Road Trip - France, Spain, Portugal

[CaliforniaSeb]

Day 42
C. Tropicana
Todays vibe
View attachment 130071
View attachment 130072

What have you done! My wife is saying we have to get another dog!

 

[willwander]

Day 43
Alcossebre, C. Tropicana
It’s been nice here, good site, lovely beaches, lovely weather. It’s been relaxing and we’ve had a great time, but tomorrow we move on.

 

[Wannabecamperman]

Day 40 (40 days and 40 nights in the van.)

Mount Sinai next then, Moses?

 

[willwander]

Day 44
Salou, camping Sangulí
Spent most of the day in Peñíscola, which despite the comical name, was actually quite lovely. While we were there Tilly got accosted by a random Asian Tourist lady, who preceded to spend the next 20 minutes posing for insta pictures and making tic-tok videos with her. She had no interest in poor Vinnie.
Tonight we arrived at camping Sangulí in Salou, a huge campsite with hundreds of pitches, 5 swimming pools, 3 restaurants, 2 supermarkets. The facilities are actually very good, they even have two separate swimming pools especially for dogs! Which Tilly is very pleased about, Vinnie, not so much.

 

[kurienp]

Day 44
Salou, camping Sangulí
Spent most of the day in Peñíscola, which despite the comical name, was actually quite lovely. While we were there Tilly got accosted by a random Asian Tourist lady, who preceded to spend the next 20 minutes posing for insta pictures and making tic-tok videos with her. She had no interest in poor Vinnie.
Tonight we arrived at camping Sangulí in Salou, a huge campsite with hundreds of pitches, 5 swimming pools, 3 restaurants, 2 supermarkets. The facilities are actually very good, they even have two separate swimming pools especially for dogs! Which Tilly is very pleased about, Vinnie, not so much.

View attachment 130106

Vinnie not pleased because Vinnie is still upset at the Asian lady ...

 

[Wannabecamperman]

Vinnie not pleased because Vinnie is still upset at the Asian lady ...

It may be that she was Vietnamese and hungry?

 

[GillianC]

I once saw a ‘shoal’ of border terriers on the West Coast of Ireland. A fishing boat was coming into dock and about 2-300m from land six borders jumped off the boat and swam to shore in formation!

We had four of them at once. That was quite a handful. Now down to two.

 

[wildslammer22]

We had four of them at once. That was quite a handful. Now down to two.

Lovely dogs but yes I’m guessing four would be hard work!

 

[GillianC]

Yes, they were a pack and thought they could take on the world!!! All good fun though.

 

[66tim99]

Day 42
C. Tropicana
Todays vibe
View attachment 130071
View attachment 130072

Waiting for a photo of you pouring a Blue Lagoon cocktail into the pool

 

[willwander]

Day 45
Salou, camping Sangulí
Campsite has excellent facilities but is full of screaming kids. Just as nature abhors a vacuum, modern families abhor silence, it must be filled, if not by the children then by their parents.
Salou’s Blackpool vibe is not for us, so we escaped for the day to Tarragona, which was much better. Nice old town, like most we’ve visited in Spain, very photogenic but completely dead and deserted, we have begun to prefer the normal town centres, which although aesthetically generic are full of life.

 

[Azteccamper]

Day 45
Salou, camping Sangulí
Campsite has excellent facilities but is full of screaming kids. Just as nature abhors a vacuum, modern families abhor silence, it must be filled, if not by the children then by their parents.
Salou’s Blackpool vibe is not for us, so we escaped for the day to Tarragona, which was much better. Nice old town, like most we’ve visited in Spain, very photogenic but completely dead and deserted, we have begun to prefer the normal town centres, which although aesthetically generic are full of life.

Strangely enough this stretch of coast had us a bit baffled back in June - many of the big campsites were packed with British families (along with the mandatory screaming!) - all during the school term. Give us a quiet Spanish village or town anytime. Which direction you headed to next @willwander ?

 

[willwander]

Strangely enough this stretch of coast had us a bit baffled back in June - many of the big campsites were packed with British families (along with the mandatory screaming!) - all during the school term. Give us a quiet Spanish village or town anytime. Which direction you headed to next @willwander ?

Not seen many brits, mostly Germans with lots of kids.

Heading towards Perpignan tomorrow.
We are struggling to find somewhere near there or on the way that isn’t a butlins type holiday place, If you have any ideas?

 

[secret lemonade drinker]

Stayed one night here a while ago on way to Gibraltar, might be worth a look:

https://thelisresa.webcamp.fr/list.php?camping=maureillas&lang=fr&PHPSESSID=p0r542ku5he1hk527vc49kom00&begin=2024-10-23&duration=1&end=2024-10-24&nb_pers=1&type=Standard

 

[willwander]

Stayed one night here a while ago on way to Gibraltar, might be worth a look:

https://thelisresa.webcamp.fr/list.php?camping=maureillas&lang=fr&PHPSESSID=p0r542ku5he1hk527vc49kom00&begin=2024-10-23&duration=1&end=2024-10-24&nb_pers=1&type=Standard

Thanks, looks good.

 

[willwander]

We will be heading up the middle route through France, A75, A71 with a few stops along the way. Suggestions welcome.

