PORTUGAL/MADRID - Don

[Guest Clive]

Here is one sent indirectly from Don on holiday "We have been at Camping Olhao on the Algarve for the last ten days enjoying some R & R with 12 hours of wall to wall sunshine each day. This is the first time we have been in Portugal in May and we are amazed how quiet the sites and free camping areas are. On previous visits to the Algarve (Dec - March) the area was overwhelmed with campers chasing the winter sun. If anybody is thinking of visiting Portugal late April and May seem a very good time. At Camping Olhao we are paying Euro 8.85 per night this includes electricity and showers at the 1st June the price goes up to Euro 12.70 per night. There is also a 30% discount for stays of over 30 nights. The trip down from Boulogne (we used the Speedferries crossing) went very well, we avoided the Peage and meandered down through central France via theA20/N20 route. We crossed the Pyrenees via the Vielha Tunnel. In Spain we travelled via Zaragozo, Madrid, Cordoba and Seville. We free camped at Aires in France and used service stations in Spain except for the last night before Portugal which we spent on the car park at Mazagon Parador. The Spanish have been renumbering their roads in the last year or so and now the old Autovia (dual carriageway) N1 N11 N111 N1V etc have been renumbered A1 A2 A3 A4 etc to bring them into line with the Autopista (motorway) numbering. The renumbering seems almost complete, the only roads we came across with the old N classification was on the Madrid ring roads. If you are travelling through Madrid in the near future make sure you are familiar with both the old and new road numbers. We also saw two "Peage" roads R2 & R4 in Madrid, they are clearly marked "Peage/Toll" and we assumed they were for "Rapid" entry and exit to the city. Safe travelling Don"

[Guest Elizabeth]

Clive, enjoyed your report. We are planning a trip to Spain in September,aiming for the Barcelona area. We have always stayed in France until this year so would like info. re. crossing Pyrenees and driving in Spain. We have a very fit 16yr. old VW but don't want to overexert it! Hope you can help. Liz.