Calais to Spain - How many stops?

[CaliforniaBen]

We are travelling down to Valencia in October from Calais and we were just wondering if it is possible do this in just one stop or is that pushing it?

 

[Loz]

That would be down to your stamina or multiple drivers.
I have landed in Caen at 7am and got to Bordeaux campsite for tea without too much tiredness, the next leg over mountains can be a bit harder..

 

[CaliforniaBen]

That would be down to your stamina or multiple drivers.
I have landed in Caen at 7am and got to Bordeaux campsite for tea without too much tiredness, the next leg over mountains can be a bit harder..

Yes, just one driver the first leg to Bordeaux we are good for, its the next leg we were going to try and do in one day rather than stopping at Zaragoza. Might be a step too far

 

[Karlos]

Hi we have done Calais to Les in the Pyrenees on the first day a good 15 hours and been in Salou for lunch on the second day. It all depends what day of the week you will be travelling as France can be very busy on a Saturday especially at this time of the year.

 

[Barbara]

Took the ferry to St Malo arrived 8am, drove to Irun, slept in hotel, drove to Valencia next day. However there were 2 of us, I have been know to have 3 overnights from Calais to Valencia. We are taking the ferry to Bilbao this time it is a reasonable drive to Valencia in a day from there. We use toll roads it will take longer if you do not pay.

 

[No_heroes]

I’ve done Calais to Madrid in 2 days on a motorbike. Bordeaux is definitely the place to stop. Good clean hotels on the ring road with steak, chips and red wine within 10 mins walk. Rest and then push on!

 

[andyinluton]

Isn't going via Bordeaux adding a good few miles to the journey compared with going straight down the A75 or even the western most roads coming down via Lyon? I reckon you are adding a few hundred Km

About-france.com is pretty good website showing anticipated traffic levels dependent on travel dates.

 

[Ting Tong]

I’ve done Calais to Bayonne loads of times by 6pm having overnighted in an aire on the A16 60 miles west of Calais. I’ve also done Bilbao to Valencia easily in a day in a Hymer. Bilbao is 2hrs from Bayonne so it’s comfortably do-able with just one stop around Biarritz.

I’ve done Barcelona to Cardiff via Calais in under 15 hours in my neighbour’s Ferrari.. but that’s another story!

 

[westfalia]

I’ve done Calais to Bayonne loads of times by 6pm having overnighted in an aire on the A16 60 miles west of Calais. I’ve also done Bilbao to Valencia easily in a day in a Hymer. Bilbao is 2hrs from Bayonne so it’s comfortably do-able with just one stop around Biarritz.

I’ve done Barcelona to Cardiff via Calais in under 15 hours in my neighbour’s Ferrari.. but that’s another story!

Can you find the odd one out

Barcelona - Ferrari - Cardiff.

 

[CaliforniaBen]

Lyon is More miles and more time plus more tolls

 

[Loz]

Isn't going via Bordeaux adding a good few miles to the journey compared with going straight down the A75 or even the western most roads coming down via Lyon? I reckon you are adding a few hundred Km

About-france.com is pretty good website showing anticipated traffic levels dependent on travel dates.

I wasn't suggesting a route, just giving an example of distance travelled in a day.
I guess it depends on the OP's crossing point, but we like Portsmouth to Caen(depending on your drive to the south coast you may like a fresh start in the morning) Caen to Valencia is the fastest route through Bordeaux San-Seb and Zaragosa at about 15hours
Yes, Calais to Valencia is 16 hours on the fastest routes but that coast road in Spain is a drag.
But if you are going to break up the journey go a nicer route like over the middle of the Pyrenees via Toulouse, Vieha, the scenery is stunning.

 

[Doorbundle]

A little O/T but we once travelled Cherbourg - via Bordeaux to Mont de Marzan in a day, with two children. (Two drivers) we ate and stayed in the M de M Campanile overnight, then across Western Pyrenees and on to Luarca www.campingloscantiles.com N Spain next day. Kids were leary by that time. Great roads though. Two weeks camping - tent in those days. Returned Bilbao to Portsmouth 33 hours on the smoothest Biscay crossing ever. Children were enthralled with whale watching. Always used that crossing thereafter when camping in Portugal at http://campismo-o-tamanco.com/ Hope the first bit helps! Enjoy your trip.

 

[Amarillo]

Late May we drove London to Blanes in two days with two small boys (4 & 5).

Leaving after school at 3.30pm we drove until 1am, stopped at an aire, then drove from 9am arriving at the campsite at tea time.

Valencia would be doable but I would not do it with young children. Start early, drive to the Pyrenees on the first day, then on to Valencia on the second day.

