The Joys of Benidorm!

[John Barrett]

On our way home having had enough of the cold weather and Jan can't wait t get her cast removed! Stayed in Tudela on the way up.
Now on ferry Galicia having enjoyed a smooth night's crossing. Great free Continental breakfast. Good job as we won't pay €7.50 extra for the full English!
Pet friendly cabin honks...

 

[Ukbandit]

PhilandMena

I’ve looked at your posts regarding routes through France loads of times and am in need of a bit, take that as a lot of help.

I use a Garmin 890 Camper satnav to take me from place to place, I have it set to use the toll roads as tbh I like to get through France asap.

I‘m keen to try a non toll (partly) route and have done the western Rouen, Tours, Bordeaux route twice but literally following the satnav set to tolls.

With that in mind do you or anyone know if I can plan a route into the Garmin which would take me down along the N route you are suggesting, does this route allow me to trundle along at 60mph without 100’s of roundabouts btw, which is what I tend to do whilst motorway driving.

Last time we travelled France heading to Spain we headed towards Bordeaux as we came out of the tunnel then inputted Evereux, then Dreux as we neared Evereux, followed by Orleans and well down the country to Souillac. This then takes you past Toulouse via motorway onto the Med coast

I‘m aiming to get into Spain after a 1 night stopover in France, sooner I get to the sun the better.

No problem if you can’t offer the satnav advise, I’ll have to try to muddle through it myself but would prefer if possible to input the route before setting out on the journey as it’ll save loads of arguing along the way

Or is it as simple as setting the Garmin to non tolls all the way but I wouldn’t want it to take days and days and drive me roundabout and poor fuel consumption crazy

thanks

Al

If you use the Garmin, you can use Basecamp on PC or Mac and input your route on the computer to exactly which roads you want to use. You then send them to your Garmin with the cable and voila, just select your route on the Garmin screen and select go. I have always used this option for years on the bikes, as this is the only option for seeing your route before you commit to it. Using the satnav to route you from place to place won’t necessarily take you down the roads you want to go.

 

[Ditcha]

If you use the Garmin, you can use Basecamp on PC or Mac and input your route on the computer to exactly which roads you want to use. You then send them to your Garmin with the cable and voila, just select your route on the Garmin screen and select go. I have always used this option for years on the bikes, as this is the only option for seeing your route before you commit to it. Using the satnav to route you from place to place won’t necessarily take you down the roads you want to go.

Yeah Graham that's how I did this route I can load it into my satnav when needed Basecamp is a great tool.

Cite Europe to Spain

Cite Europe to Spain – Google My Maps

Cite Europe to Spain

goo.gl

 

[PhilandMena]

If you use the Garmin, you can use Basecamp on PC or Mac and input your route on the computer to exactly which roads you want to use. You then send them to your Garmin with the cable and voila, just select your route on the Garmin screen and select go. I have always used this option for years on the bikes, as this is the only option for seeing your route before you commit to it. Using the satnav to route you from place to place won’t necessarily take you down the roads you want to go.

I looked at this today but unable to establish how you choose between toll and non toll routes when planing a trip.

 

[PhilandMena]

I'd save your allowance for when it's nice weather now. It's freezing here, still warm in the sun but the temperature drops off quickly at night. The tall buildings in town don't allow much sunlight in when it's low in the sky.

Ann can't get warm when we've been out on the scooter until the cooker goes on for dins

The swimming pools are baltic and so are the shower blocks. Up to you though each to their own

Just as well Villasol has a heated indoor swiming pool.

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[Ditcha]

I looked at this today but unable to establish how you choose between toll and non toll routes when planing a trip.

You need to plan your own routes with waypoints like this:

 

[Al n Val]

Yeah Graham that's how I did this route I can load it into my satnav when needed Basecamp is a great tool.

