Route to Spain

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Norfolk Broads
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Adria
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2021
Hi all,
we are heading off via calais to Barcelona on the 16th December(for Christmas) then Cadiz, any tips & best route to avoid using snow tyres etc would be much appreciated.
Its our first time in the van to Spain but have been to France a few times, all be it summer trips. We are hoping to not have to book any sites & are happy to use Aires.
Grateful for any feedback.
 
Stayed on the Camping-Car Park Aire last week at Souillac. The exit barrier had gone and so it was free for all with cars coming in and out. Otherwise not bad at all.
Not another attack by a Socket wrench activist who disagree with progress...🙄
 
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Stayed on the Camping-Car Park Aire last week at Souillac. The exit barrier had gone and so it was free for all with cars coming in and out. Otherwise not bad at all.
Stayed there a few week ago but had to pay. I was not impressed it was in better condition when it was a free Aire. It's a lot smaller now, scruffy with weeds growing up through the gravel everywhere.
The town didn't fair any better that has gone to pot as well.
 
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Pull to other one. :LOL:
It's a bugger getting a A Class just under 3.5t with 3 months worth of shite on board and a scooter in the garage but I just manage to do it 🙈

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Stayed there a few week ago but had to pay. I was not impressed it was in better condition when it was a free Aire. It's a lot smaller now, scruffy with weeds growing up through the gravel everywhere.
The town didn't fair any better that has gone to pot as well.
We paid as well. The entrance barrier has no exit keypad on the inside of it to get out again. It did have a pothole about 5 feet in diameter filled with water. I swiped my card to get in as I had some credit

The town was as dead as a dodo. Only one tabac opened along the high street! We found a small bar in a back street for a beer..

The aire itself was pretty run down. A shame really. It could be very nice.
 
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Hi all,
we are heading off via calais to Barcelona on the 16th December(for Christmas) then Cadiz, any tips & best route to avoid using snow tyres etc would be much appreciated.
Its our first time in the van to Spain but have been to France a few times, all be it summer trips. We are hoping to not have to book any sites & are happy to use Aires.
Grateful for any feedback.
We used the West side of France, Abbyville Rouen Saumur Poitiers Bordeaux Irun Zaragoza then onto Barca should be ok with that one

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How long and how close to Cadiz do you want to be...... we know the area quite well having lived there for the past 4 winters?
Hi thanks for the reply, we are visiting friends that have an apartment in the centre so would like to be as close as possible
 
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Stayed there a few week ago but had to pay. I was not impressed it was in better condition when it was a free Aire. It's a lot smaller now, scruffy with weeds growing up through the gravel everywhere.
The town didn't fair any better that has gone to pot as well.
We generally stop at cahors on that section - IF we can get on the riverside aire then we get a great view as well ( Trees were too overgrown last time) but limitless overflow on the main carpark and a great town.
 
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Hi thanks for the reply, we are visiting friends that have an apartment in the centre so would like to be as close as possible
If I was going directly to cadiz I would definitely take the western route, faster and lots of nice stopovers. Barcelona I would try and use Somport if weather is half decent but if its not then don't try and cut across the middle via Madrid.

I take it you have allowed quite a bit of time to get from Barcelona to cadiz? Its a fair hike but again easy to put some nice stops in along the way.
 
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We generally stop at cahors on that section - IF we can get on the riverside aire then we get a great view as well ( Trees were too overgrown last time) but limitless overflow on the main carpark and a great town.
We have stopped at the Riverside only about 6 spaces and with the kerbs very tight to get in. The Car park looked horrible with tatty van lifers/long termers.

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We have stopped at the Riverside only about 6 spaces and with the kerbs very tight to get in. The Car park looked horrible with tatty van lifers/long termers.
Thats not tight :LOL: You should see where I live! Last time the trees were too overgrown to get anyhting other than a PVC under but that was last spring so might be sorted now. Havent noticed any obvious long termers in the car park. But the overriding point is that Cahors is normally open for eating out and shopping with a nice foodie market in the old bit.
 
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He can pretend he’s under; like all the French do! 😇
They can pretend but they will not escape the fine and points reduction, the speed cameras on the N10 (and many others) have height sensors and will flash most anything over car height if going over the 80Kph limit, their system has access to the registration detail and if you are registered under 3500Kg nothing will follow.
I'm aware many UK owners don't consider it is necessary to comply with foreigners rules but from what I've seen in a French run expat newspaper there are many French resident UK passport holders that think they don't need to pay tolls etc when visiting blighty, seems they are wrong as there has been a spate of moans reporting that they have been identified and sent fine notices to their French addresses for indiscretions whilst driving when visiting the UK , perhaps despite the B thing two way co-operation still exists.
 
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Thats not tight :LOL:
You only have a short van with a short wheelbase, I made the mistake of trying to get in frontwards so we were facing the river couldn't do it with my wheelbase. Had to reverse all the way out to the entrance turn round and reverse in and it was still tight.
 
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You only have a short van with a short wheelbase, I made the mistake of trying to get in frontwards so we were facing the river couldn't do it with my wheelbase. Had to reverse all the way out to the entrance turn round and reverse in and it was still tight.
???? Ive got the one in my Avatar Lenny, 8.3m long 4.5m wheelbase, only very slighty longer wheelbase than the old 7.5metre Arto. Ive had the Arto in there several times but couldnt get under the trees when I visited with the Clou but I reckon I can get in the spaces when the trees are trimmed.

