1st time trip to Spain but no ferries?? How to get there.

[G-A-R-Y]

We bought a newer motorhome and thought it would be nice to drive to Spain in January, I searched Brittany but there are no sailings.
It says "full"

Can I drive there instead and how long would it take?
Are there other ferry companies that do.

Obliviously I'm a novice and this and need advice.

Thanks in advance.

 

[olley]

Dover to Calais/Dunkirk via boat or train, then it depends how far you want to drive in a day.

 

[Spriddler]

Do you need a cabin and are you taking a pet?
Are you going to Northern Spain or the Southern Costas?

Where are you starting from? If one of you is over 60 you get 20% discount off the online price for the Newhaven - Dieppe route.

 

[Mart 63]

We did the Calais in 4 days from the Costa Blanca south. 1 night in Spain and 2 nights in France, pretty easy going.

 

[Speve]

We always use tunnel then a steady drive down to Spain and Portugal we don’t rush so might take a week to get there but when you have three months that’s not a problem.
It all depends on how long you have we got home in four days during the start of Covid as we were pushed on by the gendarmes and could only use motorway serves areas to overnight, certainly would not do that again

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[Mikeco]

We are going Newhaven Dieppe then driving down to Villajoyosa,

 

[brynric]

We take the tunnel, first night at Le Crotoy harbour aire, then it’s two or three days to the Spanish border at Irun. When we go in January the days are shorter so our drives are shorter. After the border it depends where you want to go.
We tend to stay at Camping Car parks in the winter as they are more likely to be open with water.

 

[TerryL]

Tonkas route to Southern Spain, lotsa folk use it, including us, just vary it at the end to suit wherever you are planning to go. Can be done quite easily in 4 days but, like others, we take our time, a week is a nice pleasant drive.

Tonka's Western route to Spain

Jan 7, 2015

Spain route.

• tonka
• Miscellaneous

 

[G-A-R-Y]

Do you need a cabin and are you taking a pet?
Are you going to Northern Spain or the Southern Costas?

Where are you starting from? If one of you is over 60 you get 20% discount off the online price for the Newhaven - Dieppe route.
View attachment 970923

We like a overnight cabin, no pets. Starting from Bristol, yes over sixty. Max 14 days off work but would prefer to use one week and both weekends.

 

[DandJ]

We did Caen-Portsmouth a month or so ago. Overnight with a cabin. We wouldn't do it again as you only got about 5-6 hrs uninterrupted 'bed' time. Bing bongs up until about 2330 (then we could hear a car alarm going off every 20 minutes thru the night) then bing bongs at about 0515.
Perhaps have a look at Portsmouth - St Malo...12 hr crossing and c £500 rtn for a 7m van, 2 adults and the cheapest cabin. (Brittany Ferries)

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[Barclaybasher]

You could drive one way and Brittany Ferry one way- there or back

I'd search for a one way ferry first then plan around that.

Driving through France both ways will take up a lot of your time.....

 

[DandJ]

A quick check on the viamichelin site (great for planning...even shows expected toll charges and potential fuel costings) shows c 1400km to Benidorm (No idea where you are planning on going) and c 16-18 hrs. So off the overnight St Malo ferry by 0830 and you could drive until around 6pm (500 miles)...stopping for lunch....and stay somewhere around Pamplona....then from Pamplona to Benidorm is a further 360 miles and 7 to 8 hrs. (Total cost incl ferry, tolls, fuel likely to be c£1k)

 

[Richard n Ann]

It's cheaper to drive plus the long ferry journey isn't nice, there's absolutely nothing to do for 24hours, food and drink is expensive and to top it off, the bay of biscay can be rough seas. Did it once arrived with salt all over the van which was a nice bonus never again

 

[jongood]

We like a overnight cabin, no pets. Starting from Bristol, yes over sixty. Max 14 days off work but would prefer to use one week and both weekends.

I honestly don't think you have enough time to make a pleasant winter mh trip to Spain. in January you generally need to be on the med coast to get decent weather. Bf only run one Spain route in the winter and it can easily get cancelled. We go fairly regularly to Spain and Morocco in the winter but go for months not weeks. If I only had a fortnight would probably jump on a plane and probably go further south.

