Best Motorway Rest Areas from Bilbao to Armacoa

[Joe Public]

Hi,
We will be setting out from Bilbao heading for Armacoa de pera soon. It looks like we have a choice of the AP68 / N1 / AP1 or A8 A67.
My questions are:
1) Does anyone have an opinion as to which route is best?
and, more importantly
2) Are there any 'nice' motorway services / rest areas on either?
Any reviews I've read appear to imply that the areas are badly kept and at worst open sewers.

 

[Brains]

If you are thinking of sleeping at any motorway services, dont.

I see that the person running Comfort Motorhome insurance for the last 27 years was asked to list a number of Do's and Don'ts.
Number one on her list of "Don'ts" was sleeping in motorway service stations.

 

[Riverbankannie]

We used the A67 back in March to get that way. Very easy nice drive. I had planned to use the more scenic N-623 but the weather not great so used it on return instead.
Our first rest stop was for stocking up on food so we pulled off at Reinosa and where there are a couple of supermarkets right by the exit and had a break there.
There are plenty of pull offs, like a set back layby - would not stay night in them but ok otherwise.
Our second night was at ACSI site Camping Al Astral on the Douro

https://maps.app.goo.gl/dxcxZquGYS9pct4E7?g_st=com.google.maps.preview.copy

First night at our favourite Elephant Aire

 

[olley]

Slept in them often in France and a few times in Spain, never had any trouble.
In the holidays they get rammed with others doing the same.

 

[Joe Public]

If you are thinking of sleeping at any motorway services, dont.

I see that the person running Comfort Motorhome insurance for the last 27 years was asked to list a number of Do's and Don'ts.
Number one on her list of "Don'ts" was sleeping in motorway service stations.

Thanks for the advice. I'm not looking for somewhere to sleep over night, its quite a long dive and I would like to be able to take a break, and maybe close my eyes for a couple of minutes.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Joe Public]

We used the A67 back in March to get that way. Very easy nice drive. I had planned to use the more scenic N-623 but the weather not great so used it on return instead.
Our first rest stop was for stocking up on food so we pulled off at Reinosa and where there are a couple of supermarkets right by the exit and had a break there.
There are plenty of pull offs, like a set back layby - would not stay night in them but ok otherwise.
Our second night was at ACSI site Camping Al Astral on the Douro
First night at our favourite Elephant Aire

Thanks so much for your response and ideas. I have had a look at the supermarkets at Reinosa and they fit the bill perfectly for me. I would have preferred further south but it's a plan and I didn't have one before.
I like the look of your Elephant Aire, but again I'm hoping for further south. I heading for Camping La Chopera for the first night.

 

[MichaelT]

Look for via de servicios (or similar wording), they are literally service roads and often have a few restaurants, shop and fuel etc.

 

[Lenny HB]

Hit and miss with Spanish motorways, some have quite a few service & rest areas A4 is good for them others none at all, in that case pull off into a village.

 

[jumar]

Most Spanish villages would accommodate your needs....just look out for Bell Towers..for obvious reasons..

 

[Riverbankannie]

Thanks so much for your response and ideas. I have had a look at the supermarkets at Reinosa and they fit the bill perfectly for me. I would have preferred further south but it's a plan and I didn't have one before.
I like the look of your Elephant Aire, but again I'm hoping for further south. I heading for Camping La Chopera for the first night.

Maybe go there on last overnight before ferry then, we have done that before now.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Riverbankannie]

I heading for Camping La Chopera for the first night.

If I may say so, that is quite a long days driving even assuming the Bilbao ferry gets on and you get off in say an hour. We have plans but often change them as we go.

 

[Riverbankannie]

If you zoom in on any area on google maps and then put Area Autocaravanas in the search box it bring up useful overnight places en route

 

[Emmit]

If I may say so, that is quite a long days driving even assuming the Bilbao ferry gets on and you get off in say an hour. We have plans but often change them as we go.

I'm with Riverbankannie on this one.

According to ViaMichelin, the route you are contemplating is at least 341 miles.

From experience and many journeys in the van, my average speed when on a day trip works out at 38mph. Therefore
you will be on the road for a solid 8 hrs plus the stop at Reinosa (at the very least).

I would rein in on your itinerary and, might I suggest you look at an Area (Aire) within 200miles.

PS The Mercadona at Reinosa is 'different' Not insomuch as the layout is different, but,
being in Northern Spain, the parking is undercover. Not under one of those sunshady, motorhome unfriendly,
under 2.60mtr. jobbies.
No, you will be parking in what appears to be a warehouse with open sides and undercover
all the way to the front door of the supermarche.

 

[Lizbiebrowne]

I'm with Riverbankannie on this one.

