# Anyone off to Spain - New Years Eve?



## vanna (Jan 10, 2013)

Hi, 
Anyone leaving UK on New Years Eve,heading through France and onto Southern Spain?


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## NormanB (Sep 8, 2005)

Probably, we haven't finalise plans yet but normally cross by the Tunnel late afternoon on New Year's Eve and travel half way down France on NY Day and the traffic is very quiet.


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## vanna (Jan 10, 2013)

*Travelling to Spain in December*

Hi,
NormanB,

We have an early ferry crossing, 5am! We have never travelled to Spain at this time of year. Like the sound of not much traffic. Thank you for your reply.


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## tonka (Apr 24, 2006)

Just after.. Maybe the 4th or 5th..
Drive down to Algericas and then the ferry on to Morocco 

Did it this January for first time and loved it... Then back into Spain for a 3 week rally in March..... - Cant wait...

This is my route list to going to Benidorm if it's of use to anyone..
Travelled many times in January and it's handy to know some of the stopovers and free water places (if not frozen)
https://www.dropbox.com/s/tnr5ij7rv42hzrn/Camper route and stops.txt


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## vanna (Jan 10, 2013)

Hi Tonka,

Think we have spoken before, Thanks for putting route up. Having never travelled at the time of year we are going or ever that far down into Spain any advise much appreciated.


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## MikeCo (Jan 26, 2008)

We leave home on Boxing Day, Dover /Calais ferry on the 27th , will travel to Camping Acacia at Tours, then Laroulette at St Jean De Luz, then probably Aranjuez just south of Madrid then La Manga'

Mike


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## vanna (Jan 10, 2013)

MikeCo said:


> We leave home on Boxing Day, Dover /Calais ferry on the 27th , will travel to Camping Acacia at Tours, then Laroulette at St Jean De Luz, then probably Aranjuez just south of Madrid then La Manga'
> 
> Mike


Hi Mike,

Have you travelled this route before? We are looking for an easy route as we have quite a large motorhome and tow a car on a trailer.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

we are tHinking about it

never tr.avelled at That time before 

But this year we have not got away, given Alberts skin cancer and the sub/ opreratIons

But then there's the hound so we may not work it out

But then again there is Raynipper and penguin

could be well worth it

Barry will have the hound :lol: :lol: He loves him

Why I dont know even Iam tettering on the brink

he can't make up his mind wether hes Macho or a wimp

Aldra


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## MikeCo (Jan 26, 2008)

vanna said:


> MikeCo said:
> 
> 
> > We leave home on Boxing Day, Dover /Calais ferry on the 27th , will travel to Camping Acacia at Tours, then Laroulette at St Jean De Luz, then probably Aranjuez just south of Madrid then La Manga'
> ...


Yes we have used the route before and last time we had a car and caravan.
If you use the toll roads as we do in Winter then it is easy.
The three sites split the 1215 miles into fairly equal stages.
The first site is about 3 miles from the motorway as it goes through Tours, it is open and you can park up without unhitching the trailer.
The same thing at the next site which is Larouletta at St Jean De Luz.
We will then head for Aranjeuz which is south of Madrid but if you are heading for the coast further North than La Manga then you could go to Zarragoza instead.

Mike


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## vanna (Jan 10, 2013)

MikeCo said:


> vanna said:
> 
> 
> > MikeCo said:
> ...


Many Thanks for info Mike. Hope you have a great trip.


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## BrianJP (Sep 17, 2010)

Regardless of stopovers take the route already advised via Western France then down via Madrid to the Sud.
I drive this route 4-5 times a year including winter. 
If you want more info pls ask.


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## Nige51 (Aug 24, 2012)

*Heading to Spain*

We are planning to head for Spain in February for the first time in our motorhome. Have had it only a year so plan to go on much the same route to Nerja, skirting Madrid and cutting across France from the tunnel. All your advice been brilliant thanks Mike


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## suedew (May 10, 2005)

Had been intending to go back in January, but John's son's 40th this year and his wife is taking him away on a surprise trip, not arranged yet, so no dates, we will be looking after the girls for them, have suggested we still go and john flies back to do the honours :lol: 

Shall see, have a great time all who get away.
Sandra go for it.


Sue


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## NormanB (Sep 8, 2005)

We always follow Tonka's route describe on DropBox, above, and can endorse the Marboue aire half way down France and the Dinopolis stopover near Teruel. (Latter can be noisy until 10pm when the community centre activities cease.) Near the France/Spain border the Cap Breton aire in the sand dunes by the sea by Bayonne is a favourite, too.

We think it's worth paying the tolls round the Tours and Poitiers bypasses.

We regularly take the good quality, toll free, N121A just inside Spain which takes a very direct route to Pamplona and after Tudela, at Magallon, take the short cut to the A23 via Carinena which cuts off Zaragoza and saves miles though the road surface is rough in parts. 

If travelling beyond Alicante, the free aire at Ibi on the A7 is handy and quiet.

At New Year, in our experience it's been rare to find aires with water taps (closed off for frost protection?) but we often find cassette disposal points are still in use. 

Electrical power isn't usually a problem because the 350 miles stages of the journey top up the leisure batteries.


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## thieawin (Jun 7, 2006)

we are going to Spain for Christmas and New Year, via BF Leave IOM 19th December and Portsmouth Bilbao on 20th and back Bilbao Portsmouth on 11th January arrive home on IOM 13th.

