12 day break to Spain

[Amarillo]

After school on Wednesday 22 May we are off again, for a sprint to Spain and to hang out on the beach.

Camping Bella Terra is our planned destination, 20 Euros per night plus €2 extra for each boy plus tourist tax.

Google maps gives the distance at just under 1500 Km. Leaving home at 3.30pm we hope to catch the 16.50 shuttle to Calais, but have booked a place on the 17.20 service in case we cannot make the earlier service. Once settled aboard we will have Clare's birthday supper in our van, complete with cake; then the boys need changing into their pajamas. Due to the time difference, we should arrive in Calais at 18.25 or 18.55 depending which train we catch. And then we plan to drive well into the night, passing through Paris at ~9.30pm and stopping for the night here at about 1am on Thursday morning.

With 900 Km behind us, Thursday's drive of 500 Km should be a little less frantic. After stopping for breakfast and lunch on the way, we hope to set up camp early evening and be in time to cook our own supper.

After eight nights on the campsite, we have the drive home which we will do over three days.

The ten day weather forecast is suggesting rain on Friday and Saturday, followed by sunshine with temperatures in the low 20s for the next few days.

I will keep you posted...

 

[MrsC]

I will definitely be following how you get on! You kindly replied to a post a few weeks back where we were deciding between a caravelle and California (beach). We went for the Cali but we are having to wait until October for it to arrive. Your trip was is the kind of thing we want to be doing with our young boys so I’m reassured and inspired that others are having so much fun exploring and travelling with kids.

 

[Barbara]

After school on Wednesday 22 May we are off again, for a sprint to Spain and to hang out on the beach.

Camping Bella Terra is our planned destination, 20 Euros per night plus €2 extra for each boy plus tourist tax.

Google maps gives the distance at just under 1500 Km. Leaving home at 3.30pm we hope to catch the 16.50 shuttle to Calais, but have booked a place on the 17.20 service in case we cannot make the earlier service. Once settled aboard we will have Clare's birthday supper in our van, complete with cake; then the boys need changing into their pajamas. Due to the time difference, we should arrive in Calais at 18.25 or 18.55 depending which train we catch. And then we plan to drive well into the night, passing through Paris at ~9.30pm and stopping for the night here at about 1am on Thursday morning.

With 900 Km behind us, Thursday's drive of 500 Km should be a little less frantic. After stopping for breakfast and lunch on the way, we hope to set up camp early evening and be in time to cook our own supper.

After eight nights on the campsite, we have the drive home which we will do over three days.

The ten day weather forecast is suggesting rain on Friday and Saturday, followed by sunshine with temperatures in the low 20s for the next few days.

I will keep you posted...

Looks like you may be near Girona. It is well worth a visit, I managed to cycle there, great cafes looking over river and hot chocolate.

 

[Amarillo]

Looks like you may be near Girona. It is well worth a visit, I managed to cycle there, great cafes looking over river and hot chocolate.

It's a bit for for a four and five year old to cycle.

We plan to park here:

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

goo.gl

And then follow the cycle path to the riverside cycle path that goes through the city centre.

Carrer Tren to Avinguda Grup la Creueta

goo.gl

 

[Barbara]

I cycled by the river too it was hot when I did it. I stayed in a hotel and it was a few years ago. If I remember correctly you can also park near this park at Passeig de la Devesa, 38, 17007 Girona. Maybe a good spot to walk from with the kids. I have visited 5 times and have spent a lot of time taking photos of this park I like trees. Took about 100 and have a few good ones.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place...b71c20d5d5!8m2!3d41.9874992!4d2.8155819?hl=en

Have a great time.

 

[andyinluton]

We stay near Begur just up the coast frequently & having done the trip a number of times I reckon your timings for the first evening are optimistic & that's coming from someone who usually sets the cruise control at 90+mph in France.
We normally make it as far as Orleans before stopping.

The second days driving also always seems to take longer because of the long climb up & over the mountains & then the reduced speed limits on the downhill bit & then its always slow into the border crossing to Spain.

