Route to Spain
 

Family are coming over in August by car - Dover - Dunkerque - going to stay one night in Barcelona and then down to Benidorm. Can anyone help with a route through France please? Many thanks in anticipation.

Re: Route to Spain
 

Try viamichelin.

Re: Route to Spain
 

Thanks Keith will suggest they do that.

Re: Route to Spain
 

You could try aa or rac routefinder which will give you a detailed route which you can print off.
We have travelled down several times.Around Paris was a bit of a nightmare but otherwise quite good.
There are toll roads which are quicker but can be a bit expensive.These can be avoided for a more scenic route.
Depends how much time is available.
Driving down through the costas in Spain can be lovely stopping overnight wherever takes your fancy (cheap pensions are everywhere)
It is very enjoyable if time is not an issue.
Happy travels.:thumbup:

Re: Route to Spain
 

We done that but in reverse and not the Barcelona bit...Bourdeax, poitiers,tours, orleans, Paris, Lille, Dunkerque...yours will be different as your coming from Barcelona so really this is useless info for you;)

Re: Route to Spain
 

That was a non toll route was it?

Re: Route to Spain
 

No we paid loads of tolls and stuck to main drag all the way.

Re: Route to Spain
 

Oh .... OK ... I'm looking for the best non toll route to Calais

Re: Route to Spain
 

We stuck to the tolls for the most direct route as we were very tight for time. If you go onto the aa or viamichelin you can do a planner but tick the option to avoid tolls.

Re: Route to Spain
 

Yes I've done that, just after personal recommendations as even Michelin can be a bit ...... err .... strange in its choice of route sometimes

Re: Route to Spain
 

and misleading with, time, toll and petrol prices as we sadly found out:sneaky:

we done that route in 16 hours as we had a ferry to catch.

Re: Route to Spain
 

Thanks for your responses have passed them onto my Brother. I would hate to do all that driving but he doesn't seem to mind!!!:wub:

Re: Route to Spain
 

It's only 1800 KM/16 hours..

Re: Route to Spain
 

I drove from Birmingham to Oliva (south of Valencia) in one hit with one other driver ..... 24 hours from start to finish, coffee every 3 hours, red bull every 3 hours, it was an experience that took several days to recover from ....... and then we had to drive back :eek:

Re: Route to Spain
 

we drove from Spain and crossed the border to France, that was our French time. In total we left at 4.00pm tues Cartama, crossed the border at 2.30pm wed, arrived in Dunkerque at 7.30 am thurs. We had a big Iveco filled to the brim, two dogs, a child and stopped for 5 hours, got lost 3 times, once in Madrid, once in Paris and once in some small little French village while looking for a cashpoint.

All in all quite a hectic journey sorry if it wasn't fast enough;) Perhaps in a nippy car we could have done it faster:zzz:

Re: Route to Spain
 

I've been lost in Paris :eek:
Avoid Paris at all costs

Re: Route to Spain
 

I was lost in france, in love, ooh la ooh la ooh la la

Re: Route to Spain
 

Stay on the periferique till you get to you junction number, Lol

Re: Route to Spain
 

Absolutely...if you're going to get lost, Madrid is much more fun.

Re: Route to Spain
 

Bordeaux is interesting, especially if you arrive there at 5pm without a hotel room booked :eek: Getting lost in Bordeaux is a real gas!!!!

Whats the most interesting town you've been lost in

Re: Route to Spain
 

We do Valencia to Dunkerque all on non toll roads - but not via Barcelona - as it's not on a direct route.

Valencia, Sagunto, Teruel, Pamplona, Biarritz, Bordeaux, Poitiers, Tours, Chartres, Rouen, Abbeville, Dunkerque.

Re: Route to Spain
 

Years ago while I was stationed in Germany (Ramstein Air Base) we drove to Amsterdam. At the time I was reading the book "A Bridge Too Far", about Operation Market Garden.
Coming back we got lost and found myself smack in the middle of the battlefield- Arnheim/Nijmegan....looking at buildings that you could see had been re-built from the battle (different color/tone of brick or rock). It was all rather erie.