The Spanish Job - A Pitstop Production

hilldweller said:
The new Brittany Ferries timetables are on line, 2 days late.

A quick price for us, Santander, out Dec back Feb gave £680.

On the face of it expansive, but.....

It saves 2000 miles driving in the winter. It saves 8 days driving.

So the numbers. Calais ferry £80. 2000 miles fuel £400 * 1.5 for wear. 8 stops £100. Total saved £780. And that is without tolls.

Looks like Santander is a no brainer for a winter dash to warmer climes.

Anyone know the road conditions, straight down, Madrid, Granada in December ?
Click to expand...

So no-one driven south in winter - I'm sure you have, don't be shy.

Anyone else like these costings ? It's going to be one hell of a Christmas and New Year.
 
hilldweller said:
The new Brittany Ferries timetables are on line, 2 days late.

A quick price for us, Santander, out Dec back Feb gave £680.

On the face of it expansive, but.....

It saves 2000 miles driving in the winter. It saves 8 days driving.

So the numbers. Calais ferry £80. 2000 miles fuel £400 * 1.5 for wear. 8 stops £100. Total saved £780. And that is without tolls.

Looks like Santander is a no brainer for a winter dash to warmer climes.

Anyone know the road conditions, straight down, Madrid, Granada in December ?
Click to expand...

Don't see where you get such big savings from but I will try and give a few examples of my costings.We have done the winter trip for the last five years from different starting points and destinations, relative costs will vary depending on your destination in Spain.For example we have been to Alcossebre, N. of Valencia for the last couple of years and this is 430 m from Santander and about 1000m from Calais.

Round trip saving 1140 m Fuel@ 20mpg 252l say £250
Wear & tear @5p/m £ 60
Tolls (estimate) £150
4 stops £100

TOTAL £560

Ferry costs with 5er
Santander/P'mouth Ret £850
St. Malo/P'mouth Ret £550

Difference £300
Saving by using Santander £260

Our personal circumstances dictate the St Malo crossing so I do not know Calais crossing prices but as you can see there will still be a cost saving and a tremendous saving in travelling time and stress.
This year we are returning without the 5er at Christmas via Santander and whilst not saving as much as this example the saving in time and stress still makes more sense, barring a rough crossing of course!!
Snow through central Spain in December is not uncommon but in my experience the Spanish are usually on the ball.
Hope this helps
 
oh this thread is making me envious. Then again hopefully we have it all before us when the devil work can be replaced by the angel of retirement

david
 
matamoros said:
Don't see where you get such big savings from
Hope this helps
Click to expand...

Everything helps, makes the grey cells waken up.

Just booked £644 return.

What I have saved is 1500 miles less. So let's say £450 running cost. The Calais ferry would be about £80. 6 stops less £100. Total saving £630. And I do 6 to 8 days less driving.

Too good to be true ????

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hilldweller said:
Everything helps, makes the grey cells waken up.

Just booked £644 return.

What I have saved is 1500 miles less. So let's say £450 running cost. The Calais ferry would be about £80. 6 stops less £100. Total saving £630. And I do 6 to 8 days less driving.

Too good to be true ????
Click to expand...

.. by your costings the ferry costs £14 more ..

it would be a no brainer for me .. and you didn't factor in the tolls .. which would make it a real saving
 
ScotJimland said:
.. and you didn't factor in the tolls .
Click to expand...

Oh yes, forgot those.

Funny, I've done the sums in the past, admittedly for warmer travelling times, and Calais always won. But fuel was cheaper and if I remember correctly ( unlikely ) the Bilbao ferry was way over £700.

The deed is done now. Out 15th Dec and back 14th Feb.

So watch out Pitstop, after an infestation of hilldwellers you may never ever be able to return to Pinar.
 
hilldweller said:
The new Brittany Ferries timetables are on line, 2 days late.

A quick price for us, Santander, out Dec back Feb gave £680.

On the face of it expansive, but.....

It saves 2000 miles driving in the winter. It saves 8 days driving.

So the numbers. Calais ferry £80. 2000 miles fuel £400 * 1.5 for wear. 8 stops £100. Total saved £780. And that is without tolls.

Looks like Santander is a no brainer for a winter dash to warmer climes.

Anyone know the road conditions, straight down, Madrid, Granada in December ?
Click to expand...

We go Burgos, Valladolid, Salamanca, Merida, Seville & Jerez. All duel carriageway (if they have finished the last bit, if not it's only 50 km) never had problems with weather apart from snow around Burgos.

My calculations:
1800 miles - home to Zahora - £340 at 28 mpg (£1.17 Ltr)
No cost for Eurotunnel, Tesco pay that for me :BigGrin: & I get lots of wine to drink. :Wink:
No cost for stops, use the aires, most are free in winter.

Tolls Dec 08 £40 that included the new A28 Rouen to Tours.
 
keith said:
We go Burgos, Valladolid, Salamanca, Merida, Seville & Jerez. All duel carriageway (if they have finished the last bit, if not it's only 50 km) never had problems with weather apart from snow around Burgos.

