[Alan435d]

With COVID hanging around I dont fancy getting on a plane this year for a trip to get some warm Spanish sun on my back, then I had a crazy idea of driving to northern Spain which has been received somewhat warmly by my other half.

Anyone ever driven from Calais to Costa Brava in Spain, 750 miles, great French motorways and get to see the Millau Viaduct

We would share the driving, thinking of drive to Folkstone, stay the night in the Premier Inn the junction before the tunnel, early train to France then cruise Spain with a few stops for Rocket Fuel Coffee they always sell and fuel the car up?

Has anyone ever done it or got any advice?

[Ashway]

Originally Posted by Alan435d

With COVID hanging around I dont fancy getting on a plane this year for a trip to get some warm Spanish sun on my back, then I had a crazy idea of driving to northern Spain which has been received somewhat warmly by my other half.

Anyone ever driven from Calais to Costa Brava in Spain, 750 miles, great French motorways and get to see the Millau Viaduct

We would share the driving, thinking of drive to Folkstone, stay the night in the Premier Inn the junction before the tunnel, early train to France then cruise Spain with a few stops for Rocket Fuel Coffee they always sell and fuel the car up?

Has anyone ever done it or got any advice?

Did it once years ago as they were building the Millau viaduct, it was an awesome sight viewing it upwards from the bottom of the valley. In all honesty it was a bit of a slog, autoroute tolls are not insignificant and we needed an overnight stop near Clermont Ferrand. Since then we've bought a property in Spain and now use Brittany Ferries from Portsmouth - Bilbao/Santander, that way we get to relax on the boat with our 2 dogs and then can easily do the journey from Northern Spain to our place in Murcia in a single stretch with a couple of coffee and dog exercise stops. The scenery driving through the mountains in Northern Spain is spectacular. All things being equal we're due to cross in a couple of weeks time.

[Goneinsixtyseconds]

Not been that far for years. My dad used to drive us in the 80’s to Llafranc (very pretty for Costa Brava) where my Grandad had a boat.

My dad used to do it by driving from Derbyshire to a couple of hours south of Paris first day and then on the second day. Loads of decent Novotels by the motorways.

My Uncle used to do it in one go from Sheffield, 23 hours swapping drivers, which might be useful in Covid times. He did it with his foot to the floor in a brown Vauxhall Nova saloon, ha ha.

[Broncho]

Beware of sexy female police officers at toll booths who will screw you for a couple of hundred euro for going too fast.

[Ashway]

Originally Posted by Goneinsixtyseconds

Not been that far for years. My dad used to drive us in the 80’s to Llafranc (very pretty for Costa Brava) where my Grandad had a boat.

My dad used to do it by driving from Derbyshire to a couple of hours south of Paris first day and then on the second day. Loads of decent Novotels by the motorways.

My Uncle used to do it in one go from Sheffield, 23 hours swapping drivers, which might be useful in Covid times. He did it with his foot to the floor in a brown Vauxhall Nova saloon, ha ha.

Le Plod are pretty active on the autoroute now so speeding is a risky business, they hide under the motorway bridges and radio ahead to pull you over at the peage. would have been ok in the Nova though

[Goneinsixtyseconds]

Originally Posted by Ashway

Le Plod are pretty active on the autoroute now so speeding is a risky business, they hide under the motorway bridges and radio ahead to pull you over at the peage. would have been ok in the Nova though

I drive to South West ish France every year. No need to speed, hardly ever any need to slow for traffic and cruise at just over 80 mph. The miles pass by very quickly, not like on motorways here.

[Ashway]

you should try the Le Mans pilgrimage first year I went Id never seen as many brits getting pulled over, it was like shooting fish in a barrel. A couple of lads I know had their cars confiscated and others with hefty fines.
Agreed though the motorways are better maintained than ours and also less congested resulting in a less stressful drive. The added bonus in Spain is that the majority of the tolls have now been removed, the only one for me is about €5 for a short stretch near Madrid. Are you going over this year?

[Watsey]

Just the two of your, or with children ?

Mrs W and I drove to the south of France (Nice) 12 years ago when she was pregnant with our first, around 900 miles, and had to break the journey with an overnight stop. That still made for long days.

I've driven to Le Mans several times with a mate and that's 'only' 400 miles - still makes for a long day once you include the Channel Tunnel crossing. I normally leave at 5am and, with a few coffee stops, it usually takes around 8 hours.

[Alan435d]

Would just be the 2 of us, got no intention speeding in France, adaptive cruise set at 130kph and relax. Spotted the police years ago while going to the French gp at Magny Cours in the middle of the motorway and decided the best plan was to spend half an hour in the services that were half a mile from the toll booth and luckily I didn’t get nailed for seeing how quick a 120d went

[davyk31]

Being on a ferry seems a lot better than a plane so is there not a ferry option. Driving that far could be pretty tiring and wipe you out for the first few days of the holiday.

