david lloyd Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 We enjoyed our first winter trip away in Spain last winter (Mid December to Mid March) using Tesco vouchers for the tunnel crossing both ways (very good for the dog in our life) then meandered through france using mainly aires. We stayed at La Manga for the whole period as it was our first time and we were unsure what to expect but this year we plan to travel straight down past Madrid and before we reach the sea decide whether to turn right or left depending on what the weather is like. The plan is to stay mainly around the Malaga area this time but try to visit the Algarve which I understand is a little more unpredictable weather wise. Last year we enjoyed beautiful weather for most of the time with just a couple of cold weeks in February, although there were still many bright sunny days. Shorts and tee shirts were our usual attire throughout the stay apart from those two weeks. After doing our sums I can't honestly say we saved money going for the winter but I don't think it cost us any more than living at home. The bonus was more temperate climate and seeing new places. That can't be bad. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike88 Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 david lloyd - 2012-09-23 7:19 PM We enjoyed our first winter trip away in Spain last winter (Mid December to Mid March) using Tesco vouchers for the tunnel crossing both ways (very good for the dog in our life) then meandered through france using mainly aires. We stayed at La Manga for the whole period as it was our first time and we were unsure what to expect but this year we plan to travel straight down past Madrid and before we reach the sea decide whether to turn right or left depending on what the weather is like. The plan is to stay mainly around the Malaga area this time but try to visit the Algarve which I understand is a little more unpredictable weather wise. Last year we enjoyed beautiful weather for most of the time with just a couple of cold weeks in February, although there were still many bright sunny days. Shorts and tee shirts were our usual attire throughout the stay apart from those two weeks. After doing our sums I can't honestly say we saved money going for the winter but I don't think it cost us any more than living at home. The bonus was more temperate climate and seeing new places. That can't be bad. David David If that is your plan you won't go far wrong staying in Torre del Mar. The first campsite at the end of the beach is the best; (it might in fact be called Camping Torre Del Mar) it's a short walk to the town; on the beach and a large Mercadona around the corner. It's a short bus ride to Malaga - a very underrated City. The Picasso Museum is a good place to visit -closed Mondays. En route there is a decent site (ACSI) nr Granada above the resevoir with a bus ride outside the gates into the City and the Alhambra. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david lloyd Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 Hi Mike Thank you for that informnation - I have found the site (Torre Del Mar) in the CC Europe book so will add it to our list of recommended sites. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike B. Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 If anyone is interested in motorcycles and fancies something a bit different en route from Bilbao-try this: http://www.lapinguinos.com/ I will try and attache the flyers, but don't always have success with this! Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike88 Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 david lloyd - 2012-09-24 12:24 PM Hi Mike Thank you for that informnation - I have found the site (Torre Del Mar) in the CC Europe book so will add it to our list of recommended sites. David Just a further bit of info. The cost when I was there in the spring was 330euros a month. The site will also be in the 2013 ACSI discount card book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike B. Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 PS The camping is free and the weekend rally is €25 If anyone is going give us a shout and we can have a beer together etc Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vindiboy Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 http://goo.gl/maps/mUB6s I agree that Torre Del Mar is a good place to be, still very Spanish and not too touristy, Camping Torre Del Mar is good but we prefered Laguna Playa Camping, it is a bit further down the track.and not as crowded as the other site, great town to wander, weekly market,great walks too. There is also Wild Camping available in Torre if you want it, a great new tram system takes you to Velez Malaga,the tram must have cost millions to build, it is well worth a ride on, it stops right out side LIDL and EROSKI too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike88 Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 vindiboy - 2012-09-24 2:08 PM http://goo.gl/maps/mUB6s I agree that Torre Del Mar is a good place to be, still very Spanish and not too touristy, Camping Torre Del Mar is good but we prefered Laguna Playa Camping, it is a bit further down the track.and not as crowded as the other site, great town to wander, weekly market,great walks too. There is also Wild Camping available in Torre if you want it, a great new tram system takes you to Velez Malaga,the tram must have cost millions to