Cite Europe to Spain

Cite Europe to Spain – Google My Maps

Cite Europe to Spain

goo.gl

isn't this the same as selecting no tolls on the satnav or am i missing something

if this is a no toll route how long does it take you from Calais down to the border

Al

 

[Ditcha]

isn't this the same as selecting no tolls on the satnav or am i missing something

if this is a no toll route how long does it take you from Calais down to the border

Al

Its a bit of both tolls and non tolls, just allows you to pick a choose what you want and I like to run through it in my head not that is any good

 

[PhilandMena]

You need to plan your own routes with waypoints like this:

Thanks for that! I was hoping it would be a bit like Van Michellin Maps where you just need your starting and ending points then select toll or non toll and the rest is done for you, including a calculation on toll and fuel costs. Its not for me but thanks for the information.

 

[Al n Val]

Its a bit of both tolls and non tolls, just allows you to pick a choose what you want and I like to run through it in my head not that is any good

ok

so approximately how long would this journey take you

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[Ditcha]

Thanks for that! I was hoping it would be a bit like Van Michellin Maps where you just need your starting and ending points then select toll or non toll and the rest is done for you, including a calculation on toll and fuel costs. Its not for me but thanks for the information.

Totally understand its more for bespoke trip planning not everyone's cup of tea

 

[JockandRita]

Yeah Graham that's how I did this route I can load it into my satnav when needed Basecamp is a great tool.

Cite Europe to Spain

Cite Europe to Spain – Google My Maps

Cite Europe to Spain

goo.gl

That's basically the route we take too Dave, on the way down, then back up the east side (AP7/A75 via Millau.

Our Truck Sat Nav has the option to choose non toll routes, and invariably chooses the route I would want anyway, (but with a preview). If it doesn't, I just add a waypoint of my choosing, and it adjusts accordingly.

Cheers,

Jock.

 

[Ditcha]

ok

so approximately how long would this journey take you

2 days normally but as long as you want really.

 

[Ditcha]

That's basically the route we take too Dave, on the way down, then back up the east side (AP7/A75 via Millau.

Our Truck Sat Nav has the option to choose non toll routes, and invariably chooses the route I would want anyway, (but with a preview). If it doesn't, I just add a waypoint of my choosing, and it adjusts accordingly.

Cheers,

Jock.

Never done the east side yet Jock you use the same satnav as me I believe ( Igo ) love it

 

[JockandRita]

ok

so approximately how long would this journey take you

We tend to do it in 5.5 days, (one driver), aiming for about 4 x hours driving a day. If the weather is rubbish, we'll often do 6 x hours, but then only 2-3 x hours the next day. If I was on my own, 2-3 x days max.

Never done the east side yet Jock you use the same satnav as me I believe ( Igo ) love it

You should try it Dave, it's a great route, stopping off at Narbonne/Gruisann/Beziers, etc, especially if the weather is nice. The route and views around Millau and Tarn are spectacular

Yes, iGo 9" screen for us. It never puts a foot wrong, but when in France and Spain Dave, I keep the same dimensions, but reduce my weight to 3.49 tonnes. This avoids me being sent on a detour to avoid HGV restrictions. I have to do the same for Switzerland too.

Cheers,

Jock.

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[Ditcha]

We tend to do it in 5.5 days, (one driver), aiming for about 4 x hours driving a day. If the weather is rubbish, we'll often do 6 x hours, but then only 2-3 x hours the next day. If I was on my own, 2-3 x days max.


You should try it Dave, it's a great route, stopping off at Narbonne/Gruisann/Beziers, etc, especially if the weather is nice. The route and views around Millau and Tarn are spectacular

Yes, iGo 9" screen for us. It never puts a foot wrong, but when in France and Spain Dave, I keep the same dimensions, but reduce my weight to 3.49 tonnes. This avoids me being sent on a detour to avoid HGV restrictions. I have to do the same for Switzerland too.

Cheers,

Jock.

Think we will try that on the way back, good tip that Jock about the weight thanks will change that, i am currently trying out Igo Luna its great but no truck data yet.

