Hi Folks,

We’re doing a long drive too but planning to get the ferry down to Bilbao -

From the maps it looks like sticking with motorways is a long route, heading due east and joining the coast high up in Catalonia.  Does anyone have experience of this journey via the more minor roads via Teruel, we just want to minimise journey time and I was wondering whether its best to go longer/faster or shorter/slower!  We will be in a heavily laden car with trailer and don’t want to end up on windy little roads if possible!

All suggestions welcome and thanks in advance

Mx

he link to the dlva website will help you aswell
http://www.drivingabroad.co.uk/content.aspx?page=driving-in-spain&navid=22
what part of Catalonia area you heading to ?
jurdy

head on the A68 South then pick the A1 to Burgos then the N-1A to Madrid then the A3 to the Costa Blanca A lot of this is free which with a trailer will be good as the trip down the coast on the A7 will be quite expensive.

John

Thanks very much for the responses both,

Jurdy we are ultimately headed in Javea in Costa Blanca, but I had imagined driving down the coast to get there.... however Johns suggestion to go via Madrid actually looks like a really sensible one in terms of distance + avoiding tolls, excellent advice!

Really appreciate the replies, can’t wait to be on the road to Spain (well I do have to wait till we actually do it, in Jan),

Mx

May well be a good idea to invest in a TomTom with Euro maps, I wouldn`t travel without one.

Mine just worked out Bilbao to Javea using no motorways would take 9.23 hrs over 446 miles goin via Pamplona,Burgos,near Zaragoza, castellon De La Plana, Valencia.

The fastest route being 8.59 and 527 miles goin via Burgos,Madrid,Valencia.

Good luck, its a great drive down from Bilbao to Madrid, just don`t stop in any roadside clubs, unless you open minded.

I have done all the routes a few times, in lorries cars and vans, with my final destination being just outside Elche, and I found the best route without a doubt is the Santander Burgos, Madrid(now the Mwayring road is open Chargeable!!)Alicante the best ( now at Elche there is a new Bypass that takes you up to just south of Benidorm saving even more time to Javea etc (that is chargeable and not on TomTom yet! even with mapshare and i have reported a few times to get it updated). I think you can also divert just before Vienna to to get to Calpe also, but I dont know that route well.

I choose Santander over Bilbao, as the Brittany Ferries, are better boats, more modern and comfortable (saying that I havent been on P&) for years so that may be outdated info).

If anybody is needing to drive over on a frequent basis I would recommend the Brittany Ferries, Property owners abroad club, cost about 125£ to join but you can make that back on the first trip at the right time, but the discounts on future trips and the 10% off all meals etc, free breaksfast, priority boarding) and upgrades are well worth the investment ( you need to do at least two return trips a year for it to payback nicely.

Just wanted to say thanks very much Santi and Mike for those thoughtful replies.  And I didn’t realise you paid more in tolls for a trailer… sounds like the Madrid route is so far winning hands down.  And yes we will bring the TomTom - although last time we used it for househunting we found it maddeningly out of date for so many roads in coastal towns - I guess Spain is changing fast.

Thanks for the ferry advice too, we havent booked yet, as we need to travel just after Christmas we’re probably going to end up choosing by availability rather than preference… but will definitely investigate the owners club benefits as that sounds very interesting,

see you all soon!

Mx