# Returning home from Torre del Mar



## MEES (Apr 20, 2006)

Well it's been pouring down for 24 hours and some pitches are flooded.
We followed the weather forecast and packed up awning etc 2 days ago.
We sail from Bilboa on Thursday afternoon so will leave Tuesday and have two stops on the way.
We usually stop at St Elena and la Cabrera.
Does anyone have any alternatives- we have heard about an Aire near a wildlife park between Santander and Bilboa.
Margaret


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

Natural Park of Carbarceno

N43 degrees 21.486, West 003deg 49.186

Its south east of Santander, about 20 minutes away and lovely. Don't park on the official aire area- which slopes, but go a few metres further, to a big flatter area beside the lake. Beware of the service point which is on a concrete slope designed to rip the bottom off your van.

We like the campsite ( Camping Internationale) at Aranjuez, south of Madrid, which is close to the town and open all year and also Camping Haro at Haro- which might be closed / just about to close so check.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Hope you enjoyed it Margaret

Safe journey home

Sandra


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## wug (May 19, 2011)

Agree with Grizzly on Cabarceno and Aranjuez. A couple more: north of Madrid a campsite at Riaza, decent facilities and a pleasant walk to the town and square and shops - about 10km off the auto via. There's also an aire at Vitoria-Gasteiz in the corner of a huge carpark. Super baker just across the road, a park within walking distance and a boutique wine shop which will fill a bottle for you from the barrel. Don't know what the wine's like though. From there it's about an hour to the port. N 42.86595, W 2.68430 You go on a sort of dual carriageway into the town and pass the aire on the other side, so turn left at the next traffic lights and go back the way and turn right into the carpark. If the aire is full plenty room in the car park.


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

wug said:


> .... a boutique wine shop which will fill a bottle for you from the barrel. .


Thanks. We use V-G quite often but didn't know about the wine shop. Useful ! There's also a huge supermarket on the northern outskirts of town which is handy if you've just come off the boat and need a food shop.

Don't be put off by the large number of motorhomes parked at random over the huge car park. They belong to flat dwellers around. Look out for the bright red walls of the Health Centre in the far corner and that's the aire. The area is used for a market on Wednesday mornings and so access to the aire is awkward and the service area is closed.

When you leave make sure you suss out the exit first. It's a huge area and not as obvious as it ought to be.


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## wug (May 19, 2011)

The wine shop is back along the street on the same side as the carpark, a few blocks along, very small so easily missed. I think you need your own bottle. We tried this in Guejar Sierra, where the shop, a sort of delicatessen that sold super sausages, supplied a plastic bottle. It was terrible. We had to throw it away. Graham


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

wug said:


> The wine shop is back along the street on the same side as the carpark, a few blocks along, very small so easily missed. I think you need your own bottle. We tried this in Guejar Sierra, where the shop, a sort of delicatessen that sold super sausages, supplied a plastic bottle. It was terrible. We had to throw it away. Graham


Oh well ! Can't win 'em all ! Funny though how the 80 cent San Simeon carton tastes quite reasonable when you're sitting in the sun outside the van but is disgusting when you try it at home. I'm going to have to make a lot of boeuf bourguignon to use up the red I bought earlier this year.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Well I love cheap dry white wine, van ordinarier 

It has to be less than 11%

Fortunately Aldi does a 10.5 % that I love 

I'll never be an expert in wine

But then again I'll never be an expert in most things

Although some things I'm really good at:wink2:

Sandra


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

I'm with you on the white Sandra: red wine tastes like the swillings from an empty tin to me and I can't drink it. Once however, ages ago, we went to a government bodega in Tuscany and, there not being anyone else there, the young man i/ c let us have half a bottle of a very grand Barolo which was already open. It was delicious and we pawned the family silver and bought a bottle. We still have it, waiting for an occasion good enough to open it. It'll either be dreadful or incredible ! 

Don't tell anyone but I like ( dry) German Reisling. Deeply unfashionable and, to admit it, used to be like saying you liked Blue Nun.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Hey grizzly 
When you get to my age you can admit to anything

Let's face not much can happen you haven't already experienced in the mundane things of life

%So I have no idea of good wines

My kids bring me special bottles of white wine

Which I secret away for parties etc

I want my van ordinare, 10 or 10.5 %

Sandra


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## wug (May 19, 2011)

Grizzly said:


> Don't tell anyone but I like ( dry) German Reisling. Deeply unfashionable and, to admit it, used to be like saying you liked Blue Nun.


Ah, those were the days, Blue Nun, Mateus Rose´, l'hirondelle and a Vesta Beef Curry!! That was livin':grin2:


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

Grizzly said:


> ... Funny though how the 80 cent San Simeon carton tastes quite reasonable when you're sitting in the sun outside the van but is disgusting when you try it at home....


Oh so true!!

Sunshine and blue skies make _everything _better!


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

jiwawa said:


> Oh so true!!
> 
> Sunshine and blue skies make _everything _better!


Well there you go

It tastes absolutely fine to me

Dry, chilled fine

Sandra


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## MEES (Apr 20, 2006)

At Aranjuez very nice THANKYOU.
A bit footsore from sightseeing!


