# Route to use in Dec & Jan



## WingPete (Jan 29, 2006)

Am giving serious planning thoughts to better routes to take to southern Spain from UK in Dec.
Choices seem to be Calais, via Bordeaux to Perpignan
or
Via Paris and the Perifique
or
Via Reims to head diredctly south from there.
Distances not too different, but weather may be the determining feature, as not too happy to drive over snow & ice, especially when on way home in Jan, with 8,3 m van and trailer for m/trike.

All advice welcomed


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## MikeCo (Jan 26, 2008)

We have normally done Calais down to Bordeaux and then into Spain at the left hand bit of France going past Bilbao down through Madrid and onto La Manga.
We have done that for the last 5 years in December but this year will be taking the Portsmouth/Santander ferry.

Mike


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## BrianJP (Sep 17, 2010)

Go via Bordeaux/ SanSebastian/Madrid etc.
If the weather is bad the Spanish dont mess about as they have Snowploughs on standby by the side of the road at all the worst spots eg north and south of Madrid 24hrs a day waiting to clear the road. They have also been building lots of emergency parking areas for winter use by the A1/A4 at various points down through the country. Similarly in France on the Autoroutes in particular they are proactive in bad weather.


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

does this mean that you recommend that we only use auto routes and not A roads.

cabby


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## BrianJP (Sep 17, 2010)

cabby said:


> does this mean that you recommend that we only use auto routes and not A roads.
> 
> cabby


My point was that in my experience, in France Autoroutes (toll roads) get treated faster in winter than a lot of the N routes.In Spain motorways are A roads ( non toll) anyway as in the UK and Autopistas, eg AP1, are the toll roads but they are all treated in the same manner which is arguably better than in the UK.They all ( Spain and France) just seem to be geared up better to deal with bad weather.
Our authorities could learn a lot from them.


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## tonka (Apr 24, 2006)

Definately take the Western route..
Calais - Rouen - Chartes - N10 to Bordeaux - Bayonne and then whichever way you plan to go from there. Mostly duel carriage way and a chance of the weather being better than central France (brr)..

As stated they do seem to be a bit more active to keep the roadways open..


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## hblewett (Jan 28, 2008)

tonka said:


> Definately take the Western route..
> Calais - Rouen - Chartes - N10 to Bordeaux - Bayonne and then whichever way you plan to go from there. Mostly duel carriage way and a chance of the weather being better than central France (brr)..
> 
> As stated they do seem to be a bit more active to keep the roadways open..


+1

It is a lot more likely to be colder going east of Paris. If you go go to the west, you are at a lower altitude and nearer the ocean, which helps to keep temperatures more moderate.


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