# How many days to Marbella



## Bern2544 (Sep 15, 2012)

Hi,

We are travelling down to the Marbella area in early January, am planning Calais Bordeaux Bayonne Pamploma Zaragoza Valencia and then down the coast. 

What would be a realistic timescale for this journey? I don't particularly like doing more than 4 hours driving a day unless I have to. Obviously the weather will be a factor but was wondering if you've done this journey how long do you take or do you have a better route.

I do have 7 days from arriving in Calais to arrival on site......

Thanks

Taff


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## rayrecrok (Nov 21, 2008)

Hey up.

It all depends on how fast you want to get there, you say you have allocated seven days, then go down in seven days..

Me, I always want to get anywhere yesterday... The van makes me take my time, the Jag well :wink: ..

ray.


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## Littlebt (May 19, 2012)

Hello,
The Coast road on a large part of your route is very unattractive the area is littered with plastic greenhouses for as far as the eye can see I would take a closer look at the alternatives toward Granada and down.

Check it out on google earth I think you will be quite surprised by what you see.


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## mikebeaches (Oct 18, 2008)

I reckon 7 days should be fairly comfortable, not driving for too long each day. Obviously, one factor to consider is whether you are going to use toll motorways or not.

We found the tolls in Spain very reasonable and the (paid-for) motorways almost deserted. I believe we were only charged the same rate as a car - we're 6m long and 2.76m high.

Obviously, tolls are a bit more expensive in France.

Have a great trip whatever you decide.

Mike


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## NormanB (Sep 8, 2005)

I agree about the coast road not having a lot to offer - except milder weather - and I would probably go straight down past Madrid. There are decent ACSI campsites open along that road (Aranjuez/Riatha/Granada Beas?). When the weather is much better, later in the Spring, I would be prepared to spend longer meandering along scenic routes on the return journey to France/UK.

4 hours a day limits you to about 200 miles so that's 3-ish days in France and 3-ish in Spain to Marbella. That's a bit too long a time for me, especially in winter when there's little to do or see on the way and it's dark from 4pm to 9am.

We take 2 days through France to Bayonne and 2 days through Spain to Almeria. It's really more driving than I'd like but I'm still prepared to do it at 67. As the years go on, I can see me wanting to take it in shorter stages.

Your route through France is a good choice - cheapest on tolls and mostly fast dual carriageway.

Living in North Wales, you'll probably want to spend your first night at the Canterbury Park and Ride or Dover/Folkestone Club sites.

Just for fun, I've PM'd you the route in 200 miles/4.25 hour segments (quester of an hour for a rest stop). Let me know if you need suggested stops en route which are available in winter.

Norman


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## daffodil (Aug 7, 2014)

Norman B, you have gladdened my heart, what a well constructed easy to read post (lessons please) 
:wink: and this is why I joined the site in the first place ,so no more distractions for me .WELL DONE !!


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

Brittany Ferries to Bilbao/Santander.

You can get from Either in around 12 driving hours. 

We too now only get charge as a Car, class 1 toll in Spain so cheap tolls. In France it is Class 3 or Class 2 if we press the button and request it.

TM


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## TheNomad (Aug 12, 2013)

teemyob said:


> Brittany Ferries to Bilbao/Santander.
> 
> You can get from Either in around 12 driving hours.
> 
> ...


From memory, I think the toll class for cars/light vans on Spanish motorways is actually "Class 2".


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

Hi,

Our 8.4m 5 ton Frankia was Class II.

Our new 6m MH gets charged Class I in All of Spain


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## ob1 (Sep 25, 2007)

Bern2544 said:


> Hi,
> 
> We are travelling down to the Marbella area in early January, am planning Calais Bordeaux Bayonne Pamploma Zaragoza Valencia and then down the coast.
> 
> ...


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At the pace that you want to go seven days is about right. However, as others have said, from experience I would get to Bayonne and then straight down the middle of Spain. Its shorter and weve only ever hit snow once (Madrid) in about twenty trips, which doesn't mean that you won't of course! On the other hand the coast route can get very, very windy quite often, enough to turn lorries over.


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## hogan (Oct 31, 2006)

Why come via Valencia? seems a long detour to me.Go via Madrid


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