux, Pau over the Pyrenees past Canfranc ( I want to see the railway station )
Zaragoza to Valencia then down the coast to our destination. Its about 1000 miles all in.
We have 3 days for the trip.

So I am looking for any do's and dont's on the journey.
We are traveling in a camper and I have all the correct vehicle requirements so that is covered but I would be interested in is any recommendations for places to stop especially overnight.
Is it worth avoiding toll roads as I believe these can be quite expensive and we are not in a massive rush?
How expensive is fuel in France? I know Spain is cheaper than France but I have read that France is more than the UK at the moment.

Plus anything else I might of missed.
Cheers.
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Have a look at the ‘search for sites app’ and also camping-car park. I went down the west coast to La Rochelle last year and found a few free stopovers. Diesel was slightly cheaper than UK last year although I did have an issue with Carrefour at one of the fuel stations; they take a deposit of €100 which should be repaid once you draw your fuel, although it took them almost a month to do so as well as taking the €90 for the fuel I took. Tolls can be expensive although I didn’t have time to doodle around so paid via an Emovis tag.
 
Out of Cherbourg to Rennes and then on to Nantes is toll free. You hit the toll at Nantes. The roads are much quieter than our motorways so you can make quite good progress on the toll road from Nantes and down to Bordeaux
 
HeineOtto said:
Out of Cherbourg to Rennes and then on to Nantes is toll free. You hit the toll at Nantes. The roads are much quieter than our motorways so you can make quite good progress on the toll road from Nantes and down to Bordeaux
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Thanks Have you any Idea on cost i have looked at the toll calculator websites but they always give different prices anywhere from 70-100 quid seems the estimate and what about going the non toll Route?
My plan is to do around 200-300 miles 1st day off the ferry .Then 400-500 day 2 and the remainder day 3.
 
My sister regularly travels to Spain (just south of Barcelona) in either a camper or towing a caravan, and usually has two overnights, so three should be fine for your trip. Motorways in France are stress-free compared to the UK, but are expensive, although as mentioned there are some toll-free motorways. I don’t have a mobile, but I’m sure there are apps listing those that are free. A roads quite often run parallel to motorways if you want to save money, so try a mixture of both with some smaller roads if you want to visit somewhere en route.

For accommodation my sister uses municipal campsites which are sometimes basic, but are very cheap and all you’re really looking for is a safe place to park and get your head down. They can be found in quite small towns and even villages, so an excuse to explore off the beaten track. Most are already open for the season and will be quiet.

One thing I always make my visitors aware of is the proirité a droit rule, which basically gives priority to vehicles approaching from the right at intersections where there is no stop sign, road marking or traffic signal. You will not find them these days on major roads, but they are very common in towns and villages and are often used as a form of traffic calming. If you arrive at one of these intersections at the same time as another vehicle coming from the right then you must give way as any collision will be your fault. There’s no need to keep braking, but keep your speed down and your eyes peeled just in case. EDIT Note that these junctions are rarely signposted.

I mention it because I’ve had one or two british visitors wondering why french drivers were blaring their horn at them when they felt they’d done nothing wrong.

Enjoy your trip.
 
Redpete said:
We are heading to Moraira in Spain end of the month, its my 1st time doing such a long journey.
Our route is Cherbourg down the west coast, past Nantes, Bordeaux, Pau over the Pyrenees past Canfranc ( I want to see the railway station )
Zaragoza to Valencia then down the coast to our destination. Its about 1000 miles all in.
We have 3 days for the trip.

So I am looking for any do's and dont's on the journey.
We are traveling in a camper and I have all the correct vehicle requirements so that is covered but I would be interested in is any recommendations for places to stop especially overnight.
Is it worth avoiding toll roads as I believe these can be quite expensive and we are not in a massive rush?
How expensive is fuel in France? I know Spain is cheaper than France but I have read that France is more than the UK at the moment.

Plus anything else I might of missed.
Cheers.
Click to expand...
I travel from Calais to the South of Bordeaux every summer and are based just over an hour from Spain. The tolls work out roughly around £90 in one direction. I would also suggest getting the Emovis Tag, it makes life a lot easier if you are travelling by toll and saves you looking for change or messing about with cards. Fuel prices are similar to Britain's and it is what it is.

Last year, we took a wrong turn on the way back up from Niort and ended up avoiding the tolls. We weren't in any rush and the journey was well worth the mistake and would be a similar route you would follow.

Bordeaux is like any other major city and a ball ache to get through. You will no doubt crawl through but it is no different to any other major city.

I have only spent a few hours in Pau coming back from Lourds but I found it a beautiful place and plan to go back someday.

Where are your planned stop overs? I've stayed on loads of Municipal campsites and as Pierre says, they are basic but very clean and usually very cheap. They are also usually based within walking distance of a town or village.

Give me a shout or personal message me if you require any further info or a general chat.

