# 1st time Winter trip abroad.



## TheWoodentops (Jul 10, 2013)

Since getting our Motorhome in January we have been on various trips and rallies all over here and thoroughly enjoyed our travels.
We are now planning our first trip abroad in our Motorhome and are thinking of going to Spain from mid January till end of March next year.
As this is our first we would like to know what we need to account for, re: weather conditions, routes, tolls, daily mileage or any other circumstances which we need to make allowances for.
We have been looking at CCC winter sun book and may be interested perhaps in joining one of their rallies in Spain.
Being new to this we feel we would like to perhaps join other fellow Mh'ers for the journey down as we do not intend to rush, but to enjoy the journey.


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## mikebeaches (Oct 18, 2008)

It sounds as though you might be planning to drive down through France to get to southern Spain. If you want to reduce the amount of mileage you could consider getting the ferry from UK to northern Spain, as an alternative. Not cheap, but might be worth considering.

We did Plymouth to Santander in April, and it made it really easy to tour southern Spain and Portugal.

Whatever you decide, have a great trip.

Mike


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## TheWoodentops (Jul 10, 2013)

Thanks Mike.
I am planning on driving down from Calais, but would like to know how the weather fairs at this time of year plus the numerous other bits and bobs I have mentioned.

Ken.


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## vicdicdoc (May 14, 2005)

TheWoodentops said:


> . . . "We have been looking at CCC winter sun book and may be interested perhaps in joining one of their rallies in Spain.
> Being new to this we feel we would like to perhaps join other fellow Mh'ers for the journey down as we do not intend to rush, but to enjoy the journey.


Waste of money joining their rally in Spain - what 'extra(s)' would they provide once your there ? Weekly bingo ? Quiz night ?

I go down to spain (Benicassim) for winter, I've driven down via Dover/Calais ferry & taken it easy (4 nights on aires) but last time took the 24hr ferry from Plymouth to Santander - which worked out not really that much more in terms of £'s - and its a lot more relaxing !

Depending what the weather is like come oct / nov, if it does snow - bite the bullet & pay the tolls to use the French motorways . . They keep them totally clear of snow & you won't always be negotiationing slowdowns around towns & villages.
My advice is to save your money & travel there independently.
Once your at your chosen destination you'll quickly get talking to others who will give you all the info you need (and tell you where & when bingo & quiz nights are on . . .

Weather conditions ? . . . It CAN get cold, it CAN be very windy but daytime it IS normally a lot warmer.
Make sure you got your E111, if needed get enough medication from your Doc to last you, make sure you got adequate motorhome breakdown insurance . . . and enjoy !
(depending where you go, unless you got a big - I mean big (1.4m or larger) satellite dish you won't get UK tv so stock up on DVD's, books etc.


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## bigtree (Feb 3, 2007)

Personally I have chose my own route south to Spain and picked a few places to stay just depends on how far south you want to go.I picked Calpe as I was recommended it by friends who overwinter there.There are 2 campsites and a camperstop that are within walking distance of the beach,shops and restaurants.


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## cavaqueen (Mar 27, 2006)

I agree about not wasting your money on a rally, get yourself an ACSI book which gives discounts on hundreds of campsites, you will meet loads of people who spend the winter in Spain, and a lot of caravan sites have events organised to keep you occupied.

I have travelled to Santander several times, and having worked out the cost of tolls, fuel & campsites en route through France I think the cost is about the same, I use the Brittany ferries discount to get 10% off the crossing.

Enjoy

Cavaqueen


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## cater_racer (May 1, 2005)

[quote="vicdicdoc
Waste of money joining their rally in Spain - what 'extra(s)' would they provide once your there ? Weekly bingo ? Quiz night ?

I go down to spain (Benicassim) for winter, I've driven down via Dover/Calais ferry & taken it easy (4 nights on aires) but last time took the 24hr ferry from Plymouth to Santander - which worked out not really that much more in terms of £'s - and its a lot more relaxing !

[/quote]

If you go with CCC isn't the electric/site rate slightly better? Or does ACSI make up for it?

I know when I was on Bennicassim I tried to extend for a week outside CCC and they wanted a kings ransom so I phoned the CCC and did it through them for half the price.


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## kaacee (Nov 29, 2008)

Cater_racer is quite correct, it is cheaper booking thru CCC onto a rally, remember you do not have to participate in any of the silly games and the savings can be as much as 3/4 euros per night, plus you get 10% off if you book your ferry with them.

