Road Trip to Nerja, Costa del Sol
Discussion
We're planning a longish break in Nerja starting 11 September. We're aiming to take the car and spend a few days over the journey, probably driving no more than 300 miles a day. Can anyone recommend some reasonable and inexpensive places to overnight on the way down please? Wouldn't mind seeing the Millau viaduct on the way, or is this too far out of the way?
Hi,
Was waiting for someone more knowlegable than me to reply - but seeing as they havnt heres what i know.
I have been to Nerja lots - but never driven, but Parents and brother/sister have.
This website is great, not especially cheap, but superb places and handy for route planning http://www.paradores-spain.com/
From northern spain its easier to stay west of madrid, and go east if your travelling from france, ie millau.
300 miles a day is pretty easy and do-able but id stick to the interior roads rather than the coastal roads which tend to get much busier.
Dont know if you know nerja - but if you dont, find a parking space and keep it!!
have a great trip - at least ive bumped you back up! sorry i cant help more, but a Pher called Burriana is your man!
Was waiting for someone more knowlegable than me to reply - but seeing as they havnt heres what i know.
I have been to Nerja lots - but never driven, but Parents and brother/sister have.
This website is great, not especially cheap, but superb places and handy for route planning http://www.paradores-spain.com/
From northern spain its easier to stay west of madrid, and go east if your travelling from france, ie millau.
300 miles a day is pretty easy and do-able but id stick to the interior roads rather than the coastal roads which tend to get much busier.
Dont know if you know nerja - but if you dont, find a parking space and keep it!!
have a great trip - at least ive bumped you back up! sorry i cant help more, but a Pher called Burriana is your man!
I drove from Northumberland to Malaga and back again last year, going out via Millau. This is about 1,950miles in each direction. I covered 600 to 700 miles a day with relative ease but almost entirely by motorway.
If, like me, you're into feats of civil engineering, big bridges, amazing motorways and good cheese, then Millau is worth a visit. The viaduct is as spell-binding as it looks. The visitor cetre offers a good panorama but, if you're staying nearby, have a run along some local roads for even better views. Why cheese? Millau is home to Rocquefort, one of the finest French cheeses. I stayed at the Chateau de Creissels, just west of Millau. I chose it because it was cheap. It was very comfortable, very clean, but very basic. Fine by me. The restaurant was great. I think I spent £50 on the room and £150 in the restaurant. By myself. Whoops. Millau town centre is nothing special. It is a typical provincial, small French town. I find this quite charming, but many may find it unsophisticated and dull.
From Millau I continued down the A75 to the Mediterranean at Beziers. A fine road, especially through the Gorges d'Herault. Then I hammered round Barcelona, to Valencia, where I cut inland to a small fortified village called Alacon. There I stayed in a Parador (see above). These are state-owned and -run hotels, generally in buildings of considerable historical interest. If you are under 36 they are very cheap. In Alacon, the Parador is in an eighth-century castle, quite an experience. Now, in Britain, if the state owned and ran hotels, they would be dreadful; and moreover, young people most certainly would not be encouraged by reduced rates to see and experience all quarters of our country: what a civilised idea and how (to my surprise) typical of the civilised Spanish. Their women are beautiful, too. Motorway service stations are very good: the food is excellent and wine is taken with the meal.
Alacon to Malaga, through the Sierra Nevada mountains, was a breeze: I was there by 2pm.
On the way back, I drive from Malaga to San Sebastian, where I took my lunch of meat and wine. Then I had a gentle run up to Biarritz where I laid my head for the night. If I had not had such a nice lunch at San Sebastian, I think it would have been possible to make Calais by late evening. As it was, I stopped off at Biarritz and then at a friend's house in Normandy.
In Spain and France, driving on motorways, it is possible to average 100mph without having to drive excessively fast. In fact, set your cruise control to 100mph, and you will probably find that that is your average speed. On my 18gallon tank, this gives me a refueling stop every 4 hours or 400 miles.
I realise I was caning it there and back and you may be after a more leisurely trip. I hope, however, that this is some help to you. I whole-heartedly recommend the Parador hotels.
If, like me, you're into feats of civil engineering, big bridges, amazing motorways and good cheese, then Millau is worth a visit. The viaduct is as spell-binding as it looks. The visitor cetre offers a good panorama but, if you're staying nearby, have a run along some local roads for even better views. Why cheese? Millau is home to Rocquefort, one of the finest French cheeses. I stayed at the Chateau de Creissels, just west of Millau. I chose it because it was cheap. It was very comfortable, very clean, but very basic. Fine by me. The restaurant was great. I think I spent £50 on the room and £150 in the restaurant. By myself. Whoops. Millau town centre is nothing special. It is a typical provincial, small French town. I find this quite charming, but many may find it unsophisticated and dull.
From Millau I continued down the A75 to the Mediterranean at Beziers. A fine road, especially through the Gorges d'Herault. Then I hammered round Barcelona, to Valencia, where I cut inland to a small fortified village called Alacon. There I stayed in a Parador (see above). These are state-owned and -run hotels, generally in buildings of considerable historical interest. If you are under 36 they are very cheap. In Alacon, the Parador is in an eighth-century castle, quite an experience. Now, in Britain, if the state owned and ran hotels, they would be dreadful; and moreover, young people most certainly would not be encouraged by reduced rates to see and experience all quarters of our country: what a civilised idea and how (to my surprise) typical of the civilised Spanish. Their women are beautiful, too. Motorway service stations are very good: the food is excellent and wine is taken with the meal.
Alacon to Malaga, through the Sierra Nevada mountains, was a breeze: I was there by 2pm.
On the way back, I drive from Malaga to San Sebastian, where I took my lunch of meat and wine. Then I had a gentle run up to Biarritz where I laid my head for the night. If I had not had such a nice lunch at San Sebastian, I think it would have been possible to make Calais by late evening. As it was, I stopped off at Biarritz and then at a friend's house in Normandy.
In Spain and France, driving on motorways, it is possible to average 100mph without having to drive excessively fast. In fact, set your cruise control to 100mph, and you will probably find that that is your average speed. On my 18gallon tank, this gives me a refueling stop every 4 hours or 400 miles.
I realise I was caning it there and back and you may be after a more leisurely trip. I hope, however, that this is some help to you. I whole-heartedly recommend the Parador hotels.
Edited by r129sl on Friday 30th April 23:07
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