build, it is well worth a ride on, it stops right out side LIDL and EROSKI too. The problem I found with Laguna Playa Camping was the fact the site was completely in the shade from high trees which to my mind is the last thing you want when winter camping. Thanks for the reference to the tram. I couldn't work out where it went and how to pay but it certainly looked impressive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertieburstner Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 we have just come back from Camping Eden in Peniscola, which is in the ACSI discount scheme. The pitches are quite small but it is very nice (and busy!). When we were there the day that the ACSI scheme kicked in (12 September) there were 8 units queuing up outside to get in as it was full (about 240 pitches). We got the feeling that the site would be busy all winter as lots of people seemed to be well settled in with gnomes, plant pots etc etc. Peniscola is within easy walking distance and is a lovely town. There's an old part with the castle of Papa Luna. It's not overrun with english and we thought it was a wonderful town. The lovely beach is about a 300 yard walk :-o Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike88 Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 bertieburstner - 2012-09-24 5:34 PM we have just come back from Camping Eden in Peniscola, which is in the ACSI discount scheme. The pitches are quite small but it is very nice (and busy!). When we were there the day that the ACSI scheme kicked in (12 September) there were 8 units queuing up outside to get in as it was full (about 240 pitches). We got the feeling that the site would be busy all winter as lots of people seemed to be well settled in with gnomes, plant pots etc etc. Peniscola is within easy walking distance and is a lovely town. There's an old part with the castle of Papa Luna. It's not overrun with english and we thought it was a wonderful town. The lovely beach is about a 300 yard walk :-o That site is always full. I've tried 3 times and failed and ended up in Benicassim. Peniscola is a nice town and the site well placed. Not many pitches for winter sun though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 Mike88 - 2012-09-24 6:02 PM bertieburstner - 2012-09-24 5:34 PM we have just come back from Camping Eden in Peniscola, which is in the ACSI discount scheme. The pitches are quite small but it is very nice (and busy!). When we were there the day that the ACSI scheme kicked in (12 September) there were 8 units queuing up outside to get in as it was full (about 240 pitches). We got the feeling that the site would be busy all winter as lots of people seemed to be well settled in with gnomes, plant pots etc etc. Peniscola is within easy walking distance and is a lovely town. There's an old part with the castle of Papa Luna. It's not overrun with english and we thought it was a wonderful town. The lovely beach is about a 300 yard walk :-o That site is always full. I've tried 3 times and failed and ended up in Benicassim. Peniscola is a nice town and the site well placed. Not many pitches for winter sun though. Too far North for January ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peter James Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 fairweather camper - 2012-09-20 10:15 PM I mentioned in an earlier thread that we were going to Southern Spain in January for three months to get some winter warmth, however an acquaintance has said that its not very warm there at that time of year, am I wasting my time going ?, I know its not going to be HOT but I did expect it to be warm, am I expecting too much. I found on the Costa del Sol it depends which way the wind is blowing. To the south is the Sahara, and if the wind is blowing up from there in January it can be 20c. But to the north are snow capped mountains. If the wind direction changes so it is blowing down from the north over those, the temp can drop to 2c Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnerontheroad Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 Has anyone stayed on this site if so any comments http://campingcabopino.com/index.php?idioma=GB Sorry for hijacking the thread. Thanks Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terryW Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 JamesFrance - 2012-09-23 11:00 AM When we lived in Britain it was a condition of our house insurance that water and electric were turned off when we were away. We never had a problem with frozen central heating circuits and I don't think they used any antifreeze. That was in north Wales, not the coldest place. We did the same when we lived on a narrowboat but went to Spain and Portugal every winter. Just to be on the safe side I have just purchased central heating ant-freeze and will be adding it next week. To me it was worth the £86 not to worry. After all it was only last winter that I measured -19 degrees here in Wales and that's exactly why we will be taking a winter break in Spain for the first time this year. Booked one way on the tunnel today and counting the days :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 Couple of years ago when we went to Spain it was minus 14 8-) at home, I wasn't worried though as I'd left the heating on low ;-)................ unbeknownst to us the pipe to the outside tap froze drowning the boiler, which was next to it in the garage *-)........................came back the house was fine......... but the workshop had had a burst pipe going for a month 8-) 8-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike88 Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 johnnerontheroad - 2012-09-24 9:01 PM Has anyone stayed on this site if so any comments http://campingcabopino.com/index.php?idioma=GB Sorry for hijacking the thread. Thanks Dave Yes..stayed there this Spring. the site is quite large and is reasonably well run. They have been doing a lot of work there to deal with the water run off issues that had been a real problem in the past so any negatives you may receive on this matter are no longer relevant. The Port of Cabopino and the beach is about 10 minutes away by foot. The Port is small with a few restaurants - nothing else. The beach is very pleasant with a number of pricey bars. Two Cokes will cost you 6 euros for a very small mixer size bottle.There is a bus service in to Marbella, Porto Banus and Fuergerola with connections to Mijas and other interesting mountain towns more or less outside the campsite gates. The downside of the site is shopping. There is a nearby garage for essentials. You will need to use your motorhome for anything else. There is a Lidl and Mercadona about a l mile away but is not easily walkable as access is along a dual carriageway. You can bus it or even go into Marbella and shop at the Mercadona at the end of the town. Personally I would not wish to spend long there although I understand it is packed in the winter. My verdict is that the site is good but shopping was a real hassle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnerontheroad Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 Mike88 - 2012-09-25 1:08 PM johnnerontheroad - 2012-09-24 9:01 PM Has anyone stayed on this site if so any comments http://campingcabopino.com/index.php?idioma=GB Sorry for hijacking the thread. Thanks Dave Yes..stayed there this Spring. the site is quite large and is reasonably well run. They have been doing a lot of work there to deal with the water run off issues that had been a real problem in the past so any negatives you may receive on this matter are no longer relevant. The Port of Cabopino and the beach is about 10 minutes away by foot. The Port is small with a few restaurants - nothing else. The beach is very pleasant with a number of pricey bars. Two Cokes will cost you 6 euros for a very small mixer size bottle.There is a bus service in to Marbella, Porto Banus and Fuergerola with connections to Mijas and other interesting mountain towns more or less outside the campsite gates. The downside of the site is shopping. There is a nearby garage for essentials. You will need to use your motorhome for anything else. There is a Lidl and Mercadona about a l mile away but is not easily walkable as access is along a dual carriageway. You can bus it or even go into Marbella and shop at the Mercadona at the end of the town. Personally I would not wish to spend long there although I understand it is packed in the winter. My verdict is that the site is good but shopping was a real hassle. Thanks helped us make our minds up, we have friends staying there so will only pop in for a couple of nights. Thanks again Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwendolyn Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 johnnerontheroad - 2012-09-25 4:32 PM Mike88 - 2012-09-25 1:08 PM johnnerontheroad - 2012-09-24 9:01 PM Has anyone stayed on this site if so any comments http://campingcabopino.com/index.php?idioma=GB Sorry for hijacking the thread. Thanks Dave Yes..stayed there this Spring. the site is quite large and is reasonably well run. They have been doing a lot of work there to deal with the water run off issues that had been a real problem in the past so any negatives you may receive on this matter are no longer relevant. The Port of Cabopino and the beach is about 10 minutes away by foot. The Port is small with a few restaurants - nothing else. The beach is very pleasant with a number of pricey bars. Two Cokes will cost you 6 euros for a very small mixer size bottle.There is a bus service in to Marbella, Porto Banus and Fuergerola with connections to Mijas and other interesting mountain towns more or less outside the campsite gates. The downside of the site is shopping. There is a nearby garage for essentials. You will need to use your motorhome for anything else. There is a Lidl and Mercadona about a l mile away but is not easily walkable as access is along a dual carriageway. You can bus it or even go into Marbella and shop at the Mercadona at the end of the town. Personally I would not wish to spend long there although I understand it is packed in the winter. My verdict is that the site is good but shopping was a real hassle. Thanks helped us make our minds up, we have friends staying there so will only pop in for a couple of nights. Thanks again Dave We stayed at the site for 2 weeks last March, as part of a longer trip. While it’s true that shopping is not easy, we didn’t find it that much of a hassle as it’s possible to avoid walking along the dual carriageway [and the route is behind barriers] by taking a different route. Cycled there a couple of times too. We had lunch at the beach bars a few times and didn’t find it a rip off. I tend not to note individual prices, so cannot comment on the prices quoted for Cokes, but I am aware when things are so bad that I feel I wouldn’t go again. And we did keep going going back for lunch there - but we were drinking rose wine or beer and not soft drinks. That stroll to the beach / harbour area, with a long lazy lunch in the sun was very relaxing. Bus service to Marbella is excellent, frequent, and cheap. And it’s possible to hop off en route at a supermarket and catch the next bus that comes along. We plan to go back in 2013 and look forward to it. The ONLY thing that may have put us off were the wretched caterpillars - the rash they gave us lasted for weeks after we’d returned home - but not enough to stop us going there again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesFrance Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 Oh yes, the processional caterpillars. They are found all over Iberia and here in southern France also. For anyone not familiar with them, if you look up at pine trees in February their nests can appear like candyfloss. If you walk under one of these when it drops in March you can get a very nasty rash from them. They can be fatal for dogs so you need to be aware of them if you have a pet down there. When they reach the ground they set off nose to tail in chains which gives them their name. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairweather camper Posted September 26, 2012 Author Share Posted September 26, 2012 Getting a bit worried about all the references to the sites being full, should we book, there will be two motorhomes, one a small American, about 27ft, or is it OK to just turn up, dont really like booking as if site not nice your going to be disappointed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted September 26, 2012 Share Posted September 26, 2012 fairweather camper - 2012-09-26 11:37 AM Getting a bit worried about all the references to the sites being full, should we book, there will be two motorhomes, one a small American, about 27ft, or is it OK to just turn up, dont really like booking as if site not nice your going to be disappointed. If you want to go to a particular site then for the sake of peace of mind I'd book ;-)............we booked Calpe last year as its only a small site.............. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairweather camper Posted September 26, 2012 Author Share Posted September 26, 2012 pelmetman - 2012-09-26 8:13 PM fairweather camper - 2012-09-26 11:37 AM Getting a bit worried about all the references to the sites being full, should we book, there will be two motorhomes, one a small American, about 27ft, or is it OK to just turn up, dont really like booking as if site not nice your going to be disappointed. If you want to go to a particular site then for the sake of peace of mind I'd book ;-)............we booked Calpe last year as its only a small site.............. No particular preference for site, just want to be able to get on one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted September 26, 2012 Share Posted September 26, 2012 fairweather camper - 2012-09-26 9:28 PM pelmetman - 2012-09-26 8:13 PM fairweather camper - 2012-09-26 11:37 AM Getting a bit worried about all the references to the sites being full, should we book, there will be two motorhomes, one a small American, about 27ft, or is it OK to just turn up, dont really like booking as if site not nice your going to be disappointed. If you want to go to a particular site then for the sake of peace of mind I'd book ;-)............we booked Calpe last year as its only a small site.............. No particular preference for site, just want to be able to get on one. Then no problem B-) ................ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T8LEY Posted September 26, 2012 Share Posted September 26, 2012 fairweather camper - 2012-09-26 12:37 PM Getting a bit worried about all the references to the sites being full, should we book, there will be two motorhomes, one a small American, about 27ft, or is it OK to just turn up, dont really like booking as if site not nice your going to be disappointed. We rarely book and have never been turned away. Quite a few sites have 'early arrivals' facilities, i.e. EHU, wc, shower, etc. where you can pitch until someone leaves. Even at Calpe, where Dave mentioned it's a small site, we only spent one night in the waiting area. We have found, however, it is quieter in most places just before Christmas rather than after. Another advantage with setting off before the turn of the year is you miss the bad weather; I'd rather not follow a snow plough through France again! As for your site bookings, you will find it common practice for short stay customers to give an estimate of how long they would like to stay but leave beforehand if the fancy takes them. That's why pitches come free daily. Hope you enjoy Spain T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bojitoes Posted September 26, 2012 Share Posted September 26, 2012 Our experience over the last 3 years is that sites on the East and South East coast get quite full but, along the South and West coasts there is no problem getting on whatsoever. We have only been turned away from 1 ACSI site in Spain because it was full and the receptionist directed us to another site just down the road which was fine.If you are not in ACSI you should join before you go- it will save you a lot of money. We have also been on a few C&CC rallies but find that they usually cost more per night through C&CC than through ACSI Hope this helps- maybe see you in January Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.