With regards to ACSI, a lot of sites accept their card but, if you book onto a site where a rally is taking place, you tend to be allocated an inferior pitch, or at least I was at Monmar a couple of years back.

Use CCC to your advantage price wise, then do your own thing.

Most of all enjoy.

Keith


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## TheNomad (Aug 12, 2013)

There's reference further up this thread to bringing your E111 to Spain.

Could I just mention: If you have still got one of those old certicifcate, DON'T bring it. It was phased out in favour of the EHIC card several years ago.
Get it changed for an EHIC card, and bring that.

Consider additional health insurance too, as EHIC will only get you basic emergency treatment abroad (google for details of what it does/doesn't cover).


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## suedew (May 10, 2005)

Our first motorhome trip abroad was in January 2010.
We just weighed van and set off Dover to Calais didn't get as far as spain as we kept meeting people coming back because weather was awful, it was freak weather though snow and floods where not a usual event. 
We also go to Benecassim among other places, if staying for about a month can be cheaper to pay basic site fees for long term and electric on top of that. Not sure how that would work out in January though, in march a month cost us less than £10 for nearly 4 weeks. (electric that is)
although you can park at the majority of aires in France at that time of year many have the water switched off. took us 4 days to find somewhere to fill up and we had travelled almost dry to save weight  
just get out there and enjoy apologies if this post ends up looking like it is for those short sited, font size has increased suddenl, don't know how I did it and i've had this laptop a few years 

sue


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## TheWoodentops (Jul 10, 2013)

Thanks to all for your input.
Yes We have an ACSI card and weighing it up against the cost of CCC rallies there seems very little in it, but being our first trip we would feel more settled going on an organised trip with the CCC so we can see what all this malarkey everyone is talking about is in the flesh, so to speak. Then perhaps the next time we will feel more confident being free agents and being a bit more adventurous.
Another thought is traveling down from Calais in mid January. We presume toll roads are the safest but expensive. Has anyone got an idea of the cost of this on a 3850k Motorhome.


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## Mrplodd (Mar 4, 2008)

Well over €100 each way in fact I seem to recall looking a while ago and it was nearer €200 there is a toll calculator on the internet, doubtless someone will post a link shortly!

If it was me I would avoid the Peage (unless the road and weather conditions dictate otherwise) and enjoy the journey down, after all there is no real rush is there?? As others have also said look at Portsmouth to Santander/Bilbao (there are enconomi fares to had)


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## brynric (Oct 17, 2009)

We did this trip for the first time last January. We travelled from Calais to the Costa Blanca crossing N of the mountains on the way out and S on our return.
The weather was foul throughout France and N Spain, some of the worst rain we've seen. It improved considerably by Zaragoza and was positively spring like on the coast but there was often a strong breeze.
We toured most of the time but we also enjoyed our longer stays on sites. We had a week on the CCC rally at La Manga and thoroughly enjoyed it. There was lots organised and a real sense of community. The bike rides took us to out of the way places we probably wouldn't have explored otherwise. Obviously rallies are not for everyone but a good organiser can make a huge difference. 
Be aware of the number of places not open, especially in France, early in the season.
Overall we thoroughly enjoyed it and will do the same in future. We'll tour, stay on a few sites (which may be rallies) and generally make the most of a warm winter.


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## safariboy (May 1, 2005)

Personally I am no longer keen on going through France in winter. The extra cost of the ferry to Spain is not that great. It seems to get longer every time we do it!
As for CCC Rallies do not count them out. They are actually slightly cheeper than ASCI but of course less flexible. You do not have to take part in any activities but we found that the organisers were very helpful and some of the activities are worthwhile. Last year we went on a coach trip which we could not have done even in a car. We got mixed up with a rally by accident last year and it was much better than expected.

Electricity is an issue. Usually if you stay over 30 days you pay about E0.40 per unit. At some sites even less that 30 days you only have an allowance and pay after that. Electricity is simply expensive in Spain; a house is not much less than that.
Locals use gas much more and Autogas is now much more available in Spain. (You need an adaptor) Bottled gas is often delivered to the site.
The larger sites now seem to be charging for WiFi.
Last year at any rate eating out was a good deal.


