Northern Spain (Bilbao) via St Malo, ideas?
For summer 2017 we are considering a break with our tradition of going somewhere via Germany and trying northern Spain. I am not a good sailor so very wary of the ferry direct to Bilbao/Santander and therefore looking at St Malo or possibly Cherbourg and driving down to Spain. We are two adults with a dog (who has travelled abroad before) and I am used to driving long stretches. We tow an 8m van. We are not into all singing and dancing large family market sites much preferring smaller quieter sites, we are also not that much into beach hols so inland would be preferred. Probably travelling late August allowing 4 days travelling time each way (from Yorkshire) and about 10/11 days in Spain So, any ideas/suggestions/recommendations/does and donts?!
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We liked Salamanca when we visited it earlier this year, lovely old town. We stayed at Don Quixote campsite just outside the town, it was an easy cycle in along the river, or you could get the bus from out the front of the site, there are 3 other sites also in Salamanca. Madrid is another very interesting place, around Madrid you have Toledo, Arenjuez and El escorial all worth a visit. North of Madrid is Burgos also worth a visit, its on the pilgrim route the cathedral is magnificent. The North coast is fantastic if you get the good weather as are the picos, the sites are not the huge big ones that you see down the costas, we found them perfectly fine for our needs, lots of them in the Acsi discount book.
By the way the St Malo ferry is good but it is an overnight one, maybe the Cherbourg or Caen one might be better with a dog and a not good sailor.
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The nine Brittany Ferries ships all have different arrangements for taking dogs - on some your dog can share a cabin with you, on others your dog can go into kennels on board, and on others your dog must stay in your vehicle. I don't know whether that will have a bearing on your choice of route and you may perhaps wish to discuss the options with their customer service staff.
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St Malolactic route is the Normandy and Bretagne ships on overnight crossings. We use that route by preference whenever we can. Dogs are in kennels and you can visit. We've never had any problem. They do allow you to leave the dog in the vehicle if you wish.
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Thanks for the replies, I will look at the Don Quixote site and ACSI. We don't cycle, bit difficult with a dog! (In reality there are health reasons I cannot cycle). The dog on the ferry is the least of the problems, he is well travelled on all types of transport (including ski chair lifts) and is utterly bomb proof having originally been trained as an explosives sniffer dog. I need to check out what the situation is with dogs on public transport in Spain. I had st Malo crossing in mind as it avoids the Bay of Biscay which seems too unreliable with sea conditions even in summer (and is bleeping expensive!).
Also need to look at sites to break the journey en route.
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Flatcoat, a site to break the journey south (if you want halfway between St Malo and the Spanish border) might be the municipal at Rochefort, Camping Le Rayonnement.
Rochefort itself is interesting and worth a day if you have time, and so is a stroll around Fouras and a short boat ride out to the island of Aix - where Napoleon was hiding after the battle of Waterloo, until a British navy ship picked him up brought him into Plymouth.
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We arrive at Caen/Ouistreham at around 5 pm, drive into port, go and check in at the Brittany Ferries Desk, (so they can scan the dogs chip) then take a walk across the bridge towards the lighthouse and let the dog have a run on the beach. Next walk back into town and find a restaurant, arriving back at the car about 8. A lot cheaper than eating on the ferry anyway. Dog stops in the car on the way over as there are no kennels on that ferry. Arrives 06.45.
I don't mind that ferry at all. Just prefer St Malo as it is nearer to our site in the Vendée.
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Flatcoat, as you will have a dog with you (not allowed on public transport in Spain) Don Quixote might be too far out for you unless you like to walk a far few miles. I haven't been but I think there is an ACSI site nearer to Salamanca, Taxi from Don Quixote was 10€.
There are lots of places to park in Salamanca and driving isn't bad as the roads are mostly dual carriage ways, lots of supermarkets that you could park up in for a couple of hours to have a good walk around town, the Old town is definitely worth the effort. Enjoy
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We are going late August into September so northern Spain should not be too hot at that time, bearing in mind it has the Atlantic to cool it down not like the southern Mediterranean facing coast. As for public transport, that is not necessarily a deal breaker, we will simply drive.
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Flatcoat, The indicative return price without Camping Cheques on late August/September midweek dates for the sailing times Another David has given will be about £310 + cost of dog.
The same sailings with 7 Camping Cheques as a package will be about £282 + cost of dog. Accept them and throw them away if you don't use them.
Phone Club HQ Travel Desk.and let them sort out the bargains for you.
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