Cruisecontrol Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 Having visited Spain and Portugal a few times this September/October we’re going to attempt a trip around the Peninsular. We’ll enter Portugal via Santander to Chaves and make for Porto first, then mainly following the coast (excluding Lisbon, visited earlier) hope to include Gibraltar, Granada and Seville. So - advice please on: good campsites (no Aires please, the lady won’t countenance them despite my entreaties!). In particular we’d like to pop into Gibraltar, so parking for a day or overnight. Also a campsite closest to a port for a day trip to Morocco (without MH). In terms of the Mediterranean side, any tips on quality campsites up to, say, Alicante. Thereafter we’ll probably cut across to Santander having already “done” areas to the North. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peedee Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 Seems to me you are missing out on some of the best bits by not going along the north coast of Spain and then down to Oporto? It is a while since I have been to Portugal but it used to be the best sites to look our for down the coast of Portugal were those in the Orbitur chain. Perhaps my blog of 2009 of a similar trip at http://www.wheelgotravelling.info/Iberia2009.html might help. peedee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruisecontrol Posted July 23, 2013 Author Share Posted July 23, 2013 Thanks Peedee. I didn't want to pad out my query out with "we've been everywhere" boast, however we have visited that area and the Picos in the past. I will check out your 2009 trip though - thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwyn Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 Last year we travelled in Portugal going north as far as Porto and quite a lot inland, in one of the Orbitur campsites I bought a camping guide for Portugal : Roteira Campista, it is in Portuguese but very easy to understand from the symbols, we used this all the time in preference to ACSI and found most campsites were cheaper than ACSI though this was May last year. We don't particularly like the Orbitur sites but there are plenty of these around, the other book led us to some interesting and unusual campsites some appearing very rundown but always the facilities being spotless and the people extremely friendly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Mitch Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 Interesting subject for me as we are leaving the UK in September for a six month trip, taking in central and western France, and then northern Spain, Portugal, and back to Spain in a clockwise direction. Thanks for the details of your blog peedee - I'm sure that will prove invaluable. Can I also point you in the direction of the travel consultants in MMM, particularly Jacqueline Suffolk (roamingjohn2005@yahoo.co.uk) who has been invaluable in supplying us with details of interesting places to visit in northern Spain. We intend to book sites only over Christmas and New Year and we are thinking of Orbitur Quarteira as one option. Any advice gratefully received! Mad Mitch Mad Mitch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Bulgaria Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 Beware the new electronic tolls on some, but not all Portugese motorways. Fine in theory but a bit of a nightmare to comply, even at the designated border crossing point I used just south of Vigo in Spain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesFrance Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 gwyn - 2013-07-23 10:35 AM Last year we travelled in Portugal going north as far as Porto and quite a lot inland, in one of the Orbitur campsites I bought a camping guide for Portugal : Roteira Campista, it is in Portuguese but very easy to understand from the symbols, we used this all the time in preference to ACSI and found most campsites were cheaper than ACSI though this was May last year. We don't particularly like the Orbitur sites but there are plenty of these around, the other book led us to some interesting and unusual campsites some appearing very rundown but always the facilities being spotless and the people extremely friendly. They have a website here: http://www.roteiro-campista.pt/wp/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BGD Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 Uncle Bulgaria - 2013-07-23 3:20 PM Beware the new electronic tolls on some, but not all Portugese motorways. Fine in theory but a bit of a nightmare to comply, even at the designated border crossing point I used just south of Vigo in Spain. Just ignore them if you're not on Portuguese plates...as all the Spanish do. There's no real enforcement system any more as the entire private system is going bust. An increasing number of the locals just ignore the overhead cameras now too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwyn Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 When we travelled last year we simply avoided all motorways therefore having no problem with the new tolls and I have heard from various sources that the Portuguese police are pulling people up now for non payment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BGD Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 gwyn - 2013-07-24 9:20 AM When we travelled last year we simply avoided all motorways therefore having no problem with the new tolls and I have heard from various sources that the Portuguese police are pulling people up now for non payment. Hi Gwyn - could you provide any sources for that suggestion please. Many thanks. I have consistently heard exactly the opposite on any forums I'm a member of. This includes the Spanish motorhome forums where everyone agrees that they just ignore the electronic tolls, and most Portuguese members there now say the same....the system has simply fallen apart, as the company running these sections is bankrupt. Also, we are over to Portugal 2 or three times a year ourselves. This year we've already been there for a couple of months in Jan/Feb, and then again for 3 weeks in May........and we've used the electronic toll motorway sections literally dozens of time on each visit, just by driving on/off them as we choose. No payment, no electronic box, no Police. Others that we've met there all say they just do the same now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blunmurr Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 We got home from a similar trip a week