Enjoy your trip & be prepared for the locals looking at you as if you are completely mad - this time of year that far south I'm into shorts & T shirts with the kids swimming in the sea, the locals will still have fur coats, hats & scarves on.

 

[chez786]

Have a great time. Following this adventure with interest as have 2 kids and would like to do Europe

 

[Amarillo]

We stay near Begur just up the coast frequently & having done the trip a number of times I reckon your timings for the first evening are optimistic & that's coming from someone who usually sets the cruise control at 90+mph in France.
We normally make it as far as Orleans before stopping.

I never usually set cruise for above 65mph - what’s the hurry when on holiday!? But on this occasion I was planning on 80 mph on the M20 and 140 kph on the autoroute.

I am also hoping that Paris at 9pm will be fairly free flowing.

Anyway, we will drive into the night until tiredness causes us to stop or until we reach Issoire. I’d far rather stop early than tire ourselves out.

 

[2haw]

After school on Wednesday 22 May we are off again, for a sprint to Spain and to hang out on the beach.

Camping Bella Terra is our planned destination, 20 Euros per night plus €2 extra for each boy plus tourist tax.

Google maps gives the distance at just under 1500 Km. Leaving home at 3.30pm we hope to catch the 16.50 shuttle to Calais, but have booked a place on the 17.20 service in case we cannot make the earlier service. Once settled aboard we will have Clare's birthday supper in our van, complete with cake; then the boys need changing into their pajamas. Due to the time difference, we should arrive in Calais at 18.25 or 18.55 depending which train we catch. And then we plan to drive well into the night, passing through Paris at ~9.30pm and stopping for the night here at about 1am on Thursday morning.

With 900 Km behind us, Thursday's drive of 500 Km should be a little less frantic. After stopping for breakfast and lunch on the way, we hope to set up camp early evening and be in time to cook our own supper.

After eight nights on the campsite, we have the drive home which we will do over three days.

The ten day weather forecast is suggesting rain on Friday and Saturday, followed by sunshine with temperatures in the low 20s for the next few days.

I will keep you posted...

Will you do all the driving or will your wife do some?

My partner would not even drive our Van in the UK!

 

[babble]

They are enforcing speed limits in France much more strictly these days, even on the autoroutes, even one or two kph over the limit. I would stick very carefully to 130kph if I were you.

 

[Amarillo]

Will you do all the driving or will your wife do some?

My partner would not even drive our Van in the UK!

When away I drove about 98% of the time.

The issue we had was that whenever I felt tired, Clare felt tired too.

She plans to drive today.

 

[AlanC]

Is there some regulation in France about not having speed camera locations on your Sat Nav, or did I dream that?

Alan

 

[2haw]

When away I drove about 98% of the time.

The issue we had was that whenever I felt tired, Clare felt tired too.

She plans to drive today.

Safe trip.

We've flown to Barcelona and gone to a campsite south of Barcelona (Play Bara) in the May holidays the last two years. The weather has always been fantastic for us and the kids have loved it.

Hope you have a great time.

 

[Amarillo]

They are enforcing speed limits in France much more strictly these days, even on the autoroutes, even one or two kph over the limit. I would stick very carefully to 130kph if I were you.

That is what I understand too. The new stricter practice has been very effective at reducing road deaths on French motorways. However, 10 kph is about 6 mph, and it would take a very bored French policeman to be prepared for all the paperwork involved with pulling over an errant foreign motorist for the sake of 6mph.

I’m fairly sure that like the British police the French flics have speed margin guidelines.

 

[2haw]

Speedo readings are apparently set approx 10% under so manufacturers do not get fined.

I find 140kmh is the ideal setting on the toll roads and I doubt my actual speed is any greater than 130kmh.

 

[WelshGas]

Is there some regulation in France about not having speed camera locations on your Sat Nav, or did I dream that?

Alan

Yes. Your SatNav can show the speed limit but Not the location of any speed camera.
When I had a Garmin, on a previous vehicle, when abroad it would say “ Accident Black Spot ahead “ instead.

 

[Amarillo]

There was no way we were going to make it in time for the 16:50 - but straight onto the 17:20.

