What is the real world driving time Calais to Barcelona

[Paul an Jane MK]

So we did a trip to Isle of Skye last year, all the route planners said it was about 9 1/2 hours drive in total.

In reality I spent 15 hours behind the wheel. I generally cruise at 60mph (indicated 65 on the speedo as we all know they read over,) fast enough to not get in the way of the lorries without going too fast. We broke journey up over many days but none of our stops were far off the route. Plenty of stationary or slow moving on the UK motorway system though.

So two questions really to plan our trip to just past Barcelona to Camping Playa Tropicana (recommended by several Funsters.)

How many hours actual driving will it take if I take the fastest route and how much will the tolls cost?

how much longer will it take going non toll (is it completely toll free, could I select no tolls on sat nav?) presumably more scenic route?

Sorry seem to have squeezed in an extra question. Specifically travelling to Barcelona to meet up with our daughter who works in Bangkok so we won’t have seen her for six months so travel time will be a compromise between spending time with her and spending too long each day on the road.

I would appreciate any information.

Paul

 

[Camdoon]

We live a similar distance from Folkestone as you and travel this route - book Chunnel for 1700hr ish which means you will be off the M25 before 1600. Fill up with fuel/food at the cite d’europe and drive 80 miles to the Baie de Somme service aire which is free and offset from the busy area (head for the caravan area as the signed motorhome area is near the pumps). Next morning head via the red c (Rouen Evreux Dreux Chartres) to the motorway at Orleans. Next stop is Issoire where there is a Carrefour (McD’s for coffee WiFi as well) for fuel. Depending on the time of day we tend to head to Canourgue an hour and a half down the road (search on here for more info) which has a free quiet aire and a number of hotels and bars for food. It does not take long the following morning to be across the Millau and soon see the Med. This is a mix of routes 1&2 above with most travel on the first full day but you can adjust as required and we have done and refined this to suit.

 

[Stacetop]

We always estimate journey time at 50mph even for motorways. This allows for a very short stop and usually isn’t too far off arrival time.

I think without calculating distance it would take us 13 hours ish to Spanish border via A75. We generally hammer the driving to get to our destination and then drive back slower with more stops. Personally I think the A75 route would be quicker than the N10 way. We generally do half rolls and half not tolls. So we save some money but aren’t slowed down too much either!

Good luck!

 

[Barclaybasher]

OK - now for the ridiculous:

In 1980 a friend bought a brand new XJS in Newcastle, delivered on August 1st, he and his pal arrived in Mallorca August 2nd with his new-plate XJS

1200 miles took them 11 hours driving..............

 

[Sabino]

OK - now for the ridiculous:

In 1980 a friend bought a brand new XJS in Newcastle, delivered on August 1st, he and his pal arrived in Mallorca August 2nd with his new-plate XJS

1200 miles took them 11 hours driving..............

Did that include the Mediterranean ferry?

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[Barclaybasher]

Did that include the Mediterranean ferry?

Driving time............. left 00.00 sat (car already delivered and registered), arrived Mallorca Sunday morning - 11 hours driving, excludes Channel and Med ferries

 

[Portland]

Hi
The Funsters all have different likes and dislikes about routes through France, however I find the national from Boulogne to Abbeville a pain in the first degree . but other routes are ok but hope you like roundabouts and speed camera's be cause there are many, many of them, all waiting for the slightest fault.

 

[mitzimad]

We use the 12 euro to down to rouen other way is a pain

 

[Spriddler]

@bobandjanie We have done the travelling through the night and arriving at a site or race track in the early hours.
Like my sleep far too much now.

Wife and I used to do that in in the 70's in my 850cc Mini (plus dog, push chairs, windbreaks, wellies, footballs, kites, beach chairs.......) when the kids were young and they slept across the back seat all night. 10 hours to do 280 miles of hard driving Sussex to Cornwall on the roads of the time. Even at 4 a.m. in school hols there could be 3 or 4 mile tailbacks around Exeter, Indian Queens, Bodmin Moor......
Downside was wife and I arrived knackered and the kids woke up bright as buttons and rarin' to spend the day diggin' up the beach.

 

[PhilandMena]

@PhilandMena
Thank you, so much for all the info, will have a good look through all the links. I already have campercontact downloaded on phone and iPad and have now found the upgrade button in the app.

Happy to please. You may find the little icons on the right the best and quickest way to say thank you, like, Nice one, etc. This is generally the protocols used on this forum.

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[magicsurfbus]

On autoroutes (toll or otherwise) I assume an average 50mph when driving regardless of what the SatNav says, and that works. Maybe a bit quicker with a toll tag.

 

[Tigertom]

Hi Mickey 1,
We use that route down to Lyon but cut off to go to Courchevel in the Alps every winter. The bit from Lyon to Courchevel takes about two and a half hours and we do the whole trip from Leicester easily in a day.
That’s driving a VW T5 transporter, if we were in the moho we would take a couple of days over it. It’s a very quick ( you avoid going anywhere near Paris) route of nearly all motorway and toll.......but it is very boring !

 

[Pia]

How many hours actual driving will it take if I take the fastest route and how much will the tolls cost?

From Calais 12 hours solid driving in a car. We go to Barcelona several times a year sometimes in a car ....we have one overnight stop around Clermont Ferrand then on to Barcelona.....with the MH we drive at 60 mph and have 2 overnight stops. We usually take the A75 which is toll free and always take the toll road into Spain as the alternative though very beautiful is not a good way to take a motorhome as the roads are winding and narrow. We NEVER go near Paris...usually go round Chartres way which is on the west side of Paris.