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???? Ive got the one in my Avatar Lenny, 8.3m long 4.5m wheelbase, only very slighty longer wheelbase than the old 7.5metre Arto. Ive had the Arto in there several times but couldnt get under the trees when I visited with the Clou but I reckon I can get in the spaces when the trees are trimmed.
I was confusing you with someone else, we are only 7.5m but 4.4m wheelbase, your rear wheel drive probably helps a bit.
 
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Thanks very much for your post, I will check it out
In that case you really need Aparcamiento Santa Catalina, Calle Campo de las Balas, Cádiz. This is situated at the western tip of the 'island' and is a very short walk into the centre of the old town area. It has no / limited facilities and is quite expensive as its really a 24h city centre car park, but its location is perfect ! easily seen on Google earth. ( https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place...435bb6ce5154b8ca!8m2!3d36.5339233!4d-6.307354 )
The next nearest is the free 'wild camping' area just at the eastern end of the town adjacent to Cortadura beech on the CA-33. ( https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@36.4...4!1s4N5HBVUUJwtxD9RGZLIvRg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192 ), this not to be confused with the van lifers etc living on the road side parking areas just inside the town area within the adjacent commercial / industrial area ( not too nice but ok for a night if stuck). ( https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@36.4...4!1swMGkA7WR_wuex0-r0QvQ2g!2e0!7i16384!8i8192 ).
Further along the CA-33, about a mile + is a great wild camping spot but with no transport to Cadiz at the Santibanez beech. ( https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@36.469687,-6.2544829,4269m/data=!3m1!1e3 ) The restaurant just up the ways ( El Chato) is superb and is the restaurant with the glass floor and Napoleonic remains of Rick Stein fame.
Moving further afield, across the bay to El Puerto de Santa Maria the choice is a couple of wild camping areas, a camp site ( Las Dunas, as mentioned above) and a local authority 'aire' come carpark with no facilities but again a great location! The aire ( https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@36.5...4!1s348hHfs61UmVfi_1KuILBw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192 ) is about 4 euro a night and the footbridge over the river takes you right to the town centre. The wild camps are at Parking Mercadillo ( on the right) and Playa Calita ( to the left) and the Camp site Las Dunas is at centre top of this; https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@36.5847498,-6.2428651,1069m/data=!3m1!1e3
The ferry connection to Cadiz is just along the river from parking Mercadillo towards the town centre; https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Terminal+Marítima+El+Puerto/@36.5930228,-6.2316704,2134m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0xd0dcfc34903c125:0xc5cfcba5b149cff2!8m2!3d36.593778!4d-6.226493
The ferries run from breakfast time to early evening (19:00/ 21:00 ish) and are very weather dependant, though a bus service is always provided when not running. Also a good train service also runs from El Puerto to Cadiz via the eastern end of the bay which is quite a nice trip. It runs later and the last train is around 23:00 - 24:00 ish. The both cost around 3 euro or so each way. The wild camps are often frequented in the off season and so a few days on there with a drop into the camp is not a bad regime ! Rota too has a great wild camp area and ferry link to Cadiz but its not as interesting a place as El Puerto I think and the camp areas not as convenient for the ferry!
Another good thing for the area is that the train links give great access to Jerez ( my favourite place) and Sevilla. Though in El Puerto ( no one ever calls it by its full name as the term El Puerto was bestowed by royal charter) early morning coffee in the Chicha Ye Ye bar, under the walls of the 11/12th century castle once home to Christopher Columbus prior to sailing on his first voyage to the Indies from the port is quite a pleasant experience....... This of course is all predicated in an off season visit as come the summer the place is absolutely swamped and wild camping or just turning up is a no no......1
P S envious of your mate with the Cadiz apartment, if he ever needs any 'house sitting' ........!
 
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It’s the poor road surface (compared to the rest of the country) on the N10 that make it a less than optimal route…
That is 'News' to me and I drive it at least once a week; admittedly not the whole N10 but one of the busiest sections ie the Charente. A problem is the constant road repairs - single lane traffic on the dual carriageways - due to the high volume of HGV traffic to/from Iberia to the North including the UK. Saying that the work is 'on - going' and we don't have Pot Holes etc., Maybe a little noisy at times because of the 'Mastic' but certainly not a reason not to use the N10.

Robert
 
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This camperstop in the town of Antequera is on your route.


Supermarkets within walking distance.
Be careful at the camperstop, there is a blocking signal from the court house across the road. I couldn’t unlock my alarm/ immobiliser, had to get pushed out of the empty/ fill stop and down the road before I could start my van. 5t van and a cop had partially pulled on the handbrake, bit of a palaver. 😡
 
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No mention of immobiliser problems in the SFS comments. So perhaps not a universal problem.

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That is 'News' to me and I drive it at least once a week; admittedly not the whole N10 but one of the busiest sections ie the Charente. A problem is the constant road repairs - single lane traffic on the dual carriageways - due to the high volume of HGV traffic to/from Iberia to the North including the UK. Saying that the work is 'on - going' and we don't have Pot Holes etc., Maybe a little noisy at times because of the 'Mastic' but certainly not a reason not to use the N10.

Robert
Yes it used to be bad but I thought most of it had been re-surfaced in recent years.
It’s the poor road surface (compared to the rest of the country) on the N10 that make it a less than optimal route…
Arent you on your way to Maroc Carpmart ? Their roads were a lot better the last visit (2019) but I wonder how many will compare to the lower N10? :LOL:
 
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