 

[JockandRita]

Think we will try that on the way back, good tip that Jock about the weight thanks will change that, i am currently trying out Igo Luna its great but no truck data yet.

Or set up two profiles Dave, ie, one for Truck (actual weight), and one for Car, but with the lower weight of 3.49T. That way you just go from one to the other in seconds, rather than faffing about too much.

Cheers,

Jock.

 

[WESTY66]

I’m very envious of you all in foreign climes, and especially envious of those of you that are setting off in the next week Just smiffy et al, the excitement must be immense, so I’m just gonna chirp up on here I’m on the Hull Ferry on Dec 3rd, alas not to Benidorm but to Germany, so thanks for letting me get that off my chest on your Benidorm thread, can’t wait
Sooooo excited

 

[gus-lopez]

Yeah Graham that's how I did this route I can load it into my satnav when needed Basecamp is a great tool.

Cite Europe to Spain

Cite Europe to Spain – Google My Maps

Cite Europe to Spain

goo.gl

Yes I always go that way up to Bordeaux where I turn left & along to Cadillac/Langon then down to the Som Port tunnel.

ok

so approximately how long would this journey take you

I've done som port to Dunkirk non stop, apart from short dog walk, in 14 hours. 2 days is hard enough ,3 better.

 

[Ditcha]

Early tunnel on the 3rd Dec booked on Bonterra Park 6th, the quicker I can get thro France the better.

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[Richard n Ann]

Sunbathing here again

Temperature soon drops off at night though, bought a beanie hat at the market today for in bed

 

[Ditcha]

Sunbathing here again

View attachment 555014

Temperature soon drops off at night though, bought a beanie hat at the market today for in bed

Put the heating on you tight bugger

 

[Nanniemate]

better bring a fleece then

 

[cliffanger]

We never get up before the sun emerges from behind the mountain!

 

[Ditcha]

We never get up before the sun emerges from behind the mountain!

Not long now !

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[Richard n Ann]

We never get up before the sun emerges from behind the mountain!

Surely it should rise over the sea in the east unless you're the other side of the mountain.

 

[Ukbandit]

I looked at this today but unable to establish how you choose between toll and non toll routes when planing a trip.

Hi Phil, you have to know which roads are tolls, just to give you an idea, I used to use a paper map, and jot down the road numbers on a pad, the pad went in my tank bags clear pocket so I could read it while riding, the notes would be like “follow M1 to jnc 29” etc.
since Garmin came out, I do the same using the map on the computer ( basecamp). I use a combination of looking at the map and reading other articles for eg. How to avoid tolls to Spain. On my map I will follow the routes I know or read about adding waypoints on the map, so for instance leaving the tunnel, add a waypoint from the tunnel down the motorway then add another waypoint at the junction for Bolougne, then following the toll free route down to Abbeville adding more waypoints on the map Follow this idea to your first overnight stop adding your last waypoint at your chosen Aire. When you load your route into your Garmin, it will then direct you exactly on your chosen route to its end.
These routes or legs to your final destination will be saved on your computer and can be used over and over. The main routes avoiding the tolls are all on my computer which can be emailed to you and imported into your Basecamp and loaded onto your Garmin, this would save you programming them in. I can send these to you if you get Basecamp (free program). Just PM me if it’s something your interested in.

 

[Ukbandit]

Surely it should rise over the sea in the east unless you're the other side of the mountain.

The seafront faces South in Benidorm, you’ve got mountains to the East.

 

[Richard n Ann]

The seafront faces South in Benidorm, you’ve got mountains to the East.

Not according to Google maps, the sea is to the south and east. The sun gets up in the east.
Maybe Brexit has ruined all that though

 

[Ukbandit]

Not according to Google maps, the sea is to the south and east. The sun gets up in the east.
Maybe Brexit has ruined all that though
View attachment 555058

Yes trying looking at it with your eyes if your up the Rincon a mile from the seafront facing down the road to the sea, the mountains or hills are on your left side (east) and the sun does not get over the tops until 08:30 ish in the winter.

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