My wife & I are travelling to the Algarve this winter. We land at Bilboa in mid November and would like any advice on the best route to take for this journey south and any recommendations for overnight stops en-route. Although we have driven abroad before this is the first time that we have taken our own car and we will be towing a large twin axle caravan. Any help and advice will be welcome, I am sure that there are lots of you out there that will have done this journey. Thanks Rob & Pam
New traveller to Portugal advice required
- Thread starter Rob_374461837
- Start date
Have a think of joining Camping & Caravan Club if you're not already a member as they organise en-route overnight stops for you in their Winter Sun package. You can book sites with them also including Winter Sun Rallies for Portugal, Spain and France. We used them last spring for our first trip to Portugal booking four sites en route and 10 days in Quarteira. We then used Camping Cheques back thro' Spain and France.
Your ferry docks fairly early in the morning; just in time for the morning rush hour!!! After driving through the Santurzi dock area you emerge directly onto the A8 motorway. You need to head towards Bilbao and after a few miles take the A68 which is a toll road. Keep on it all the way to Burgos. Tolls are no way as expensive as France and you won't pay for the caravan. From Burgos there are two routes you could take. My preference is via Madrid although it's a bit longer than the other one. Following that route you want the A1 and A4 which is dual carriageway all the way and toll free. Going round Madrid there are three ring roads, A30, A40, A50. The A50 swings the widest around the city but it's the quietest. There are two overnight stops I can recommend. The first which is 220 miles into the journey is at La Cabrera (Km 57) or the other one which is south of Madrid at Aranjuez (about 290 miles). Should you stop here, take time to have a walk around the grounds of the Royal Palace. For a second night there's a useful 'open all the year site just off the motorway at La Carolina. That's around 420 miles. By the end of the next day you should be in Portugal.
Hi Rob
We have been to Portugal twice with our van - 2007 and 2008 between April and June. We stayed at Turiscampo near Lagos for about three weeks each time (number 581 in Camping Cheque book). This is an excellent site - one of our favourites of all the places we have been - and we are thinking about going there again next year.
We have stayed at Ruta de la Plata at Salamanca (no. 540 in Camping Cheque book) which is fine for a couple of nights, and Salamanca is well worth a look around. The site is about 250 miles from the ferry, on good dual carriageways.
From Salamanca the new road south to Seville (financed by the EU!) is excellent. We crossed the border at Badajoz and stayed at the Orbitur site at Evora in Portugal. Again, fine for a few nights, and Evora is a very nice historic town to look around.
From Evora to Lagos is an easy journey - the Lisbon to Algarve motorway is very expensive but the alternative roads are very good.
I don't remember spending any money on motorway tolls on this route - if we did, they were not significant.
We have also stayed at Camping las Canadas, near Bejar in Spain (south of Salamancar - no. 539 in Camping Cheque book). We didn't like it in June because we were the only tourer amongst all the Spanish statics - very noisy families enjoying themselves! But there is a very nice restaurant and bar at reasonable prices.
If you want to see more of Portugal you can go from Salamanca across the border to Guarda and then down to Lisbon. This is motorway standard and free until you meet up with the Porto/Lisbon motorway, but adds about 50 miles to the journey to the Algarve. We did this in 2007 and stayed at the municipal site in Monsanto park Lisbon - nice site with cheap bus or taxi transport to the city centre. You would have to check if it is open in November.
Hope at least some of this is useful to you
Keith
We have been to Portugal twice with our van - 2007 and 2008 between April and June. We stayed at Turiscampo near Lagos for about three weeks each time (number 581 in Camping Cheque book). This is an excellent site - one of our favourites of all the places we have been - and we are thinking about going there again next year.
We have stayed at Ruta de la Plata at Salamanca (no. 540 in Camping Cheque book) which is fine for a couple of nights, and Salamanca is well worth a look around. The site is about 250 miles from the ferry, on good dual carriageways.
From Salamanca the new road south to Seville (financed by the EU!) is excellent. We crossed the border at Badajoz and stayed at the Orbitur site at Evora in Portugal. Again, fine for a few nights, and Evora is a very nice historic town to look around.
From Evora to Lagos is an easy journey - the Lisbon to Algarve motorway is very expensive but the alternative roads are very good.
I don't remember spending any money on motorway tolls on this route - if we did, they were not significant.
We have also stayed at Camping las Canadas, near Bejar in Spain (south of Salamancar - no. 539 in Camping Cheque book). We didn't like it in June because we were the only tourer amongst all the Spanish statics - very noisy families enjoying themselves! But there is a very nice restaurant and bar at reasonable prices.
If you want to see more of Portugal you can go from Salamanca across the border to Guarda and then down to Lisbon. This is motorway standard and free until you meet up with the Porto/Lisbon motorway, but adds about 50 miles to the journey to the Algarve. We did this in 2007 and stayed at the municipal site in Monsanto park Lisbon - nice site with cheap bus or taxi transport to the city centre. You would have to check if it is open in November.
Hope at least some of this is useful to you
Keith
Ho Rob, I agree with the routes already posted and I would suggest if you go the Salamanca route, allow a couple of nights. It is the most beautiful city to walk around. Try and get into the city at night as waell because the floodlighting transforms the place.
My experience with the tolls is a lot different from John Douglas.
We were charged
My experience with the tolls is a lot different from John Douglas.
We were charged
I think John Douglas was referring to the motorways in Spain.
I agree they are expensive in Portugal but there are only the Porto/Lisbon and Lisbon/Algarve one's to worry about. I paid
I agree they are expensive in Portugal but there are only the Porto/Lisbon and Lisbon/Algarve one's to worry about. I paid
Thank you all for your help, this is the first time I have posted in a forum and was not sure if I would get any replies. But to my surprise, back came lots of help and tips, I suppose I should have expected help from caravanners.
Anyway we will look at the maps, routes and sites that have been suggested and will post what decision we have made. Thanks again Rob & Pam
p.s. if anyone has any other info it would be most welcome.
Anyway we will look at the maps, routes and sites that have been suggested and will post what decision we have made. Thanks again Rob & Pam
p.s. if anyone has any other info it would be most welcome.
Facebook
Twitter