Edit: I have to give a big thanks to Pierre, I get most of my info when travelling from him and have picked his brains on several occasions.
 
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I think I'll be picking your brains before long Norman as I rarely travel any great distance now and things change quickly.

Pau is a nice place as you say, very british, and even has a bandstand. My partner's aunt lives there, married to a scotsman, so we've spent a few holidays down there. The Pyreneen foothills are one of my favourite parts of France, and there are so many to choose from. Lourdes is by contrast one of the most bizarre places I've been to in any country.
 
Tolls, these will be expensive. Careful as some of the toll lanes charge more if you have a tall vehicle - or they used to do!
Motoways are better for driving.
 
pierrequiroule said:
I think I'll be picking your brains before long Norman as I rarely travel any great distance now and things change quickly.

Pau is a nice place as you say, very british, and even has a bandstand. My partner's aunt lives there, married to a scotsman, so we've spent a few holidays down there. The Pyreneen foothills are one of my favourite parts of France, and there are so many to choose from. Lourdes is by contrast one of the most bizarre places I've been to in any country.
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I visited Lourdes with the full intention of staying a few days but left after spending the day at the shrine (worth the visit). I could not believe how contrived it was and it just felt like it was there to take money from you. Like most tourist hotspots, everything was expensive and my wife asked if Disneyland had created it.
 
Redpete said:
Thanks Have you any Idea on cost i have looked at the toll calculator websites but they always give different prices anywhere from 70-100 quid seems the estimate and what about going the non toll Route?
My plan is to do around 200-300 miles 1st day off the ferry .Then 400-500 day 2 and the remainder day 3.
Click to expand...
Use the via Michelin site
Plan your journey on here and it also works out all your costs including tolls
 
I was staying at a campsite about 20k south of Lourdes near Argelès-Gazost to see the TdF - Armstrong was in his pomp then. There was a fantastic bike path that went right into Lourdes so we thought we'd spend the day there. Mon dieu, what a shock. Walking down the main street was like walking along Blackpool seafront. Then you hit the centre, the hotels and the sad sight of so many people in various states of sickness and disability. Such a contrast, and then the thousands of pilgrims lining up at the grotto and more shops selling religious icons. Finally walking into the basilica to be confronted with the image the Lady of Lourdes just topped it off - and nearly freaked me out - like a Terry Gilliam creation.

Rosary-Basilica.jpg
 
I walked over the Pyrenees a couple of times, North to South on the Chemin St Jacques/ Camino de Santiago. The 2nd time was nearer Lourdes but not the Valle Aspe which takes you to Canfranc but I went up the Ossau Vallee, which has a lot to recommend it for, I went the lower altitude way which eventually leads into Spain and Sabinanago then you go to Jaca from there, if you take the road to Canfranc you will go to Jaca as well, Jaca is a old walled citadel, worth a quick visit bit what is definitely worth a visit about 20 km from here is a on old monastery at San Juan de la Pena ( St John of the Rock/ Stone, I think)https://www.monasteriosanjuan.com/en/ everyone I know who goes there says it has a wow factor.
Maybe too far to the west for you as you head to your destination is a place called Cuenca, I was there for a few days in March, I really liked it and the old town sits on a promatory at the confluence of two rivers which have formed gorges on either side of the old town, along the bases of the cliffs are parking spaces for camper vans I am sure, A top place for a day or two visit, I want to go again. https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/781/gallery/
 
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Thanks for all the replies.
My plan at the moment is to go via the Non toll roads on the way out as we are not under as much time pressure and just to stop when we have had enough driving for the day so the Municipal Campsites seem to be the way to go.
I will look for an app.
I assume you can just turn up and pay at the campsites?

Coming back we will depend on how the outward journey goes.
 
just East from Bordeaux (2 hours ish) you can find Lascaux caves which are well worth a visit. Unesco world heritage site.

also there is the town of Sarlat which is a lovely stop but probably off your route a bit.
 
Redpete said:
Thanks for all the replies.
My plan at the moment is to go via the Non toll roads on the way out as we are not under as much time pressure and just to stop when we have had enough driving for the day so the Municipal Campsites seem to be the way to go.
I will look for an app.
I assume you can just turn up and pay at the campsites?

Coming back we will depend on how the outward journey goes.
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Yeah, you can just rock up and pay at the Municipals but you must remember that they close over lunch for 2hrs and usually close again at 7 pm. If they are closed, if you can get someone to let you on, you can always pay later/the next day.
 
Low_Key said:
just East from Bordeaux (2 hours ish) you can find Lascaux caves which are well worth a visit. Unesco world heritage site.

also there is the town of Sarlat which is a lovely stop but probably off your route a bit.
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I love Sarlat and well worth the visit but the last time I went was the height of summer. We stayed for 5 days and struggled to get in and out of town (very busy) and you needed to be eating early to guarantee a table. I suppose most busy towns are like that.
 
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