Best route from Calais to Eastern Spain

Assuming you are going from Calais the most used route is via Rouen and Clermont. There are three reasons for this - it minimises tolls, it avoids Paris and it is just about the shortest.

Being contrary and because I hate the northern part of that route I would pay the tolls and go via Reims, Lyon and Montpelier on the Autoroute. It is a far better road overall and therefore probably quicker. Also, generally not impacted by weather.

Excellent blog and love the map! We have never been to Spain but I would worry about snow on that route although agree that it is more interesting than Reims - Lyon.

Others have dismissed the route via Reims and Lyon, perhaps for budget constrains; however, just for completeness here's a paste from an earlier thread describing our tried and tested route.

"The weather in northern France is more or less the same as southern England. We've driven down the A26 from Calais behind a snowplough, and often in fog and frost! The autoroutes are kept open in all but the direst of conditions. The whole system is constantly monitored.

Once you're south of Lyons, snow is seldom a problem. Crossing the Pyrenees, you may have to wait for the snowploughs to open the road; however, in 12 years that's never happened to us ( touch wood).

We've posted this list several times on this site, but hope it's of interest to you in planning your expedition, but note that we have a motorhome which makes overnight stops simple.

We have a set route, mainly on the Peage (our modest motorhome is ‘classe 2’).

Here's our route from Calais:

1. Soissons - Camping Municipal du Mail -164 miles

2. Beaune - Camping les Bouleaux - 250 miles

3. Nimes - Camping Domaine de la Bastide - 272 miles

4. le Barcares - Camping Club Europa - 156 miles or Les Olivers at Le Boulou.

5.Hospitalet de L'infante ( south of Barcelona) - Camping Cala d'Oques - 200 miles. (not in ACSI, but they give a discount to card holders)

None of them bookable but open all year. Soissons was rumoured to have closed in winter, but ACSI and Ukcampsites both say it’s still open all year

Head for St Quentin,Soissions, Reims,Troyes,Dijon, Lyon (Rocade Est to Marseille), then Nimes, Montpellier, Narbonne, Perpignan. Barcelona then Valencia. Needless to say, don't enter any of these cities, just use them as indications of which routes to follow."

Never been to Spain but we go to Bagnols-sur-Cèze every year which is just North of Avignon and the route through Reims and Lyon is by far the simplest but I accept that the tollls would put some people off. Lyon is well worth a visit and there is an Indigo site on the approach which is ideally placed but if not stopping in Lyon you have the gamblers choice of going around the ring road or using the old direct route under the tunnels. Direct is good going South outside the rush hour but the ring road is a better bet going North. There are lots of choices of sites along that route.

Several times now we have gone from Bagnols to Millau via Montpellier on the autoroute so have ended coming back on the usual recommended Calais to Spain route across the Massif-Central but in reverse. I have made no secret of our dislike of this route which really stems from the awful section between Rouen and Chartres which is overdue an autoroute. Next year when we do the same trip again we will either go via Paris (avoiding the Peripherique) or take the long detour via Le Mans. The other issue I have is that the free A75 autoroute between Clermont and Millau is not well provided with services. Unfortunately this is a feature of free Autoroutes in France. You get what you pay for.

Why not experiment? Try a different route in each direction. More fun that way.