Im guessing the route roughly wiill be Zaragoza...Pamplona....San Sebastian....Bayonne...Bordeaux.....Nantes....Renn es....Roscoff.

I am a bit concerned with driving through France as we have never driven through it and also the cost of tolls.

This will be an epic journey with three cats.I dont think pet friendly hotels allow more than one animal so it will be a case of just driving and stopping for rest.

I have looked at other threads on driving through France but I am getting very confused about the whole thing.

If anyone could give a sound route to follow avoiding tolls as much as possible but without taking scenic routes as we just want to get there asap.

Thanks in advance if anyone can offer good advice.

You can calculate the route with or without tolls using a program like

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?ct=reset&tab=ll

Once you decide on the route then look at a hotel booking website to check pet friendly hotels in the area, after that you may have to make a few phone calls or emails to check specific hotels.

http://www.booking.com/?aid=355028

Hi, no reason to pass through Rennes, go NW from Nantes via Vannes!
Come on the France forum for extra info from those living in the SW of France who have done the Roscoff route!
P.S. If you are going on holiday, wouldn't it be simpler in all respects to board your cats for the duration?
Bon voyage!

Thank you..yes I will post on the french forum too...sadly this is a one way trip so the cats have to come.

Never having stayed in an animal friendly hotel, I did not know anything about only one animal to a room.

I know a couple going back to live in the UK, they had 2 cats and a dog, the dog is too old to make the journey, so they are leaving it with their parents.

They are taking the 2 cats with them, permanently to the UK.

If the rule is one room, one pet, they will have to rethink their plans.

They will probably read this thread, as although they don´t post, I know they are browsers.

This is the rule of the Campanile chain..if anyone knows different with other chains please let me know...one of our cats is 15 and Im very concerned about her but she is well travelled and hope she trusts us by now.Another of our cats dosent travel well..just to go in the car for half an hour freaks her out...shes always covered in poo and sick..Im dreading it.

Thank you...very useful info.

I think you've had the route explained already, but may I say that I remember those anxious days when you and your family came to Spain all those years ago, if I have made the correct assumption from your post.

I'm sorry to hear you're leaving, and quite a few of us may post something similar in the near future.

Good luck.

Thanks...the realisation came quite quickly so we are all in shock but its the same old thing...money....we really dont want to go but have no option.Very sad days for us....and getting our heads around this epic return journey is just proving too much at the mo.

But with hindsight would I have ever done it????...yes...I love Spain still and will always look upon it as my home...a big part of me will be left behind.

That is by far your best route.

Driving through France on that route is mostly a doddle, the only serious amount of traffic you normally meet is going around Bordeaux though having done it thirty plus times at least, I've never yet had a problem or delay.

If time is a factor, using the main toll stretch North of Bordeaux is well worthwhile IMO.
There are quite a few short and niggly stretches of tolls around the Spain/France border, mostly around a couple of euros a time, but I've never seen any delays there and the roads in that area have recently been considerably improved, especially the San Sebastian bypass and much of the stretch South of Bordeaux.

I often stop of at Bayonne near the border where there are Etap/Ibis and Premier budget motels within half a km of the route.
They have always accepted my dog ok up till now and never even charged for it, but as for your cats I can't say for sure.

Hope that helps a little, DD.

Sorry to hear that you are needing to return rather than wanting to return because I know that you have really settled into the life here, good luck with the future and maybe one day you will be able to return.

For your journey use Via Michelin as that will also provide you with the amounts for each toll. I put the correct amounts into little poly bags with a label on it naming the toll so that we did not have hassle and it worked extremely well. I also had a small bag of cash in case any had changed since I sorted the journey. Again I wish you good luck.

Rosemary

Try Ibis Hotel chain, they accept pets.

Good luck on your move.

The problem starts when you throw the money into the toll booth containers, it goes all over the place when I do it.

I also want to to wish you luck, and a safe journey back.

Problem now is the €30-€40 toll between Bayonne & Bordeaux on the N10 (A63).
To avoid it, from Bayonne head towards Mont de Marsan, then aim due north to Langon & ring road Bordeaux.

Thanks Rosemary and to the others too for bits of advice...just what Im looking for.