Epic Road Trip
 

Hi,

I am needing some help planning a trip from Cornwall to Bunol, arriving in time for the tomato fight. I have a VW camper and am looking for the cheapest way to get there, avoiding any mountains that may kill snowflake the camper!

I have looked at all the options regarding crossings and have found the cheapest way to cross is via Dover even though I live about 40 mins from Plymouth the crossing are very expensive. I am thinking of leaving on a Saturday to get there in time for the Wednesday and then need to back in Derbyshire on the following Sunday.

I would like to hear any suggestions about any part of this mad plan as on this occasions I have absolutely no idea and no expectations. I will be travelling with a gal pal and possibly one other.

We are "mature" students who are just about to graduate so, we are looking for an adventure, just not one where we end up stranded or dead!

Many thanks for your help in advance!
Claire

The various route planners give the distance as 1060 miles, so be sure that snowflake can get down and back! There's lots of information on the web about La Tomatina, including the strict rules about the finish at 12 noon.

The route takes you right across the heart of France and you will encounter long ascents and descents but then routes via the coast into Spain and down to Valencia. I assume that you'll sleep in the camper, but depending on its age, make sure that you have enough to pay for a repair or two or at fare home. Get it fully serviced before you leave.

Can't see what you expect to hear that a look at the Michelin map site won't get you.

The trip is hardly 'epic' and hardly likely to result in anyone ending up stranded or dead assuming the VW is in decent mechanical shape. ie. not likely to break down or have the brakes not work. It's as easy to drive to Spain as it is to drive to anywhere in the UK.

What a killjoy you are improviser! The trip is "epic" to the OP and a few words of encouragement cost nothing.

How much more is the Plymouth crossing? The extra time/mileage of going over to Dover and then all the way across France would add an awful lot to your expenses. Might be a false economy. Wouldn't Plymouth to Santander save you tons of time/travel?

( improvisor sure has a way of winning friends and influencing people >) )

Take the ferry from Devon and back. It will save wear, on your old camper. It will be faster and you will save on fuel, tolls and possibly campsite fees. Wild camping is not encouraged, especially in Spain.

Hey! Thanks for all the support. The crossing from Plymouth is £300 each way compared to £29 each way at Dover. So Dover is the most economical!
Really want to avoid being stuck on the motorway or equally worse stuck in the wilds!! I was wanting to plan a nice trip through some interesting places.
Snowflake is a T4 with 135000 on the clock, she is well serviced and I am changing the cam belt before I leave!
Thanks for the info on freedom camping, I didn't realise it's not big in Spain :)

"Really want to avoid being stuck on the motorway or equally worse stuck in the wilds!!"

I still don't see where this thought is coming from however 'epic' it might be in anyone's mind. It is no more likely to happen in Spain than in the UK. How often do you worry about this in the UK Claire?

For free camping in France Google 'aires' and you will find lots of sites such as this one: http://www.camperstops.co.uk/index.p...ap&Itemid=1112

Talking about 'wild camping' is not the same as 'free camping'. Have you checked out this VW T4 forum?
http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=401

<i>"The crossing from Plymouth is £300 each way compared to £29 each way at Dover. So Dover is the most economical!" </i>
Not after fuel and tolls. I suppose the van is petrol. so that will be around 140 gals, maybe more.
Wild camping is banned in Spain because of the possibility of starting fires. The Guardia Civil could come down heavy on you if you are found starting fires. It is a 200€ fine for just throwing out a cigarette butt out of the vehicle.
This link is in Spanish, but you will see that there are jail terms for starting forest fires too.
http://www.historiasdeautoescuela.com/incendios/

I agree w/ ribeirasacra - you need to factor in a lot more than just the basic ferry. Have you added up all the extra mileage plus tolls?

Hi ClaireJoe,
well I for one think your journey sounds monumentally epic, and I love that your destination is the tomato fight.

I have been planning a road trip and I have found the website viamichelin indispensable. You type in a start place and an end place, and it will give you different possible routes, and tell you how long each will take, and the cost in tolls and fuel. You can tell it to favor economical routes, or scenic, or time. Plan out your journey in segments and it will all become more clear
Good luck on your roadtrip!!

Hi, love all the info. Snowflake is a 2.5 TD and I have based my calculations on 30mpg.
Via Dover is £300 cheaper but I hadn't costed in the tolls. I will check them out this evening :)

ClaireJo,

Have a look at the crossing to Santander or Bilbao, janisj's suggestion. We live four hours from Bilbao and are considering that route instead of the 10-12 hour drive to Caen, our usual route.

On the way up we break the drive which further adds to the cost. On the way back, as the ferry gets into Caen at 7:00 am, we just drive straight through.

We tried Dover-Calais but our destination is Bournemouth which is a 5-hour drive, if you're lucky with the traffic.

More reasons why Spain does not like open fires.
http://www.thelocal.es/20130731/tour...s-spanish-fire
http://www.thelocal.es/20130730/fire...ght-in-majorca