# European travel



## helma (Sep 15, 2009)

My wife and I hope to travel from Dover through France, Spain and Portugal from late December to March 2014.
What route should we take avoiding icy mountains, and camp site recommendations en route please.
We have a large A class Hymer.
Thanks Helma


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## boringfrog (Sep 22, 2006)

Look here


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## BrianJP (Sep 17, 2010)

You dont say where you are going in Spain or Portugal but as far as there I would stick to toll and best N roads ie. From Calais A16/A28 to Rouen then A28 toll via Le Mans to A10 then via Tours and Poitiers.If weather good take N10 from Poitiers to pick up A10 north of Bordeaux then the vastly improved A63 down to the Spanish border.
I always go this route anyway , in fact I am doing at the moment have just stopped on an aire south of Poitiers.


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## boringfrog (Sep 22, 2006)

The A63 does have a toll on it now.


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## 04HBG (Dec 9, 2007)

I recently did a route for a mate who is going down in Jan you might find worth a look. I have tried to add an attachment but it wont let me so I will try pasting it.



Canterbury park & ride, special enclosed area for motor homes, water and waste emptying. Free bus into town included in the £3 a night charge. Pub on corner. This is usually our first stop it is an excellent place to spend a day or two. It is about 20 minutes drive to the ferry from here.
New Dover Road N 51.26205 E 1.10187.

The alternative is to park up in Dover, it is free after 6pm until 8am. But make sure you have water on board for the next few days as most aires in France will have the water shut off for winter, not a problem you can always get it.
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We usually get the 10am ferry and prefer to use DFDS ferries on the Dover -Dunkirk route as you can park up for free in front of their office either going or on return, ideal for the morning ferry back. 
There is also a very nice aire at Gravelines for 3 euros a night where we stop if a day or so early on return. It is 15 minutes away from the ferry.

Gravelines , Rue de Port N 51.98737 E 2.12274
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If you get the 10am Ferry it is 1.30pm French time when you get off the ferry so don’t drive too far.
Jump onto the A16 motorway then A28, mostly free but a short paid section worth staying on it is about 12 euros . 

You can either stop at about 80 miles from Dunkirk or 130 miles whichever you prefer.

Baie de Somme N 50.17032 E 1.75548 It is a free parking area just off the PAID section of the motorway 80 miles aprox from Dunkirk ferry, but park up with the other caravans at the far end, not the most secure place. 

But our preferred stop is 130 miles from Dunkirk ferry at Buchy, a small village just before Rouen, it is about 3 miles off the A28 at junction 12 and in front of the school. Follow your sat nav into Buchy but ignore it when you enter the village and go straight on through the lights for about 500 yards and you will see all the school buses parked up, go behind them.
Buchy, Route des Forges N 49.58534 E1.36418

No water available in winter

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Buchy to Sainte Maure De Touraine
The following directions will help you stay off paid motorway and use the N10 which is a good road with just a short toll section worth paying as it will save you a lot of time. 
From Buchy get back onto the A28 heading for Rouen. Put Chartes as your next destination into your sat nav and accept tolls, it is only a couple of euros going this way otherwise it will take you down the paid motorway and cost you a fortune.
After Rouen head down the N154 
Just before Chartes change your destination to Vendome. 
From Chartes join the N10.
Then just before Vendome change your sat nav again to SAINTE MAURE DE TOURAINE 
N 47.11803 E 0.61611
your destination for that day and accept tolls, it will take you onto paid motorway the A10, to avoid Tours, well worth the 3 euros or so.

Sainte Maure De Touraine N 47.11803 E 0.61611.
As you drive into the village if (depending what junction you get back off motorway) if heading south then the Free aire is at the bottom of the village signposted off on your left. If you stay on motorway until the Sainte Maure turn off then head into village, turn left on Ave Gen de Gaul heading back north and take the first or second right, the aire is between the two. Water will be turned off but you can open the manhole and turn it on.
This is a quiet free stop
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Sainte Maure De Touraine to Cap Breton

From Sainte Maure get back onto the main road N10 and put your next destination in, good road mostly dual carriageway then motorway from near Bordeaux. There are now tolls on the section from Bordeaux but not too much and believe me it does pay to stay on it all the way past the Spanish border.

