Long ferry verses long drive

[Byronic]

have a good trip malc . hope to leave early nov. crossing to maroc about the 14/15 dec. cant put up with the rain again. drive safe .will look out for you , byronic and all you adventuous wilders . keep smiling . cheers alan.[/


Considering your trip includes Maroc together with the mpg you get, it makes even more sense to miss out France, especially as you need to drive 500 miles south in Maroc to find an appreciable weather improvent over Spain. You know of course that much of Maroc last winter wasn't much better than Spain, but of course you can at least keep going still further south. Although I reckon Timbuctoo is a bit far for a bit of sun.

 

[vwalan]

there is always sun somewhere in maroc. yes we save quite a few miles and for most it means you dont need an oil change when away. have had good and bad reports of last year. but we do know its warmer than spain. think we shall spend alot more tiome inland by the desert this year. getting difficult to free park by the beaches so go inland and enjoy the sun. may go on down to senegal . but timbukto is on the cards as well. see how it goes. at least theres plenty of choice when you get south. catch you up somewhere i dare say. started stocking up . soon be time to buy cheese and bacon. keep smiling regards to your wife, cheers alan.
ps. have you cleaned your van lately . could do with a good wash n polish ,ha ha.

 

[Byronic]

At the speed I go everything and everyone catches me. As for washing and polishing the van, well its because I don't do it more than 4 times a year that the paintwork has lasted relatively well for a Mercedes commercial vehicle body, which is to say a rubbish standard of rustproofing.
As for Maroc at least gasoil is, by European standards, fairly cheap.
I can remember many years ago when as a tourist motoring in Maroc, you would be issued with fuel discount vouchers. They were so desparate for foreign money. Those were the days.
Now, as you say they don't even encourage wildcamping on the coast. I wonder where all the thousands of Germans/French/Dutch are going to go. I don't think there are enough coastal campsites and they're not likely to go inland for months on end. I hope they don't crowd out Spain even more than it is at present.

 

[t&s]

driving is just probably cheaper and just as fast ( if speed is important )
but the views whilst driving are better
the things you see people and places are nicer
the choice you have to rest and stop where you want are untold
the lack of boredom is definatly one to consider
the motorhome is for driving not being parked in a tin box for 2 days

have a nice trip

 

[kenjones]

Havn't been on it but I read somewhere that P&O is withdrawing the Bilbao service.

 

[vwalan]

pand o are to expensive on that crossing.they make you have a cabin. better to use the santander with brittany at least thern you can get away with just a seat. think pand o are in trouble and have been for a while so i,m told. cheers alan.

 

[bonniestorm]

hi if its of help to you or anyone else we are members of the brittany ferries owners club. i can let you have our membership no which will give you a 10% discount on your crossing.

 

[TerryL]

I've done this trip several times, both by ferry and by road. Ships are very well equipped and if you fancy the idea of a "cruise" at the start/end of your trip then the extra cost might be a factor.

However I preferrred to do it by road, direct route approx 750 miles. It is quite possible to avoid some of the tolls although I question whether it would make a lot of difference due to extra mileage - and I've always felt that providing you don't hammer it, fuel consumption is always better at a constant speed. Plenty of nice places to possibly stop off and see on the way too, if you're in no great rush - after all that's what motorhoming is all about ain't it?

And it was quite a lot cheaper to drive too, although my trips were in the "high" season. Check out the ferries for special offers at this time of year too.

There's no easy answer on this, too many variables, just do some (more) research then it's a matter of personal choice. But above all - ENJOY IT!

 

[Deleted member 967]

Its not only the fuel costs, you have to factor in vehicle wear and tear, which if considered may well make the short route the cheaper option. Having said that I usually take the long route to Southern Spain, leave early November back Mid April.
Usually spend 2 weeks each way in France, travelling as slow as possible even if the weather is cold. April in France is usually ok.
Once in Spain its as quick as possible to the Costas. As nearly everybody is aware, due to elevation most of inland winter Spain is brass monkey weather.
Always seems a shame to me to rush through France or miss it out altogether.

,

Hi Byronic

We are heading down to Spain for the first time in mid November. What route through France do you take and where do you stop. We are heading for SE Spain, Costa Cadida near Cartagena.
We have been advised to stick to the French west coast, Calis - Rouen - Bordeaux - Biarritz - Pamplona - Zargoza and then down the east coast of Spain.

John

 

[vwalan]

thats something like the route i might take .i very often miss bordeaux and turn off at angouleme for perigeaux then call in at saralat la canada and gordon good lakes near gourdon to park by. then head south to toulouse and andorra then drop down to barcelona and follow the med. remember france can be rainy and even cold in mid nov. i,m sure you will enjoy the route. there is a big narbonne accesories shop on the way through toulouse on the south side handy for camping bits and bobs. good aire just south of saverdun to park in for the night. take the southern road back up its a good place big and loads of trucks .may see you somewhere on the med. cheers alan.

