# Spain - route to La Manga



## sueandbart (Dec 29, 2008)

hi travelling to SpaIn in January.
leaving on the 6th from Calais to La manga .Any route help would be helpfull want to avoid tollroads. Towing car, overall length is 11.5m . 
has anyone been to a campsite in La manga 
Thanks sueandbart


----------



## locovan (Oct 17, 2007)

http://www.motorhomefacts.com/ftopict-49582-la.html+manga

Mikeco wrote on here about La Manga see if this helps :lol:
Gosh what happened to you posting --all that blank space???


----------



## richardsnow (Dec 9, 2007)

We went to La Manga in January last year for a couple of weeks and wished we had booked for longer. It was a great site with lots of activities and very friendly stewards who organized walks, cycle rides, visits to a Bodega, table tennis, whist etc to name but a few. Have a great time.

We stopped at Hotel Bal, Hortus le Jardin Sully, Chateauponsac, Tamaris and Playa Tropicana on the way down. Some of the hops seemed to be a bit far as we too kept off the toll roads. Having now found the benefit of French Aires, when we do it again we will take it even slower and take a week or 10 days driving half a day and exploring the other half and using the many Aires instead which will make a real holiday of the journey rather than a chore!

Not sure what to do about staying overnight when we get to the Spanish bit but no doubt someone will be come up with some suggestions?


----------



## madontour (May 19, 2008)

We're coming back from Cartagena in a few weeks. 
We too will stay off the toll roads, I'll let you know which sites/aires we use that are open, and if they're suitable for your van + car.

mike


----------



## C7KEN (May 27, 2005)

See my previous post on places to stay in Spain. Such as Blanes, Peniscola, Campello safe and the only one you pay for is Peniscola at 8e per night incl electric. If the aire there is full park outside the gates on the road. The police will not bother you at all and its very safe in that area At Campello park in the lane at the side of the gas station if possible(formerly esso now galp) My route thro france would be Dunkirk or Calais to Abbyville, Rouen , Evroux, Chartres Millau Beziers, Then Blanes etc.. There are plenty posts on here about travel thro France


----------



## Annsman (Nov 8, 2007)

You can stay overnight at Peniscola at the harbour car park for nothing then go on to the other aire to top up with water etc for only 3.50 to do it cheaper. The free aire is also prettier and right next to the beach and harbour, the other is at the back of some hotels and is not very nice at all. You can, or could, park overnight on the prom at Blanes too for nowt and it is quite safe.

La Manga camp site is very big and has over 1100 pitches. It is like no site you have ever stayed on in the UK. It has hundreds of pitches that have permenant caravans and chalets on them. Many have a roof over the pitch supported by scaffolding with poly sheets or corregated iron or plastic on them. It is very much like a shanty town down some of the avenues. Because of the height of these structures many pitches, including the one we had last January are in the shade all day. If you get put down one of these avenues it can seem very claustrophobic.

The washing and toilet facilities on site are first class and are clean and well cared for. There is a laundrette and even a dog washing machine! The site staff are very helpful. 

The C&CC have a have a rally on site but the rally commandant is a "jobsworth" and even if they have a pitch in the sun with no one on it for several weeks and you only want it for a couple of days he won't let you use it! Even if you are a member of the club. Although they will let you join in their trips and such.

There are a mixture of all nationalities on the site and there are quite a few things to do. The beach area has boats on it, but there weren't any for hire when we were there. You can walk for quite some distance along it when you keep the sea to your left, but if you go the other way the ground is mostly scrub and muddy paths.

There is a market a couple of miles up the road in the town and there are supermarkets available. The supermarket on site is very well stocked and the prices are comparable to the ones in the town. The nearby urbanisation does have some shops for bread and English papers but there are lots of partially built properties as well as the inhabited blocks.

To be honest it wasn't our cup of tea and we wouldn't go back there, but there are many people who do go back there year after year so we might be in the minority so just take as you find. If you have your car you can get about easily because the main highway is just outside the main gate of the site.


----------



## derek500 (Oct 31, 2005)

C7KEN said:


> My route thro france would be Dunkirk or Calais to Abbyville, Rouen , Evroux, Chartres Millau Beziers, Then Blanes etc.. There are plenty posts on here about travel thro France


I do your route as far as Chartes. Then Tours, Poitiers, Biarritz, Pamplona, Zaragoza to Sagunto on the Med just north of Valencia.

The north east coast of Spain from the French border to Tarragon/Castellón is pretty tedious on the non-toll roads.


----------



## Dunky (May 1, 2005)

just back from tripto Portugal - used Calais beach aire - used P & R at La Rochelle (free bus inc in ticket) used aire at Hendaye railway station - then lorry parks/services (No meals till 8pm!) - any questions just ask - Dunky


----------



## MikeCo (Jan 26, 2008)

We will be travelling to La Manga at the end of January but will be using toll roads as I cannot see the point in not, we will also stay on Sites on the way down as we don't do lorry parks. The extra costs of the tolls are more than made up by the time saved and all that gear changing on the roundabouts especially as we are on a Fiat. The route we took last year was the familier Western route down to Bordeaux stopping at Camping Bo Soliel, Haras in Northern Spain then through Madrid to Aranjuez and then on to La Manga.
With regards to La Manga we have booked with the Camping club rally for 5 weeks, having been there for the last two years we know what to expect and that is:
A decent pitch in the rally sections which will be K and L and with a bit of luck an even numbered pitch as they get the most sun.
A fairly decent restaurant.
We will join in with some of the activities but certainly not everything.
And we just ignore the shanty town part of the site.

Mike


----------



## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*La Manga*

Anyone have a link to the "La Manga"?


