# Calais to La Manga



## MikeCo (Jan 26, 2008)

I realise that this will all have been advised before but some of you seasoned travellers may wish to offer advise. We are due to arrive at La Manga on the 5 Feb and will be taking a fairly steady run over 4/5 days using campsites on the way down.
We used the A71/75 down to Southern France twice last year and know that it is a good way to go and then carry on down the coast from Barcelona to La Manga.
We could go the same way that we went last year which was the Western route to Bordeaux, Bayonne, but we then cut across Spain to Barcelona.
This time we could carry on around Madrid and down to La Manga.
Which way would you go?


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## javea (Jun 8, 2007)

Hi Mike,

I would suggest Western France route, leave motorway at Poitiers and make for Angouleme , good road with no tolls, then Bordeaux, Donostia, then make for Zaragoza, then new free excellent dual carriageway (motorway class) to Sagunto just north of Valencia, then motorway down to La Manga.

Nice, easy route in my view much better than the Barcelona way.

Regards,
Mike


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## MikeCo (Jan 26, 2008)

Thanks for the reply, I will have a look at the route that you suggest, everyone else must be in Spain already


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## sennen523 (May 6, 2006)

Happy Christmas MikeCo,
We are going down on the route javea03730 suggests but haven't been on the Zaragoza to Valencia road before. (Barcelona route last time)
We will be at La Manga on 8th February but staying at Kiko Park first.
Cheers,


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## Annsman (Nov 8, 2007)

We leave for the same place in 14 sleeps! I was going through central France via Rouen, and down to Clermont Ferrand then via Millau and on past Barcelona, etc. Keeping off toll roads for most if not all the journey.

I have noticed that it will be aires all the way through France because the sites are shut at this time of year.

I'll have a look at the suggested alternative route though.


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## MikeCo (Jan 26, 2008)

sennen523 said:


> Happy Christmas MikeCo,
> We are going down on the route javea03730 suggests but haven't been on the Zaragoza to Valencia road before. (Barcelona route last time)
> We will be at La Manga on 8th February but staying at Kiko Park first.
> Cheers,


Happy Christmas to you as well, Kiko is a nice site being close to Oliva


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## teensvan (May 9, 2005)

Hi.

Yes most of us are in spain. The route we took avoiding all french toll roads. We only stay on the aires when in france.

Calais - Abbeville - Rouen - Broglie. Stay on Broglie aires 1 Night 6€

Broglie - Le Mans - Le-fleche - Saumur - Le-Coudray-Macouard 1 Night 0€

L-C-M - Parthenary - Niort 2 Nights 14€

Niort - Rochefort - Royan - Cavigna 1 Night 0€

Cavigna - Bordeaux - Biarritz 2 Nights 10€

Biarritz - Pamplona - Tudela - Zaragoza - Navajus. Campsite 1 Night 24€

Navajus - Benidorm.

You can take a shorter route than this in some parts but we only take our time and stay on french aires that can sometimes be a little out of the way.

Our total distance was 1165 miles and spanish tolls came to 16€

Hope this may be of some help.

steve & ann.. --------------- teensvan.


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## MikeCo (Jan 26, 2008)

Thanks for all the information.
We travel in a convoy of one so we generally prefer to stay on sites and there are plenty open if you plan the route okay. These include quite a few that take ASCI so it does not have to cost a fortune.
I will have another look at the map.


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## domannhal (Aug 13, 2008)

We are travelling to Spain on 22nd January, and this time we are booking with C&CC club, as they confirm that the recommended sites in their brochure will be open. We have always stayed in Aires, but this year we have electric heating and I intend to be warm and have security to sleep well. We will be travelling on the 71 and through to Barcelona as the roads are good and flat and are clear even when snowing.


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## MikeCo (Jan 26, 2008)

We used some C & CC sites for travelling down last year and they were okay, I have noticed however that on the ASCI disc there are quite a few listed as being open and gives you a bit more choice. If you go into the options and stick in the date from Jan and tick the box then it will sort them.


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## cater_racer (May 1, 2005)

I'm driving down xrossing on New Years Eve, then down the Place Town
Calais	A16	Le Portel (Boulogne)	
Le Portel (Boulogne)	A16	Abbeville	
Abbeville	A28	Rouen	
Rouen	N138	Bernay	
Bernay	N138	Brogile	
Brogile	N138	Alencon	
Alencon	N138	Le Mans	
Le Mans	N23	La Flèche	
La Flèche	D938/N147	Saumur	
Saumur	N147/D938	Parthenay	
Parthenay	D743	Niort	
Niort	N150	St Jean D'Angely	
St Jean D'Angely	N150	Saintes	
Saintes	N137	Blaye	
Blaye	N137	Bordeux	
Bordeux	N113	Langon	
Langon	N113	Marmande	
Marmande	N113	Agen	
Agen	N113	Castelsarrasin	
Castelsarrasin	N113	Toulouse	
Toulouse	N113	Carcassonne	
Carcassonne	D118	Limoux	
Limoux	D118	Quillan	
Quillan	D117	St Paul De Fenouilet	
St Paul De Fenouilet	D117	Perpignan	