 

[barnybg]

Ferry/Drive

Byronic,the German,dutch etc are going to Turkey via either Greece or Bulgaria,we see convoys of em.
Even Brits are starting to make use of the Agean all along to the Turkish border or nip into Bulgaria to stock up on food and fuel at over half price to Greece,and alot cheaper compared to Turkey.
Met up with two couples in their motorhomes that spend alot of time in Greece,they are going onto Turkey to see Istanbul and them blue hot springs etc you see advertized,calling in to see me again at my house,as i met up with them in my secret ' paradise cove' along the coast of the Agean.
Swings and roundabouts conserning driving,wether you like driving ,silly i know,been as you have a motor home,but all the same,fuel to save ,places to see,wether you have 'sealegs' or " frogs legs " which part of Spain ? for how long etc etc,research and internet reading i reckon,is it cheaper to do a single and drive at leat ..one of the ways ?????

 

[Byronic]

Hi Byronic

We are heading down to Spain for the first time in mid November. What route through France do you take and where do you stop. We are heading for SE Spain, Costa Cadida near Cartagena.
We have been advised to stick to the French west coast, Calis - Rouen - Bordeaux - Biarritz - Pamplona - Zargoza and then down the east coast of Spain.

John

Hi JT,
The route I take largely depends on where which port we start from of course, up to the last few years it used to be St Malo or Cherbourg etc ie the Westerly ports, until that is Brittany Ferries became a virtual monoply and the crossing costs became exorbitant compared to Calais or Dunkerque' so nowadays its those ports we use, we've also used the Santander short cut route several times.
Anyway the route I take from Calais through France is fairly direct ( I don't add unnecessary miles to a fairly long trip) so its Abbeville, Rouen, Le Mans,Tours, Poitiers, Angouleme, Bordeaux, Bayonne this is all on non toll motorways and RN roads except for a stretch of Peage at the end of the RN 10 which circumnavigates Bayonne, Biarritz etc, and I get off in Spain at San Sebastian. Although south of Bordeaux the more picturesque route to Spain is found by turning off the RN 10 and heading for Mont de Marsan, Pau and then depending if there's snow around, going over the Pyrrennes or under them via the Somport tunnel. We've often been "over with" no trouble. This direction takes you to Zaragoza which would be better if you're heading to hit the Spanish Costas fairly far north. You miss out Pamplona of course.
My route through Spain takes me to Miranda de Ebro, Burgos, Madrid, Granada, Malaga.
The Spainish plains can be bleak in the winter. I stop overnight at truckstops I can only add that I've never had any trouble. I cannot be bothered looking for campsites late in the day and Spain is not well served with aires, although the situation is improving.
When we used the Western ports we would follow the coast route via Nantes, La Rochelle down to Bordeaux the weather is generally better here than inland, well warmer at least.
Whereas in France we used aires and campsites in the long distant past, we now use only the occasional aire, but mainly wildcamp (camping sauvage in French)in places we have sussed out over the years.At weekends especially it pays to get to aires fairly early as even in the winter they can be full, many French will spend the weekend at the aire so now some have time limits.
Hope this info helps

 

[Byronic]

Byronic,the German,dutch etc are going to Turkey via either Greece or Bulgaria,we see convoys of em.
Even Brits are starting to make use of the Agean all along to the Turkish border or nip into Bulgaria to stock up on food and fuel at over half price to Greece,and alot cheaper compared to Turkey.
Met up with two couples in their motorhomes that spend alot of time in Greece,they are going onto Turkey to see Istanbul and them blue hot springs etc you see advertized,calling in to see me again at my house,as i met up with them in my secret ' paradise cove' along the coast of the Agean.
Swings and roundabouts conserning driving,wether you like driving ,silly i know,been as you have a motor home,but all the same,fuel to save ,places to see,wether you have 'sealegs' or " frogs legs " which part of Spain ? for how long etc etc,research and internet reading i reckon,is it cheaper to do a single and drive at leat ..one of the ways ?????

I have only been to Turkey once, about 40 years ago, and then only Istanbul and the Eastern seaboard it was considered a fairly novel experience in those days.The last time I went to the Balkans some of it was called Yugoslavia!!!
I've grown into a bit of a stick in the mud when it comes to m/caravanning. I invariably end up in Spain/Morocco for 5 months most winters, looking for the sun. Seen most of the sights
Would be a pleasant diversion to go to the Eastern Med for a change, winters are a little
cooler than the West though but at least I won't have seen most of the sights.
I think sometimes the planning of a trip can be overdone if the schedule is too tight then you may as well take some kind of conducted tour, to my mind a m/caravan allows for a degree of mind changing.
Heard on the radio 30000 Brits live in Bulgaria........ well I was surprised if no one else.

