# Russell's toll free route to the Costa Brava and back



## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

After much deliberation, our last trip was Spain vice Italy. Here is our toll free route and fuel stops. 

Day 1 - Derbyshire - Channel Tunnel - Calais. We filled to the brim at Auchan Calais in torrential weather and headed for the A16 toll free as far as Boulogne. There was a bit of jiggery pokery to get on to the former N1, which then joined up with the toll free A28. (The N1 is renamed, D901 and D1001 depending upon where abouts you are on it's length). Once on the A28 we headed for Rouen, again in horrendous weather and I had thoughts of low bridges galore in Rouen. Nothing to worry about - follow signs for Evreux, reached by the D6015 and then the N154. It really is very simple. We topped up with fuel at a 24 hour Le Clerc supermarket, just off the roundabout at St Lubin Des Joncherets - this was 178 miles since refuelling at the Auchan Calais. From Le Clerc we headed for the small town of St Remy sur Avre where we overnighted on what appeared to be a cemetry carpark. We looked for the aire - to no avail and found the municipal camp site to be closed for the season. 

Day 2 - hard graft - from St Remy on the N154 to Chartres, thence forward still on the N154 towards Orleans, the N60 dual carriageway as far as Chateau Neuf sur Loire, where we followed the D952 to Gien, before joining the N7/D907 towards the toll free A77. We topped up with fuel at the Auchan, just off J23 of the motorway - within easy sight and reach. There was a 3.0 metre height barrier, but this was open, as seen from the motorway. 150 miles covered since the fuel taken at Le Clerc the previous night. Back onto the toll free A77, signed for Nevers, then to the N79 for a couple of miles, before joining the N7 and follow signs to Clermont Ferrand. (Looking back, it might have been worth paying a few euro in tolls and avoiding the Riom area, by making use of the toll motorway the A71 for a few miles. Anyway, at Clermont, we topped up again at the Auchan Clermont. Only 127 miles since the last fuel stop but we wanted cheap diesel! No height barriers. From Clermont on to the toll free A75 towards Millau. Leave the toll free motorway at J45 and head for Millau. We spent the night at Camping des Deux Rivieres - 15 euro including hook up. Quite a long day with about 420 miles covered. 

Day 3 - from Millau, back to the A75 - follow signs to Montpellier. We battered on the A75 until reaching a short section that was either closed for maintenance or not yet fully contructed and followed the N9, passing and following signs to Beziers, (very busy around Beziers) Nanbonne and Perpignan. At Perpignan, it was very busy, so, once past the airport, we joined the A9 toll payable at J42 and remained on the motorway until J1 of the Spanish motorway. Follow signs for Girona and Barcelona on the N11. We refulled at the first petrol station - 301 miles since the last fuel at Clermont Ferrand. From here, close to the border, it was about 60 miles to Santa Susanna. 

Return journey. 

Day 1 - from Santa Susanna to La Junquera via the free and easy N11 road where we refuelled once more, ready for France and the possible fuel problems that may have been ahead. We joined the Spanish motorway at J1 and cleared the border on the motorway. We left the now French motorway as the first exit (there is a small Spanish toll and a small French toll to pay) and then followed the N9 towards Perpignan and Narbonne. Continuing, and recalling the time lost at Beziers the previous week, we left the N9 at the cross roads with the D64. We took the D64 for a couple of miles and joined the toll payable A9 motorway as far as the toll free A75. We estimate to have saved about 45 minutes in doing this and the toll was just 1.50 euro. Toll free all the way to Millau and our night stop. 

Day 2 - from Millau - toll free to Clermont Ferrand and a refuel at the Auchan where we hit a problem. (302 miles from the Spanish fuel stop). This was not the same Auchan as the previous week, and once at the pump, we spotted a height problem, although we managed to get around this! Onwards towards Riom, then the D2009 to Gannat. We stopped for a coffee on the Aire de Camping Car at St Pourcain sur Sioule - (very nice Aire) and then on again passing Moulins and Nevers, through Gien (looked lovely) and our night stop at Camping Hortus at Sully. 

Day 3 from Sully, toll free on the D948, (after a fuel stop, 175 miles from Clermont) meeting the N60, then the D975 to Bellegarde, forward to Beaumont du Gatinais, then back to the D948 through Mallesherbes and onwards via the D410 and D372 to the toll free A6 towards Paris. Around the Peripherique, then exit at Porte Maillot and after some sight seeing, park up at the Bateaux Mouches, next to the Alma Bridge - this is where one can see the Diana tribute/monument. From Paris, via the toll free A15 towards Pontoise, then the D14 signed as Dieppe, then heading for Calais, we made our way cross country to the toll free A28. At the end of the A28, our final stint was on the D road to Boulogne. However, for the sake of 1.80 euro, we found it easier to use the A16 toll motorway for one junction until the free stretch, given the jiggery pokery of the previous week. I am not sure if we went wrong the previous week or not, but it did seem time consuming getting from the free A16 to the D901 towards Abbeville. Refuel at Calais, approx 290 miles from Sully, including the Paris driving. 

We chatted to a few motorhomers in Spain and the general opinion was....

