Advise wanted - Travel to Spain

[Steve Scott]

I'm new to this forum. I'm trying to plan a route through France to Spain in February and I am concerned that sites might not be open 

has anyone any views please 

[GandJP]

Are you new to motorhomes Steve or just France? Only France is full of motorhome aires and I advise you look them up. I could travel all the way down to Spain quite easily without using any campsites or even an aire that has electric hookup let alone going to a campsite which are in general closed in the winter months. The one thing you will need to travel that far is snow chains or snow socks, mandatory in many French areas, and something that you will need to carry with you. Two years ago I was able to visit my neice in Bergerac in the January but would not have been able to go much further south if I had wanted to as I couldn't get any at all as I had been advised I could get them in most supermarkets when in France but saw none anywhere. Good luck with your travels.

[MikeF]

3 hours ago, Steve Scott said:

to Spain in February and I am concerned that sites might not be open 

As sugested many aire stopping places will be open, and the French are very relaxed regarding wild camping. Use 'Park for the night' as a guide.

The requirement in Mountain regions is chain or socks or winter/all season with 3 peak marking tyres. Unless you are going to ski resorts you will be OK

I travel most January February through France, Spain, to Portugal and have only encountered snow on one occasion. Suggest route via Bordeaux, A63 and cross into Spain on the E80. The alternative further east, Somport tunnel, is closed until mid 2025.

[Steve Scott]

Thanks for that guys 

[mtravel]

I confirm that France is plenty of stopovers.

Municipal or private. For example Camping Car Park (https://www.campingcarpark.com/en_GB/) or France Passion (https://www.france-passion.com/en/).

If you are interested in campsites, I have never used it but a good site could be https://www.camping-france-ouvert-annee.com/campsite-france.html

Alternatively https://www.eurocampings.co.uk/.

Enter the country and use the advanced search.

From the options select "Campsites open in winter" and from the result click on Map.

[Brian Kirby]

1 hour ago, mtravel said:

.............................................

If you are interested in campsites, I have never used it but a good site could be https://www.camping-france-ouvert-annee.com/campsite-france.html

Alternatively https://www.eurocampings.co.uk/.

Enter the country and use the advanced search.

From the options select "Campsites open in winter" and from the result click on Map.

As this, plus I entered random dates in Feb into the Eurocampings (ACSI) website and there were 39 open in France, with electric hook up available.  Only two north of Paris+ Camping de Paris - which may be further into Paris than you would choose to venture!  🙂 

The others were, inevitably, mostly in the south but, depending on your preferences for travel routes and driving times, the selection would appear to facilitate a reasonable availability en-route to the Spanish border.

If you prefer sites to "aires" you may find it worthwhile joining ACSI and getting their 2025 sites book which will come with a discount card (usable outside the peak seasons on ACSI sites).  The sites are inspected by ACSI and, in my experience, are all of a reasonable, or better, standard. 

However, you haven't said where you would cross the Channel, or where you intend entering Spain.  The ACSI book will probably help with route/site decisions.

Bear in mind that February can dish out some of the most severe winter weather, especially earlier in the month, and that even in southern France, apart from those roads on which winter tyres and/or chains/socks are mandatory, there are many roadside signs warning of "verglas" (ice) well down into Bordeaux.

How you fare will to a great extent depend on how well winterised your van is.  Underslung water tanks will freeze in sub-zero temperatures, so water may become problematic.  This applies equally to waste tanks, the drain cocks of which are best left open to drain into a portable waste tank which can be emptied prior to departure.  Ditto internal water pipes if the van floor is not adequately insulated, and especially the (usually inaccessible!) connection from an underslung freshwater tank into the van.

If you intend using mains powered electric heating, bear in mind that few such appliances will deliver adequate heating in severe weather, and that in many cases even where they can, their consumption will exceed the available supply - frequently only 5 or 6 Amps.

So, you are most likely to have to rely on gas for space heating/hot water (even if using site facilities for washing up/ablutions).  Your gas consumption is therefore likely to be high, and (unless you have a gas tank) you will almost inevitably need to source Spanish/French gas cylinders, which are not interchangeable across the border or with UK cylinders.

You will also need to be flexible as to routes and stopovers, as weather conditions may dictate where you can, actually, go.

Finally, look carefully at your options for crossing or by-passing the Pyrenees, and bear in mind that their climatic effect spreads well beyond the mountains themselves and into the foothills on either side.

If the weather forecasts are poor, your best route may be to go around them via Perpignan (ish! 🙂), rather than at the other end which would lead you into crossing the Meseta in Spain (which can get very cold) to get down to your (presumed) destination.  Also, I think I'd keep clear of any of the Pyrenean passes/tunnels on the way down.

