Driving the Costa Brava
Oct 11th, 2003, 06:23 AM
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Driving the Costa Brava
Message: As part of next June's trip to the Costa Brava, I'll be driving from Aigua Blava to Roses and Cadaques. I hear that road is treacherous and dangerous. (I heard the same thing about the Amalfi Drive, but had no trouble with that road several years ago.) Any comments about the road to Roses/Cadaques?
I'll be driving to the Barcelona Airport on Friday morning, June 4, to catch a 10:30 am flight. What's the best/fastest route, and how long should it take?
I'll be driving to the Barcelona Airport on Friday morning, June 4, to catch a 10:30 am flight. What's the best/fastest route, and how long should it take?
Oct 11th, 2003, 07:06 AM
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shlevine,
I can comment on the Roses to Cadaqés drive, as we've done it on 3 separate visits. It's not that treacherous or dangerous, compared to other mountain drives we've done in Spain (lots and lots) and other parts of Europe. Sinuous, very, very tedious but certainly doable in our Seat Toledo. While I wouldn't do it at night, certainly, it's bearable during the day, but in summer it gets lots of traffic. But the road isn't as busy in mid June as July-Aug. This infamous road is infamous for its seemingly endless curves, so you just need to take it slowly and carefully. I thought the road from Port de la Selva to Llanca was worse.
I hope you don't plan to drive from Cadaqués to the BCN airport on Friday morning to catch your 10:30 a.m. flight! That's not doable! It's a very long trip up to Cadaqués from BCN. Better to spend the last night closer in or far better still in BCN itself. And the airport is south of the city.
I can comment on the Roses to Cadaqés drive, as we've done it on 3 separate visits. It's not that treacherous or dangerous, compared to other mountain drives we've done in Spain (lots and lots) and other parts of Europe. Sinuous, very, very tedious but certainly doable in our Seat Toledo. While I wouldn't do it at night, certainly, it's bearable during the day, but in summer it gets lots of traffic. But the road isn't as busy in mid June as July-Aug. This infamous road is infamous for its seemingly endless curves, so you just need to take it slowly and carefully. I thought the road from Port de la Selva to Llanca was worse.
I hope you don't plan to drive from Cadaqués to the BCN airport on Friday morning to catch your 10:30 a.m. flight! That's not doable! It's a very long trip up to Cadaqués from BCN. Better to spend the last night closer in or far better still in BCN itself. And the airport is south of the city.
Oct 11th, 2003, 12:49 PM
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shlevine,
Is your flight from BCN that morning a transatlantic flight? If so, you'd want to be there certainly at least 2 hrs. if not 2 1/2 hrs. in advance, to err on the safe side and to have time to return the rental car. The Prat Llobregat airport can be very, very busy in June. Were you planning to leave Aiguablava at 6ish?
Is your flight from BCN that morning a transatlantic flight? If so, you'd want to be there certainly at least 2 hrs. if not 2 1/2 hrs. in advance, to err on the safe side and to have time to return the rental car. The Prat Llobregat airport can be very, very busy in June. Were you planning to leave Aiguablava at 6ish?
Oct 11th, 2003, 03:40 PM
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I've driven from France down into Spain on the coastal road through the Costa Brava twice and did not find the road treacherous at all, or anything like the Amalfi Drive. The difference between the roads on the French side of the border and those on the Spanish side is significant, but still the Spanish road isn't bad.
Oct 11th, 2003, 08:06 PM
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Maribel:
Yes, my flight is transatlantic, and yes, I was planning to leave Aiguablava at about 6:30 am. But based on your suggestion, I think I'll spend the last night near the airport, just to avoid the pressure of rushing the morning of my flight. Thanks!
Yes, my flight is transatlantic, and yes, I was planning to leave Aiguablava at about 6:30 am. But based on your suggestion, I think I'll spend the last night near the airport, just to avoid the pressure of rushing the morning of my flight. Thanks!
Oct 17th, 2003, 08:31 PM
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We were driving from Tarragona to BCN last June. It should have been under 2 hours. It wasn't. Due to heavy truck traffic and road construction, it was a long, frustrating, miserable, horrible drive. (I should add we have driven much of Europe, including central Europe, so it isn't that we are novices.) Fortunately, we were doing this the day before our flight. There are several hotels in the vicinity of BCN--IBIS and others. My strong recommendation is to drive there the night before, return your car, get a taxi to the hotel and then taxi back to airport in the AM. If you are interested in reading of our experience including an incredible taxi driver experience, check out this page of my website http://www.janeandken.com/Spain2003/Barcelona.html
Oct 18th, 2003, 07:35 AM
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shlevine,
I really would not attempt an Aiguablava early morning drive in June to make a 10:30 transatlantic flight at all! On weekends the traffic can be bumper to bumper on the Begur-La Bisbal-to the autoroute stretch.
We've driven that stretch multiple times, and it can be quite time consuming.
I'm glad we've talked you out of that.
We only stay 1 1/2 hr. away, at the very most, from the Madrid airport on our departure morning when we have a 1:40 P.M. flight, and a superhighway to take us directly to Barajas airport plus the perk (US Air Gold status) of using the first class check in line. The check in lines are long at Madrid and BCN and the process can eat up lots of time in June.
For a 10:30 a.m. transatlantic flight from BCN, you'll need to be at the airport at 8:30 a.m.. Even though I'm no fan of airport hotels, I'd probably just stay in a hotel within a 10 min. drive from the airport to avoid last minute hassles. You can circumvent the city to reach the airport area by taking the A 7 to the A 2. Then drop off the car and taxi to hotel. Besides the Ibis, there are also 2 NH hotels within a 10 min. drive: the NH Porta de Barcelona and the NH Cornella.