1) Come through the border on the motorway - it is easier and quicker. I was told the "old road" could be difficult due to badly parked vehicles and a generally busy stretch. 

2) I was told the route is do-able in winter, although most said they preferred via Toulouse in the winter months. 

3) Total toll cost was less than ten euro, including the bits where we skirted Beziers etc. 

The journey to Santa Susanna is about 800 miles from Calais, compared to the 750 or so from Calais to Lake Garda. Santa Susanna is a slower and harder journey when compared to the toll free run to Garda. The extra night stop on the return journey was worth it, made more enjoyable by the impromptu sight seeing in Paris! 

I would like to thank those who answered my previous thread a few weeks ago about running toll free to the Cosa Brava. 

Russell


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## clive1821 (Mar 27, 2010)

Interesting russell and thank you for all the info.... will be going to roma single crew just before christmas....


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## tonka (Apr 24, 2006)

Glad you enjoyed it all and everything went well.

Were off on Wednesday night to Salou, Fingers crossed on getting fuel in France..


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## bazajacq (May 26, 2009)

what time you crossing steve ? ferry or tunnel , baz


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Salou*

Steve

Where do you stay at Salou? Any decent sites with long stay discounts?

Russell


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## C7KEN (May 27, 2005)

I will look at this for those who are coming here next April. Russel do you have a list of co-ords for this route from TomTom so it can be loaded in as an itinery


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## tonka (Apr 24, 2006)

bazajacq said:


> what time you crossing steve ? ferry or tunnel , baz


Were on P&O ferry, 22.15 out of Dover.
Going to just pull into the port terminal at Calais, get some kip and then set off next morning via, Rouen, Chateroux, Toulouse and either Over the hills via Andorra OR down to Narbonne and the coast road, depending of weather..  
I got two toddlers on board (5+3) who want a bit of seaside ASAP..!!


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## tonka (Apr 24, 2006)

*Re: Salou*



Rapide561 said:


> Steve
> 
> Where do you stay at Salou? Any decent sites with long stay discounts?
> 
> Russell


We always stay at camping La Siesta, mainly because it's so central for everything we need. There are 2 other sites there but we have never tried them, None are particular cheap !
Also they close for winter period November - March.


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Spain*

Ken

I don't use satnav. Just an old fashioned map and a piece of paper clipped to the dash with major towns listed for motorways, and smallers towns listed for D roads.

I can probably do a more modified route if that helps, and be a bit more detailed about getting on and off the motorway to miss busy hot spots etc

Russell


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## clive1821 (Mar 27, 2010)

I too you the tom tom most of the time with paper crib notes..... the tom tom is very helpful when driving single crew... as i cant speak a word of french, italian, nor spanish.... so my routing to roma is going to be interesting.... with a blend of toll and non toll the fun thing is to decide when to use the tolls and not get jammed up in the traffic.... Italy is going to be the main interest... very interesting posts this one


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## StephandJohn (Sep 3, 2007)

Thanks for the route. Very useful and comprehesnive.


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## C7KEN (May 27, 2005)

Russel
I have done more or less the same route many times but using Sat Nav so I will read your post and check the slight differences in your version then I can plot it with Co-ords. Then it can be loaded into TT as an itinery. From Beziers I take a different route down thro Spain usually because i'm heading down to below Alicante. I believe that via Millau is always the fastest way south because of the many Km's of Autoroute but I have been over the bridge, thro the tunnel, crossed the pyranees on a very narrow road that the mountain bikers were off and pushing so its a case of finding 3 good , easy, scenic, mainly toll free ones with good aires on route for those coming in april. Then asking frequent travellers to here if they can add anything to the 3 routes . Of course if anyone would like to post this type of route with the Co-ords feel free and if you can add your overnight stops even better


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Tolls*

Ken

Just a thought then. In one of my "help me with a route" threads, you mentioned the Buffalo Grill at Chartres as a possible bunk stop.

I am happy with my route via Millau, but would like to conquer the Toulouse route too.

What are your suggestions for a route to the Costa Brava via Toulouse, with overnight stops.

My thoughts would be.

Day 1 - to Calais and onwards to Chartres.

Day 2 - via the toll free motorway, but where to stop? There is a Buffalo Grill at Montauban, but are there any decent campsites open all year.

Day 3 - to the Costa Brava.

Clive - if you need any help with a route, please start a "toll free to Roma" thread.

Cheers

Russell


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## stevee4 (Oct 12, 2007)

*via michelin guides*

Hi guys I have used a very similar route heading down to French beaches.

I did use a sat nav to help with the day to day running but used

http://www.viamichelin.co.uk/

as a guide. Its much better than most it has some useful filters and options.

Including recommended, sightseeing even economical. It doesnt yet include motorhomes but has routes for bikes and on foot.

There are sections for uptodate info on traffic, weather, and radar detection sites. If you need a hotel or food thats also on there.

I mainly used the recommended and sightseeing. Try it and see.

Steve


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## clive1821 (Mar 27, 2010)

Thanks Steve usefull link


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## C7KEN (May 27, 2005)

Russel
Hopefully tomorrow I will have some time to look at some of the routes we have used as I did save some on TT and memory map. The toulouse route was one way and the aire at soullac was usually always visited


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