According to ViaMichelin, the route you are contemplating is at least 341 miles.

From experience and many journeys in the van, my average speed when on a day trip works out at 38mph. Therefore
you will be on the road for a solid 8 hrs plus the stop at Reinosa (at the very least).

I would rein in on your itinerary and, might I suggest you look at an Area (Aire) within 200miles.

PS The Mercadona at Reinosa is 'different' Not insomuch as the layout is different, but,
being in Northern Spain, the parking is undercover. Not under one of those sunshady, motorhome unfriendly,
under 2.60mtr. jobbies.
No, you will be parking in what appears to be a warehouse with open sides and undercover
all the way to the front door of the supermarche.

I agree - I don't like to travel over 200 miles on the motorway and restrict myself to less then 125 miles on other roads. I find driving a motorhome tiring and, after all, I am supposed to be on holiday.

 

[ianp]

Hi,
We will be setting out from Bilbao heading for Armacoa de pera soon. It looks like we have a choice of the AP68 / N1 / AP1 or A8 A67.
My questions are:
1) Does anyone have an opinion as to which route is best?
and, more importantly
2) Are there any 'nice' motorway services / rest areas on either?
Any reviews I've read appear to imply that the areas are badly kept and at worst open sewers.

Over the last 6/7 years we have driven from Irun to Cadiz at least 15 times and have found the very vast majority of Spanish service stations/ ventas very good, and by and large excellent when compared to UK facilities....... On the odd occasion we have also had a quick kip in the car and had absolutely no issues at all.......
If your comments above reference Portuguese services then you might consider running down through Spain and turning right at Seville, which is I believe the quickest route offered by Google..........

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Funnymunny]

Our usual route across Spain to the Algarve was from France to Vittoria Gasteiz, a good are there then Palencia another good aires, Salamanca another good aires on the outskirts. Caceres or Monasterio both got good aires then Seville then into Portugal. All the aires mentioned are free or were when we last went.
Services on the motorway, there are only really two that I would call motorway service areas, one just past Vittoria Gateiz then another a bit further on that was in the short paid section of motorway, not sure if that's free nowadays. The rest other than lay-bys are Garage service areas off the motorways where the wagons tend to stop, don't use these to sleep but use the ones I have mentioned earlier all good and safe with water and emptying facilities all year round. You can get the coordinates for all those aires from any of the usual places like Park 4Night etc or the French site campingcarifoes.

 

[ianp]

Our usual route across Spain to the Algarve was from France to Vittoria Gasteiz, a good are there then Palencia another good aires, Salamanca another good aires on the outskirts. Caceres or Monasterio both got good aires then Seville then into Portugal. All the aires mentioned are free or were when we last went.
Services on the motorway, there are only really two that I would call motorway service areas, one just past Vittoria Gateiz then another a bit further on that was in the short paid section of motorway, not sure if that's free nowadays. The rest other than lay-bys are Garage service areas off the motorways where the wagons tend to stop, don't use these to sleep but use the ones I have mentioned earlier all good and safe with water and emptying facilities all year round. You can get the coordinates for all those aires from any of the usual places like Park 4Night etc or the French site campingcarifoes.

Are your recollections from some time ago........I last travelled the road south from near to Vittoria about seven weeks ago, and there isn't a chargeable section of motorway as far as I recall.
Also are you conflating 'service area's' with places you can empty waste etc or just the normal services as in the restaurants and venta's....? the latter of which there are literally dozens of between Vittoria and Seville......and nearly all of them serve good food by and large and are fine for having a restful sleep for a while........
To clarify the above our route takes us from Irun, close by Vittoria and on to Burgos, Valladolid, Salamanca, Caceres and to Seville and beyond.......we tried the Med coast route once but never again........!

 

[Funnymunny]

Are your recollections from some time ago........I last travelled the road south from near to Vittoria about seven weeks ago, and there isn't a chargeable section of motorway as far as I recall.
Also are you conflating 'service area's' with places you can empty waste etc or just the normal services as in the restaurants and venta's....? the latter of which there are literally dozens of between Vittoria and Seville......and nearly all of them serve good food by and large and are fine for having a restful sleep for a while........
To clarify the above our route takes us from Irun, close by Vittoria and on to Burgos, Valladolid, Salamanca, Caceres and to Seville and beyond.......we tried the Med coast route once but never again........!