 

[briwy]

We regularly go down to the Pyrenees just south of Lourdes in one go. Calais takes about 14 hours, Dieppe about 12 and Caen about 10/11. That's in daylight and good weather legging it down the autoroutes which is really boring so now we generally keep off the toll roads as the cost has gone up a lot in recent years and take a couple of days. Much more relaxing. My daughter drives back from Barcelona in one go, just stops and has a nap when she feels like it but I wouldn't recommend doing that.
If you like the mountains stay overnight Bordeaux area and then go over the Pyrenees on one of the passes or tunnels. Beautiful roads and scenery. Probably 8/9 hours to Valencia.

 

[clarinetbcn]

We are travelling down to Valencia in October from Calais and we were just wondering if it is possible do this in just one stop or is that pushing it?

We just did that up and back to Scotland from Barcelona in July. Comfortable with one stop between Barcelona and Calais. Valencia is 4 hours more.

 

[jts46]

Calais to Bergerac 11/12hrs used to do this route regularly, now Bergerac to Caen 7/8hrs

 

[clarinetbcn]

We just did that up and back to Scotland from Barcelona in July. Comfortable with one stop between Barcelona and Calais. Valencia is 4 hours more.

Well, actually not, to Valencia it's more direct through Zaragoza without detour to Barcelona.

 

[clarinetbcn]

Well, actually not, to Valencia it's more direct through Zaragoza without detour to Barcelona.

Arrrgh, Google says Calais-Valencia is faster through Barcelona!

 

[Frans_T5]

We are travelling down to Valencia in October from Calais and we were just wondering if it is possible do this in just one stop or is that pushing it?

From Calais to French Spanish border can be done ... We drive from the east of the Netherlands to Toulouse.. it is little over 11 hour drive...
But actually we have stopped using the payage Toll roads, so now we do it in one some times two stops ... .
This year we are planning to go to Alicante we just go and we will see how often we make an stop over. The nice thing about the Cali, holidays start as soon you turn the ignition key...

Have a nice and safe trip...

Frans....

 

[andyinluton]

We came down the easternmost route on Thursday afternoon - always previously come down via Paris - left Calais’s at 4:30 slept just north of Lyon at 11pm, left there at 9.30 am got to Girona at about 2pm following a lengthy lunch stop.

Compared to our usual Paris Millau route it was certainly a lot flatter & traffic was remarkably quiet. Cruise control on 134kmh all the way to Lyon rarely using the outside lane and frequently not another car in sight. Round Lyon speed limit is lower but once clear of the city virtually no traffic until Montpellier where it built up leading to the Spanish border.
Fuel consumption was considerably reduced due to the flatter route, but it really was boring! I normally enjoy the up and down over the mountains.

Traffic northbound looked awful south of Lyon with huge stretches of stationary traffic.

 

[halfcrown]

I've done Calais to Valencia with a single overnight stop in my old T4 California - including collecting a friend from Paris Orly en-route. We stayed the night at an Airbnb in Millau (within site of the amazing Millau viaduct). The timings as I recall were a 6am crossing on the Tunnel and I easily got to Orly for 10:30am. We arrive at the Airbnb at about 6pm, and we were on the road again for 9am the next morning. We stopped for breakfast, lunch and snacks and got to Valencia in plenty of time to check in for the 10pm ferry to Ibiza.

 

[Karlos]

Just been down to Sospel on the Italian border took ages to get through Lyon on a Thursday, came back a different way to avoid should have take 21-22 hours from near Liverpool with stops ended up being 31.
,

 

[peregrinus]

Depends where you start from in UK. You can drive to Spain in a day however it’s hard work.
I usually do it with one stop about half way. Lyon is always slow.

 

[Victor]

We are ooking to do this ourselves and priced it up including tolls and fuel and it is around £460 return, this obviously does not take into account ferry crossing. So its about £900 return I guess being really anal I could also include depreciation on the van.

I have looked at Easyjet from my local airport and I could get a flight for £103 return each if I book in advance.

Am I missing something here, I would be interested to hear what costs have been for others, also diesel in France and Spain is at an all time high which does not help

 

[andyinluton]

We are ooking to do this ourselves and priced it up including tolls and fuel and it is around £460 return, this obviously does not take into account ferry crossing. So its about £900 return I guess being really anal I could also include depreciation on the van.

I have looked at Easyjet from my local airport and I could get a flight for £103 return each if I book in advance.

Am I missing something here, I would be interested to hear what costs have been for others, also diesel in France and Spain is at an all time high which does not help

I wouldn't expect to pay £440 for a ferry, channel tunnel is only that much for the peak weekends in August.
Easyjet flight doesn't include Hire car or transporting your accommodation!
Costs swing in favour of the van if 4 are travelling rather than 2.
By the time you add on airport parking / taxis/ drinks / snacks on the plane the van will be cheaper.