 

[DBK]

We bought a newer motorhome and thought it would be nice to drive to Spain in January, I searched Brittany but there are no sailings.
It says "full"

Can I drive there instead and how long would it take?
Are there other ferry companies that do.

Obliviously I'm a novice and this and need advice.

Thanks in advance.

If you are flexible on dates there is space on the 30 Jan Portsmouth to Santander sailing. I haven't looked at Bilbao sailings.

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[Bessy765]

There is a sailing from Portsmouth to Santander 09/01/2025 and another 30/01/2025 Brittany Ferries

 

[Reallyretired]

We usually take a week to get to southern Spain but if I only had 10 days as you seem to imply I would do a flight & Hotel through lastminute.com.com

 

[Two of usI]

We are restricted with time, so, we get the p.m. to Caen with a cabin,( have a sleep on the crossing ) once in France drive for about 3 hours and stop for the night..... usually leave about 9a.m. and we are down at 'La Rouletta' ( st Jean de Mont) that evening..... apart from Bordeaux down, we don't touch peages as the dual carriageways are plenty fast for a M/ Home. Next morning leave, stop over the border in Spain to fill with fuel and do some shopping, we will then arrive ( normally north of Valencia). Sunday afternoon and start the holiday....... easy peasy !!!

 

[Brize]

Gary,

I had this problem earlier this year with a round trip on BF to Spain.

The 3 new ships they use on the Spanish routes from Portsmouth to Santander and Bilbao (Galicia, Salamanca and Santona) are larger with more vehicle space, but with a reduced passenger (and cabin) capacity. They have increased their capacity for unaccompanied commercial 40' trailers, and I'm assuming that this is where the profit is. The problem is often therefore a shortage of cabins.

When I couldn't get anything with BF, I went to AFerry, and managed to get the dates that I wanted, with cabins - and the price was lower. I can only assume that they have some sort of allocation that had not been exhausted. I have used AFerry previously for ferries in Italy and Sweden, and everything has worked well.

Have you tried Plymouth to Santander (although this route stops in the winter)?

Just a thought for you ... Good luck.

 

[Speve]

By the time you take out the ferry crossings and drive to your destination you ain’t going to have a lot of time left for a holiday

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[Yorick]

It's about 1,400 miles from Cadiz to Calais.

Lots of places nearer than that available in 2 or 3 days.

 

[Roby2008]

Cross the channel, turn right and keep the sea on your right, that will do it.................eventually

 

[DBK]

We like a overnight cabin, no pets. Starting from Bristol, yes over sixty. Max 14 days off work but would prefer to use one week and both weekends.

Not possible with a direct sailing UK to Spain, the sailings are all mid-week apart from the return from Santander which is Saturday to Monday. We've sailed from Plymouth to Santander several times and enjoyed it, treat it as a mini cruise with the chance of seeing whales although I'm not sure I'd be on deck whale watching in January!

 

[Yorick]

Keep going at Cadiz and come to see us for some fabulous weather

 

[billym]

We bought a newer motorhome and thought it would be nice to drive to Spain in January, I searched Brittany but there are no sailings.
It says "full"

Can I drive there instead and how long would it take?
Are there other ferry companies that do.

Obliviously I'm a novice and this and need advice.

Thanks in advance.

Ring them up every day.
Availability constantly changes.
Don't rely on the web page.

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[G-A-R-Y]

Thanks everyone, I realise I won't have enough time, I'll stick to planes and hotels for now. We have been to France three times and Belgium once in camper this year. I just wanted to do even more.

 

[Just smiffy]

Given the time frame you could probably get a flight from Bristol and a hotel near Alicante for two weeks for the cost of diesel to get there in a van, possibly all inclusive….

 

[Tombola]

Thanks everyone, I realise I won't have enough time, I'll stick to planes and hotels for now. We have been to France three times and Belgium once in camper this year. I just wanted to do even more.

You can do it if you take the drive there and back as part of the hols. Plan some places to stop and spend a bit of time.

Of course a bit different if you want mostly Spanish sunshine.