[Ashway]

Originally Posted by davyk31

Being on a ferry seems a lot better than a plane so is there not a ferry option. Driving that far could be pretty tiring and wipe you out for the first few days of the holiday.

Brittany Ferries passenger service is suspended until 28th June. They were supposed to update their website yesterday a 17.30 CET following the reopening of the Spanish border but as of now still no confirmation of a resumption of services. We’ve had 2 crossings cancelled already so hoping it’s 3rd time lucky for us on 5th July

[Bibbles]

Originally Posted by Alan435d

With COVID hanging around I dont fancy getting on a plane this year for a trip to get some warm Spanish sun on my back, then I had a crazy idea of driving to northern Spain which has been received somewhat warmly by my other half.

Anyone ever driven from Calais to Costa Brava in Spain, 750 miles, great French motorways and get to see the Millau Viaduct

We would share the driving, thinking of drive to Folkstone, stay the night in the Premier Inn the junction before the tunnel, early train to France then cruise Spain with a few stops for Rocket Fuel Coffee they always sell and fuel the car up?

Has anyone ever done it or got any advice?

I normally do UK > South of France or Alps in one day on the way home. Its a reasonably long journey to do in a day and quite tiring but definitely ok if it's just the two of you and you're sharing the driving. On the way there it's part of the holiday so we take our time, book one or two nice places to stay from https://www.sawdays.co.uk/ and enjoy the journey.

[Goneinsixtyseconds]

Originally Posted by Bibbles

I normally do UK > South of France or Alps in one day on the way home. Its a reasonably long journey to do in a day and quite tiring but definitely ok if it's just the two of you and you're sharing the driving. On the way there it's part of the holiday so we take our time, book one or two nice places to stay from https://www.sawdays.co.uk/ and enjoy the journey.

I would say doable to Herts, but a long long day to Wales where the OP lives.

[Ridg]

We drive to the Alpes every year, not as far but similar concept; the french refuges are great for a pitstop / nap if you're doing all the driving.

As said don't speed or carry the fine in Euros CASH otherwise they can (and probably will) take your car e.g. plod don't carry card machines.

Enjoy the drive!

[Goneinsixtyseconds]

Originally Posted by davyk31

Being on a ferry seems a lot better than a plane so is there not a ferry option. Driving that far could be pretty tiring and wipe you out for the first few days of the holiday.

We’d be going Eurotunnel if we went. Even safer than ferry I reckon. On a ferry you have to get out and mingle at least a little bit.

On Eurotunnel you don’t even get out of your car.

[Alan435d]

Originally Posted by Goneinsixtyseconds

We’d be going Eurotunnel if we went. Even safer than ferry I reckon. On a ferry you have to get out and mingle at least a little bit.

On Eurotunnel you don’t even get out of your car.

My thinking exactly

[73henny]

You'd have to mingle at every toilet / fuel / food / overnight stop. May add up to more risk than 2 hours on a plane.....

[Bibbles]

You just need a pace car from Belgium, Luxembourg or Netherlands about 0.5km in front to take the heat from the gendarmes. There's always plenty of them flying down the outside lane at around 100-120mph

[Watsey]

Originally Posted by Ridg

We drive to the Alpes every year, not as far but similar concept; the french refuges are great for a pitstop / nap if you're doing all the driving.

As said don't speed or carry the fine in Euros CASH otherwise they can (and probably will) take your car e.g. plod don't carry card machines.

Enjoy the drive!

I know, from experience, that the gendarmes will provide a police escort to the nearest cash machine. Such friendly people

[Ashway]

Brittany Ferries have updated their website with the revised summer sailing schedule

[zofinger]

Originally Posted by Bibbles

You just need a pace car from Belgium, Luxembourg or Netherlands about 0.5km in front to take the heat from the gendarmes. There's always plenty of them flying down the outside lane at around 100-120mph

I love a pace car up front. I’ve found the Swiss are no good for this.... They’re too damn quick!

[Goneinsixtyseconds]

Originally Posted by 73henny

You'd have to mingle at every toilet / fuel / food / overnight stop. May add up to more risk than 2 hours on a plane.....

And 2 hours in the airport at either end.

Most fuel is pay at pumps. We usually take our own food for the journey even pre covid and stop at the outdoor picnic services rather than the main ones. Men’s urinals there are generally outdoors, and the toilets single units.

Yes there’s still risk if you need a stopover, although we’d do it in one go to the gites South West France that we usually go to. I’d still rather that than airports and planes.

That said we’re doing neither this year. 15 minutes after Boris's announcement I found and booked a week in Northumberland away from the crowds in the South and South West. And we’ll have another week at home.

https://www.ellingham-hall.co.uk/nor...iday-cottages/