France - Spain with caravan
Just back from a succesful first trip to Spain April thru June, thanks to all those who contributed information/help, did a very simple trip to start Portsmouth/Santander thru to Mazarron, staying for 6 weeks at Camping Bolnuevo. Considering something similar for next year, but as I only live 15 minutes from Portsmouth was considering ferry to either Caen or St Malo and drive into Spain, anybody got routes/sites that may be open in France, caravan 7.3 mtrs/dog/OH, dont particularly want to do any mountaineering, as i guess could be poss snow around. For Spain was thinking maybe Gulf of Roses as a starter, is this going to be too cold/busy in April?, and maybe camping Javier and then onto Murcia region, or should i perhaps head south first to get the weather then come back up to Gulf of roses May/June time. Last trip stayed Camping Oyambre, just outside Santander, really nice site, but had had a lot or rain so some pitches a bit soggy/Zaragoza/Tora la Sal 2 & Camping Bolnuevo, all good sites except Zaragoza which we used only as a stop over, very expensive and dirty. Camping Bolnuevo reasonably ok if you get right pitch which we did and at Euro 13 per night is excellent value, but beware, lots of them very big sunblockers around, very good site if you have a dog as right next to dog friendly beach, and they are doing a lot of work on site such as block paving roads to keep the dust down & planting hedges between pitches. Did find that dog friendly beaches in Spain were few and far between. Thanks in advance for any info.
Comments
-
Driving from Caen via Tours, Clermont Ferrand and Narbonne to Bay of Roses won't include any snow for your April to June dates.
Sites in almost every town and village along the way will be open by then - but check in your site guide .
Afraid I can't do weather forecasts nine months ahead.
Enjoy your planning.
0 -
I realise you use different routes AD, but from Caen to Spain across central France there will be sites open from 1st April at Le Mans,Tours, Chateauroux, Bourges, Issoire, Millau, Narbonne and many others. I don't think the OP will find it a problem if he/she chooses to go that way.
0 -
Thanks for info so far folks, you are right ET, does look to be some good sites in France part of trip that open mid March. Has anybody done Poole to Cherbourg ferry, only 50 miles from home and although not the cheapest it is very short which would be good for dog, going to Caen or St Malo is not good for dog as you have to leave in car or kennel without the facility to exercise them during the crossing.
0 -
Thankyou Rufs, we are looking for an overnight stop near to Santander, ferry arriving at 5.15 p.m mid November so don't want to go too far from Santander, first winter trip away, so will look at your site recommendation but in the event it's closed at that time we would be grateful for any other recommendations close to Santander.
We have costed out difference of driving, we live in Cornwall and factoring that in,versus Portsmouth/Santander ferry and having joined Brittany Ferries Voyager club we have still saved £200. The Voyager club has an initial one off fee of £200, and a smaller annual fee after that. We have a large outfit, over twelve metres, car and caravan. Our figures were based on site stopovers and fuel between April and June this year(2018). Also have to factor in wear and tear on car and caravan and arriving in a shorter time.
0 -
Poole/ Cherbourg means two hours less at sea for your dog than going Portsmouth/ Caen. but two hours more driving for you. How much do you love him?
But it's a popular choice - quiet ports at each end, some very convenient timings for you, and no migrants running around as there are these days at the Ouistreham terminal
Bon voyage
0 -
Millielou, yes we did Santander on the Cap Finisterre in April this year, but you have to be quick off the mark if you want a dog friendly cabin, or even a large cage, we returned on the Pont Avon, no dog friendly cabins only cages, and the outside area has very little protection should the weather not be great. Not sure re sites near to Santander, a couple we looked at were not dog friendly, camping Oyambre was, it is 45 mins from ferry, but site was very obliging and said they would stay open until we arrived, more like a UK site, some great views, good indoor & outdoor pool and toilet blocks were immaculate, but something tells me they closed end of October.
0 -
Hi,
We used this one for sites in early January :-
https://www.frenchcampsites.co/french-regions/region-information-open-all-year.html
We had the 'open all year' filter selected.
0 -
Hi Rufs, we use Poole/Cherbourg a lot and sleep over there both ways for convenience. Great service. We did Poole to Benicassim in February this year with only two overnight stops at Nantes and Urrugne. The roads were very good and very little tolls in France; a bit more in Spain.
BillC
0 -
KB, thanks for info, good to hear from people who recommend a ferry crossing that is reasonably cheap, i know you have to drive down through France but that is going to be part of the excitement, thanks also to Montesa, looks like a really good web site for sites in France.
0 -
Hi Rufs, I do recommend the Poole route but didn’t say it was cheap!
Brittany Ferries don’t do cheap...
BillC
0 -
KB, agreed but Poole is nearly 2 3rds cheaper than the Santander, crossing, & OMG the B of B can be aweful if it is rough, 20 hours of rocking & rolling
, ok you have fuel and stop overs to take into account, but to be quite honest, we will be away 3 months so a leisurly drive through France/Spain has to be the way to go. 0 -
David, agree, as they say horses for courses, we have a dog to consider and the Caen route is not good for dogs, well not ours, you either have to leave them in the car with limited access during the crossing, or in a cage which i believe is on the car deck, frightening place even for humans, def not good for dog in a cage. Did the Santander crossing April this year returning June, and have to say both crossings were glorious, going to try the Poole Cherbourg route, yes you have to leave dog in car, but only 5 hours if you do the day crossings so not so traumatic. I think there is only the Cape Finistere that has dog friendly cabins and they are like gold dust to get hold of, Pont Avon has dog friendly area and cages, which are ok if weather is fair, but would be terrible if weather not good.
0 -
Cheers David will have another look and book it, we are waiting until Easter is over so going on the 24th April.
We only get back from Lanzarote on 21st March so want to get things sorted here before heading off again. Easter kind of throws things out as we would have gone the 18th April but I remember you once had problems getting sites over the Easter break so happy to wait another week.
0 -
AD, very strange, I tried looking to book via the club Brit Ferries Poole - Cherbourg & return on the 26th, in fact day after rxing email from BF saying they were now open for bookings 2019, club site said booking for that route not yet available, today it says not yet available, however, i went direct to BF & booked no problems, out on 2nd Apr 19 return 27th Jun 19, probably cost me more money, but sometimes cant be doing with the hassle you get via the club, also I did not see anywhere on club site where you could include your dog, tried to talk to them via live chat but also not available. Not impressed
0