Not taking motorhome but using our farmhouse in the Penedes Hills, 50 mile inland from Barcelona and 35 miles from Sitges, we've got a house full with relations from Birmingham, Stockport and New Zealand

Plenty hard standing with water and electricity available if anyone wants to park up outside and share facilities

Not sure the pool will be swimmable, even with two solar panels and a sliding domed double skinned cover


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## TheNomad (Aug 12, 2013)

We'll actually be leaving our home on the Costa Blanca on New Years Day, to chug across to the Algarve southern coast of Portugal, to spend nearly 3 of months in the MH wild-camping/touring over there.

It's actually cheaper to do that in the winter than the cost of staying at home as it costs a fortune to heat the villa in the winter months, as houses here have utterly buggerall heat retaining insulation!


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## mikeT (May 1, 2005)

*Bridge out in Rouen*

Hi All you winter campers going south end of the year start of next

Just a small thing to Note if going through Rouen on your route one of the main bridges is still out of use ( it has been and will be for a long time) and it can be a bottle neck if you go the way the sat navs take you.could lose up to one hour getting through .

To avoid this problem Keep left of the river & Town , look on the map and you will see what i mean ie. as you drop down into Rouen after you go though long tunnel 
Next set of lights .Head left onto the D6015 signpost N154 Evreux you will come out onto the jun 19 A13.meets the N154 Free D/carriage way most of the way (one of the best routes to Spain )


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## thieawin (Jun 7, 2006)

well after a week of nail biting we are finally about to depart. Ferry IOM Heysham at 19.45 then overnight Preston then Portsmouth to Spain tomorrow, 20th December, tea time. 

Three return IOM UK sailings have been cancelled in the last week and the forecast didn't look promising. It still promises big waves on the bay of Biscay on Saturday.


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## thieawin (Jun 7, 2006)

In fact we appear to be very lucky as there is a disruption/cancellation warning on all tomorrows IOM services


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## vicdicdoc (May 14, 2005)

thieawin said:


> . . .
> Not taking motorhome but using our farmhouse in the Penedes Hills, 50 mile inland from Barcelona and 35 miles from Sitges . . .
> Plenty hard standing with water and electricity available if anyone wants to park up outside and share facilities
> 
> Not sure the pool will be swimmable, even with two solar panels and a sliding domed double skinned cover


Now you've let the cat out of the bag I hope you've got room for 50odd motorhomes on your hard standing :lol:


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Thieawin 

I hope that crossing will turn out to be calm

We just might do Spain in January

But too late for your trip

Nevermind one day it will match

And we will get to meet up

A very happy Christmas and new year

Enjoy your family get together

Aldra


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## subfiver (Oct 15, 2011)

We're going thro' the tunnel @1720 on the 30th, heading for the atlantic coast of Portugal and thence the Algarve and the Coto Donnana.


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## thieawin (Jun 7, 2006)

Well, we are back. 

We sailed from the IOM on the only crossing that went to schedule in that week and the cruise down across the bay of Biscay was smooth on 20th/21st. 

I came back on the 11th January with 4 dogs and again the crossing was very smooth and I did a mad dash up to Heysham and made the 0215 sailing home, again smooth and one of the few sailings not disrupted in early January. 

I got flashed doing 59 in the 50 area on the M6 near Stafford. 11.30 pm, no other vehicles, anywhere, no work men no actual road works. So its either 3pp (on my non existent UK licence) and a fine or a speed awareness course.

My partner stayed another 10 days and went skiing in Andorra and came back 22nd and the bay of Biscay took 28 hours and was a bit up and down.


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## thieawin (Jun 7, 2006)

vicdicdoc said:


> thieawin said:
> 
> 
> > . . .
> ...


There would be parking for 10 and we could do hook up for two or three. We are next to the local municipal office (open Saturdays 10.00 to 12.00 on the first and third Saturdays of the month) and they put in this huge car parking area at the end of our drive. Not sure why.

There is also a mail box and a row of letter boxes for the other houses in the hills nearby.

We have a pool and organic fruit and vegetables and just over half an acre.


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## thieawin (Jun 7, 2006)

aldra said:


> Thieawin
> 
> I hope that crossing will turn out to be calm
> 
> ...


Thank you Aldra. Sorry I missed your greetings and seasonal wishes until now. We are always up for having visitors. Plenty of space and a hook up on our drive in the IOM. Much room at the place in Spain and there is a huge parking area, free, serving the apartment we have in Bansko Bulgaria.

I've just had an offer on the motorhome and if its upped a little bit its going.

We now have cars of our own in Spain and Bulgaria so we fly. We keep clothes out in both and so we travel light, unless the dogs are travelling in which case its car and boat. Not done the BG run yet. May go to Spain next Christmas and then travel on the Ferry from Barcelona to Italy and from Italy to Greece. We are 3 hours north of Thesalonika.


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## javea (Jun 8, 2007)

thieawin said:


> I got flashed doing 59 in the 50 area on the M6 near Stafford. 11.30 pm, no other vehicles, anywhere, no work men no actual road works. So its either 3pp (on my non existent UK licence) and a fine or a speed awareness course.


Welcome back. For the first time in over 30 years I was caught by a camera van doing 39 in a 30 area through a deserted local village. Elected to take the speed awareness course as it avoids points and the need to advise insurers with the probability of increased premiums on three vehicles. :x

Mike


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