7 days till departure to france/spain - advice required :)

[froghandler]

Hi there

We do a similar trip as we have friends living close to Andorra in the Pyrenees. We usually take a couple of days to get there with a mix of main road, motorway and toll road driving (shared between us). We get an early morning crossing on the Eurotunnel and then go Rouen, Chatres, Orleans, Chateauroux, arriving at campsite near la Souterraine early evening for an overnight stop. Next morning (which isn't an early start!) we head off via Toulouse and now usually go around Andorra. We used to cut through but in all honesty it's just as easy to go around especially due to the queues of cars for the customs going into Spain which you don't have if you go direct from France.

If you're heading direct to Barcelona a better route may be via Clermont Ferrand, Montpeiller and Perpignan which we have done before too. None of it was difficult.

The key point we find is - avoid driving round Paris like the plague!! We've only done it twice and got rear ended on one of the occasions. Luckily no damage to the OH's Disco but the front of the offending vehicle was caved in. Oh we did laugh - especially when the bloke realised I could fully understand what it was he was saying and told him what I thought of his driving skills (lack of) in French!! But that's by the by.

I've often looked at the ferry route to santander but the OH won't have any of it.

Any q's feel free to pm, I'm off work the next couple of days so should be able to reply promptly.

As has already been said, the municipal campsites are your best bet although we usually stick to the one run by an English couple halfway down France. Our trips are usually about 9 days in total, 2 days travelling down, 5 doing whatever when we get there and 2 spent travelling back up. Easily do-able. Might need to adapt if you've got kids (there's just the 2 of us to worry about so fairly easy).

Oh - and as regards the porta potti - we usually stay places that have facilities but I still take my 'she wee' with me for those facilities which are not so clean!

[fatcatlawyer]

As my bongo is unconverted and you are not supposed to cook outside in the aires - last year we aimed to stop at a "picnic" site at about 4.30 p.m. cook our meal by about 6 p.m. and then move on to the aire where we stayed overnight.

I bought a book "Aires in France" or something like that and went through it marking those with toilets, and it was those we stayed at - by and large- normally free!

No problems at any. We took our porta potti but did not use it.

Stopped at the bigger hyermarkets and used thier loos when on the road.

In Spain we stayed at a couple of sites that were so full I feared for our lives if there were a fire, so generally moved off the main roads and found a quiet space (quite late at night) where we slept No problem in the course of I think 10 nights or thereabouts. We found that where the spaniards stored their grit for road repairs (areas where gravel was piled) were handy for the main roads but deserted when we stopped and quite quiet by the time we moved on in the morning.

Just go and enjoy it.

Ian G

[Bongopoet]

Oh as for the Aires go for the ones that have the disabled toilets. You get a "real" loo as opposed to a hole in the ground

[pippin]

Well, Skunk, I agree with all the advice given. Take what bits of it you fancy and discard the rest.

Whatever you do - don't plan too much detail.

Have a rough plan which starts with getting off the ferry abroad and ends with getting back on the ferry to UK.

The joys of Bongoing (and for us now Hymering) is that you make the journey the main part of your holiday.

You will find places that are far too interesting to just spend an overnight stop - you will want to explore.

You might get to your original destination, you might not - but why worry if you don't, if you have had fun experiences not getting there!

18 months ago after the hopeless UK summer we made a snap decision on August Bank Holiday to book a ferry a couple of days later and head down to the Mediterranean for three weeks.

We found so much to do on the way that we ended up with only three days by the Med!!

You don't have a motorhome to go on package holidays.

Enjoy!

PS
We slept in the Bongo en route if it was just for one night.
For stops of more than one night (usually on Campings Municipal) we used an attached free-standing tent.

Pee Pee Ess
Take a Porta Potti. Absolutely essential.
We slept downstairs and put the loo up in the roof overnight.
During the day we used it downstairs.

[mikeonb4c]

Well, Skunk, I agree with all the advice given. Take what bits of it you fancy and discard the rest.

Whatever you do - don't plan too much detail.

Have a rough plan which starts with getting off the ferry abroad and ends with getting back on the ferry to UK.

The joys of Bongoing (and for us now Hymering) is that you make the journey the main part of your holiday.

You will find places that are far too interesting to just spend an overnight stop - you will want to explore.

You might get to your original destination, you might not - but why worry if you don't, if you have had fun experiences not getting there!

