Driving from England to Los Alcazares.

To find the “right” way for you search with

www.viamichelin.com

This site gives you the option to search with motorways (you have to pay toll in France & Spain) or to take the non-toll roads.

You can put in the make of your car and it calculates the costs.

Alternative you could take the crossing from Portsmouth/Southampton  (?) to Santander or Bilbao.

My interpretation of your questions is: It will be your first journey down here?

My suggestion: avoid Paris (or time it that you are around the Airport Charles de Gaulle by 12.30h – lunch time and the Motorways are more or less empty. Our experience: lunchtime ca. 1,5 to 2 hours around Paris, arrived 15.00 h it took us 4 to 6 hours (Monday to Saturday is different to Sundays) around Paris)

Relaxed route from Calais to Bordeaux is via Rouen/Le Mans…..

We used IBIS Hotels, close to the Motorway or one stop I would never miss Saragossa in Spain >still 6 hours to LA< (Also a Stop if you come via Santander or Bilbao)

Regarding paper work……since B****it we never have done it.

Thank you, this was very helpful. 👍

Costs: 

Tunnel is best / quickest and will be around £150 depending on time / date / season.

It's about 1,200 miles, so with current fuel prices, you'd be looking at about £350 (depending on the vehicle and your driving style). £50 per night for hotels. Most routes you can avoid toll roads, but suggest allowing £100 for tolls.

Route:

Many choices of route, but avoid Paris. I have driven broadly the following...

Day 1: Afternoon - drive down to Folkestone and go through the Tunnel. Stay the night in an Ibis Hotel at Calais (this means that you can start as early as possible on Day 2).

Day 2: Calais - Rouen - Le Mans - Tours -Limoge - Toulouse - Narbonne. Stay the night in an Ibis Hotel around Narbonne (approx. 700 miles in 10-12 hours)

Day 3: Narbonne - Spanish border - then it's the E15 then A7 down past Girona, Barcelona, Valencia, Alicante - Los Alacazares (again approx. 700 miles in 10-12 hours)

Paperwork:

Passports, tunnel tickets, proof of car insurance, proof of Covid vaccination, technically evidence of where you will be staying in Spain.

Car: You need a warning triangle, spare set of bulbs for your car lights, hi-viz jackets for everyone that will be in the car, breathalyser kit (for France).

You need to adjust the headlights on your car (most cars now can be adjusted compared to applying black tape or adhesive lenses as you used to).

Broadly speaking, you can't import any new goods, meat, fruit & veg - but you should check the customs requirements for France & Spain.

Hope this helps!

WOW, Thanks RichT, That is what i was after, i will be doing exactly that, you have been most helpful & we thank you again.

Im going to get things organised for the trip TOP MAN👍 Kelv.

Excellent post, thanks. Just want to point out that France scrapped the requirements for carrying breathalyser kits in 2020.

And in Spain it has not been necessary to carry a spare set of bulbs since the introduction of modern halogen or LED ones.

You actually need TWO warning triangles.

But that has been superseded by the new 'modern' idea of a flashing light !!

Flashing Warning Beacon

Hi there, We have been driving back and to from Spain to Chester for the last 22 years 3 to 4 times a year and have done all routes through France if you want to take any advise from me is to forget France and use Brittany ferries from Portsmouth to Bilbao there is one sailing a week on this service  it leaves Portsmouth late evening two decent nights sleep and it docks at 8oclock in the morning that gives you plenty of time to drive to Murcia, by the way food is included. If you want any more info just ask we go again 8th September as I  have a mother of 101 and a half,   by the way this coming sailing is costing £801 return  anyway, best of luck regards John

Hi,

We drove from Lancashire to Costa Calida last month and will be doing so again in August. We usually drive. We like to take the ferry from Dover to Calais £146 return for a car. We took all the documents for the car including insurance, proof of a covid vacs and booster, proof of where we were staying, all of the items for the car.  We like to drive via Rouen, Evreux, Dreux (you can opt to go on the toll via Le Mans), Chartres, Tours, Poitiers and then stop in Angeloume.  This takes us around 6 hours. Angeloume is beautiful with some lovely places to eat out. From there we head towards Bordeaux and then Pau. We have gone via Irun but prefer to drive from Pau, through the Pyrenees and the Somport tunnel to Java, Huesaca, Zaragoza, Teruel, Valencia. This is a stunning route. We turn inland on the A 7 and A 35 heading towards Yecla then. the second leg takes around 12 hours. The worst is always driving in England.  
Regards 

Corinne