Driving to condado

All advice appreciated !!!!

We are going to drive over to condado in a few weeks can any give me ideas of routes and costs ?  

How long would it take if setting off from the north east. We are planning to go from Dover to Dunkirk due to cracking ferry costs. 

Is there any better options that people have used ?

Can not wait to see if/any progress on condado since November

Simon

WHAT HAPPENED TO ANT  AND ANDI HE USED TO BE ON HERE ALL THE TIME ?

Hi Kelly V

 We are driving down in a couple of weeks from Manchester. We are taking the tunnel from Folkestone to Calais as worked out cheaper than the overnight ferry. We are then driving throught Rouens, onto Orleans and down to Perpignan, overnight stay in Barcelona and then the final leg down to Condado. We are breaking the trip up as have children travelling with us. If we weren't stopping it would be about 17 hrs in total from Calais. Try looking on Google or multi map and use the trip planner. Don't forget to account for tolls if using the motorway. Have worked out that if we flew it would cost us double what we will be paying with fuel and  tolls included

Be aware of the driving regs through France and Spain. You will need headlight dipping stickers, a first aid kit, yellow triangle, hi vis vest as essential gear - if not carried through France a fine may be imposed. We have got 14 day breakdown cover through Green Flag - really good cover check out website for contact number . Sorry can't put website on post.

Don't forget about Supermarket times if travelling over Easter as they may be closed.

If you want any more ideas let me know.

Maybe we could swap stories in the Clover!!!

 simon, kelly,

im here mate, kept off for a while due to lots of negative comments about the resort (and sunderland)

any way we are over for a long weekend at easter so maybe see you there,

bring some down pipe and that in the van and i will fit it, it will save me spilling my beer on you and kellys old man LOL

CHEERS ANT 

We are also considering driving down this Easter, and was recommended to the mitchelin web site who provide info on hotels, toll charges, routes, etc. http://www.viamichelin.co.uk/

Unsure on it recommended routes, as I havent tried them yet. But they provide various options. Hope it helps.

This is the route that I have taken a couple of times.

Euro Tunnel to Condado

12:30 Arrive, take A16 to Boulogne
12:50  A16, Take ticket,
13:25 Abbevile Toll €7.30 Take A28 to Rouen
14:38 At Rouen continue on A28 to La Mans then Tours  Toll €26
 Full up car €53.11
 At tours take A10 Poitiers
16:48 Leave A10 on N10 to Angouleme Toll €11.20

 Join A10 to Bordeaux
 Merege in A63
 Toll at Bayonne €3.2
 Toll Biarritz €2.2
 Toll Saint-Jean-de-luz €0.7
22:00 Arrive ETAP Saint-Jean-de-luz
 http://www.accorhotels.com/gb/hotel-6560-etap-hotel-etap-hotel-ciboure-st-jean-luz/index.shtml

08:30  Leave take A63
 Toll at Spanish Border €1.5
 Join A8
 Take A15 to Pamplona  Toll €1.9
 Fill Car €44
 AT Pamplona AP15 to Zaragoza  Toll€3.25 and €3.55
 At Zaragoza take A23 to Valencia
 A7 towards Albacete
 Take A35 then A31 to Elche
 Rejoin A7 to Murcia
 Take RM2
 Take RM23 to Mazarron 
18:00 Exit 7 Arrive CDA
 Total 1160 Miles Toll €57.25

 
Condado to Euro Tunnel
08:00  leave
12:15  Zaragoza
14:09 Pamplona
21:00 Arrive ETAP Tours
 http://www.accorhotels.com/gb/hotel-5023-etap-hotel-tours-centre/index.shtml
08:00 Leave Tours
12:25 Arrive EuroTunnel

Phil

That's great info for those of us thinking about doing a drive over.

Has anyone done the Santander route and driven from there.  My husband has got my little boy all fired up to do that while me and my little girl will fly in!!!!!!!!  Boy adventure - anyone else done that - did it work out OK?

I, ve just looked at the probabale cost of driving to CDA from Liverpool, with 3 people in a car, doing 25 MPG.

Roughly a 3000 mile round trip, which equates to roughly 120 gallons of petrol @ £5.10 per gallon, total £612

Add to this tolls at £100, ferry crossing at £100, and 2 nights budget hotel with food, and I reckon the cost of driving must be circa £900 return

Compared to 3 x return flights at say £400 plus car hire at £120 per week, driving doesn't seem to cost out very well, unless you are staying for a substantial time and car hire would become expensive. Also add the travelling time factor, and the wear and tear on the car i.e servicing, petrol and depreciation costs, of adding 3,000 miles to the clock.

Am I missing something ?

Mark

I, ve just looked at the probabale cost of driving to CDA from Liverpool, with 3 people in a car, doing 25 MPG.

Roughly a 3000 mile round trip, which equates to roughly 120 gallons of petrol @ £5.10 per gallon, total £612

Add to this tolls at £100, ferry crossing at £100, and 2 nights budget hotel with food, and I reckon the cost of driving must be circa £900 return

Compared to 3 x return flights at say £400 plus car hire at £120 per week, driving doesn't seem to cost out very well, unless you are staying for a substantial time and car hire would become expensive. Also add the travelling time factor, and the wear and tear on the car i.e servicing, tyres and depreciation costs, of adding 3,000 miles to the clock.

Am I missing something ?

Mark

Hi Mark,

1.  Buy a new car 25MPG? Yee gods wot yer driving?  I have a diesel that does 50MPG so fuel = £300ish

2. Get a tesco card,  We use the card for all purchases so use the points to get free eurotunnel crossing, so crossings =£0

So driving = £300 + £100 tolls + £100 hotels = £500.

We only drive when we are going for 2 weeks plus.  In that case the car hire would cost £350+Flights

I quite like driving down, but that's just me.  As you say if you are going for <2weeks then flights would be cheaps, but as they say it the journey that counts :-)

Phil

Phil

Thanks for the detailed route,

Can someone post the route in detail they have taken by

channel ferry and by

portsmouth/santander or bilbao

Cheers

Paul

Hi All,

Thanks for all the detailed routes, much appreciated.

PTan, I have to say very precise!

We are driving down in 2 cars and packing them with loads of things + food.  We must be mad as we are travelling with our 4 kids in tow.  To Simon's delight the in laws are in tow too, lol.

Ant, Simon is going to try and get the piping for the guttering tomorrow, any suggestions where from?  Will it be in lengths that will fit in the car?  The "old man" isn't coming, sadly he passed in May, shortly after our Easter trip.

Hope to see most of you there in Easter.  We leave in a week today for just over 3 weeks.

Hi All,

Thanks for all the detailed routes, much appreciated.

PTan, I have to say very precise!

We are driving down in 2 cars and packing them with loads of things + food.  We must be mad as we are travelling with our 4 kids in tow.  To Simon's delight the in laws are in tow too, lol.

Ant, Simon is going to try and get the piping for the guttering tomorrow, any suggestions where from?  Will it be in lengths that will fit in the car?  The "old man" isn't coming, sadly he passed in May, shortly after our Easter trip.

Hope to see most of you there in Easter.  We leave in a week today for just over 3 weeks.