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

You'll have gone from there by now but one of the things that always gives me a laugh is opposite the bullring in Aranjuez. There are only 2 shops there: a burger bar and a funeral parlour !

Safe crossing, the weather forecast is excellent for the whole route - almost flat calm.


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## Mrplodd (Mar 4, 2008)

Grizzly said:


> Don't tell anyone but I like ( dry) German Reisling. Deeply unfashionable and, to admit it, used to be like saying you liked Blue Nun.


The best wine in the world is the one YOU like the most. There are far too many wine snobs in the world trying to tell us what we SHOULD like.

Andy


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

How great is it

That my absolute favourite wine costs just over £2 a bottle

Oh I try loads of expensive wines

My sons are determined to educate me >

But I first drank wine in my late 20s

Van ordinar , travelling through France, Italy etc 

And that's what I like 40 + yrs later

Sandra


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

aldra said:


> How great is it
> 
> That my absolute favourite wine costs just over £2 a bottle
> 
> Sandra


Where ? Where ? I'll be out with my trolley first thing.


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## Glandwr (Jun 12, 2006)

Surviving on a hot wine at lunch time every day in very cold but sunny mittle europe. Perhaps a soluton for the poor wine?

Dick


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Grizzly said:


> Where ? Where ? I'll be out with my trolley first thing.


Sorry, I meant just over £3, grizzly

Italian bianco, dry white wine, Aldi

Sandra


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

aldra said:


> Sorry, I meant just over £3, grizzly


Whew ! Thanks...thought I'd missed something.


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## havingfun (Oct 31, 2007)

just went on campercontact, and it said the campsite is 45euros, is that right, and how near are you to public transport, because since i,ve been ill, i cant walk as far, but the town looks amazing.

mags


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

Mags...do you mean Aranjuez campsite ?

IT's ACSI rates in the ACSI season. It was 18 euros last winter ( March) .

Its a reasonable walk from the site: I'm not very good at estimating but I would guess about 1.5 km into town: you go onto a side road, alongside the site up to the main road and then across the river ( Tagus) and into the park and walk through the park. Reception will get you a taxi and I think that might be a reasonably cheap way to go.

If you put it into Google Instant Street View you will be able to make up your own mind.

I think this is the right view- it's just outside the gates. Go straight on to the top of the road, turn left and then over the footbridge over the river and then turn right through the park.

https://www.instantstreetview.com/@40.042222,-3.599462,308.42h,-2.71p,1z


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## MEES (Apr 20, 2006)

Safely home we stayed at Aranjaz and the wildlife park next to the elephants after a good sail war had a horrendous trip to the northwest.
71/2 hours should have taken 4/1/2 
Margaret


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

The joy ofmotorhoming Margaret 

We got stuck several times in heavy traffic

Sandra


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## havingfun (Oct 31, 2007)

must get my acsi book, wasent going to bother this year, but the doc said she will issue 3 months tablets,if needed, and got a hospital appointment monday, so if i,m only waiting for more tests,we said ,s.d it, we,ll go for as long as the next appointment, otherwise we would just be hanging around, just having to get used to taking taxi,s rather than walking for hours. thought we had done most of the beautiful towns in spain, but never been to Aranjuez.

i feel better just thinking we are going, was really down, thought this year was a complete writeoff.

mags


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## blondel (Jun 12, 2005)

If they still run the little tourist train during the winter it is useful to know that as it lives at the campsite you can get a lift into town at 10.30 when it starts. We used it in May and it was great. No lift back though but taxis are available!


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## MEES (Apr 20, 2006)

The site was open but looked a bit sad, lots of puddles and wet leaves.
The town was interesting but the physically challenged might find it hard going.
I would personally wait for Spring at this site. It was 19 euros with acsi
Margaret.


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## StephandJohn (Sep 3, 2007)

Thanks Mees for starting this thread. we will be going to Torre next (via Cherbourg, Biarritz and San Sebastian) so this info is very helpful.
BTW we live in Lancaster and have given up on the M1/M6 and now take a couple of extra days and get home via Bristol, up to Chester and then on to the M6. We've also tried the A1 but found that just as horrendous. The worst thing is the tailgating lorries and the overpowering general congestion on the roads.


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## wug (May 19, 2011)

We travel from Scotland to Portsmouth and our first time was horrendous, as we're not used to the traffic. It gets easier but we do most of the journey on Saturday and Sunday when there are fewer wagons on the road, and use the M6 Toll (half price with the CC) for a peaceful interlude. I know some folk drive overnight to hit Birmingham early and avoid the worst.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

We always break our journey down

We are relaxed and thinking of the welfare of the H from Hell

Coming home we think sod him

He's been a pain the whole holiday

Let's just get home

And then we meet the traffic jams

Sandra


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

:grin2:You do make me larf.
Jan


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Jan

This hound is no laugh 

His title fits him 

This is a hound from hell

But I love him to bits

He remains my 8 stone baby 

Sandra


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

He must be a very large/heavy boned dog Sandra, Shade weighs 37 kg.
Jan


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## MEES (Apr 20, 2006)

Due to being urgently needed at home we were forced to travel on Friday afternoon evening :-(


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