Personally, I'd also avoid routes to the East of Paris which lead South-West across the Auvergne, another high plateau where winter can linger into early spring.  Hope this helps.

Edited November 11 by Brian Kirby

[mtravel]

I agree with you that gas can be a problem (different cylinder connections in both France and Spain, in the latter they even have a 'fast-lock' one).
Check out the Truma kits that include practically all the options that exist in Europe.
Remember to buy them in Great Britain, if you buy it in France (or Spain) they will have the one from France (or Spain) to UK and you need the opposite.

As for winter tires, snow chains or socks, they are only mandatory in the mountainous regions of France.
See map at https://www.securite-routiere.gouv.fr/chacun-son-mode-de-deplacement/dangers-de-la-route-en-voiture/equipement-de-la-voiture/nouveaux

As for temperatures, let's not exaggerate, I've done eleven winter trips in France and at least three in Spain.
In the inland of France the temperature can drop to -8/-10°C (in Alsace even to -15) but on the way to Spain at most it can drop to a few degrees above zero.
In almost all of Spain, even inland temperatures are generally acceptable.
On some plateaus it can drop to zero but usually it stays well above. Let's say 6/7° in the morning, on average 15 to 20 in the afternoon.
Let's not forget that we are talking about February when temperatures start to rise.

With the Somport tunnel closed, the route I suggest is via Bayonne, Saint-Jean-De-Luz, Irun. No mountain passes to cross and almost always close to the sea.

[david lloyd]

Just to add that although there are plenty of aires as suggested above, in some of the more rural areas the water supply may be cut off for the winter. Still never had a problem all the way down to Spain or Portugal.

David

[simians]

I think the OPs query has been answered. Suggested routes really depend on personal travel preferences. As an example some of us take the chance on winter crossing of the Pyrenees via a col or tunnel just for the visual experience. Central Spain is pretty bleak in winter, north of Madrid Autovias and Autopistas are serviced by well placed snow and ice clearance depots. In particularly severe conditions (January most likely month) all traffic is directed into refuge areas, until cleared. Feb. is only warmer than Jan. by 1deg.! It may be worth remembering that even in southern Spain the mountain ranges can also find roads snow bound, in particular the Sierra Nevadas, after all the highest lump in Spain @ c.3500m sits here. Sans chains or socks I've been turned back once or twice over the years. No snow in Gib. though. Mind it did have a frost once, or was it twice LoL.

Edited November 11 by simians

[Brian Kirby]

My real point regarding routes and weather, was that I gained the impression that Steve might not have done this trip previously, and possibly hadn't been motorhoming for that long.  Apologies to Steve if that is incorrect.

So, I was attempting to outline some of the potential pitfalls that, with a "least worst" route' and a plan B just in case, he could avoid.  Plus, Steve hadn't indicated in which part of February he was intending to travel.  

Our seasons are becoming less reliable, mountain ranges disrupt them further, and "weather" does what it will, irrespective of the date.

The attached is us, on 10 April 2006, at Camping Wertacher Hof, in Haslach, Bavaria, (about 12 miles WNW of Fussen), en-route to Italy.  I definitely hadn't planned for that!!  🙂 

All I'm saying is "stuff happens".  Yes, I know that is the Alps (or, at least, the foothills), and not the Pyrenees, but once (eventually!) through Austria, over the Reschenpass, and into the Adige valley, it was warm, the sun was shining, the birds singing, and the apple trees full of blossom!  Funny things, mountains. 

Just sayin', that's all!  😉

 

Edited November 12 by Brian Kirby

[mtravel]

20 hours ago, david lloyd said:

... in some of the more rural areas the water supply may be cut off for the winter ...

True.

But usually you can ask at some gas station.

We have never had them refuse to refill.

[david lloyd]

6 hours ago, mtravel said:

True.

But usually you can ask at some gas station.

We have never had them refuse to refill.

Never thought of that - good tip.

David

[simians]

Best to ask if the water is potable if you intend drinking it. Some garage supplies can come from uncovered storage tanks.  

[Keithl]

At the worst nip into a supermarket and buy a couple of 5 litre bottles of still water to keep you going.

[peterjl]

Hi.

we travelled to Spain January 2023 and had a couple of days of snow in Burgos. Whilst not expected I was prepared with snow socks and a folding shovel.

peter

[simians]

18 hours ago, peterjl said:

 I was prepared with snow socks and a folding shovel.

What and no trousers, must have been helluva sight ☺️

[peterjl]

Not in the cold weather brrrrrrrr, nothing left to see.