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## Foghorn-Leghorn (Jul 10, 2010)

We do the winter rallys with the C&CC ever year usually starting at La Manga and thoroughly enjoy them as many others do , don't listen to the ant-rally brigade go and try them yourself and make your own mind up


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## Bigusdickus (Nov 6, 2012)

La Manga's got (NO) Talent.... we laughed our socks off...
Seriously if you ask 5 people you will get 5 different answers. The first time we went to Spain we wanted to cruise to Santander, but an hour away from the ferry they rang us to say the sailing was cancelled due to bad weather but they would take us to Roscoff, which we accepted and drove all the way down in 4 hour stints to get to our site on time. Each year we gain more confidence and we do something different but now we avoid toll roads because there are many beautiful towns and villages waiting to be discovered. We always book a month on site through the CC club and after spend as many weeks as we like touring by ACSI or wild camping in quiet spots then when we want to come home book the return ferry through the club and time a slow journey back up through France. Last time was through the Somport tunnel using only aires and we try various routes but I avoid the higher passes because I don't carry snow socks. The cheapest is Dover Calais using only aires - in the winter some are free but sometimes the water is turned off to avoid freezing the roads over but you can always empty the loo. Once we even bought 40ltrs of water in Lidl on the way down because we were bone dry and couldn't flush the loo.
My advise is to cover all bases by having an aires book and an ACSI card then have an open mind and be prepared to change your plans on the move. I have worked it out and we can get to Benicassim and back for about £600 using channel ferries the additional costs depends on how long we want to stay. March this year coming home we stopped on aires at Quart, Pamiers, Cahors, Rocamadour, Loches, Bayeux, Arromanches and Honfleur all for no charge and really beautiful places.
Doesn't suit all but it's ok for us.
Bd..


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## musicbus (May 1, 2005)

Hi,

We have over wintered at Vilanova Park south of Barcelona for the past two years and it is without doubt the best campsite we have stayed on. Acsi and senior long term rates of one month or more are just over 10 EU per day and include elec. bus at the door to Barcelona and Vilanova, excellent restaurant and supermarket, free use of indoor pool and gym mon to fri.

Brilliant staff to make this place a treat.

As for the the trip down ferry or aires, doesn't make much difference although arriving in Bilbao or Santander does make it an easy trip.

Bonterra is good but more expensive.

Weather wise it is good fractionally cooler but still a mild Spanish winter.

Gets our volte every time

However you go..go well

Barry


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## safariboy (May 1, 2005)

Villanova is an excellent site but we found it a bit over shaded for Dec-Jan. It was also warmer further south.


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## Cazzie (Feb 13, 2009)

We never pre book our sites when we travel to Spain in March but when we arrived at Calpe this year we were told that we were lucky to get a pitch as they had been fully booked all winter.
We were also told it was the same at Bonterra Park but by the time we arrived there at the end of April there was plenty of room.
You may therefore need to pre-book if you want to use some of the more popular sites during the winter.

Cazzie


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## TheWoodentops (Jul 10, 2013)

Well, plenty of food for thought from all your posts which is fantastic.
We shall now put pen to paper and start the planning process of our maiden voyage across the channel.
It looks as if it will be ferry to Calais and a slow drive, perhaps 6/7 days down to Spain avoiding tolls, unless inclement weather is forecast then tolls would need to be considered.
Should anyone be doing the same journey during mid January and wanting some company from a relatively new newbie it would be most welcome.
Now getting excited.


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## middman (Dec 31, 2012)

This year was our first winter sun trip. We too booked Portsmouth/Santander, but lost our bottle with the storms and changed it to cross to Caen. For our first time abroad with the van the French motorways were far easier than anticipated, and yes, we did use the tolls. They're pricey, £250 return to Costa Blanca, but in my view for us newbies worth it. We had only booked the ferry one way and returned on the tunnel, which was very impressive and will be our means of crossing next year when we go again. 

Now for sites. We stayed 2 months, on four sites, 2 CCC rallies and two on our own, but even on these there were numerous Brits. Another poster is correct, the rallies are relaxed, only do what you want, no pressure and some of our neighbours did nothing. We felt they provided us with some security and sources of info until we found our feet. Regarding electricity, the rally fee included this, but use was limited to between 4.5Kw and 5.5 Kw per day average, which we found adequete. On the non rally sites electricity was metered and worked out inexpensive for us.

All I'd advise is do your homework, then decide how you want to travel and where you want to stay. Some move every few days, others stay on one site for months. Enjoy the planning and the trip. Oh, and take a warm jacket if you intend to go out in the evenings, it's cold.


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## Burneyinn (Oct 27, 2006)

TheWoodentops said:


> Well, plenty of food for thought from all your posts which is fantastic.
> 
> Should anyone be doing the same journey during mid January and wanting some company from a relatively new newbie it would be most welcome.
> Now getting excited.