My calculations:
1800 miles - home to Zahora - £340 at 28 mpg (£1.17 Ltr)
No cost for Eurotunnel, Tesco pay that for me :BigGrin: & I get lots of wine to drink. :Wink:
No cost for stops, use the aires, most are free in winter.

Tolls Dec 08 £40 that included the new A28 Rouen to Tours.
Click to expand...

I reckon that makes you £300 better off but 6 days driving.

Google maps agrees with your route ( but misses out Burgos ).

Awning arrives tomorrow :Smile:

Just done a simple conversion on van - the worlds first one with a U shaped lounge. Pictures to follow.
 
hilldweller said:
Google maps agrees with your route ( but misses out Burgos ).
Click to expand...

Keith, I forgot to ask, where do you stop between Burgos and Zahora ?

We need 1 stop at about 300 miles, looks like somewhere around Plasencia.

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Camping Monfrague just outside Plasencia is worth a couple of nights if you are into wildlife, especially birds. It is in the CC book and takes camping cheques.Azure winged magpies and storks on site, eagles and griffon vultures overhead, excellent free tapas(with drink) in Plasencia, conv for road, restnt on site does good value menu del dia(€10), good facilities.
Recommended.
 
hilldweller said:
I reckon that makes you £300 better off but 6 days driving.

Google maps agrees with your route ( but misses out Burgos ).

Awning arrives tomorrow :Smile:

Just done a simple conversion on van - the worlds first one with a U shaped lounge. Pictures to follow.
Click to expand...

Yes Brian you go past Burgos on the motorway, but you can see it from the motorway, or does it take you by Madrid?

On our first trip we didn't use the toll roads & went via the N1 but decided it was not worth it as most Spanish MW are not that expensive. I don't mind the driving, unlike some, I find sitting on a boat very boring, something about being a power boat owner in an earlier life..

As I said before we stay on aires and there are a few between Burgos & the South coast, including one in Plasencia, which we have used in the past. We have also stopped at Merida on a camp site that was OK for a night stop.
Also El Astral, it's on scotjimland's google map, link on his signature.

Not yet sure of our route yet, will depend on our friends if they are going to be home when we travel.

Keith

PS Nice awning Brian, hope the pitches are big enough to get these awnings on, ours is a similar size.
 
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keith said:
PS Nice awning Brian, hope the pitches are big enough to get these awnings on, ours is a similar size.
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No space problems at Pinar San Jose!

e.g. friends of ours have a huge caravan with an awning which seated 18 for dinner on Christmas Day! They still have plenty of room for a sun trap of a garden out the front!

These photos were taken on 29th Jan and 4th March this year in different parts of the site.
 

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keith said:
PS Nice awning Brian,.
Click to expand...

It should do the job. I didn't find "caterpillar resistant" in the instructions, fingers crossed there. The bulk of it comes as a bit of a shock. No showers on the way down.

U shaped lounge done. And reading light over the driver's seat.

Just need some "carpet" for in the awning. We'll see what Newark brings. Another bulky item.

It's getting exciting.

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hilldweller said:
It should do the job. I didn't find "caterpillar resistant" in the instructions, fingers crossed there. The bulk of it comes as a bit of a shock. No showers on the way down.

This is why we have decided to invest in a small trailer for these longer trips, together with the extra weight it gives us a lot more room.

U shaped lounge done. And reading light over the driver's seat.

Just need some "carpet" for in the awning. We'll see what Newark brings. Another bulky item. It's getting exciting.
Click to expand...

Carpet :Eek!: don't forget your armchair Brian. :Rofl1:
 
keith said:
Carpet :Eek!: don't forget your armchair Brian. :Rofl1:
Click to expand...

hehhehe best have a look at those blowup ones brian they dont take up a lot of room.
this one
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Coleman-U-Chair-Inflatable-Chair-Camping-Garden-Seat_W0QQitemZ350374474554QQcmdZViewItem?rvr_id=&query={query}&fitem=350374474554&linkin_id=8001609&mt_id=635&kw={query}
or this one
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/COLEMAN-SCOOP-CHAIR---INFLATABLE-CAMPING-2010-Model-NEW_W0QQitemZ310222679521QQcmdZViewItem?rvr_id=&query={query}&fitem=310222679521&linkin_id=8001609&mt_id=635&kw={query}

there are settee styles as well some even make into beds
 
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Zahora TV

PP you say they lay on UK TV via satellite - so how do we connect ?

Normal TV aerial in or do we need a satellite receiver ?

What kind of connectors to the Spanish use ?
 
hilldweller said:
PP you say they lay on UK TV via satellite - so how do we connect ?

Normal TV aerial in or do we need a satellite receiver ?

What kind of connectors to the Spanish use ?
Click to expand...

You connect your aerial to the service post ( we have cable tv). The campsite have put a huge satellite dish on the roof!

They were in the process of changing the connections when we left so it would be best to carry both normal connections and screw ones.

Last winter we received BBC1 and 2, ITV 1,2,3,4 and Film 4.

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I will be there in a caravan (the new one of course)

Be going down via Dover.
 

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