----------



## derek500 (Oct 31, 2005)

MikeCo said:


> We will be travelling to La Manga at the end of January but will be using toll roads as I cannot see the point in not, we will also stay on Sites on the way down as we don't do lorry parks. The extra costs of the tolls are more than made up by the time saved and all that gear changing on the roundabouts especially as we are on a Fiat.


IMO paying 300€ to save a few gear changes is a big price to pay. Unless you come off to get supermarket diesel, you'll also get ripped off with toll road fuel prices. 20c per litre differential in September!!

We regularly do Valencia to Dunkerque in three days, toll free, and travelling about 90kph.

I'm in a Fiat too!!


----------



## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*La Mang*

is this the La Manga campsite?

Looks a bit close to the road!

Camping La Manga


----------



## MikeCo (Jan 26, 2008)

[quote
IMO paying 300€ to save a few gear changes is a big price to pay. Unless you come off to get supermarket diesel, you'll also get ripped off with toll road fuel prices. 20c per litre differential in September!!

We regularly do Valencia to Dunkerque in three days, toll free, and travelling about 90kph.

I'm in a Fiat too!![/quote]

This is the problem when people either do not understand or give false information.

It is no way near $300 to use toll roads and yes we fill up at supermarkets.
You may travel at 90klm an hour for part of the time but your average speed by not using toll motorways will be no more than 35miles per hour so you are spending more time driving.
Each to his own but when travelling at that time of year I know which I prefer to do.


----------



## derek500 (Oct 31, 2005)

MikeCo said:


> This is the problem when people either do not understand or give false information.
> It is no way near $300 to use toll roads and yes we fill up at supermarkets.


My house in Valencia to Dunkerque, Class 2, 145.50€. So I do understand and am not giving false information. La Manga will be even more!!


----------



## iain (May 1, 2005)

hi there whilst we have never stayed on any site in La Manga we have driven past there many times.We have taken our motor home down as far as Marbella and stayed on sites and wild camped.
We also own a holiday home in South Cost Blanca and therefore very familiar with the roads here and around La Manga as the golf is only about 1hour south.

However as it is a couple of years now since we drove over from Scotland through France I would have to consult with the better half before I can be of any help with the French leg.

Will get back ASAP but if you have any questions feel free to ask.

Regards Iain & Evelyn


----------



## Tmax (Aug 5, 2006)

Hi, Route through France in January, In my opinion you would be better going Calais, Rouen, Dreux, Evreux. Chartres, Orleans and then to Vierzon, Chatearoux, Limoges, Brive, Cahors, Toulouse, Narbonne and then to Spanish border. If you insist this route can be taken avoiding road tolls. The reason for going this way is there is a possibility of snow on the Clermand Ferrand route. The difference in mileage is only about 30 miles and it is easier driving. When you cross into Spain you can follow the National roads almost to Barcelona and the take the free motorway round or through the city. then get on to the national road again, round Tarragona and the road follows the motorway the whole way till you hit the free motorway section round Valencia. Then back on to the national road to Alicante. My advice would be then to go on to the motorway which is free round the city and stay on the motorway the rest of the way as the road through Torrevieja is a pain. The site at La Manga is good and if you are taking a car you will have lots to do. We have been there several times and were there last Christmas and New Year on the CCC rally. Only minus point was the organised New Years Eve dinner and dance. Very poor value ! By the way we went down on Motorways and came back in National roads. slower coming back but not too bad. Hope you enjoy the trip.

Regards, Tom

Toujours a Vacances !


----------



## mondo33 (Feb 17, 2009)

Tmax said:


> Hi, Route through France in January, In my opinion you would be better going Calais, Rouen, Dreux, Evreux. Chartres, Orleans and then to Vierzon, Chatearoux, Limoges, Brive, Cahors, Toulouse, Narbonne and then to Spanish border. If you insist this route can be taken avoiding road tolls. The reason for going this way is there is a possibility of snow on the Clermand Ferrand route. The difference in mileage is only about 30 miles and it is easier driving. When you cross into Spain you can follow the National roads almost to Barcelona and the take the free motorway round or through the city. then get on to the national road again, round Tarragona and the road follows the motorway the whole way till you hit the free motorway section round Valencia. Then back on to the national road to Alicante. My advice would be then to go on to the motorway which is free round the city and stay on the motorway the rest of the way as the road through Torrevieja is a pain. The site at La Manga is good and if you are taking a car you will have lots to do. We have been there several times and were there last Christmas and New Year on the CCC rally. Only minus point was the organised New Years Eve dinner and dance. Very poor value ! By the way we went down on Motorways and came back in National roads. slower coming back but not too bad. Hope you enjoy the trip.
> 
> Regards, Tom
> 
> Toujours a Vacances !


This is the route we took in January this year and yes it's a good route all the Brits we came across on our travels asked us if we'd had any problems with the weather we'd not had any at all,but apparently sort of after we;d been through certain areas it snowed afterwards but the only snow we saw was on the top of the mountains on the snowline it was chilly but no snow we did it on the N routes apart from one Sunday after we stayed on an Aire near Brive en Gallard we slotted on the Peage just to find diesel and didn't want to chance not finding any on the N route once filled though it was back on the N Routes and back at it...I would recommend this route as we'll be doing it again in January next year on our trip to Spain


----------



## 126475 (Aug 2, 2009)

Hi, Just in case you want something different, there is a good site at Los Alcazares which is on the inland side of Mar Menor, the inland sea which La Manga is on the Med side. Its much quieter. The are good shops and markets as well


----------



## arty23 (May 20, 2005)

Further information on La Manga with links to local sites
LA MANGA RALLY


----------

