We will be travelling down through france in January in a small motorhome and then down through spain. We would like to get down through france as quickly as possible can anyone recommend camp sites just off the autoroutes we know it will be cold so would like to get through france quickly and do not want to travel on the A75 as we could encounter a lot of snow through the Auvergne any ideas please. Angiexx
Travelling from Calais to spanish border in January.
- Thread starter angela_5125767
- Start date
We will eventually end up at La Manga as we have a static there but we will be staying near Argeles sur Mer for a few nights with friends and then maybe to Benacasim. The journey is good in the autumn but we have never done it during the winter months. angie.
We get a late ferry and stop overnight in the Calais waiting area before heading for near to Poiters a camping cheque site close to m/way www.camping-le-futuriste.fr The next night takes us to Zarautz www.grancampingzarautz.com another CC site then south via Zaragoza to the coast an easy 3 day trip.
Thanks Graham but we will need camp sites further over along the A71/A20/A61 as we will be heading for the Perpignan area.
I can't recommend any sites personally, because we don't holiday in the winter (except for long weekends) but perhaps the website:
http://users.telenet.be/leo.huybrechts/camp1.htm
will help you find somewhere. It lists all sites within 15 kilometres of the major routes through France - and those sites which are open all year are highlighted in red.
I hope this helps you find somewhere - and that the weather stays kind for you. We've flown over the Massif Central in December, and it was just one huge snowdrift. A wise move, I think, not to use the A75.
http://users.telenet.be/leo.huybrechts/camp1.htm
will help you find somewhere. It lists all sites within 15 kilometres of the major routes through France - and those sites which are open all year are highlighted in red.
I hope this helps you find somewhere - and that the weather stays kind for you. We've flown over the Massif Central in December, and it was just one huge snowdrift. A wise move, I think, not to use the A75.
A web site I have found very useful is "campingfrance.com"
It has a lot of small sites that do not feature on the main stream of sites.
For instance I ran into difficulty finding a site for an overnight about 400km from Calais on the 31st. December, a lot of sites say they are open but in fact close. I found one off the beaten track near Nottonville south of Chartes.
It has been very frustrating as a lot of sites just do not respond!!!
It has a lot of small sites that do not feature on the main stream of sites.
For instance I ran into difficulty finding a site for an overnight about 400km from Calais on the 31st. December, a lot of sites say they are open but in fact close. I found one off the beaten track near Nottonville south of Chartes.
It has been very frustrating as a lot of sites just do not respond!!!
We are in the process of organising our trip through France in Feb. Someone on another forum sent me this link.It shows sites near the motorways and the dates that they are open. We are using tis in conjunction with the info we already hold.
Hope its of use to you also
http://users.telenet.be/leo.huybrechts/campintro.htm
Hope its of use to you also
http://users.telenet.be/leo.huybrechts/campintro.htm
... We will be doing a similar journey at the end of January
Dunkerque- Rouen- Chartres- N10- Biarritz- Madrid (for 1 wk stay) then on to Murcia.
We stop at night in service areas, our choice so no lectures please. so can't help with campsites on route.
Do not expect to "get down through France as quickly as possible"
A similar trip last year saw snow down as far as Chartres, where we spent the night in outside temperatures of -7degC.
When we arrived at a campsite in Denia Spain on the Mediterranean coast they had suffered storm wind damage.
Be ready for anything, take it easy and enjoy your trip.
Dunkerque- Rouen- Chartres- N10- Biarritz- Madrid (for 1 wk stay) then on to Murcia.
We stop at night in service areas, our choice so no lectures please. so can't help with campsites on route.
Do not expect to "get down through France as quickly as possible"
A similar trip last year saw snow down as far as Chartres, where we spent the night in outside temperatures of -7degC.
When we arrived at a campsite in Denia Spain on the Mediterranean coast they had suffered storm wind damage.
Be ready for anything, take it easy and enjoy your trip.
Have a look at the route port to Poitiers, then St jean de Luz, Sabinan and then La Manga
The west coast of France is less prone to bad weather than the east although it can be a bit wet.
There are open all year sites in all these places. Sabinan is shown in CC Europe under Calatayud.
From St jean de Luz follow Pamplona then towards Zaragoza but "cut the corner" at Magallon to Sabinan. Then rejoin the Autopista before Teruel to Sagunto / Valencia and down to Murcia.
The alternative is St jean to la Cabrera north of Madrid and then Murcia.
The west coast of France is less prone to bad weather than the east although it can be a bit wet.
There are open all year sites in all these places. Sabinan is shown in CC Europe under Calatayud.
From St jean de Luz follow Pamplona then towards Zaragoza but "cut the corner" at Magallon to Sabinan. Then rejoin the Autopista before Teruel to Sagunto / Valencia and down to Murcia.
The alternative is St jean to la Cabrera north of Madrid and then Murcia.
I have found this recommendation most helpful. As a novice to the spanish winter migration I have been struggling to find a route with overnight sites within comfortable driving distances.
My wife and I are aiming to travel to the La Manga area in February for a month or so and we now have some good refernce points to investigate further.
My wife and I are aiming to travel to the La Manga area in February for a month or so and we now have some good refernce points to investigate further.
Hi jeff, glad you like the info. If you do use Sabinan, suggest you park at reception and walk up the hill to recce the pitch first - this could avoid a hill start on a steep hill.
the touring pitches are up the hill to the right - either just before or just after the sanitaire building. Can be cold, but has always been quiet. Don't know how your spainish is, but reception will want the make and registration of your car - they drive round sometimes to check nobody has sneaked in. Gates are locked at night and not open before 08.00 next morning and usually later, but they will come and open them after 08.00 if you ring the bell. A bit expensive - over 20 euros but that's the habit for short stays in Spain.
(You could probably ignore the advice about walking first if you have a 4x4 or other outfit not bothered by steep hill starts)
PS do not be tempted by the sapparant short cut from Irun (French border) to Pamplona - it's under very severe roadworks. The easiest available fuel is about 30 miles into the route from Irun, after you have turned inland from the coastal motorway.
Good luck.
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