Road Trip to Spain ACSI suggestions
At the start of September, we have booked a ‘Le Shuttle’ crossing and hope to tour with our caravan and two dogs down to Spain. Jabs for the dogs and health cert’s all sorted, but the overall plan is to spend a week travelling through France along a non-toll route and spend 4 weeks in Spain and another week travelling back to Calais.
We have toured before but I would welcome any suggestions for ACSI listed sites in both France and more so Spain (No further than Valencia).Ideally for the longer stay Spanish sites, those which are close to coastal towns with easy access.
Albeit nothing set is in stone, it would be good to have a general idea where to point the car!!
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Hi, have stayed at many sites towing on that route, most seasons. The range of options in September is vast and your desires will be specific.
You may find some of the non Toll routes now littered with speed bumps and chicanes and heavy going towing but it’s your choice. We do the semi non Toll route Calais to Med border crossing going via Rouen, Chartres and the A20 Limoges Toulouse and over to Perpignan - well documented if searched. Was about €110 toll each way, Cat 2, last winter.
Your tow car advantage opens up options for many nice rural out of town centre sites. Having stayed in quite a few town based concrete car park type sites in Spain ( we also have dogs) we would now avoid mainly due to the excess late night noise from scooters, drunks, fiestas and football fireworks etc.
We enjoyed staying a few days one year in the Bay of Roses Spain at peaceful but large Camping Aquarius which was beachside and very pleasant. Nice scenic area to tour around close to border etc.
https://www.campingaquarius.com/home
Stopover at open all year Capmany on the Spanish border for cheap fuel & last Repsol gas is a very popular overnight for north & south travellers.
Also look up popular open all year Camping Montreal just south of Limoges France. Convenient stopover 2 miles off the popular A20 route junction at Saint-Germain-les-Belles. Good dog walking around the scenic lake with small beach. Quiet rural location. English Warden on last visit.M
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For your week across France pick and plan the places which interest you and stop over at whatever campsite is close. It’s no good choosing an ACSI site if it’s miles from the place you want to visit..
For me those visits would be a day in Paris, certain smaller towns, some outstanding gardens and a couple of museums I would like to visit. But with dogs you have different choices and I really don’t know what you are able to do.
Anyway here’s an outline map but you really need a good road atlas if you are going to get off the motorways.
Good wishes.
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When you mention Valencia, I'm guessing you intend to head for the east coast of Spain on this trip.
I would agree with Montesa that the route via Toulouse and Perpignan is probably the best for towing in September if heading east.
In my opinion, it's worth paying the tolls as country roads often have 80kph (50 mph) as a standard speed limit, although some departments increase that to 90kph - very confusing if you are driving across France. The local mayors also spend an inordinate amount on traffic calming with vicious speed bumps, narrow chicanes and extended 30kph speed limits. Local roads are not ideal if you are covering 750 miles to the Spanish border.
If you are thinking of staying at the Bay of Roses, a mile outside Roses town itself is our favourite ACSI listed site - Camping Salata - 400 metres from a lovely sandy beach and the promenade, with lots of restaurants and bars and a choice of at least 3 supermarkets within walking distance.
Enjoy your trip.
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"Also look up popular open all year Camping Montreal just south of Limoges France. Convenient stopover 2 miles off the popular A20 route junction at Saint-Germain-les-Belles. Good dog walking around the scenic lake with small beach"
great site used it twice, a bit quirky when we visited and i think a Dutch owner, had lots of different sorts of toilet appliances hanging about, i played water polo with the locals in the lake, some 8 years ago now, not sure i am up for that now. Limoges is a very fine city also, we caught the little train that does site seeing tours around the city. We had a pitch overlooking the lake.
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Agree with you re Camping Montreal montesa & rufs dutch owner has now retired and now owned by a English company an lot of the quirky stuff will go not their sort of thing and they ae spending some money on the site.
Also as said a lot of places now installing speed bumps and a lot more installing speeds of 30km so quite slow as well as the speed bumps or chicanes.
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I also prefer the route via Rouen, Evreux, Chartes but then head for Chateaudun, Blois and then join the free A20 at Châteauroux as far is it goes, which I think if my memory serves me correctly is Souillac, before nipping of on the old route which is now the D820 to Montauban and Toulouse. Only then do I consider paying tolls but the old roads from Narbonne to Perpignan were good last time I used them but I always use the toll road over the Pyrenees from Perpignan into Spain.
peedee
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My actual go to list…
Camping Maisons Laffite at Paris to re visit the Musee d’Orsay,
Camping Robinson near Apremont sur Allier to walk in the Parc Floral garden,
Any campsite near Garabit to see if trains still run over the viaduct which Eiffel built.
Camping Saint Rome de Dolan on the stunning fringe of the Tarn gorge near Millau,
Camping Figurotta at Narbonne cos we have liked it for 25 years
Two days each is ten days worth, though I might go slower, and I Wouldn’t bother with Spain. Not keen.
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"....and I Wouldn’t bother with Spain. Not keen."
as my old boss used to say....."a bit of a sweeping generalisation there, old Son"🤷🏻♂️
even confined to the country from Valencia northwards you have Barcelona, Madrid, Toledo, Zaragoza, Salamanca, Leon, Pamplona, etc...
IMHO, the trip to Valencia is worth 'the bother' just for that magnificent city....
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Thank you for your comments, they are very helpful. They are certainly worth considering as the holiday develops!
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Thanks for taking the time to respond. Lots of info there and worth considering and I probably will do a mix and match of toll and non toll roads. I have had a look at the sites and Camping Aquarius has dog only pitches and most of which appear to have been taken, and Camping Montreal only allow one dog per pitch (I haver two German Pointers!). We stayed in the Bay of Roses on our very first caravan outing and was think of visiting there again.
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Thanks for responding and given the time available I probably will do a mix of rolls and non toll roads. Camping Salata looks inviting and may just give out a whirl. There seems to be a very good dog beach a few miles away too.
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Over the years we have done a lot of France in fact my son now lives in Briancon (Alps near Italian border) but we have only ventured into Spain once in the 'van. I too have visited some of the major resorts and cities (albeit by plane) and we are eager to seek out other parts.
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M3, Spain is a beautiful country, one not to be missed or ignored. I love the San Fileu de Guixols area(Basque region) I have family in that area so it has a place in my heart. The old ‘sandy’ town areas carry the vibe of the ‘fist full of dollars’ movies. It is dreamy, the warm welcome of its people tops it off👍🏻
PS-The last time I was there the temp max’d at 28c with a pleasant breeze.
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Don't know where you have got to Martin but Camping Salata was full when I checked last Saturday. I paid €31 in tolls to travel down to Spain's eastern Med. I could have avoided €12 of this had I decided to keep going to Chateaudun instead of using the A10 around Orleans
peedee
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In my opinion, it's worth paying the tolls as country roads often have 80kph (50 mph) as a standard speed limit, although some departments increase that to 90kph - very confusing if you are driving across France. The local mayors also spend an inordinate amount on traffic calming with vicious speed bumps, narrow chicanes and extended 30kph speed limits. Local roads are not ideal if you are covering 750 miles to the Spanish border.
Jim, I have just travelled South along the route I mentioned above and have found the speed limits have all been well signed, I agree there has been an increase in 30k.p.h zones and associated sleeping policemen but taken at the correct speed, I woud not call them vicious. I have to pay Class 3 tolls in France which makes them very expensive, so for me when speed is not the priority, using some of the old route Nationals is well worthwhile and is actually more interesting.
peedee
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