Ferry to Spain then back via?
Discussion
To get a decent room I'm looking at £1200 for a return crossing to Spain, so I figured how about going one was and driving back via somewhere interesting?
We did the alps on our moneyhoon so Switzerland isn't really needed but the Italian lakes have always appealed.
Great driving roads are a must but also some interesting places and beaches to keep the wife happy, journey to take around 15 days if possible stopping off at each local a couple of days.
We did the alps on our moneyhoon so Switzerland isn't really needed but the Italian lakes have always appealed.
Great driving roads are a must but also some interesting places and beaches to keep the wife happy, journey to take around 15 days if possible stopping off at each local a couple of days.
LaurasOtherHalf said:
To get a decent room I'm looking at £1200 for a return crossing to Spain, so I figured how about going one was and driving back via somewhere interesting?
We did the alps on our moneyhoon so Switzerland isn't really needed but the Italian lakes have always appealed.
Great driving roads are a must but also some interesting places and beaches to keep the wife happy, journey to take around 15 days if possible stopping off at each local a couple of days.
Craigy baby We did the alps on our moneyhoon so Switzerland isn't really needed but the Italian lakes have always appealed.
Great driving roads are a must but also some interesting places and beaches to keep the wife happy, journey to take around 15 days if possible stopping off at each local a couple of days.
. That's serious dosh matey. I've been quoted £1260.00 for three fat blokes an outboard cabin return, one car and two motorcycles. Plymouth Santander and back, 3rd week in July.Discounts are to be had .... AA member? That's a 10% saving .... Become a Brittany ferry member and so I have been told you get up to 30% off your bill.
Stick to Spain and enjoy, little traffic and beautiful roads and scenery. Pyrenees all the way or how about Pictus De Europe, or both? and then the ferry back, its one hell of a nice way to chill on the way home.
Edited by Wozy68 on Friday 8th May 00:59
Wozy I was looking for your email as I was going to ask you directly.
The Brittany club offer thing looks good on paper but costs at least a couple of hundred quid to set up-yes you save but for a one off trip it's not much. We can get an inside birth on the crappy ferry £950 but that's as good as I can find, not really what I fancy as a nice beginning and end to our hols.
If I'm honest, I'd spend it on a nice upgraded birth but not on bunk beds!
The Brittany club offer thing looks good on paper but costs at least a couple of hundred quid to set up-yes you save but for a one off trip it's not much. We can get an inside birth on the crappy ferry £950 but that's as good as I can find, not really what I fancy as a nice beginning and end to our hols.
If I'm honest, I'd spend it on a nice upgraded birth but not on bunk beds!
We drove around Northern Spain and Portugal in a E46 M3 Cab last summer. Have done twice all of Switzerland and Italy in another M3 and a Porsche so have a base to compare. If I were you, I would stick with Spain and take the ferry back. You can do some stunning roads through the Pyrenees and then slog it across to Italy for the lakes, but it could all get a bit too much - it is a long drive.
Spain does have gorgeous scenery - sea, high mountains and plains all within easy reach in the North; stunning roads with little traffic - take your pick from sweepers in the plains/coast or proper twisty tarmac with switch backs and not a caravan in sight. Food is great and most of the Parador network offers 4 and 5* accommodation at a good price. Plenty of things to see en-route too. Let me know and I can expand on routes/sights.
HTH,
Alex
Spain does have gorgeous scenery - sea, high mountains and plains all within easy reach in the North; stunning roads with little traffic - take your pick from sweepers in the plains/coast or proper twisty tarmac with switch backs and not a caravan in sight. Food is great and most of the Parador network offers 4 and 5* accommodation at a good price. Plenty of things to see en-route too. Let me know and I can expand on routes/sights.
HTH,
Alex
We took the ferry down to Bilbao, headed east through the Pyrenees and then headed north through France.
If you can swap beaches for châteaux with pools and attached vineyards you could have a very nice trip. You're allowing a few days extra so the pace would probably be more relaxed and you could spend a bit longer off the autoroutes than we did.
If you can swap beaches for châteaux with pools and attached vineyards you could have a very nice trip. You're allowing a few days extra so the pace would probably be more relaxed and you could spend a bit longer off the autoroutes than we did.
I was planning on the same journey in July but saw the prices(best part of £1000) so have opted to get the Portsmouth to Caen ferry and then drive to Spain via La Rochelle and then down to southern Spain with a few stops of course! Then ferry back from Santander to Portsmouth for a total crossing price of £600....Roof down motoring all the way(I hope)
griffman said:
I was planning on the same journey in July but saw the prices(best part of £1000) so have opted to get the Portsmouth to Caen ferry and then drive to Spain via La Rochelle and then down to southern Spain with a few stops of course! Then ferry back from Santander to Portsmouth for a total crossing price of £600....Roof down motoring all the way(I hope)
Do you think you're actually saving anything though? Stop in two decent places on the way down (£200?) and add in the petrol & toll road costs and I bet it's about the same.Obviously this ignores that fact that the journey is all part of the holiday and you'll enjoy the drive, it's just if there's no where specifically that you want to visit between Caen and Spain it's probably easier just getting the ferry.
LaurasOtherHalf said:
Do you think you're actually saving anything though? Stop in two decent places on the way down (£200?) and add in the petrol & toll road costs and I bet it's about the same.
Obviously this ignores that fact that the journey is all part of the holiday and you'll enjoy the drive, it's just if there's no where specifically that you want to visit between Caen and Spain it's probably easier just getting the ferry.
Think it may save a bit but not the reason I decided to go the route I have. 3 weeks of driving thru France and Spain is just too good to miss...Fantastic countries clear roads great people and only getting the ferry back from northern Spain as that thing called work gets in the way!!;) Obviously this ignores that fact that the journey is all part of the holiday and you'll enjoy the drive, it's just if there's no where specifically that you want to visit between Caen and Spain it's probably easier just getting the ferry.
Take a look at this thread with a couple of write ups of similar routes.
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
We've done the ferry out and drive back a couple of times.
After a couple of days in the Pyrenees we headed across France (via B roads)... Millau bridge, Gorge du Tarn/Ardesh, Mt Ventoux, Rhone Alps (very quiet), then the usual supects through the French and Swiss alps before the last m/way dash for the channel.
After a couple of days in the Pyrenees we headed across France (via B roads)... Millau bridge, Gorge du Tarn/Ardesh, Mt Ventoux, Rhone Alps (very quiet), then the usual supects through the French and Swiss alps before the last m/way dash for the channel.
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