Yes we have done the trip at least 12 times but the last trip was just before the covid epidemic. The section from Burgos was a paid section then and the services near Vittoria Gasteiz and on the paid section after Burgos were typical motorway service areas. The other service areas back then were nearly all just off the motorway, some just fuel and basics others were quite big service areas usually full of wagons but you could stop overnight if you wanted with emptying and water etc. From Salamanca down towards Seville they were plenty of service areas but not as developed as motorway service areas, the one at Monesterio had a big parking area restaurant and hotel. Its a really good route but as I said it was pre covid and things change so services could well have been improved

 

[gus-lopez]

I'm with ianp .I rarely stop anywhere else

 

[Joe Public]

If I may say so, that is quite a long days driving even assuming the Bilbao ferry gets on and you get off in say an hour. We have plans but often change them as we go.

Talking of changing plans, thanks to the replies I've had here, mine are in a state of flux. The whole point about the original post was to find places I could rest, to be safe on a very long drive. However I now realise that I'm actually battling with day length and will have to curb my ambitions to get as far south as possible.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Joe Public]

If you zoom in on any area on google maps and then put Area Autocaravanas in the search box it bring up useful overnight places en route
View attachment 983849

Thanks for the Autocaravanas. I have a small problem here. Mrs. Public feels that the workings of the smallest room are not a spectator event and prefers to be surrounded by bricks and mortar rather than thin van walls. In consequence I need to find an aire or the likes with toilet facilities.

 

[Joe Public]

I'm with Riverbankannie on this one.

According to ViaMichelin, the route you are contemplating is at least 341 miles.

From experience and many journeys in the van, my average speed when on a day trip works out at 38mph. Therefore
you will be on the road for a solid 8 hrs plus the stop at Reinosa (at the very least).

I would rein in on your itinerary and, might I suggest you look at an Area (Aire) within 200miles.

PS The Mercadona at Reinosa is 'different' Not insomuch as the layout is different, but,
being in Northern Spain, the parking is undercover. Not under one of those sunshady, motorhome unfriendly,
under 2.60mtr. jobbies.
No, you will be parking in what appears to be a warehouse with open sides and undercover
all the way to the front door of the supermarche.

Yep, you're right. As I've said to Riverbankannie I'm having a massive re-think. The length of time on the road doesn't disturb me that much. It's getting there and finding they're shut that scares me. I'm now looking at the 200-220 mark. We will be visiting Mercadona at Reinosa.
Thanks for your input.

 

[carolyn]

Thanks for the Autocaravanas. I have a small problem here. Mrs. Public feels that the workings of the smallest room are not a spectator event and prefers to be surrounded by bricks and mortar rather than thin van walls. In consequence I need to find an aire or the likes with toilet facilities.

She’ll soon change her mind once she’s used the facilities in some service areas. I might use them for a quick wee I suppose if they were OK but rarely. I’d much rather use my own lovely clean toilet that doesn’t stink and I don’t have to wade through urine to get to it and no-one has peed on the seat.

 

[Riverbankannie]

Yep, you're right. As I've said to Riverbankannie I'm having a massive re-think. The length of time on the road doesn't disturb me that much. It's getting there and finding they're shut that scares me. I'm now looking at the 200-220 mark. We will be visiting Mercadona at Reinosa.
Thanks for your input.

Be careful as that one is underneath the store, I cannot remember headroom.

 

[Joe Public]

Be careful as that one is underneath the store, I cannot remember headroom.

Emmit says its a bit weird but Mercadona carpark is MH freindly.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Lenny HB]

Thanks for the Autocaravanas. I have a small problem here. Mrs. Public feels that the workings of the smallest room are not a spectator event and prefers to be surrounded by bricks and mortar rather than thin van walls. In consequence I need to find an aire or the likes with toilet facilities.

You will really struggle with that, you need to educate her.

 

[cyberyacht]

On my run to Seville from Dieppe back in the Spring, over three of the days I covered 800 miles. After that we slowed the pace, averaging around 130-170 miles a day for the remainder of the trip. Much depends on whether you have a second driver as once you get over 250 a day it becomes a bit tiring particularly if it's several days on the trot.

 

[ianp]

Bilbao to Seville is approx 500 miles........ and the vast majority of the road is like this....

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.co.uk

Cruise control on at 60mph........ easy peesy to get south (sorry south west....!) of Seville on day one........

 

[BikerGraham]

Last 2 years left Benicassim around 08:30 and arrived at campsite for 17:30 to 18:00 hrs just outside Santander for next days ferry home. About a 450 mile trip took the top road after Zaragoza though. Roads were quiet and a nice pleasant drive.

 

[Riverbankannie]

Bilbao to Seville is approx 500 miles........ and the vast majority of the road is like this....

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.co.uk

Cruise control on at 60mph........ easy peesy to get south (sorry south west....!) of Seville on day one........

It just shows how everyone is different. We would be both siezed up and asleep at the wheel. Our limit is 120 miles in one day and not day after day.