Using the Camperstop book to pick up Aires, I recon on 5 -6 nights


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## lookback (Dec 4, 2005)

If you are using Tom Tom and select campsites on the POIs you should see a campsite called "carthegena" that is La Manga. Did`nt find this out until I arrived at the La Manga campsite after an hour of searching.
Ian


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## tuftey (Nov 21, 2008)

we sold our house in san javier last year and we drive there 3 times a year now to see relative/freinds we can do in 20hrs driving thats doing 110khm we stay with plenty of other people inc spanish germany french loads of us on the land near the new market its on beach with the bars as well 


my parents used to build/clean swimming pools on polaris world and on roda and on la manga club 

also we know all the bar owners in san javier 


basiclly we come home just before it got hard and owe nowt on anything its good as we travel over the only cost if ferry and fuel


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## MikeCo (Jan 26, 2008)

Tuftey

I don't wish to be rude but your comments have nothing to do with my question.


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## tuftey (Nov 21, 2008)

i dont wish to be rude either im telling you we do it 3 times a year do you have a problem with that 

i hope you dont as i know that place like the back of my hand as my parents lived there for 3 years and i was over there a lot of hours of my life


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## tuftey (Nov 21, 2008)

you will find la manga is a small strip of land not worth visiting trust me its the areas before you get there that are worth a visit like san pedro/san javier/murcia/los alcararos


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## MikeCo (Jan 26, 2008)

Tuftey

If possible please read my original posting and if you are able to offer a sensible response then do so.


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## tuftey (Nov 21, 2008)

hang on fella people who travel down there have give there input im giving you mine i drive down there poss more than anyone on here inc my dad he drives it as well im telling you my opinion if you dont like it you shouldnt as question


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## locovan (Oct 17, 2007)

We are going to Benidorm Mid Jan and is our first time 
Can I ask you experts to look it over and tells us if it is OK

Our route is Calaias-A16 to Boulogne-Abbeville
A28-E402-Rouen
A13- Chatres
N154 to Orlean at junction 14 motorway to Vierzon to Claremont ferand
Off Jumction 8 for Bourges
N144 signed Montluscon pick up the A74/E11 signed Milau/Montpeller/Perpignan
On to Beziers N9+N113 Narbonne to Jonquera
at Junction 3 join the motorway E15 AP7 Barcelona Tarragona Valencia Alacante 
Follow signs to Benidorm


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## MikeCo (Jan 26, 2008)

I'm not too sure about your road numbers, from the A75 you join the A9.
I cannot see the A74 anywhere.


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## locovan (Oct 17, 2007)

MikeCo said:


> I'm not too sure about your road numbers, from the A75 you join the A9.
> I cannot see the A74 anywhere.


Oh dear we are relooking at this part again we must have it wrong 
Ok it seems it is the A75/E11 :roll:


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## locovan (Oct 17, 2007)

Mike the route our friend gave us--- well I think he had been drinking when he wrote it down so we will follow the route Teensvan has put on here and kindly put the prices of the stop over's.
We have a Tom Tom as well so we will be ok. 8)


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## dragonfly (Mar 10, 2007)

Annsman said:


> We leave for the same place in 14 sleeps! I was going through central France via Rouen, and down to Clermont Ferrand then via Millau and on past Barcelona, etc. Keeping off toll roads for most if not all the journey.
> 
> I have noticed that it will be aires all the way through France because the sites are shut at this time of year.


Hi, Annsman - from Rouen you could head down the A20 towards Limoges, which is free until you get south of Brive. If you want a site that is open near Limoges, then Parc Verger (www.parcverger.com) is open all year - it has big hardstandings, 16A elec & services on the pitches, and is english-owned.

We use it because we think it is important to use such sites, otherwise they will close in the winter like the french sites.

Have a good journey, whichever way you go!

Dragonfly


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## Jean-Luc (Jul 21, 2005)

We did the route Bayonne, Donostia, Zaragosa, Valencia, in March '06. From our experience would sugest early start from Bayonne area ( we used aire at Hendaye a couple of weeks ago on way back from Portugal), overnight in Zaragosa area and on to Valencia next morning. The run from Z to V is real boring and had very light traffic and is free, can't remember much about the D to Z section. 
Colin


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## Jean-Luc (Jul 21, 2005)

Error, 'twas March '07 we did the route
C.


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