Driving to Spain, any tips ?

kelly212

I have booked a holiday for our family of 5 in the Siblu park El Delfin Verde in torroella de montgri, Spain.
We have planned to take the ferry to france from Portsmouth, either bilbao or calais, not decided yet, so we would apprecieate tips on best and cheapest route from Portsmouth to Spain.
We are looking for info like- where to stay overnight and best places to eat?
We would just like to take a scenic route rather than grab the quickest ryan air flight.

Thanks in advance

spiro

In terms of route I have never driven to Spain but the area you are going to which is just outside L'Estartit is a lovely area. If you go onto the AA website they have some good guides relating to each european country regarding what you need to be aware of.
In relation to Spain to need Hiviz wastecoats carried INSIDE the car NOT in the boot, best to hang them on the back of the front seats as it allows the police to see them because if they stop you on a motoroway or dual carriage way and get out of the car without putting them on you'll get an on the spot fine. You need two warning triangles and if you wear glasses when you drive you need to carry a spare pair in the car.

Teahfc

IF you are using a tom tom or similar ensure thst the driver does not have a view of the screen and if you have a speed camera detector ensure it is switched off or you know how to do it pretty damn quick ! Also Mobiles are forbidden unless hands free and there are on the spot fines for law breakers !
Sounds worst than it is but respect the local laws and no problems.

benjus

If you get the ferry to Bilbao you'll probably end up taking the motorways via Zaragoza (which is a good place for a journey break). This also takes you through the Rioja region, if you fancy buying some wine...

Alternatively you could cross over to France, go via Toulouse, then cross back into Spain.

Either way, the tolls will cost you about €50, but I don't think I could face the whole journey on the Spanish minor roads - traffic can run horribly slowly unless you're one of the daredevils that dart out to overtake as soon as there's a spare metre of space (and there are plenty of those in Spain).

In terms of general driving, it's not very different to the UK. The toll motorways are nice and quiet most of the time. Parking in towns and cities can be pretty chaotic, so be careful where you choose to park.

If you opt for the Calais route, I'd probably stop somewhere along the Loire valley for an overnight stop. This route is probably slightly faster, although you obviously have a lot more driving to do. The cheap ferry should make up for the increased toll, fuel and hotel bills. My general impression of drivers in France was that they are more patient than the Spanish, so driving in France feels a bit more relaxed.

mummytofour

Sounds fun, I have been looking at a similer holiday as not sure I get get my sen kids to behavior on a plane....

leosayer39

Teahfc wrote: »

IF you are using a tom tom or similar ensure thst the driver does not have a view of the screen .

Is that true?
The driver is not allowed to see the screen at all?

I am aware that speed camera detectors are not allowed but if it is built into the Tom Tom then do you have to turn it off?

hartcjhart

I would use the portsmouth to bilbao P&O ferry,great boat good food,it is a good time for whale and dolphin spotting and even a great hulk of a beast like me cannot help to smile as you see the dolphins playing in the wake,

your destination is apx 7hrs drive(on motorway)with some lovelly scenery/mountains etc,

if you feel you need to stop look for a hotel on the Mway near Zaragoza they are reasonably priced and normally have good food,

the good thing about the mway route is that if you see an interesting looking place you can easily pull of then back on,

as said before about hi viz ,and specs,remember to put the 'beambenders 'on your headlights and you must have all car documents on board while driving.

what is nice is to pull of the motorway at a small town/village and pop into a bar/restaurant and have some tapas,

now the scary bit

dont be tempted to have a picnic on any of the mway sights as people have been held up and robbed,be aware when at filling stations make sure you lock the vehicle when you go to pay even if there are people are still in it,

be aware of any cars with 2 or more in that 'flash' you to stop as if there is something wrong,if the car feels ok then pull of at the next petrol staion and check around

most police vehicles on mways are Guardia Civil and marked,

brodev

I have driven to and from Spain/Portugal for the past 15 years. The best route depends on what you want from the journey. The ferry to Bilbao is very expensive, and, as you are going to the other coast IMHO not worth the extra. The AA or RAC will update you on the latest requirements of what you need in your car. I carry 2 triangles,a set of bulbs, first aid kit and 2 glow jackets. I use a Tomtom and it is on all the time and I can see it. I do not disagree with the poster who says that the driver should not be able to see it but I do not know of any requirement. Again AFAIK the speed cameras are a data base and not a detector system and therefore are not illegal. I rarely use toll roads as the others are comparatively free from traffic and far more interesting. I stop at Premier Classe hotels normally as I have a dog and they accept them with no charge. I find http://www.day-tripper.net/hotels_in_france.html a great help

hartcjhart

I would just add that the legal requirment in Spain is a hi vz for EVERY passenger in the vehicle

mancunian_lady

We too have driven to Spain several times, and always gone via Calais or Bolougne, either by ferry or tunnel. We usually take 2-3 days, arriving in Spain - Costa Brava area about lunchtime on the third day, but we do drive from Manchester. We enjoy the journey and make it part of our holiday and usually have two overnight stops, first near to Orleans and the next near to Toulouse.

We have also driven to and stayed at El Delfin Verde, it is a very nice park next to the beach. It is quite remote and what seems like a long drive from the main road, running alongside paddy fields. The beach is wide but can get a bit windy at times, there is a particular wind at certain times of the year but I can't remember when, we were there some years ago now about this time of year (April). There was a restaurant on the park which also did take aways and there is a supermarket in Torrella and there used to be a hot chicken take away place there as well. There also used to be a restaurant within walking distance of the the park, but there isn't much else within walking distance, you will definitely have to use the car while you are there.

I'm sure you will have a great time, we did!

:cool2:

spiro

In terms of the number of breaks you need on route will depend on your starting point. A good friend who lives in Stevenage and used to do the journey twice a years used to leave around late afternoon so he arrived in Calais early evening which allowed him to get well south of Paris before he stopped for the night. He then got the Spain the following day. One thing you dont mention is dates, there are certain times of year that all the French appear to be driving south towards Spain and the med and there are others when they are all heading back north. I think the latter is something like thelast weekend in August so beware this can add considerably to the traiff levels.