Doogs Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 Hi, We have just brought a Swift Sundance 590RL 2006 plate. We are hoping to travel to France and then onto Spain where my partners parents live near Alicante. We are thinking about travelling from Normandy, through Loire, down to coast, then onto Barcelona and down coast road to Alicante. Any advice, recommendations on sites to stay in, ferry travel would be welcome. We are planning to travel from 15th Sept - 7th Oct 2012. Many thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 Hi Doogs & welcome to the forum. Don't tempt fate, avoid Barcelona http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=25963&start=1&posts=444 It's a very long thread, but the first page will give the theme. If going down the French coast you will have options of other routes through Spain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caddies104 Posted July 2, 2012 Share Posted July 2, 2012 Hi If you intend to do all that in just over 3 weeks, it's a lot of miles, nearly 2000, from Nomandy to Alicante and back. Do you both intend to drive. Not trying to put a damper on it but from experience you do not want to do more than 200 per day and then not every day as you need to see parts of France you are travelling through.. Just read your thread again and you don't say your coming back in that time so if not forget the 1st paragraph Have a great time, France is beautiful at that time of the year.. Recommendations will surely come from the forum, and plenty of them.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted July 2, 2012 Share Posted July 2, 2012 Hi Doogs Welcome to the forum. We have a 2006 Sundance 590RS, so almost the same van as you, different layout. Just got back from a ten week trip to Spain. I would get an ACSI Card if you can, saves lots of money on camp site fees. Also if you intend to use aires, then get "all the aires" book from Vicarious Books. i agree , that 3 weeks is pushing it to see anything on the way, going to Alicante. Have you thought of going one way to/from Santander/Bilbao on the ferry? The cost is more, but when you consider the cost of fuel camp sites etc, may be worth it , for your timescale. The coast road from France to Spain i in the south s very bendy and is a bit off track. Also as said, avoid Barcelona. Best route may be the motorway , also avoiding La Jonquera (We call it LORRY City) fuel was dearer in Spain, so fill up in France (Supermarkets usually the best price) Enjoy your new Motor Home, had ours from new and very happy with it, just the right size for two on long trips PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted July 2, 2012 Share Posted July 2, 2012 Follow this link: http://tinyurl.com/6vl9eyc for comments on an MMM article published December '11 / January '12, which gave details of a very good route down through France. Won't quite suit your itinerary, because it didn't wander off around the Loire, but easily adapted. Suggest if you don't have the mag you get copies of the article or back numbers. To avoid Barcelona, for reasons stated in above posts, especially as you're taking the western route through France, I'd suggest crossing the Pyrenees via St Jean Pied de Port to Pamplona, and then on via Zaragosa to Valencia and Alicante. You can avoid the toll from Pamplona to Zaragosa by taking N-121 to Castejon, then left to N232 for a while, which becomes A68 toll free/N-232 to Tudela and Zaragosa, right onto Zaragosa ring to A23 for Sagunto, then right to A7 round Valencia and on to Alicante. Most is dual carriageway toll free Autovia. Autopistas, designated Ap, are the toll roads. If you haven't already done this, I'd suggest taking your van off for a week's shake-down, not too close to home, before you set off for Spain, to make sure all is OK. It is six years old and, depending on previous owner/s may not have been asked to do much work, especially long, hot, drives. I'd also suggest you check the ages of the tyres, and replace any that are still original irrespective of remaining tread. Tyres get surprisingly hot on long hot drives, and that will expose any latent weaknesses. A blow-out, you do not want! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doogs Posted July 6, 2012 Author Share Posted July 6, 2012 Hi, thanks for advice, where is best place to buy ACSI card? I think we will travel down from France and then get Santander ferry back as we would only have 6 days from leaving Alicante! Think we may avoid Barcelona now after reading all the info! If you have any recommendations on sites in Spain would welcome any advice as looking through a book we have just brought a lot of sites shut in Sept and we would be there first week in Oct! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doogs Posted July 6, 2012 Author Share Posted July 6, 2012 Thank you for the advice! Will definitely be doing a few test weekends away and will get all the tyres checked out before we go! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawcara Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 We buy our annual ACSI card from Vicarious books: https://www.vicarious-shop.com/ACSI-UK-CampingCard/ You get two books and in the sleeve of one of them is the pop out card. You look through the book, turn up at the site on the valid date and pay the price as stated + poss tourist tax per day. They have sat nav co-ordinates, the directions can be a bit vague, but it adds to the fun of finding the place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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