This is the first year that we will try the drive in one go - Having made the journey from Le Harvre / Dieppe to Spain several times in the past, so long as there are no hold ups, driving time to Sant Pere Pescadore is 11 to 12 hours. I tow a trailer tent and normally drive at 70 mph. The Autoroutes are virtually empty other than Saturday, when it is awful
My kids are a little older 9,11 and 14 - they all agreed that it would be much better to get the journey done quickly rather than spread over 2 days
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Mattsurf - any tips for that last stretch from languedoc into spain?
am thinking of going limoges route so hope to avoid some of the montpelier to perpignan traffic, but not sure i could face doing the mountain route just to avoid the motorway.
definitely need to do it over 2 days, as our kids still quite young, but this means unfortunately we'll be hitting the languedoc bit on saturday lunchtimish!!
Even though we have done this journey a few times, this is the first time in one go... and I am a little apprehensive - worst case we will stop overnight somewhere between Clermont Ferrnad and Spain, so I will probably make a contingency plan.
We head down A75 to Beziers, then take the A9 to Spain. On a Saturday the A75 will get very heavy, and we have been held up badly at Beziers through the toll to join the A9 and again passing Perpignan
There really isn't a good way to avoid this area; however, if you manage to stop around Beziers an early moring start would probably see you missing the worst of the traffic
You can cross into Spain at Port Bou - this is beautiful, but very mountainous and slow - I have been tempted (while sitting in a stationary car for 4 hours around Perpignan) to drive down the coast road from Paul Leucate all the way to Port Bou, however, I fear it would take most of the day.
My advice if you have to drive past on Saturday, is try to get going early and hope for the best
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Looking at the possibility of going to Spain this year, I am looking at 0400hrs ferry, Dover-Calais, then driving through France, hopefully to break the back of the journey on the first day ( car with trailer). Is it feasible to look at getting to Montpellier on the first day. Won't be camping the first night, will be in a hotel, if any recommendations would be appreciated.
Its possible but not perhaps the best option.
Where are you trying to get in Spain... South?? I can understand but from Montpellier its not that far into Girona..I say not that far, in comparison to the journey you have done and as noted from 'up north' if you have done a day to Dover then Montepeller then a small jaunt into Girona put tent up have a beer that might be you lights out for the afternoon...My point I make is and in line with getting across into Spain perhaps stop a little further north then a longer run into Spain with an earlier start as mattsurf has said to others, should see you clear the worst of the traffic, that's assuming your on a weekend.
Trouble is mattsurf with us all saying an early start to others we will have to be off earlier still...
We are all different though I'm towing a caravan with 7 and 4 year olds so 450 maybe 550 a day is enough .. Trailers (not the caravans) on autoroutes can go faster (as in allowed) in France than UK if you are traffic clear.
I set off on a Monday 12 Aug morning from UK. Hopefully crossing the border around lunchtime Tuesday. Is the traffic only generally a pain on a Saturday?
We travelled last year on Friday 10th August and Saturday 11th, the Friday was great, the Saturday was horrendous. We got caught up on the A75 an then on the A9 it was stop start for miles. We said then, that if we do this again we will travel on a week day and that is what we are doing this year.
------------- Ilse
July/Aug 2013 - L'Amfora
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You generally should be OK on a Tuesday (as long as no local holidays going on) I have never experienced a Saturday or Sunday as was told to avoid...it made sense as trying to get in and out of Cornwall on the weekend is bad enough. There is just a volume of traffic from North and South France, CH, IT and anywhere else all converging to use in the main one way into Spain.
Quote: Originally posted by bentondeep on 21/2/2013
I set off on a Monday 12 Aug morning from UK. Hopefully crossing the border around lunchtime Tuesday. Is the traffic only generally a pain on a Saturday?
Never been held up on a week day, and always held up on Saturday - I am sure that there are exceptions to any rule though
When the traffic is clear, you can cover huge distance on the Autoroute with little stress in a relatively short time (compared with the UK). However, once the traffic reaches a certain volume, the jams and toll booths mean that hold ups are worse than the UK.
My impression is that the A75 is particularly susceptible - huge hills mean the traffic is forced to slow dramatically, and large stretches are free which makes it really busy
The A9 is also really bad - I guess that it is because it is the only crossing on the East Pyraneese into Spain
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Topic: Best route to Costa Brava?