We usually go to Cap Breton which is free in winter and right on the Bay of Biscay or Biaritz which is very often full and costs 10 euros a night but is a nice spot. If it is blowing a gale then avoid Cap Breton and go to Biaritz.

N10 to Bordeaux then E5 and E70 to Cap Breton or Biaritz

Cap Breton N 43.63569 W 1. 44659 ( water at top of beach but you need a can) plenty of room here

Biaritz N43.46532 W 1.57162 ( water and possibly electric if you are lucky available) this one can be difficult to find but just stay on motorway past Biaritz until the Bidart turn off, then follow your sat nav. The aire is right opposite Plage Milady (the beach).

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Cap Breton to Palencia (Spain)

From this stop get back onto the motorway E70 and put the next stop into your sat nav as Palencia. You pay several little tolls on both the French and Spanish sides but well worth paying as the alternative takes you over the mountains. You take the E70/ E5/AP8 which has tolls the biggest about 13 euros.
If you want to avoid the biggest toll on this section (about 13 euros) then take the alternative free motorway heading initially towards Pamplona then Vittoria Gasteiz, take the AP8 then A1, a good road but heavily used by waggons, it gets you back onto the same free motorway at Vittoria Gasteiz.

There is a tolled section just after Vittoria to Burgos (13 euros) but you can come off and avoid it as the ordinary road runs alongside and is very scenic in places, makes you feel like you are in the wild west.

Palencia (Spain) N 42.00323 W 4.53435

This free aire is right in the centre of Palencia over the little bridge by the park. Well worth a walk into town about 5 minutes away. If it gets full here then the police will help and park you in the car spaces no problem. No water as it gets cold here but you can buy water in the little supermarket in town very cheaply.



Palencia to Caceres

From Palencia get back on the free motorway E80 and head for Caceres. There are no tolls from here until the Portuguese border. 
We usually stop at Caceres on a free aire in a park and just 10 mins walk to the old town, well worth seeing.

Caceres N 39.48015 W 6. 36864 These coordinates will take you to just opposite the gates to the park, look across to the left of the road and you will see the gates, just drive in and go to the bottom. If it is full just park up where the busses park, everybody else does. Water available and if you are lucky free electric too.

Salamanca is a beautiful city that you pass bye on the way to Caceres and is well worth a stop if you have time to spare and a good stop if you intend heading straight into Portugal and Lisbon but the tolls in Portugal to get to Lisbon and then the Algarve are very expensive using that route
We used to go that way but now there is a new free motorway that runs down all the way alongside the Portuguese border past Seville and into Portugal right down on the Algarve.

If you want a stop here then Hotel Reggio Campsite N 40.94962 W 5.61525 is a good stop with the bus running from the camp into town for 1 euro.
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Caceres to the Algarve

From Caceres programme your sat nav for 
Vila Real de Santo Antonio N 37. 19941 W 7. 41562

As soon as you cross the bridge into Portugal then come off the motorway for Vila Real. 
If you want to use the toll motorway in Portugal then pull in on your right after crossing the bridge and register your credit card and registration at the special pull in, worth doing just in case you use it.

This aire is 6 euros a night but right by the marina . Also very handy for the town which is very nice.

Just on the way out of Villa Real on the RN125 there is a Blue Elephant garage (wash station/gas) on the right, If you have any empty gas bottles then fill them here. The name might have changed to Pink Elephant now.
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From here on the Algarve is easy, you have 2two options either use the paid motorway to get from one end to the other quickly or use the free RN125, it is a bit rough in places but passes all the tourist spots.

We tend to spend most of our time these days at Prai De Rocha which is a further 80 miles in but for a long stay is ideal and only two and half euros (2.5) a night, water another 1.20 to fill but no electric there, we have a solar panel so that doesn’t bother us. 

You will find us at Prai De Rocha N 37. 11902 W 8. 52998

This is a very good spot for long term, everything handy, good shopping and walks.


