Ginger Jim Posted September 13, 2016 Share Posted September 13, 2016 Hi all, we are newbies to the forums. We are going to spend ten weeks in Spain but have never experienced Spanish winters. We have toured France extensively and are now aiming for Spain. We would greatly appreciate any info on routes, campsites or any thing else that you think we should know. Thanks all? Ginger jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted September 13, 2016 Share Posted September 13, 2016 Hello Ginger..... Most of us winter sun birds head for the Costa Blanca as that tends to be the warmest and driest part of Spain in the winter. In general the weather is shorts and flip flops during the day, and fleeces after dark, and first thing in the morning ;-) ....... It can get windy, so decent straps for any awning, popular campsites do get booked up, but the less popular normally have space..... Our winter route tends to be via Biarritz, with a overnight at Zaragoza before hitting the Med South of Valencia...... We've been doing it since 2011, and intend to spend our winters there for as long as we can B-) ........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron. Posted September 14, 2016 Share Posted September 14, 2016 I'm with Dave. Some recommend getting as far south as you can but - it's only around one degree warmer on average but with twice the rainfall. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave225 Posted September 14, 2016 Share Posted September 14, 2016 As mentioned by others it will certainly be warmer than the UK. However, a couple of points to note: Days are short as they are here so be prepared for a lot of 'dark' time. Some have opted to have television but again things have changed regarding getting UK tv in Spain so check whether it is possible where you plan on going, andd whether you need any 'gizmo' from a local 'fixer'. Any satellite dish needs to be of the very large variety. BBCIplayer is now eveidently allowing UK licence payers to access the set up outside the UK but whether it is actually in operation, I do not know. Watch out for boozy drinks parties, they can be addictive and getting sozzled every day before 5pm is not necessarily the best way to handle things, but what a lot of fun! Wind as mentioned is an issue. As with anyhting it is the luck of the draw, some years all is perfect others awnings are damaged right left and centre. Just keep aware of the forecasts and the following website is useful: Also be aware it can rain, and heavily. I have seen ditches being dug to allow water to drain away as flash floods are possible. Don't pitch in a hollow. http://www.tiempo.com/ Popular sites are booked up well in advance, often the year before so check with your chosen sites that they can accomodate you. There may be a minimum stay requirement, again in popular sites. Also check the location if you want to walk into town etc, often sites are a good way out of town and a car is essential. I think the main thing to remember is that it is not the same as a summer holiday, although possibly a UK one on a Bank Holiday Monday. The sea is cold unless you are a hero. Also if you plan on staying over Christmas a lot of campers disappear home for the holiday time and return January. Others stay and have a ball, it is all up to you. Enjoy yourselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starvin marvin Posted September 14, 2016 Share Posted September 14, 2016 You could do what we do and go to both Spain and Portugal, and free camp as much as you can. We only use sites when we can' t find a launderette. Free camping you'll never use an awning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BKen1 Posted September 14, 2016 Share Posted September 14, 2016 You need to get the ACSI Camping Card Book which offers discount in the low season if you plan to use campsites a lot ...there are also big discounts available if you go for long stays out of season at most sites. We use Camping Playa de Mazzaron ( Bolnueavo) quite a lot in winter ,good site has regular entertainment, on the beach and a short bike ride into the port with nice cove beaches on route and its just down the road for us. As for wilding there are a lot of places down that way (in the Vacarious Book for Spain ) ,but you can be moved on without notice and last year 2015/2016 winter it was over run with wilders and lots of complains in the local press so there may be more restrictions applied this year 2016/2017. Brian K Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginger Jim Posted September 14, 2016 Author Share Posted September 14, 2016 Thanks to all And many thanks for your comments. Look forward to more of them Ginger jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matrix Meanderer Posted September 14, 2016 Share Posted September 14, 2016 For routes from Calais to The Costas I suggest you buy the October edition of MMM. This has a four page feature on the various routes. Its basically an update on last year's version. By the way you should also be aware that the Spanish and Portuguese local police are now tightening up on wild campers and moving them on regularly. Not before time IMO :-S You should also look at the Tesco Eurotunnel voucher scheme which is excellent value in the winter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BKen1 Posted September 14, 2016 Share Posted September 14, 2016 Matrix Meanderer - 2016-09-14 9:26 PM By the way you should also be aware that the Spanish and Portuguese local police are now tightening up on wild campers and moving them on regularly. Not before time IMO :-S Not much live and let live then ..why would it bother you ?? Brian K Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starvin marvin Posted September 15, 2016 Share Posted September 15, 2016 BKen1 - 2016-09-14 8:49 PM Matrix Meanderer - 2016-09-14 9:26 PM By the way