 

[JuanVecino2023]

Not seen many brits, mostly Germans with lots of kids.

Heading towards Perpignan tomorrow.
We are struggling to find somewhere near there or on the way that isn’t a butlins type holiday place, If you have any ideas?

Are you checking out Collioure when you are near Perpignan? Ceret is also a lovely town. Cool art trail & Picasso museum if that’s your bag.

Narbonne is a lovely canal town on the way up. Sete is a fishing port, some great fish restaurants (they have a most unique sport there, canal barge jousting).

Pezenas at the foot of the A75 as you leave Beziers is lovely. May be a bit quiet this time of year. Very much worth a wander.

The Millau bridge is a marvel. I’ve not driven further up the A75.

Last time I drove back I went via Montpellier, up through Lyon (a must if you’re into food), then Dijon & Burgundy.

 

[Betsycalifornia]

We will be heading up the middle route through France, A75, A71 with a few stops along the way. Suggestions welcome.

Camping de Bourges | ACSI

Camping de Bourges is located just north of the centre of France, in the Centre-Val de Loire region. Here you'll camp on the edge of the historic...

www.eurocampings.co.uk

 

[Barbara]

We will be heading up the middle route through France, A75, A71 with a few stops along the way. Suggestions welcome.

I like to look at the Millau Viaduct from underneath. There was a viewing point underneath near Millau but I can not find it on the map. Maybe this Supermarket could be a good place to see it. I find the route into Millau and up to the A75 after the bridge is nicer than going over the bridge. It does not take too much longer.

Centre Cial du Viaduc, Av. de Saint-Affrique, 12100 Creissels, France

There is an air at Garabit well worth a stop for the view. https://www.google.com/maps/place/R...try=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MTAyMC4xIKXMDSoASAFQAw==

 

[willwander]

Day 46
Collioure, France.
Bonjour. We are back in France and immediately everything is more civilised, the difference is striking. An early start allowed us to spend most of our day in Collioure which is very lovely, (Thank you for the recommendations). I suppose it’s still quite touristy, but it’s been very tastefully done. Stripey sailor tops are de rigueur. We are staying at campsite ‘les Criques de Porteils’, nice site with terraces overlooking the sea. Feels a bit cooler, but weather today very good.

 

[TripleBee]

I like to look at the Millau Viaduct from underneath. There was a viewing point underneath near Millau but I can not find it on the map. Maybe this Supermarket could be a good place to see it. I find the route into Millau and up to the A75 after the bridge is nicer than going over the bridge. It does not take too much longer.

Centre Cial du Viaduc, Av. de Saint-Affrique, 12100 Creissels, France

There is an air at Garabit well worth a stop for the view. https://www.google.com/maps/place/Rest+area+Garabit/@44.9753888,3.1796892,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x47f6298b9d3909ff:0x6263299c3c4e1e81!8m2!3d44.9753851!4d3.1845547!16s/g/1thqg2vp?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MTAyMC4xIKXMDSoASAFQAw==

View attachment 130116

I have this for you:

Taken from the pointy bit you see under the arch in your picture.

And pictures from under the viaduc:



And I always take this route. It might be the stupidest thing I post it here, but that route is very quiet and scenic. After this post, it will be full of Californias the next time I go there.

A75 to A75

www.google.be

And this might be the viewing point you have in mind?

Google Maps

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

www.google.be

 

[willwander]

And I always take this route. It might be the stupidest thing I post it here, but that route is very quiet and scenic. After this post, it will be full of Californias the next time I go there.

D809 ??
Over or under, life is full of decisions.

 

[Barbara]

I have this for you:
View attachment 130125
Taken from the pointy bit you see under the arch in your picture.

And pictures from under the viaduc:
View attachment 130126
View attachment 130127

And I always take this route. It might be the stupidest thing I post it here, but that route is very quiet and scenic. After this post, it will be full of Californias the next time I go there.

A75 to A75

www.google.be

And this might be the viewing point you have in mind?

Google Maps

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

www.google.be

Before the bridge was built I had been told that the A75 was a good road but it was February and I had no idea about the terrain. I drove from Barcelona and the weather was not good. When I got to Millau I thought good that was not too bad. Little did I know that the route got higher. It snowed so much that only one lane was useable. It took me about 10 hours to get to Vichy . However great route when it is not snowing.

 

[Betsycalifornia]

D809 ??
Over or under, life is full of decisions.

D809 ??
Over or under, life is full of decisions.

Flower Camping St. Lambert | ACSI

Camping St. Lambert is located in the unspoilt countryside of the Aveyron, just outside Millau. You will find this family campsite by the river...

www.eurocampings.co.uk

Very basic site, only us there when we visited. Nothing within walking distance, overnight only for us.

The road into millau was fun and the picture shows the bridge in the distance.

 

[willwander]

Day 47
Collioure and Castelnou
We planned to visit Perpignan today, but woke up and decided we couldn’t be arśed to walk round a city, so had a morning in Collioure followed by a trip to Castelnou, nice mountain castle village thing that’s been converted into basically an art shop. Nice though and very chill. Narbonne tomorrow…probably.