 

[Byronic]

thats something like the route i might take .i very often miss bordeaux and turn off at angouleme for perigeaux then call in at saralat la canada and gordon good lakes near gourdon to park by. then head south to toulouse and andorra then drop down to barcelona and follow the med. remember france can be rainy and even cold in mid nov. i,m sure you will enjoy the route. there is a big narbonne accesories shop on the way through toulouse on the south side handy for camping bits and bobs. good aire just south of saverdun to park in for the night. take the southern road back up its a good place big and loads of trucks .may see you somewhere on the med. cheers alan.

I'm surprised to see you 're taking the long route this year, I can only imagine that the Santander/ Bilbao ferry prices must be even higher this year?
Are you going to try the aires? A lot of them wouldn't take a 5ver your size would they. I find a few to be a problem. The tail overhang often saves the day. I reckon I'm a metre overlength for France, should be 6.4 metres not 7.4 then will fit the standard carpark... well near enough, also guarantees getting into and out of cheap supermarket fuel stations. Still motorcaravan are nothing, if not comprmises when camped up I really appreciate the extra metre, can go for a short walk when cooped up in a spot of bad weather.
When I get near the border with Spain I often speak Spanish to the French (in which you might think some would be conversant) but they nearly always feign ignorance so its not only Brits with this trait

 

[vwalan]

i am not taking it. its just the route i would take if going to france. its far too expensive for me. i only live 30ml from plymouth and the ferry only costs the diesel through france. i certainly cant afford the plymouth /roscoff ansd the drive to dover is 350ml. so thats another 250quid return. its far cheaper to take the ferry to spain .for me. even bob as worked it out as equal ,but saves 1500ml wear tear.waiting for next years times and prices at moment but it asnt varied much for years. in 2004 it was 541 in 2009 it was still only 576. that includes the dog which is 60 quid .so its not bad really its not possible to drive to dover and through france and back for 576. i do about 16-17 to the gallon. but we will be dropping down to the med just to get warm. was deep snow inland last year. roads clear but it was cold. in 2008 it was 613quid bit dear then,2006 was 562,other years done roscoff but came back from santander it was about462quid so not really worth driving through france for me. see you soon wont be long. .cheers alan.
ps. i class as a car and caravan under 11metres

 

[Byronic]

vwalan read your post and you'll see why I misunderstood you, I'm going to sue you for my time wasted 2 finger typing.

 

[vwalan]

hi .i only said might . i read it as might use that route i also might not. hee hee i only one finger tap on her you are just showing off your superiour typing skills, i know your skills, my lack of. ant way i would go that way if going via france. i like france but its cold n wet in november. and expensive . went earlier on my bike may never go again its so dear. shame really as brittany is really nice. as for the 5er in aires never had a problem. even when towing my teardrop never had a prob. i used to park in an aire near saumur. then near perigueux near the stadium.and river.then on to gourdonpark on the left climbing the hill just before the town. then maybe stop at toulouse on the right an industrial .commercial site. or go on down to saverdun . that one as barbies and good toilets and a big picnic area and lots taps. then just the other side of andorra by a big factory on the right. then on to sitges park by the port or further along by the beach .good for surfing in the winter. then slowly head west along the med. this year keeping eyes open for white boots and roundabout girls hee hee. never know with my good looks might get a free bee. ha ha, no just for fun.
chers alan.

 

[Byronic]

You 've got it wrong, I may have written "2 fingers typing" but I'm afraid it's only 1 key at a time. The spring return is just too strong! So you visit Sitges eh, you know of course what Sitges is reknown for, and it's definitely not the white boots and roundabout girls, quite the opposite not of course that you'd be interested!!
I know it can be quite warm on the Costa Brava and more picturesque than the other Costas,and I've seen the Sagrada Familia several times now ,they never get any nearer towards finshing it do they? However once I hit the Spanish frontier these days, its straight for the warmest spot... I hope.

 

[vwalan]

thought that was cadiz with its carnival. dont know anymore .just went there as a child and follow the same route . still use a very old 1974 map sometimes .now have a cepsa map. good for the small beaches. as plans go we dont have one just drive n stop.
have you visited the big canyon up by burgos canon del rio lobos between burgos and soria .its very nice there we went there two winters ago lots parking and a very picturesque place. makes a good alternative route to madrid or miss madrid and go on to albacete. all makes a good drive. then on to cartegena . or dogleg it across to alicante. the world is you oyster.see you soon. .alan.