Recommendations please for route Dunkirk-Alicante in January, particularly over Pyrenees

[Vixter]

Peeling off from my 'Campsites in Southern Spain' thread (many thanks for your suggestions), this is just to highlight my request for anyone's experiences with the various winter routes south. We will arrive in Dunkirk Sunday 7th January and are allowing 5-7 days to get to Alicante. We would prefer overnighting en-route at official campsites rather than aires. We have a big ol' Clou Liner and tow a Smart car on a trailer, so would prefer a 'soft' route. Apparenty the E15 is not adviseable, the thought of visits from Bandits doesn't appeal to me! Would prefer to avoid road tolls wherever possible and the thought of digging a 7.5 ton motorhome complete with trailer out of 10 foot of snow doesn't ring my bell either. Yup, I'm one of those picky ones! In the past we have done this sort of stuff in the summer months, but when planning such a journey in the dead of winter requires a view from a different perspective ...

[Philman]

I think the best suggestion I can make is to practice putting your snow chains on while you are still at home. We've done the journey a couple of times and there can be a lot of snow about. The last time we went it was quite thick all the way down to Barcelona. Phil.

[hymer]

This year we went middle of January, used the A20 , had 6inches of snow and was stuck for 4 days. In 7 years of winter in Spain it was the first time stuck in snow. *-)

[crob]

We went from Calais in Jan 2004. I was worried about snow chains and decided not to bother, BUT picked out sites to stay if we couldn't progress any further due to snow. As you will see, we went down west of France and then to Burgos. No problems, but who knows? Near Calais – Camping Bel Parc, page 152 of Caravan Club book - €10. Next stop got caught out in Saumur. We tried Saumur but that was closed in spite of what it says in the camping books. Next stop on a pull-in on N10 just south of junction 12. It seemed safe enough in January. Next night Burgos, but we wouldn’t stay there again. Not a very good site, and the camp food was awful, and pricey. We should have gone to Salamanca which we were later told is an excellent site. €14.50. Next stop near Plascencia, Camping Parque Naturel de Monfrague. Alan Rogers French book page 444. Excellent site – mini safari available, local to village, very clean. Next stop Evora, Camping Evora, page 627 of Caravan Club book. Unfortunately they were refurbishing the site, so we have bad memories, but it is now probably OK. Evora worth a visit, and within easy walking distance. Hope this helps. Colin Robinson. (lol)

[RonB]

With your size rig I would go Dunkirk-Paris-Poitiers-The E5 all the way to Madrid-A3-A31-A7 to Alicanti. Campsites: Disneyland , E of Paris. Futurescope, Poitiers. (or "Le Futuriste" St Georges-les-Baillargeux, nearby) "Les Platanes", St Georges-les Baillargeux (20m N of Bayonne) "De Haro", Haro (50m NW of Burgos) "Costajan", Aranda de Duero (100m N of Madrid) "Osuna", Madrid. The first is an easy days run if you are delayed by ferry crossings or whatever and both the first two offer huge parking areas. It would be a very comfortable 5 or 7 day trip depending on whether you wanted to take time out to enjoy one of the theme parks. The North and Middle of Spain have had a couple of bad years,weather wise, and we have been snowed in as far south as Madrid. However, this is unusual and you will be unlucky to experience the same - just be prepared. Have fun.

[Huckleberry]

Be aware that it is not unusual for "bandits" to attempt to stop foreign vanners around the Madrid ring road. I have had this happen twice, the first time I stopped but would not get out of my van and he eventually went off. This year in March, two men in an BMW drove alongside me flashing what appeared to be an official badge and indicated for me to follow them, I slowed down as they took a slip road and drove off quickly, about 5 minutes later they again drove alongside me and indicated for me to follow and again I pretended to follow but then went back on the ring road quickly. Have a good trip. Rodger

[RonB]

My better half has pointed out that you may think that I am suggesting stopping at all the campsites listed in my previous posting. As some of these are only a hundred miles apart this is of course not the case. I know the sites to be open - the itinerary is yours! Have fun

[voxy]

All the previous posts have been helpful, but in my experience, yes you may get some snow, but the French and the Spanish are very responsive with road clearence and within a few hours of a snow fall main trunk roads are cleared. Occassionly, during rare, exceptional snow falls, traffic will be held until there are enough vehicles to form a convoy behind a snow plough. We go to Spain via Limoges, Biarritz, Burgos, Madrid and have done a trip where we never saw any snow at all until we hit Malaga!!! So don't spoil your holiday worrying about it, just enjoy it. Incidently, the route we use is totally toll free, and all dual carriageway, and printed in the blog section of the forum at www.motorcaravanning.co.uk and also at http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/motorhome-list/ in the files section. Voxy

[Vixter]

Thanks everyone, some good news and some bad. Forewarned is as good as forearmed as they say...now, where is that can of hairspray? And the pepper-pot, maybe the cricket bat would be good as well, and the camera. We mustn't forget the snow chains just in case... Perhaps we should just stay at home and be robbed by the Chancellor instead, and snowed-in on home territory Hmmm, a few doubts now, but don't tell the Other Half Vixter :-|

[Don Madge]

[QUOTE]Vixter - 2006-10-31 3:28 PM Thanks everyone, some good news and some bad. Forewarned is as good as forearmed as they say...now, where is that can of hairspray? And the pepper-pot, maybe the cricket bat would be good as well, and the camera. We mustn't forget the snow chains just in case... Perhaps we should just stay at home and be robbed by the Chancellor instead, and snowed-in on home territory Hmmm, a few doubts now, but don't tell the Other Half Vixter :-|[/QUOTE] Hi Vixter, Go for it mate. Think of all the motorhomers who never have any problems. I think we must have the only motorhome that has no extra security fitted, all we have is the Cobra alarm fitted by Timberland and what ever Fiat have in the way security. I've read many post on all the forums/list that I subscribe to and it's unbelievable what lengths people will go to secure their vans and they still get broken into. If they used a bit of common sense instead of their wallet they might be better off. It worries me how the less mobile people (like us) would manage if they had to get out of these vans in a hurry if it was dark and there was smoke about. It does not bear thinking about. Incidentally we have been travelling in Europe as tourists since 1969 and we have never been robbed, gassed, broken into, chased by bandits in Spain etc. After the recent very tragic event in Corfu and the fiasco in Moscow a few years ago I think the link between Motorhomes and gassing is well and truly in the "Urban Myth" department. We have visited with the van all the countries in Europe (including the four principalities,) except Albania (I can't get a Green Card) and the Baltic States (which we plan to visit May 2007). We have also toured the Canary Islands, Cyprus, Morocco and Turkey. We must be doing something right, we have a system, if the place does not feel right we don't stop. Don't be put off by the "Urban Myths" you hear about places, the UK motorhome fraternity thrive on rumour and speculation. Earlier this year we visited 14 European countries including Bulgaria where we free camped on small harbours and marinas because there weren't any campsites open. We had no problems at all. If I had believed all the rumours I heard I would not have visited the place. Over the years we've met many motorhomers on our travels and the vast majority have never had a problem, bad news spreads faster than good. Saafe travelling Don

[Vixter]

To Don Thanks sweetheart. I needed that boost! Vixter :-)