ago. We mainly used Orbitur sites as they did there own ACSI style card that cost about 10 euros for the year with most of the sites costing 10 euros a night. Therby saving on the 16 euros that we would have paid using ACSI. - The site at Caminha was very nice and quite close to the attractive town. - We also stayed at Lavra/ Angeiras ( area rather residential, site full of scruffy long stay vans), - Figueira da Foz (decent enough site with good beach but outside the site the residential area was unattractive), - Sao Pedro de Moel ( pleasant little town and excellent site well sheltered from winds), - Camping Vale Paraiso (good site but steep hill into Nazarre), - the Orbitur site at Vila Nova de Milfontes ( large site with hundreds of long stay vans in varied condition, soon grows on you as it has an excellent nearby beach but 6 miles from the really nice town, I would choose one of the town sites in future) - Orbitur site just outside Praia da Luz ( good site, nice pool, some well shaded pitches, cheapish bar, 15 minute walk to beach) - Orbitur Quarteira ( took 40 minutes to book in mainly because they sold us the Orbitur card, very impressed with this site, some sanitary blocks were basic but clean, short walk to beach and town, Lidl nearby. If you want more detail go to my blog of this trip with loads of pictures of sites and nearby towns http://lightningtours.blogspot.co.uk/ just scroll down to older posts to access the Portugal section, Pics expand when clicked on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruisecontrol Posted July 24, 2013 Author Share Posted July 24, 2013 blunmurr Most helpful - thanks. Good blog site too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnerontheroad Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 blunmurr - 2013-07-24 10:40 AM - Orbitur Quarteira ( took 40 minutes to book in mainly because they sold us the Orbitur card, very impressed with this site, some sanitary blocks were basic but clean, short walk to beach and town, Lidl nearby. If you want more detail go to my blog of this trip with loads of pictures of sites and nearby towns http://lightningtours.blogspot.co.uk/ just scroll down to older posts to access the Portugal section, Pics expand when clicked on. Yes the stall have mastered the art of going slow they are all experts at it and if you moan they go even slower. Good site. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Mitch Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 Thanks blunmurr for your comments on Orbitur sites and for pointing me in the direction of your blog. Light bedtime reading for me! The 10 euro deal sounds interesting - I wonder though whether that is available over Christmas and New Year? Mad Mitch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arthur49 Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 blunmurr - 2013-07-24 10:40 AM We got home from a similar trip a week ago. We mainly used Orbitur sites as they did there own ACSI style card that cost about 10 euros for the year with most of the sites costing 10 euros a night. Therby saving on the 16 euros that we would have paid using ACSI. - The site at Caminha was very nice and quite close to the attractive town. - We also stayed at Lavra/ Angeiras ( area rather residential, site full of scruffy long stay vans), - Figueira da Foz (decent enough site with good beach but outside the site the residential area was unattractive), - Sao Pedro de Moel ( pleasant little town and excellent site well sheltered from winds), - Camping Vale Paraiso (good site but steep hill into Nazarre), - the Orbitur site at Vila Nova de Milfontes ( large site with hundreds of long stay vans in varied condition, soon grows on you as it has an excellent nearby beach but 6 miles from the really nice town, I would choose one of the town sites in future) - Orbitur site just outside Praia da Luz ( good site, nice pool, some well shaded pitches, cheapish bar, 15 minute walk to beach) - Orbitur Quarteira ( took 40 minutes to book in mainly because they sold us the Orbitur card, very impressed with this site, some sanitary blocks were basic but clean, short walk to beach and town, Lidl nearby. If you want more detail go to my blog of this trip with loads of pictures of sites and nearby towns http://lightningtours.blogspot.co.uk/ just scroll down to older posts to access the Portugal section, Pics expand when clicked on. Hi blunmurr Thank you for this. How did you apply for and obtain the Orbitur discount card you refer to above? Arthur (?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnerontheroad Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 You can get one at any Orbitur site but they are valid for a year ffrom 01 Jan - 31 Dec so may need two come Jan 14. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blunmurr Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 Hi Arthur, we got it from the Quarteira site, you sign up for a annual card that worked out about 10 euros for the year, then you buy 10 vouchers each costing 10euros. Each voucher can then be used for a nights camping at any Orbitur sites. I think the deadline for buying these was 31st May but you could carry on using them after that date. I presume that these will be on offer again during the autumn low season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arthur49 Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 Many thanks for replies above. Not travelling until Spring next year but this is useful 'homework' Arthur :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwyn Posted July 26, 2013 Share Posted July 26, 2013 I could be totally wrong about police charging for infringements on motorways, I honestly can't remember where I read it or saw it so if people are finding its not so then that is more likely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blunmurr Posted July 26, 2013 Share Posted July 26, 2013 I got the impression that the police (or motorway enforcement ) were now issuing fines for non payment at electronic tolls. An ex pat in Silves told us that his son had been fined when using a hire car. The previous driver of the vehicle had not paid his tolls so he was left with the fine! It was pretty easy to go online and pay for a 20 euro card...this took us along the Algarve coast and up the entire west coast to Northern Spain. We found most motorways were like the French ones...you pay at the toll booths. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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