18 months ago after the hopeless UK summer we made a snap decision on August Bank Holiday to book a ferry a couple of days later and head down to the Mediterranean for three weeks.

We found so much to do on the way that we ended up with only three days by the Med!!

You don't have a motorhome to go on package holidays.

Enjoy!

PS
We slept in the Bongo en route if it was just for one night.
For stops of more than one night (usually on Campings Municipal) we used an attached free-standing tent.

Pee Pee Ess
Take a Porta Potti. Absolutely essential.
We slept downstairs and put the loo up in the roof overnight.
During the day we used it downstairs.

Great to hear from pippin & the best advice yet. Bongoing is all about serendipity - see where the wind may happily blow you. And these days, its even more fun with SatNav to pick up the pieces at any point alone the line, should you wish it.




PS - how do you know pippin? (Tribal Elder Emeritus)

[Bongolower]

One word of advice if you go any where near Madrid in your travels.

Whilst we were driving through Madrid in March, we had two 'fake' police cars pull us over... basically, if its not a marked car with officers in uniform, don't stop. There's a hotline number you can ring if someone does try to stop you, but not sure what the number is... you should be able to Google for it.

Although a large gang of these fake police has recently been caught, I wouldn't be surprised is there are plenty more about!

Bongolower

[theskunk]

dearest bongoloids

if this comes together - i owe you all.

Just need a little 5 day plan for Spain... (you guys seem to 'bongo francais tres bien')
with the assistance so far received i have gained some clarity.

i now have my france stop overs sorted (mentally) and reckon i will be in spain by the fourth day of my 11 day trip. will spend 1 night in barcelona and my final desitnation is Santander May 1st.

So i have 5 days to tour Spain (not much i know) .. based on my starting point of barca and me end point of santander - and the fact that we love the rugged out doors... forests, tranquil spots, beautifull vistas (this aint a beach holiday) .. and we do have 4wd (ahem') ... can anyone suggest route...

barca to denia.. inland to madrid via cuenca..... i have an AA spanish road trip book... I guess i dotn have time to get to grenada....

but my fwllow bongoids... if you can answer me this , if you had the start and end points i have .. and 5 days, what wld be a must do/see ..

tia

theskunk (see you at a meet)

[Bongopoet]

The Spanish celebrate Easter big time and there will be some amazing fiestas and celebrations in many towns and villages, should be quite spectacular

Have a google at some of the places you fancy visiting and see what is going to be on

[briwy]

If you have time you could nip up the coast to Bilbao and have a gander at the Guggenheim Museum.



San Sebastien is a beautiful city as well and you can get fresh fish straight off the quay. Might be a bit pongy by the time you get back though.

[theskunk]

I have now contracted a bad case of bongcoolitus. I am taking my vehicle here tommorow.

FAST FIT(STOCKWELL)LTD
205 CLAPHAM ROAD,STOCKWELL.LONDON,SW9 0QH
TEL:020 7733 6226/7
Ask for Rob or Paul.

For pre departure check up and coolant flush. I have a meter but dont know if I will fit it at this point. In the last 250 miles I have noticed my coolant go from the emtpy line. Then topped up by me to the full line (with water - its all i had). Today it was showing on empty again so I topped it up again. Now after getting hte engine temperature up its showing as over full. I filled it up at cool temperature every time. Since I am new to Bongo, I am now understanding there are some issues re the cooling system. Fast Fit confirmed that some of the bongo they have seen have similar weirdness where the vehicle is fine but hte coolign level fluctuates.. this leads to a condition that may be called 'bongcoolitus'.

Whatever I am using the opportunity to get pre trip check/service and coolant change and I may ask them to fit the coolant warning device.

Thanks for the heads up on the coolant system (mik i think) .....

If anyone has gotten to the end of this (jeez not another) post - I wld like quick advice on alarms and immobiliser. I dont have either on my van. I dont intend to leave valubles onboards when I am out and about france/spain... but am i taking unecessary risks to NOT have either immobiliser or alarm? I have a steering lock thing. Is that enough? ta

theskunk

[theskunk]

btw - this place looks fantastic... Guggenheim Museum. Its on the list.

[.co.uk]

Hi,

I visited my villa in Alicante last August. I used the Eurotunnel for the crossings. It was very fast. I did price the Samtander crossing but found it rather expensive. I mainly used the Autopista's and paid the tolls. They are a good way of travelling distance quickly and comfortably. Paris is a nightmare to drive through at any time of the day and also quite awkward without a sat nav. I would highly recommend one of these.

