# Calais to Southern Portugal...best route in January?



## TheFlups (Nov 9, 2012)

After getting lots of help on this forum with other issues I thought I would try my luck again!

Both of us have just retired and we are off on our first BIG excursion in our MH since getting it in March 2013. We are booked on the tunnel on 5th Jan and intend to return home early April. Our plan is to head down to southern Portugal for about a month or so and then tour southern Spain visiting some chums who live near Malaga and also we will be meeting up with other friends who have an apartment in Almaria.

Our van is well insulated and has 2x120AH LB's and a single 120AH Solar Panel linked up to a Cetek B2B charger so we should be fairly self sufficient a lot of the time and are comfy about wild camping, Campsites or Aires so no real probs there. We also have a total of 17KG of Gaslow when full.

My question is, which route would members suggest down to Portugal from Calais where we are least likely to encounter the hazards of snow and ice? I realise it's the luck of the draw with weather of course but being our first big trip we didn't want to drive blindly on to say mountainous areas for example where icy weather is likely to be a problem. Left to my own devices I would probably plump for the Atlantic Coast where it should be milder but having not done it before I am happy to take advice.

I should also say that we are happy to trundle on steady and even happier to avoid motorway charges where sensible. Any other advise on Portugese toll roads would be useful too.

I'm sure that this subject would have been covered before on here but I did look without success initially.

Over to you...


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## BrianJP (Sep 17, 2010)

In France in January I would keep to autoroutes where practical.
Ie A16 A28(pricey but excellent) A10 ( N10 from Poitier to Bordeaux if weather good).A63 to Spanish border then A8 along coast into Portugal .


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## NormanB (Sep 8, 2005)

We're off on the western France route on Friday, too. Calais, Rouen (avoiding Pont Matilde), Evreux, Dreux, Tours, Poitiers, Bordeaux, Burgos, Salamanca etc.

Unlikely to get snowed up along that route except for the mountains north of Burgos, maybe, but the Spanish are very good at keeping the Autopistas open and free flowing.


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## MikeCo (Jan 26, 2008)

We are on the Dover/Calais ferry on Friday morning and will be heading for Spain. We will do the Western side but using motorways and staying on sites, there is no point in hanging around in France as it's Winter and can be cold.
We will be staying at Tours, St Jean De Luz and Aranjeuz and will take four days to do the 1250 mile to La Manga.

Mike


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## christine1310 (Apr 10, 2008)

Hi,
We have done than trip loads of times and I would advise you to follow NormanB's route. There are lots of aires and some ACSI sites open going that way. After Salamanca go to Caceres (you can fill up with LGP just south of Caceres), then into Portugal at Monsaraz. From there you can take the border road south to the eastern end of the Algarve - there are aires on the way, or go inland and down the centre, staying at barragems. After that you have the whole of the Algarve to explore. You will find pictures and details on my website - link below.

Have a great time.

Christine

PS - we have never really had much snow following this route and the Spanish seem to keep to roads clear, however, around Salamanca you will get a lot of fog.


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## subfiver (Oct 15, 2011)

NormanB said:


> ... Evreux, Dreux, Tours, Poitiers, Bordeaux ...


This is interesting, Norman, but what route do you take twixt Dreux and Tours?

To Chartres then A10 thro' to Poiters ?

Or via La Loupe and Nogent le Rotrou ?

We're in the chunnel on the 30th ...

Cheers 'n' Beers


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## NormanB (Sep 8, 2005)

Yes, subfiver, the N154 to Chartres and thence the N1o to Poitiers. We take the AutoRoute bypasses around Tours and Poitiers to avoid traffic.

If there are no hurricianes on Thurday/Friday, we should be through the Tunnel and in the Wissant aire by this Saturday night.


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## TheFlups (Nov 9, 2012)

Thanks again to all contributors...it was along the lines of our thinking but good to hear others views. Won't be long now and it's off-ski from this wet and windy place!


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## richyc (Feb 14, 2008)

MikeCo said:


> We are on the Dover/Calais ferry on Friday morning and will be heading for Spain. We will do the Western side but using motorways and staying on sites, there is no point in hanging around in France as it's Winter and can be cold.
> We will be staying at Tours, St Jean De Luz and Aranjeuz and will take four days to do the 1250 mile to La Manga.
> 
> Mike


Hi matey im wanting to do same this week but im sat here undecided. Can you let me know how trip down went?


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