Drive from UK to Northern Spain (Salou)

Cornucopia

Definitely look at the A20 or A75 motorways - long chunks of toll-free driving.

I agree about taking 3, not 2 days.

The Evreux-Chartes route is a little longer, but it reduces tolls, avoids Paris and the scenery is nice. If you have a decent map or satnav, I would suggest bypassing Rouen (to the east) - the first few km of the N154 South aren't very good - just an urban dual carriageway through loads of industrial estates, clogged with lorries, lots of traffic lights.

The hotel chains are very reliable these days, even cheap ones like Formula1/F1. I prefer Etap/Ibis Budget for a little more comfort - generally about £30-40 per room per night.

pd001

katrina72 wrote: »

Yes Salou is very popular with the Spanish, well all nationalities, it is a great town. When we were there last year in August there was a fiesta and the town was jam packed and it was such a good atmosphere.

Yep head down to Rouen, the main bridge is open now, it was closed for a couple of years due to fire. Then onto Dreux, Evreux, Chartres, some of the route was single carriageway but was fast moving.

The roads are usually quiet so you can cover really good distance in one day. It can sometimes be a bit busier as you get towards the South of France. Only been delayed once in 10 years of driving to Spain and that was when the French truckers had blocked the border, but we still got through.

Check for when the French bank holidays are as well, I think there is one in August which makes the roads a lot busier.

Hope you enjoy your drive. I don't drive, so my husband does all the driving, but he doesn't complain

I think that I have read somewhere that the whole of August is holiday time in both France and Spain, so the roads are that much busier.
I don't mind, its a case of going with the (traffic) flow.

So your husband has been driving to Spain for over 10 years? Wow, you must really like doing that..or maybe hate flying?

Just out of interest, have you ever done the journey over 2 nights rather than days?
The only reason that I ask is because its probable that we will have 2 grandchildren with us, and I am minded that doing the journey overnight might be better for them?

From a personal point of view, I realise that I would have to get my sleep during the day, and my wife would have to keep the kids occupied during that time.

Have you ever driven all the way down to southern Spain? That would be some journey.

pd001

zagfles wrote: »

We did a similar drive, though a bit shorter (Manchester to NE Spain, med coast near Girona), and there's no way on Earth I'd contemplate doing it over 2 days with one driver, especially with young kids in the car. Don't believe the driving times on Google, there will be traffic jams, roadworks etc and once you add comfort stops, meal breaks etc you're looking at very long days driving.

We did it over 3 days with 2 drivers. The route via Rouen is good, we stopped overnight in Rouen and then just off the A75 near Saint Flour (found a brilliant little place in the middle of nowhere with a pool, after a day in the car jumping into a pool is sooo good).

It's not always that easy to find accomodation on spec in France, especially at peak times. In other trips I've driven around for ages at the end of a long day's driving trying to find somewhere - I've done it loads of times in the US and it's easy there but it's harder in Europe.

Enjoy the Millau viaduct - highest structure in France (higher than the Eiffel tower!).

Thanks for you comments.
That place with the pool sounds perfect after a long day driving. My grandkids would deffo love that .
I have taken onboard you comments about trying to get a room 'on spec'. I will plan ahead.

The route that you suggest sounds good to me. I have read and seen pictures of the Millau. Cant wait to see it for real.

pd001

Cornucopia wrote: »

Definitely look at the A20 or A75 motorways - long chunks of toll-free driving.

I agree about taking 3, not 2 days.

The Evreux-Chartes route is a little longer, but it reduces tolls, avoids Paris and the scenery is nice. If you have a decent map or satnav, I would suggest bypassing Rouen (to the east) - the first few km of the N154 South aren't very good - just an urban dual carriageway through loads of industrial estates, clogged with lorries, lots of traffic lights.

The hotel chains are very reliable these days, even cheap ones like Formula1/F1. I prefer Etap/Ibis Budget for a little more comfort - generally about £30-40 per room per night.

I will check out those toll free roads. Are they just as good as a toll road?
I sure as hell want to avoid driving around Paris. I believe that it is a nightmare!

Although I have satnav, when i finally settle on a route, i might print out a map of the route itself, and the road numbers, to keep in the car. My wife can refer to it from time to time.

pd001

SailorSam wrote: »

We went and they wouldn't let us in.
It must have been about 35yrs or more now. We went camping in France and hadn't made any plans so just kept driving and the further south we got we decided to drive a bit further and have a week or so in Spain.
But they wouldn't let us in.
We were doing things as cheap as we could without breakdown cover or anything, and in those days you needed Green Card insurance, it wasn't necessary in France so we hadn't bothered, but in Spain it was a must. So we got as far as the border and they made us turn around.

OMG, Thats terrible.
All that way just to be told to go home. Not good at all.

katrina72

pd001 wrote: »

So your husband has been driving to Spain for over 10 years? Wow, you must really like doing that..or maybe hate flying?

Just out of interest, have you ever done the journey over 2 nights rather than days?
The only reason that I ask is because its probable that we will have 2 grandchildren with us, and I am minded that doing the journey overnight might be better for them?

Have you ever driven all the way down to southern Spain? That would be some journey.

Yes about 10 years, it started as my eldest daughter was terrified of flying, so we thought we would try and drive, and it wasn't as bad as what we thought it would be. Plus we can bring back lots of wine for family.

No normally over 3 days, my kids get a bit grouchy if it's too long in the car. One year though my husband drove all the way from Salou to just North of Paris, then we stopped in an F1, but he was shattered.

We are planning the train to Spain next year, my husband works on the railway so we get huge discounts. One of his work colleagues got the train down to Malaga so we are contemplating that. We are mad!

pd001

katrina72 wrote: »

Yes about 10 years, it started as my eldest daughter was terrified of flying, so we thought we would try and drive, and it wasn't as bad as what we thought it would be. Plus we can bring back lots of wine for family.

No normally over 3 days, my kids get a bit grouchy if it's too long in the car. One year though my husband drove all the way from Salou to just North of Paris, then we stopped in an F1, but he was shattered.

We are planning the train to Spain next year, my husband works on the railway so we get huge discounts. One of his work colleagues got the train down to Malaga so we are contemplating that. We are mad!

We did the train to the South of France about 4 years ago.
I aint into trains or anything like that, we just did it as a bit of a different thing to do.
There is nothing better than being sat on the top deck of a train, in the bar area, doing 220mph, drinking wine and watching the world pass you by.
We will deffo do that trip again, but not with two young grandchildren in tow.
You will love it!

I think if you take the train to Spain you might need to get an overnight sleeper.
We would love to do that too

SailorSam

pd001 wrote: »

OMG, Thats terrible.
All that way just to be told to go home. Not good at all.

We just stayed around the South of France.
One of the advantages of camping you can stay a few days then move on. I don't think i'd drive that far now though, i'm to old.

pd001

SailorSam wrote: »

We just stayed around the South of France.
One of the advantages of camping you can stay a few days then move on. I don't think i'd drive that far now though, i'm to old.

Being 'too old' depends on how you actually feel about driving all that way. I am in my late fifties, so i am no spring chicken myself.

zagfles

pd001 wrote: »

OMG, Thats terrible.
All that way just to be told to go home. Not good at all.

You won't have that problem - no border controls between France and Spain they're both in the Schengen zone. There is a customs post as I remember but they weren't stopping anyone.