you should also be aware that the Spanish and Portuguese local police are now tightening up on wild campers and moving them on regularly. Not before time IMO :-S Not much live and let live then ..why would it bother you ?? Brian K Well said, they have been "tightening up" for years, so no change there. We didn't get moved once last winter in either Spain or Portugal. In the last ten years we've only been moved 3 times in Spain, and never in Portugal. Whenever we've been moved its always been very polite, no grief at all. When we're away and we hear stories about vans being moved, I always ask "where you there?" the answer usually is "no, some bloke told me about it". My response is along the lines of "thanks, but I'll give it a try myself". In some places signs have gone up saying no m/h parking, if so we just move on to the next spot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vindiboy Posted September 15, 2016 Share Posted September 15, 2016 http://s358.photobucket.com/user/vindiboy1/library/WILD%20CAMPING%201 Aires and Wildcamping for us wherever we go .Luv It Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave225 Posted September 17, 2016 Share Posted September 17, 2016 I am not wanting to get into any argument re the pro's and cons of wild camping but only make the following observations. Where we stay in Spain there is a lovely unspoilt village in a beautiful bay just along the road. There is a small jetty with a car park and during the non seasonal months this area is usually full of motorhomes. Some of them are very expensive indeed and the same ones appear each year. Of course this means the car park is not available to cars for much of the time. They do get moved our come July and August but one does wonder wheer they put all the grey and black water as there are no disposal points there. Even big tanks need emptying eventually. I know some skip on to a site for a night to do all this but sites are getting wise to that one and demand a minimum stay. It also means those on the sites have to pay extra in due course for all the extra water taken in a short time. I am not suggesting it should not be done, but there is also the adage that 'there is no such thing as a free lunch'. Some one is paying somewhere. As for the argument that they spend money in the ocal shops, that is only true up to a point as some of the big motorhome carry all stocks with them and shop at hypermarkets along the way, so local benefits are minimal unless you call buying a beer or 2 business.?? Being a Scot I know a lot of motorhomers wildcamp in the Highlands and on the Islands and this is fine as there are few sites anyway. As long as they are 'here today, gone in the morning' with no signs of having been there, then fine I am sure most people would not object. But all takes is a few bad apples to start dumping waste and then things will change rapidly. But this sort of overnight wildcamping does not compare with parking up on a Spanish beach for months at a time does it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted September 17, 2016 Share Posted September 17, 2016 Dave225 - 2016-09-17 4:24 PM Being a Scot I know a lot of motorhomers wildcamp in the Highlands and on the Islands and this is fine as there are few sites anyway. As long as they are 'here today, gone in the morning' with no signs of having been there, then fine I am sure most people would not object. But all takes is a few bad apples to start dumping waste and then things will change rapidly. But this sort of overnight wildcamping does not compare with parking up on a Spanish beach for months at a time does it? Being a skinflint Anglo Saxon I agree......... Although in Calpe where we winter, I noticed for the first time walking past the wilders, that certain areas were taking on the aroma of a UK Layby 8-) ....... I doubt the locals would be impressed, how ever much they might put into the local economy :-| ...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John52 Posted September 17, 2016 Share Posted September 17, 2016 Dave225 - 2016-09-17 4:24 PM one does wonder wheer they put all the grey and black water as there are no disposal points there. If nobody knows where they are pouring it doesn't that suggest it isn't causing any problem? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted September 17, 2016 Share Posted September 17, 2016 John52 - 2016-09-17 9:32 PM Dave225 - 2016-09-17 4:24 PM one does wonder wheer they put all the grey and black water as there are no disposal points there. If nobody knows where they are pouring it doesn't that suggest it isn't causing any problem? If we are to get into the nitty gritty of the matter ;-) .......I doubt wilders will cause much offence if they tip their cassettes down the appropriate drain......but when they save up their pee and chuck it in the nearest hedge 8-) ........ I do wonder if I'm really a skinflint (lol) ........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david lloyd Posted September 18, 2016 Share Posted September 18, 2016 John52 - 2016-09-17 9:32 PM Dave225 - 2016-09-17 4:24 PM one does wonder wheer they put all the grey and black water as there are no disposal points there. If nobody knows where they are pouring it doesn't that suggest it isn't causing any problem? First, it would be difficult to accept that if dave225 doesn't know for sure where they are pouring their waste then it follows that it isn't a problem. It just means that if they are not using properly constructed sanitary facilities then any problems are hidden. Second, there are many who know all too well where some are pouring their waste - and it is not always in properly constructed sanitary facilities. Often it is 'hidden', carried out in the dead of night because, presumably, anyone doing so knows they shouldn't. I am not against responsible wild camping by the way, just concerned like many others that such a freedom can, and has been, withdrawn from everyone if such practices continue. David PS I can vouch for the experience pelmetman had in Calpe. We were there last winter and the smell as you passed by the empty building plots alongside the roadside was, at times, overpowering. These were not 'wilding' on some far flung, distant, remote, idyllic beach, they were simply parked along the normal streets of Calpe using whatever means were available to ensure their cassettes (and presumably their waste tanks) were emptied Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John52 Posted September 18, 2016 Share Posted September 18, 2016 pelmetman - 2016-09-17 9:41 PM when they save up their pee and chuck it in the nearest hedge 8-) ........ Its good for plants so what better way to recycle it? I doubt if thats causing the bad smell. I do wonder if I'm really a skinflint (lol) ........ You don't even know the meaning of the word :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starvin marvin Posted September 18, 2016 Share Posted September 18, 2016 Drains are not Spain's strong suite, wherever you go they stink, a bit like France. I certainly can't vouch for all free campers (you'll notice I call it "free" not "wild") but I've never emptied a cassette anywhere other than where it's meant to go. Certainly in the past when we used to free camp in Calpe, behind the police station we all used the sewer manhole, which conveniently some kind person had attached a rope to make lifting it very easy. There are loads of places where you can empty cassettes without causing any problems. We use sites that charge 4/5E to empty and fill with water and you don't need to stay. Fuel stations, Repsol and the like, (we know quite a few) that similarly "charge" or maybe "pocket" a few euros to allow emptying and filling as long as you buy some diesel and many other places which I intend to keep to myself and not broadcast on a forum. Its simply dead easy. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John52 Posted September 19, 2016 Share Posted September 19, 2016 I think the problem is when they pour pee on the tarmac which is slightly porous. Pouring moderate amounts on the grass seems to do it good, especially in Spain when it doesn't get enough rain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted September 19, 2016 Share Posted September 19, 2016 John52 - 2016-09-19 9:28 AM I think the problem is when they pour pee on the tarmac which is slightly porous. Pouring moderate amounts on the grass seems to do it good, especially in Spain when it doesn't get enough rain. I think its more to do with a habit of some wilders peeing in a bucket to reduce their cassette contents.........and a bucket of pee will smell a lot stronger than a individual pee....especially when its had a day or two to ferment 8-) ............ They're missing an opportunity, they could just sell it as a alternative to ADBLU......... Maybe they should market it as ADYELLA :D ....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John52 Posted September 19, 2016 Share Posted September 19, 2016 On the way back from taking tea with you at Blackpool I have been following the Leeds and Liverpool Canal route taken by Baldrick in his TV Programme. Shows where in the last century the 'night soil' from 80,000 Liverpudlians was loaded on to barges and taken to the Lancashire Farmers who were very pleased to get it because it is very good for the crops. (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted September 19, 2016 Share Posted September 19, 2016 John52 - 2016-09-19 9:44 AM On the way back from taking tea with you at Blackpool I have been following the Leeds and Liverpool Canal route taken by Baldrick in his TV Programme. Shows where in the last century the 'night soil' from 80,000 Liverpudlians was loaded on to barges and taken to the Lancashire Farmers who were very pleased to get it because it is very good for the crops. (lol) My MIL recalls as a kid (one of seven) her dad used to dig a trench in the veg plot, for the contents of the thunderbox............. Now that's proper recycling :D ......... Didn't do her any harm as she's now 91 ;-) ..... We used to use a Gite in France, and the cesspit was emptied by a local farmer for nowt.........Our cesspit cost £140 to empty and the contents had to go to the local sewage works.......Because the EU stopped human waste being spread on fields.........it appears they prefer farmers to use chemicals *-) ......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John52 Posted September 19, 2016 Share Posted September 19, 2016 Easy to forget the exhaust fumes from the passing traffic are doing us more harm than the stink of pee in the lay by. :-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted September 19, 2016 Share Posted September 19, 2016 John52 - 2016-09-19 10:40 AM Easy to forget the exhaust fumes from the passing traffic are doing us more harm than the stink of pee in the lay by. :-S Very true but its the stink of pee that the locals will notice :-| ......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starvin marvin Posted September 20, 2016 Share Posted September 20, 2016 pelmetman - 2016-09-19 10:53 AM John52 - 2016-09-19 10:40 AM Easy to forget the exhaust fumes from the passing traffic are doing us more harm than the stink of pee in the lay by. :-S Very true but its the stink of pee that the locals will notice :-| ......... I don't think the locals would notice it at all, they probably think thats just the natural aroma, which of course it is. Certainly the French wouldn't notice it, they (men) pee just about wherever they like. Since I don't want to offend them I just do the same. Doesn't everyone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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