trentino

Hi all, well finally its happening. Got a call today that transporters are taking my horse next week so I have now booked a ferry for week Wednesday. 22nd. Getting ferry from Dover to Calais. Had a good look at the map and reckon I will do 3 night stops. Can anyone recommend a route they have done before and decent hotels to stay in. The hotel must accept a dog. Any advice would be really appreciated. Thanks in advance.

brodev

I have done it regularly with 1 night stop. In France http://www.day-tripper.net/hotels_in_france.html gives a selection of various grades of hotels. I tend to use Premier Classe hotels. These are basic hotels with en suite bathrooms. I have always found them to be clean and adequate.

Casa Santo Estevo

these places usually accept pets- they are ok for an over night stop and nothing else.
http://www.hotelformule1.com/formule1/index.html

trentino

Blimey, only 1 night stop. You must have been knackered Do you think 3 nights will be too long. I am not sure how far to go before stopping the first night. How long will it take me from Madrid? Anyone got any ideas please

betris

at a guess about 17 hours driving

Mitzyboy

I do Calais Valencia with a one night stop in Valences and its two days full driving

Dick Dasterdly

Have a look at "via michelin".
Fill in your start and finish points in "driving directions" and get a full print out of the best route,distances,est times,petrol,toll costs etc.

Best not use their hotels,too expensive,maybe not on route.

Lots of etaps,b&b,ibis motels etc on route reasonable price,most take pets and are generally grouped together on one site close to the M`WAY.
Form-1 is very basic,...no en-suite bog,....premier ok,....a bit more money.

Probable quickest route is Rheims,Dijon,Lyon,Montpellier then Autovia down past Barca. and Valencia

betris

yes mitz but thats in your trabant

wobbly

I do Leeds to just of North of Barcelona minimum twice a year in around 17 hours all in including ferry (no stops apart from food/coffee and fuel)

From Boulogne/Calais I go Rouen/Evreux/Chatres/Clermont F and Millau Bridge, Toll Costs are 60% of Lyon Route and roads are quiet and fast, but VERY hilly if towing, south of Clermont F to Millau driving at 3000ft 4000ft ASL but stunning scenery!

Just ensure the French Speed cameras are logged into your Sat Nav

jurdyr

wobbly 1 fuel cost please and toll cost aswell please
jurdy

cymruambyth

If you put your start point and destination into the "Mappy" tool at www.mappy.com it will clearly show you the route, time taken, distance, cost of tolls on the way, location of speed radars and overall cost of fuel used for journey.

As an example, my journey from Calais to Villamartin is:
Distance: 1941.43km (1892.11km of which is on motorway)
Tolls: 90.80euro in France (just noticed it does not give tolls for Spain!)
Cost of Fuel: 219.94euro
Duration: 19 Hr 41 Min (assumes compliance with all peed regulations)

Good luck with your journey

wobbly

No problem, route is all dual carriageway apart from small section after turn off to Chartres from Rouen/Paris Autoroute, as an example I left Estartit Northern Spain at 9-30am on 4th October and was at Calais Port at 7-20pm, fuel used was approx 115 ltrs (VW Golf 1.9TDi) from Estartit to Leeds (1065 miles) could do it on FAR less fuel with lower speeds

Route Taken is Calais or Bolougne (depends on cheapest Crossing I can get!)

Then follow Autoroute to Rouen (its Free from Calais to Boulogne and from Abbeville to Rouen)

Toll Cost 6.90 euro

From Rouen take Paris Autoroute for approx 5 miles and take the Chartres/Dreux/Evreux Exit

Toll Cost 1.50 euro (usually Automated so have change ready!)

Then cut across Country to Orleans via Dreux/Evereux/Chartres (mixture of Dual Carriageway and Highway) joining the Autoroute near Orleans (J12) to Clermont Ferrand

Toll Cost 25.9 euro

Autoroute is then FREE from Clermont Ferrand with the only toll being Millau Viaduct at 5.60 euro

Toll Cost 5.60

You then enter the Autoroute de Sud just east of Narbonne which hits the France/Spain Border at Le Perthus, just past Perpignan

Toll Cost 10.10 euro

I always pay Tolls by Visa Debit Card so it was easy to look on line at my account to quote the exact amounts on here

By my reckoning total cost in Tolls through France to Spain Border is 50 euro's which is WAY less than the cost of Reims/Lyon Route!

Hope this helps!

trentino

Thanks for all your help guys. Ihave printed off the appy directions and also the aa. Hoping to get sat nav to work as well. 2 women and a stupid dog, bound to get lost. Just have to work out now where to stay overnight. They all say approx 24 hours driving, so I will have to do it over three nights I guess. Not sure if Bordeux will be too far for me the first day. Have to have a look. Just as well I was not going yesterday with the strikes in Calais.

Dick Dasterdly

Too late now,but a much better,easier route is Portsmouth,St Malo overnight ferry,(comfy cabin,dogs allowed),then straight down Westside to Bordo.or Bayonne(good for motels).
Big saving on distance,petrol,time and tolls,a very easy comfortable ,run and very few busy traffic areas.

Also much shorter for anyone going onto the A7 anywhere South of Valencia,by continuing past San Sebastian, Pamplona and Zaragossa to Valencia and South.
A really nice,pretty,interesting route on the Spanish side on quiet,mostly new roads.

St Malo to Valencia,..............1300km,13hours,122e-petrol,42e-tolls...(Western route)

Calais to Valencia,(via Lyon),..1670km,15.2hours,151e-petrol,105e-tolls....(Eastern route)

Its go West every time for me.

trentino

I was poss going to stay in Pamplona, then drop down from Madrid. It would be out of my way to go Valencia way surely?