I really would not attempt an Aiguablava early morning drive in June to make a 10:30 transatlantic flight at all! On weekends the traffic can be bumper to bumper on the Begur-La Bisbal-to the autoroute stretch.
We've driven that stretch multiple times, and it can be quite time consuming.
I'm glad we've talked you out of that.
We only stay 1 1/2 hr. away, at the very most, from the Madrid airport on our departure morning when we have a 1:40 P.M. flight, and a superhighway to take us directly to Barajas airport plus the perk (US Air Gold status) of using the first class check in line. The check in lines are long at Madrid and BCN and the process can eat up lots of time in June.
For a 10:30 a.m. transatlantic flight from BCN, you'll need to be at the airport at 8:30 a.m.. Even though I'm no fan of airport hotels, I'd probably just stay in a hotel within a 10 min. drive from the airport to avoid last minute hassles. You can circumvent the city to reach the airport area by taking the A 7 to the A 2. Then drop off the car and taxi to hotel. Besides the Ibis, there are also 2 NH hotels within a 10 min. drive: the NH Porta de Barcelona and the NH Cornella.
Oct 18th, 2003, 09:08 AM
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shlevine"
Yes, we've driven to both Roses and Cadaques twice. Once was in July and the other in August and we were coming down the coastal route from France both times. The road was very congested in July and incredibly slow in August, so I'm not sure our driving times would do you any good, especially as we made numerous stops to take pictures, have a cool drink, buy wine, etc. At any rate, there was nothing particularly bad about the road near Roses and Cadaques.
Yes, we've driven to both Roses and Cadaques twice. Once was in July and the other in August and we were coming down the coastal route from France both times. The road was very congested in July and incredibly slow in August, so I'm not sure our driving times would do you any good, especially as we made numerous stops to take pictures, have a cool drink, buy wine, etc. At any rate, there was nothing particularly bad about the road near Roses and Cadaques.
Oct 18th, 2003, 10:26 AM
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shlevine,
Just to clarify the Cadaqués drive.
The part that some travel guides called "tortuous, treacherous" is the GI 614 starting 2 km. north of Roses. It has seemingly endless hairpin curves in its 17 km. of snaking up the Sierra de Roses to Cadaqués. Since it's the only way to access the town from the west, you'll encounter plenty of traffic, including trucks, so you're forced to drive it slowly. The landscape is sagebrush, dry, barren, rocky. Very serpentine, more curves than you can count, but not dangerous, as busses certainly make it up every day.
As I stated above, the drive from Cadaquès up to Cerbere, in France, through Port de la Selva, Port de Llanca, Colera and the border town of Portbou is actually more hairpin than Cadaqués but not dangerous either.
Just to clarify the Cadaqués drive.
The part that some travel guides called "tortuous, treacherous" is the GI 614 starting 2 km. north of Roses. It has seemingly endless hairpin curves in its 17 km. of snaking up the Sierra de Roses to Cadaqués. Since it's the only way to access the town from the west, you'll encounter plenty of traffic, including trucks, so you're forced to drive it slowly. The landscape is sagebrush, dry, barren, rocky. Very serpentine, more curves than you can count, but not dangerous, as busses certainly make it up every day.
As I stated above, the drive from Cadaquès up to Cerbere, in France, through Port de la Selva, Port de Llanca, Colera and the border town of Portbou is actually more hairpin than Cadaqués but not dangerous either.
Oct 18th, 2003, 12:16 PM
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Hi
I think I can solve the apparent difference of opinion here.
From Rosas, via Cadaques and then ultimately to France was a terrible road on the Spanish side in the mid 70's. Narrow, broken surface, no barriers, sheer drops to the Med, old lorries, animals, etc.
I've used it fairly often recently (it's close to me) and today it's a good, if slow, road. It's now wider, safety barriers are in place, many of the hairpins have been eliminated by new high level bridges, and it's just a little twisty to drive. No worse than some of the Swiss passes.
It can still induce car sickness.
Have fun, and don't forget Dalis house at Port Legat.
I've got some links to this area on my homepage.
Peter
The Languedoc Page
http://tlp.netfirms.com
I think I can solve the apparent difference of opinion here.
From Rosas, via Cadaques and then ultimately to France was a terrible road on the Spanish side in the mid 70's. Narrow, broken surface, no barriers, sheer drops to the Med, old lorries, animals, etc.
I've used it fairly often recently (it's close to me) and today it's a good, if slow, road. It's now wider, safety barriers are in place, many of the hairpins have been eliminated by new high level bridges, and it's just a little twisty to drive. No worse than some of the Swiss passes.
It can still induce car sickness.
Have fun, and don't forget Dalis house at Port Legat.
I've got some links to this area on my homepage.
Peter
The Languedoc Page
http://tlp.netfirms.com
Oct 20th, 2003, 08:58 AM
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Thank you all for your good advice. You're right; I don't need the stress of driving 2 hours AND returning the car AND trying to make my flight all on the same day. So I'll leave Aigublava the night before my flight, return to the airport and stay nearby.
And yes, mpprh; the Dali house is on my itinerary!
Haven't decided yet about making the drive to Cadaques. We'll wait till we get there.
Thanks again!
And yes, mpprh; the Dali house is on my itinerary!
Haven't decided yet about making the drive to Cadaques. We'll wait till we get there.
Thanks again!