We'll we just might be, now we have finished work we fancy going to Portugal mid Jan for 6-8 weeks.

I see you are in Norfolk too so we might even be neighbours!


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## rayrecrok (Nov 21, 2008)

Hey up.

We have been going to Spain and Portugal to escape the English winter going any time in the months November to January, returning usually March for quite a few years always on our own, the weather can be just about anything especially if you are going through any mountainous parts of France or Spain, the one thing I can say of the times we have travelled is, we have never had a problem with the road conditions which ever route we took which has been many, both going and coming back..

The roads are kept open as I have experienced all the time and are quickly sorted..

Hope that eases your mind.

ray.


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## ob1 (Sep 25, 2007)

Some people seem to have been extremely lucky in their travels. Over the years we have been both snowbound in Madrid and sick as a pig in the Bay of Biscay, more than once. I know which is worse and much prefer driving South. Weather is weather and you can get caught out either way, just take it into account when choosing which way to go. Rallies are fine as you can usually get a better deal on fees and then it's up to you if you join in or not.


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## wug (May 19, 2011)

One of the issues with only going to rally sites, or other sites full of UK campers, is the trap of the expat syndrome where you speak only English, eat fish and chips and drink UK beer and never mix with or speak to the locals. Learning a bit of the language opens up many more possibilities.


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## Webby1 (Mar 11, 2012)

*First trip*

We did our first trip to France and Spain last year and like you we wanted loads of information and tried to cover all eventualities.
In the end so many things were different/better than expected we realised we had spent a lot of time worrying unneccesarily.

If you do it under your own steam and engage with the locality..............language,food,company,TV etc I think it will give you more confidence than trying to be cossetted too much(although we did consider a rally, I'm glad we didn't in the end)

Probably the most useful thing is internet access as you can find out anything you need as you go along.

ALSO
Diesel is gasoil...that threw us for a while
The toll roads are great for beginners..............rather than going through small villages with difficult turns and chances of an accident.

Do you have a refillable gas system...........that made it very easy to have the heating on when necessary.

Any specifics please ask


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## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

Does anyone know what the emergency telephone numbers are in the various countries en route?
If, for instance, we should need an ambulance or police whilst on our journey what number would we dial?
Thanks in advance.

Pat


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

> *patp wrote :- *Does anyone know what the emergency telephone numbers are in the various countries en route?
> If, for instance, we should need an ambulance or police whilst on our journey what number would we dial?
> Thanks in advance.
> 
> Pat


112 is the generic number for most of Europe, more specific info below...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergency_telephone_number#Europe

Pete


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## TheNomad (Aug 12, 2013)

patp said:


> Does anyone know what the emergency telephone numbers are in the various countries en route?
> If, for instance, we should need an ambulance or police whilst on our journey what number would we dial?
> Thanks in advance.
> 
> Pat


112 is the only number you need now, across all the countries of Europe (it works in the UK too).

But be aware that it is unlikely (possible of course, but don't expect it) that the Emergency Operator will speak (or speak fluently) any foreign language other than their native tongue in the country concerned.
If at all possible, get someone who speaks the language of the country you are in to make the call.


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## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

What do the numbers in the far right column mean. Do they connect you direct to that service? I assume the 112 is the switchboard?

Best learn some "emergency" French and Spanish then 8O


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

> What do the numbers in the far right column mean. Do they connect you direct to that service? I assume the 112 is the switchboard?


Yes, they are the more specific no's for a particular service ie fire, police etc but they can differ from country to country.

I had cause to ring 112 in France a few years back and got through to what I think was a switchboard and just asked for police and they put me through straight away, policeman on the other end didn't speak a word of English though, I managed to give him the gist of the problem in pigeon French but eventually they managed to get hold of an English speaker.

Pete


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## boringfrog (Sep 22, 2006)

TheWoodentops said:


> Well, plenty of food for thought from all your posts which is fantastic.
> We shall now put pen to paper and start the planning process of our maiden voyage across the channel.
> It looks as if it will be ferry to Calais and a slow drive, perhaps 6/7 days down to Spain avoiding tolls, unless inclement weather is forecast then tolls would need to be considered.
> Should anyone be doing the same journey during mid January and wanting some company from a relatively new newbie it would be most welcome.
> Now getting excited.


I certainly don't drive fast or all day, but last year we drove from Calais to Spain in 3 days.Check out this route through France.
France avoiding tolls


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