Message Forums

We have 10 days to get down to Southern Spain in september and would like some route suggestions we would like to avoid toll routes and also visit some good wine regions . We dont mind Aires or campsites and like to travel about 200 kms max per day

Thanks

Will you go west - via the western end of the Pyrenees, or east,, via Perpignan and the Costa Brava?  That will affect any planned route through France, and which areas/vineyards are near to your chosen route.  Have a look at the wine map of France to give you some idea of the main wine growing areas.  There are other smaller vineyards in many areas of France, so almost anywhere you stop overnight will be within a few miles of someone producing wine!

Assuming you're going on the eastern route, you can take in many of the wine growing areas.  Obviously you should do the Champagne region, then perhaps the vineyards of the Cote d'Or in Burgundy, then perhaps the Cotes du Rhone areas, and possibly the Minervois or Corbiereres down near the border.  You can do this route toll-free or use a combination of toll/non-toll.  We used to do Calais, St Quentin, Soissons, Troyes, Dijon non-toll, then the 'wine route' through the Cote d'Or, to Chalons sur Saone, Macon, Villefranche - and just after jumped on the autoroute through Lyon, which is free.  Off again at Vienne then down the eastern side of the Rhone.  This would also take you near to the Ardeche which is definitely worth a 'side visit' and a stopover.  You can visit Chateauneuf du Pape vineyard too.

Going west, you should visit the Loire, then the Bordeaux areas but I can't help with a route as it's not an area I'm familiar with.