I travelled down through Paris and back via Lyon which is a beautiful country. We stayed overnight at both campsites and in service areas, some of which have showers but all have toilets. There are many toilets along the Autopista route so a porta potty is not really needed. Check out my link for some more info on my trip.

http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... 37&t=43194

[Nick65]

My favourite journeys are either Orleans, Clermont Ferrand, Montpellier and down that way. The views are superb and the best stretch has to be from Viaduct de Garabit down to Montpellier. If you get the chance to stop at Viaduc, then the views are superb. Millau is gorgeous to cross and it feels like 2 different worlds when you cross. North side is greener and colder and then 2 minutes after crossing Millau you get into dirt bush land. Brown and dry. It's like driving into a spaghetti western. Then you have got the drop from the Lodeve region, where you drop and drop and drop and dro....... This for me is the best part of the journey and makes the Bongo a wonderful thing to drive.

Good place to stop on the way down is Cevennes National Park. Look it up on google - Wonderful place that has caves, dangerous roads, stunning countryside and the sounds of ciccadas chirping away, doped up on Lavender

Other good stopovers are Ganges, St Guilhem le Desert and Issoire - Just a basic town, but there are a group of hotels on the left of the A75, which have a lake nearby, plus bowling and a good place to eat. The other side of there is a petrol station in a supermarket.

http://www.a75.com/as.html
http://www.bison-fute.equipement.gouv.f ... ?langue=en
http://www.asf.fr/control/index.aspx?pa ... glais.9914
http://www.autoroutes.fr/en/service-inf ... eople.html
http://www.autoroutes.fr/en/homepage.html
http://www.auchan.fr/magasin/recherche/ ... ?from=null For petrol stations in supermarkets
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?um=1&ie=U ... CAcQtgMwAA
Carrefour petrol station in Issoire

Or you can do the Santander - Bordeaux - Niort - Nantes - Rennes - Caen - Le Havre route on the way back.

It is very quiet on these autoroutes after Bordeaux, as it is far enough away from Industrialisation and main cities. We did this route on August 15th weekend in France, which is THE worst weekend to drive Northwards, and after Bordeaux, the traffic dropped to the point you only saw 3 or 4 cars on either side at a time.

Between Nantes and Rennes it is dual carriageway, but again no traffic to worry about. Just after Rennes, is Mont St Michel, and worth a stop if you get the time. Good places to visit if you get the chance are Cognac (Obvious), Saintes for Roman Architecture, La Rochelle (Beaches), Rennes South (Shopping Centre), Caen region for Wars and my favourite place has got to be Santander for cafe culture.

Have to say that we always use the tolled roads, so much easier on a long journey, unless you have the time.

[Nick65]

Avoid Paris if you only have 12 days. One of the other tips I would say, is drive from 7 or 8am and stop by 2pm. Then you can visit the area you are in, if you feel so inclined, or you can have a couple of hours kip and then be refreshed for the evening. Enjoy the time you have, even on the travelling days - There is so much to see and if you can arrange the hours of driving, then all the better. The body will want to sleep after lunch and that is the killer time.

Have you considered maybe doing part of the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage around Santader way?

Food wise - Apart from supermarkets, which will keep your prices down enormously. Try little cafes which are full of locals and ask what the best places are that locals go to. Try the local foods as they will certainly be part of a great holiday, and the sort of thing you will remember.

Also, if you're the sort, write a basic diary of places you stopped, what you ate, fuel consumption etc, so if you do it again it gives you a good basis to start from. We've got the kids to do this every year and they love reading out what we did the previous years.

If you want any tips about the South of France, that is my stomping ground - Mum born in Montpellier and I have family there.

[Alison01326]

Can't help with a route within Spain, as our holiday last year took us not far from Santander and back to Santander again but we LOVED the Picos de Europa. We stayed at Camping La Isla near Potes and it was a cracking site. Others on here mentioned that they stayed in La Viorna campsite also near Potes and found that to be good too.

My account of that trip and pictures are here
http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... 37&t=43256
http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... 37&t=43257

there is a third page of pics at http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... 37&t=43258 but they relate to the beach part of the holiday so won't be so inspiring for you.