Trip from Santander to Biarritz - What are the roads like?

[Tsippy]

Around September time we are planning on driving to Biarritz, by using the Plymouth to Santander crossing we can cut down the journey time by about 3-4hours whilst having a nice cruise at the same time!

However, we have heard mixed reports about the roads between Spain and France. Some tell us that the roads are treacherous and falling apart whilst others say that the roads are good and perfectly safe. Does anyone on here have any experience ?

Cheers

[madala]

.....I went via Portsmaouth/Santander and spent a few days in Northern Spain then up through the Pyrenees to Pau and then up throuh France.....roads are good ery good IMO.

This year we are also going via Plymouth/Santander....late August.... and drivng across to the coast, North of Barcelona then up to Carcasonne for a wedding and then through the Massive Central and up to Brdeaux and Brittany.

From my experience of last year the roads are so incredibly better that here in the UK and you have the option of going Payage (sp) sorry....and those roads are really good and fast.....have fun...do it...and enjoy.....

Edited by madala on Sunday 23 May 16:53

[madala]

....sorry just noticed you are going to Biaritz....you have motorway and toll motorway but I did notice the roads are more crowded nearer the coast but did not travel that far on them but headed inland but all I can say in comparison to the crowded motorways of the UK I am sure you will it a pleasure.....

[Tsippy]

Cheers, it's mainly the roads through the border (mountain area) that we were concerned about but I guess our friends could have taken a miss-turn attempting to avoid toll roads

I've always liked the roads in France and found them fantastic compared to ours, but had no experience of those in Spain, thanks for the input, we'll probably be going off on an adventure over there come the end of the school holidays be nice to see my old home in Royan too if we venture up the coast on the way back :-)

[Cecil]

the journey is very simple, all on good quality national roads or toll motorway

From google maps
Driving directions to Biarritz, France
244 km – about 2 hours 32 mins

Santander
Spain
1. Head northeast on Calle de Somorrostro toward Plaza de la Asunción
150 m
2. Turn right at Calle de Alfonso XIII
100 m
3. At the roundabout, take the 1st exit onto Calle de Antonio López
220 m
4. Continue onto Av de Castilla
1.6 km
5. Continue onto Autovía S-10/S-10 (signs for N-635/Bilbao/A-67/Burgos/Torrelavega)
8.6 km
6. Continue onto A-8
Partial toll road
Entering France
205 km
7. Continue onto A63
Toll road
21.7 km
8. Take exit 4 toward Biarritz
Partial toll road
1.3 km
9. Turn right at D810
2.1 km
10. At Rond-Point du Mousse, take the 4th exit onto Boulevard du B.A.B./D260
Go through 1 roundabout
2.0 km
11. At Rond-Point d'Europe, take the 4th exit onto Avenue de Verdun/D911
1.6 km
12. Turn left at Place Georges Clemenceau/D910
25 m
13. Take the 1st right onto Place Georges Clemenceau/D911
140 m

Biarritz
France

[Tsippy]

Thanks again :-)

[sawman]

recently drove from biarritz to bilbao and the autoroutes were fine, getting is to bilbao was a minefield of intersections, but they have recently built a lot of new roads and they are pretty good and fairly well marked so long as you have your wits about you. We noticed that the border toll booths backed up (spain-france) severely when we passed through in the late afternoon - it was fine our way. Dont know if its usual but possibly worth avoiding at that time of day.

s