Driving to Southern Spain?

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The Rugby Player

It is a long trip to plan on Y A.
I have travelled several times to Italy and back, and I have changed the planned route practically every time due to traffic conditions.

If I were you I would stick to Motorways all the way to Marseilles and than stick to major roads in southern France and Spain.

Perhaps the safest way to go there is to have rests in service areas in the car itself. It is possible to do it in safety.

I have travelled that way fro Naples to Sheffield and back.
Unless you know the area the problem is to find an Hotel with a safe car park. Usually very hard and very expensive.

Good Luck

oldhombre

Conil de la Frontera? I know it well.
Recommended route finder at viamichelin dot com. I use the ferry to Santander in preference to driving all the way through France but have done that too. My recommendation is to use the motorways in France even if they are toll. Head for Bordeaux then cross the border into Spain past Biarritz then past Burgos and pick up the Ruta de Plata which avoids Madrid altogether and drops you down to Sevilla from where you can take the short toll motorway down to Jerez and you're almost there. Toll free from Burgos to Sevilla, easy route and fast. Secure overnight parking best found in the hotels with their own underground car parks.

olivo

Don't do it in July, the entire road will be heaving with French Moroccans doing EXACTLY the same thing as you....going to Algeciras (where I live - and the ferry port to Morocco is!) You will also get ( as another person pointed out, but spelt it wrong) the Madrillenos all coming from Madrid area to the coast, and think they own the road. My advice would be come in the spring, or September, roads are quieter. Once you get to Malaga, head right along the coast to Marbella, Estepona, San Roque (opposite Gibraltar)...and then head round to Algeciras, on the aTarifa road, and you are almost there! I have lived down here for 18 years, and know my area, but I can't help you with the earlier part of your journey.

dinodino

Going via Marseille is totally wrong and out of the way.

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abuela Nany

Driving south from Calais, your fastest route would be south on the A16 motorway towards ROUEN (avoid Paris, the traffic is horrendous). Then take the N138 to Le Mans and then the A28 motorway to Tours and the A10 to Poitiers and on to Bordeaux, then the N10 on to the spanish border.
Once in Spain take the motorway towards Bilbao, then direction Vitoria and on towards Burgos, from Burgos the N-I to Madrid, Take the M40 around Madrid, then the N-IV south to Cordoba. From there they are building a motorway towards Malaga, and there is only about a 30 km. stretch still unfinished, so it is now worth the while to take. Go from Cordoba to Lucena and on to Antequera, then MÃ¡laga. From MÃ¡laga take the coast road direction towards Torremolinos. From Fuengirola you have a tollway to Marbella, Estepona and Algeciras. At Algeciras go on towards Tarifa and Vejer de la Frontera. Conil is a few kms. past Vejer.
The worst time of year to take these roads is from july 15 to august 15, because most of the northafrican immigrants residing in France and other EU countries drive home on their annual holiday. So be very careful as they are not the best of drivers, especially when they are tired after crossing most of Spain.
As to parking on your route. Always stay in service areas that are well lit and with a petrol station (not the ones that are only for picnic/rest areas). If possible one of the travellers should remain with the car, for safety purposes. (That is what my husband and I do). If you are travelling alone, try and park within view of the place you will be stopping at, and keep an eye on your vehicle while taking your refreshment . If you want to take a short siesta, do so inside the car, and lock the doors from within.
Go to the loo when you pay for your petrol at the station, and lock your vehicle before going in to pay.
Petrol is much more expensive in France than in Spain, try and calculate the amount you will need to cross France and buy just enough to cross into Spain. Then fill up as needed. The price is about 0,25â‚¬ less per litre.
Have a good trip!

Snot Me

head for Madrid, granada,malaga, Seville then down toward tarrifa you will come to Conile before you get there.

do you know how windy it is there on the Atlantic coast, hope you're in to watersports

El Cestriano

Well, if you're going during the holiday season, then my advice is DON'T ! All the Madridinos think they're Schumacker - they ain't ! You'll be safe if you can get our army to lend you a tank though ! Good Luck !!!!

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