# Costings for Christmas trip to Spain



## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

I’ve just been doing a little pre-planning for a Christmas trip to southern Spain. Assuming a mid-week departure in mid-December, at a reasonable hour of the day (after 10am/ before 5pm) I’ve come up with the following 4 options, all ending at Valencia.

Each final price includes the cost of a one-way ticket for 2 adults in a 6.5m long, 2.9m high van and fuel for the journey, based on a figure of 12p per kilometre travelled. I have included the cost of an ACSI or municipal campsite, at a round figure of £15 per night, approximately every 200 km.
We could use aires but generally prefer a hook up in winter and reliable water supplies. We aren't keen on travelling long distances per day.

The Santander crossing includes an outside cabin for 2 but no cabin on the Caen crossing as it is a daytime crossing and we will use the free reclining seat.

I’ve not included anything for meals as we eat wherever we are anyway, or for wear and tear etc on the van. We use non-toll routes if possible so I have not added tolls but might do that later.

Eurotunnel: £410 ( Paris-Orleans-Montpelier-Barcelona-Valencia)

Portsmouth to Santander: £435 (Longrono-Zaragoza-Teruel-Valencia)

Portsmouth to Caen: £428 (Le Mans- Tours-Poitiers- Bordeaux-Zaragoza-Teruel-
Valencia)

Dover to Calais ferry: £363 ( as Eurotunnel) 

It surprises me a little as I've not plotted so much before ! I've not included a return trip as we tend to book a route and crossing based on where we are and whether we are ready to come home.

G


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## inkey-2008 (May 24, 2008)

Your Dover sea crossing seems a bit high we pay between £35/£50.
We have an 8m van.

You wont find to many sites open that time of the year in France We just use aires while in France. 

Andy


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

inkey-2008 said:


> Your Dover sea crossing seems a bit high we pay between £35/£50.


The Dover to Calais ferry I looked at was a 1650 crossing on P&O, Tuesday 12th December and cost £44 on Saver Fare rates. In practise I doubt DFDS or others would be cheaper.

We have a set of open-all-year campsites we use - largely ACSI - so have no worries there.

If only someone would guarantee a calm crossing on the Pont Aven then we'd book that like a shot but we have had everything from the crossing from Hell in August ( even the captain was sick) to gorgeous flat calm with sunshine (January) Last time I decided I'd rather walk than do it again.

G


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## metblue (Oct 9, 2006)

*spain*

Hi ,just checked Eurotunnel for our crossing 4th Dec out return 6th Feb
£168 (btw if you wish to return earlier a phone to change ours in July only cost £10 !!)

Calais Salou via Clermont Ferrand and Millau bridge

862 miles at 28 mpg (@ £5.25 lire) = £161.62 x 2 =£323.25
Eurotunnel £168.00
3 nights sites @£15 per night £ 45.00

Total £ 536.25

We went this way, then returned via Toulouse, Carcasson (campsite)and Aubigny sur Nere (aire free!) so our costs were a bit less !!
As you are going south go via Bordeaux, northern Spain past Madrid, great run with lots of places aires or campsites we did it last year to NNerja and had a fab trip.

Whatever way you decide to go,enjoy yourselves !


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

*Re: spain*



metblue said:


> Hi ,just checked Eurotunnel for our crossing 4th Dec out return 6th Feb
> 
> D


I assume this is a return ? I looked at a single at £91 (12th December, 16.20 pm) I don't usually book a return in case we decide to come home some other way. I can't use Tesco vouchers for one-way but we'll use them up for shorter trips anyway.

We've done the journey many times now on all the different crossings but I've never done any costings before, just booked the one we want to use. I've always assumed that Calais=cheap, Santander=most expensive. It surprises me - pleasantly !- that there is so little real difference between them all.

It does look like the Pont-Aven but might have to add a private prescription for knock-out drops to the cost.

G


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