Maping routers,inacurate estimations

[TD42]

I have been useing Mappy & via michelin to plan routes & estimate costs from Dunkerque down to near gibralter in Spain.I was trying to compare the difference between the cost of driving the whole way & taking the portsmouth bilbao ferry. I have used their towing caravan options & indeed entered my car as a large sedan,The fuel costs that are comming up are, shall we say optimistic.in the extreme,out by as much as £100.
How have others estimated their travel costs?? do you rely on the Mapping routers or do the sums???

By the way I estimate its £453 cheaper to drive down

 

[anotherDavid]

This exercise has so many variables that it is going to be near impossible for anyone else to advise.
Ferry costs can vary enormously even for the same route, whether toll roads are used, size of car and van, number of campsite night halts etc all come into it.

Some time ago a friend with a big petrol 4x4 simply said he reckoned on so much a day for fuel and I think this is a reasonable approach. My fairly efficient diesel (doing 25MPG) this year has cost around £70 a day towing around 320 miles and that still leaves the tolls, ferry, and campsites to calculate. We just go the way we feel most comfortable with, Brittany Ferries to Caen or St Malo, several stops along the way (of a few days at a time) and use toll roads if it avoids particularly difficult stretches of road.

 

[Lawrence1]

TD42

Never been to Spain but I have been to the south of France 5 or 6 times. I decide my route and check the mileage on 'Autoroute' and then divide that mileage by the average my towing vehicle will return. CRV 2.2 diesel does an average of 25 mpg towing. I would calculate the cost of fuel by using the average cost of it on my route. This year on the motorways in France it was around £1.20 per litre (4.54 litres to the gallon). I always use toll roads for maximum convenience and tolls to Montpellier and return this year from Zeebrugge were about £100. I can't help you with any road costs in Spain. I calculate an average cost per overnight stop en route of, say £30. Daily travel cost depend on whether you use food already on board or from the services. The wear and tear on your vehicle is harder to calculate and the eventual cost of the extra miles will eventually show up. Then 'bob's your uncle' so to speak!!!

Hope this helps

Lawrence

 

[Lawrence1]

TD42

Never been to Spain but I have been to the south of France 5 or 6 times. I decide my route and check the mileage on 'Autoroute' and then divide that mileage by the average my towing vehicle will return. CRV 2.2 diesel does an average of 25 mpg towing. I would calculate the cost of fuel by using the average cost of it on my route. This year on the motorways in France it was around £1.20 per litre (4.54 litres to the gallon). I always use toll roads for maximum convenience and tolls to Montpellier and return this year from Zeebrugge were about £100. I can't help you with any road costs in Spain. I calculate an average cost per overnight stop en route of, say £30. Daily travel cost depend on whether you use food already on board or from the services. The wear and tear on your vehicle is harder to calculate and the eventual cost of the extra miles will eventually show up. Then 'bob's your uncle' so to speak!!!

Hope this helps

Lawrence

 

[Lawrence1]

TD42

Never been to Spain but I have been to the south of France 5 or 6 times. I decide my route and check the mileage on 'Autoroute' and then divide that mileage by the average my towing vehicle will return. CRV 2.2 diesel does an average of 25 mpg towing. I would calculate the cost of fuel by using the average cost of it on my route. This year on the motorways in France it was around £1.20 per litre (4.54 litres to the gallon). I always use toll roads for maximum convenience and tolls to Montpellier and return this year from Zeebrugge were about £100. I can't help you with any road costs in Spain. I calculate an average cost per overnight stop en route of, say £30. Daily travel cost depend on whether you use food already on board or from the services. The wear and tear on your vehicle is harder to calculate and the eventual cost of the extra miles will eventually show up. Then 'bob's your uncle' so to speak!!!

Hope this helps

Lawrence

 

[Lawrence1]

Sorry - hit send button twice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lawrence

 

[TD42]

I have done the sums so to speak, 1380m @ 26mpg @£1.38 per ltr dunkeque to Algercirus, + toll +4 o/n stops comes out at around £990 return
portsmouth-Bilbao best price £966, 1350m & 2 x o/n Bilbao to Algercerus ret =£1308 so around £318 less to drivedown
But what I was getting on about in the OP was try putting these into Mappy or Via michelin & their fuel costings for car & caravan seem to be Very conservative which could be a problem for some one on a budget relying on the routers figuers

 

[RayS]

I think you are right about the cost figures produced by Viamichelin and Mappy regarding fuel. I use them but only for distances and then work out my own fuel costs based on previous trips, and add in any toll charges that the route calculations produce. i have not actually checked to see if they show Class 2 tolls in France if you specify car+caravan. The on-the-road charges tend to be second order relative to the ferry costs (unless you use the very short crossings, which I don't).