If you want more info on the Algarve or any other part of Portugal then just ask there are hundreds of places to stop all very cheap or free. The Algarve is obviously warmer in winter than the west coast but the west coast is also very nice as long as you don’t get too much wind.




This is the route we have found the best and daily mileages are easy on average 250 miles per day, we tend not to drive in the dark and like to leave time for a look around.

There are plenty more stops on the way and if you feel like taking a different route or doing more or less miles per day then I can give you plenty of places to stop, just ask. All these aires and more can be found on Campingcar Infos that is the website I sent you. Just look at al the aires on that and you can pick your own stops.



One thing to remember always fill up at supermarkets in France as there is a huge price difference 
When you are on the ordinary roads they are always well signposted in every town or village that has them. 
If you need directions for Calais to fill up with the cheapest diesel or anywhere else on route then let me know. Once across the border into Spain then just fill up on the main routes.

Gas, 
I don’t know if you have refillable bottles or just calor bottles but no problem in Portugal as we know a few places that will refill calor bottles for a fraction of the UK cost. I have named one above in Vila Real De Santos.

Snow
If you get unlucky and hit snow on the way then don’t worry just sit it out for a day, they are much more active then us in clearing it. This January when we went down across Spain they had snow forecast for the Monday on high ground and on the Saturday before they had snow ploughs every few miles ticking over waiting.

Ferries
The reason why we use DFDS ferries are two fold, 1. They are usually the cheapest 2. It is the easiest port on return as you can spend a day or two at Gravelines which is a nice spot or even stop overnight at the ferry port in front of the offices. It is much quieter and safer than Calais and the difference in mileage is not worth worrying over.

Insurance
Make sure you have decent travel insurance to cover you for breakdown and recovery plus health insurance.

Ron


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## BrianJP (Sep 17, 2010)

boringfrog said:


> The A63 does have a toll on it now.


Yes but for 5.20 euros you get 100km of 3 lane straightened road with several new service areas. You cant really blame the French for imposing a toll on a roadvthat carries thousands of foreign vehicles every day .Perhaps UK gov should take note ?


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## Philippft (Feb 16, 2008)

Everything you need is here.

http://about-france.com/routes-from-calais.htm

If you want to calculate toll's use Michellan maps and add caravan which will give class 2 toll fares.

http://www.viamichelin.co.uk/

I would recommend the N10 route to Spain, it's virtually toll free and almost all motorway/duel carriageway.


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## 04HBG (Dec 9, 2007)

Helma,

That is the route I use, we use aires, they are perfectly safe. As for campsites there are not many open at that time of year and I am sorry I can not help you with them.

The route you can vary to suit as for daily mileages etc. You will find this a very popular route and will find the aires pretty busy.

If you want Northern Portugal then just go straight into Portugal from Salamanca instead of running down the free motorway in Spain.

We will be leaving for Portugal about 12th Jan might see you down there, safe traveling

RD


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## boringfrog (Sep 22, 2006)

BrianJP said:


> boringfrog said:
> 
> 
> > The A63 does have a toll on it now.
> ...


I'm sure I paid more than that in April, we stopped at two pay points?


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## helma (Sep 15, 2009)

Thanks Ron
I will do a little homework and come back to you if I may


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## 04HBG (Dec 9, 2007)

You are welcome to come back any time, if you need any help just ask.

RD


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## Philippft (Feb 16, 2008)

BrianJP said:


> boringfrog said:
> 
> 
> > The A63 does have a toll on it now.
> ...


I believe the toll fare is €16.30.


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## Hydrocell (Jan 29, 2011)

The two new section of toll road on the A63 are 2.60 each making that stretch 5,20euros however if you stay on to Irun or san sabstian then yes the cost will be more.

Regards
Ray


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

But it can snow anywhere. Including on the Spanish Costas.

We came back through France a couple of years ago. Some parts of france near the coast had a a couple of feet of snow.

But as a general rule, the routes suggested will avoid snow. I like to go to the snow!.

TM


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