We are now halfway between England and France eating Clare’s birthday cake.

 

[Gary&Heather]

Have a great time Amarillo and family which I'm sure you will

 

[TripleBee]

Speedo readings are apparently set approx 10% under so manufacturers do not get fined.

I find 140kmh is the ideal setting on the toll roads and I doubt my actual speed is any greater than 130kmh.

Take your smartphone, download any app for navigation or speed, check your "real" GPS speed, and then you know.

If I drive 92 km/h, my gps tells me I am doing 89 km/h. So 6 mph (10 km/h) results in 7 km/h too fast.
This is on digital speedo. If I go 102 km/h on digital speedo, the analog tells me about 108 km/h.
So if you do 140 km/h on analog, you might just be on the speed limit. Just beware if going downwards on a long hill. Mostly the cops are standing on the lowest end of the road with their speedogoggles, following you.

 

[briwy]

Take your smartphone, download any app for navigation or speed, check your "real" GPS speed, and then you know.

If I drive 92 km/h, my gps tells me I am doing 89 km/h. So 6 mph (10 km/h) results in 7 km/h too fast.
This is on digital speedo. If I go 102 km/h on digital speedo, the analog tells me about 108 km/h.
So if you do 140 km/h on analog, you might just be on the speed limit. Just beware if going downwards on a long hill. Mostly the cops are standing on the lowest end of the road with their speedogoggles, following you.

They also often have a camera on a small tripod pretty much hidden behind a bush or bridge pillar. Speeders get stopped by a plod on a motorbike down the road. Definitely not worth speeding now in France.
Yes, GPS is a good idea but they vary. I've tried three at the same time, all with different speeds, sometimes high, sometimes lower.

 

[babble]

my ex got a ticket at 71 in a 70 zone recently. (only €45, but still) they don't seem to have any margin at all any more. I've also been fined in the zone slowing down for the toll boths recently. It wasn't about being bored or looking for someone speeding, it was about making money. They trapped five of us in a row, and just directed us all into the car park near the tool booths and charged us €90 each. I guess on the main motorway it is both police and speed cameras, and as far as i know they don't have any deal with the UK for sending speeding fines back to the UK (they do with Belgium)

but yes, i guess if 140 on your speedo is in fact 130, then that's fine, just don't expect to get all the way across france at 133 any more without getting fined.

 

[Amarillo]

my ex got a ticket at 71 in a 70 zone recently. (only €45, but still) they don't seem to have any margin at all any more. I've also been fined in the zone slowing down for the toll boths recently. It wasn't about being bored or looking for someone speeding, it was about making money. They trapped five of us in a row, and just directed us all into the car park near the tool booths and charged us €90 each. I guess on the main motorway it is both police and speed cameras, and as far as i know they don't have any deal with the UK for sending speeding fines back to the UK (they do with Belgium)

but yes, i guess if 140 on your speedo is in fact 130, then that's fine, just don't expect to get all the way across france at 133 any more without getting fined.

No fines yet...

Midnight and refuelling just outside Bourges.

 

[Amarillo]

1.12am - stopped for the night. All in bed at 1.33.

Location
(46.2321568, 3.0985123)

 

[portofinopoll]

46.2321568, 3.0985123

Hi I am a Newby, we just got our Cali, not even joined club yet, staggered to see you are staying at La Grande Chaume, tell John, (a friend of mine from Ormskirk) to give you an extra rasher of Bacon, and that Brian & Pauline will be making a trip down to Portugal via La Grande Chaume in the not too distant future!
Bon Voyage

 

[Amarillo]

Hi I am a Newby, we just got our Cali, not even joined club yet, staggered to see you are staying at La Grande Chaume, tell John, (a friend of mine from Ormskirk) to give you an extra rasher of Bacon, and that Brian & Pauline will be making a trip down to Portugal via La Grande Chaume in the not too distant future!
Bon Voyage

We are in Bouble motorway services. Very nice (seatless) toilet block, and a nice woodland walk for a dog’s morning poo. But no bacon to be seen!