Help for people thinking about driving from the UK

Think you must use toll roads ,as I'm driving longer to get to Alicante  but I stay of toll roads

"I can assure you that this is the most enjoyable and healthy way."

It might be for you perhaps but everyone is different so each to their own I say.
Not that we do it that often but if we do we prefer to get it over quickly as possible so we drive straight through swapping drivers as and when.I can assure you that for us this is the least unenjoyable way and has not noticeably affected either of us healthwise 👍

I AM IN MID JOURNEY AS WE SPEAK, I LEFT UK ON THE 5PM FERRY ON THE 7TH OF OCTOBER, STAYED IN A NICE JITE OVER NIGHT THEN DROVE DOWN TO ORADOUR SUR GLANE AND VISITED THE MUSEUM VILLAGE, THEN TONIGHT I AM BY THE SEA IN FRANCE IN A NICE HOTEL WITH A NICE MEAL AND I WILL FINISH MY JOURNEY TO BENISSA TOMORROW, ALL IN ALL A VERY PLEASANT AND FRUITFUL JOURNEY AS I AM IN NO RUSH TO GET ANYWHERE BY ANYTIME,

All well & good if you live near the south east of London. However, if you live away from Sadiq's shit hole, then a better route would be via Portsmouth, or even Plymouth. You'll probably pay slightly more but will avoid the M25 car park. You'll embark on a far better area of France and have less travelling than via the "chugnell" and the shithole known as Paris. Caen & Le Havre, Cherbourg, St Malo, to name a few. I don't really have a downer on London per se but not everyone wants to go anywhere near it.

Quote if missing...." 

Hi All

We have driven from the UK for many years to the Alicante area, I drive for a living and have done for 30 years and can suggest that the best and easiest way is to get the ferry from Dover to Calais about 1530 and drive 1 hour and find a cheap hotel (plenty of them) get up early and drive 10 hours throughout the day and find a cheap hotel again then get up early and do the last few hours, I can assure you that this is the most enjoyable and healthy way 👍 "

I have done it many times for me the best route for me is to sail Portsmouth to St Malo, that includes an overnight room and gets you much further on, then it's a decision to either go for it or have another stop. 

That's said do you avoid tolls ? What route do.you take ? 

I think it's wrong to suggest that one route or one "way" of doing it is the best way.

Everyone has their own preferences on the amount of time behind the wheel, ferries, tolls, length of time available etc.

Bear in mind that a steady pace on a motorway will give you better MPG than "country" roads and will offset the costs of tolls slightly. I've never had a serious issue with M25 or Paris. Both London and Paris are very beautiful cities and don't deserve to be described the way one poster did earlier.

Like the OP I have no fears of the M25 or the Paris peripherique. My preferred route as a solo driver from the English Midlands is M40 M25, Dover Calais then to a motorway hotel at St Witz just north of Paris. Day 2 depart after 9.00am (Paris mainly at work) A10 A75 straight down the middle of France, pick up the Mediterranean auto route at Beziers. Overnight motorway hotel Perpignan then day 3 a nice easy last leg down the AP-7.

These first 2 days are chunky on distance for most people but should leave plenty time for a nice dinner and a good sleep. The bonus is a shorter day 3.

Tolls - Yes. Stress - Very little. Hotels - 2 

Scenery ✅ Paris from the ring road, Millau Viaduct and much more.

But it's up to everyone will decide what's right for them. There is no right way.

Steve

 Nobody suggest one route is the best !

Err, no they didn't but someone definitely suggested a method was. What I was saying in my reply was that one method doesn't suit everyone. The OP said this...

"Hi All

We have driven from the UK for many years to the Alicante area, I drive for a living and have done for 30 years and can suggest that the best and easiest way is to get the ferry from Dover to Calais about 1530 and drive 1 hour and find a cheap hotel (plenty of them) get up early and drive 10 hours throughout the day and find a cheap hotel again then get up early and do the last few hours......"

There is no ideal route for all.

I drive only in daylight so short days in winter longer days in summer, avoid routes that might to icy in the winter, as with A75 in France or the A32 in Spain, or going over the Pyrenees, all of which can be a pleasure at other times of year.

We drive a mixture of toll and free roads, and use a good map to sort some interesting routes, off of National routes, France definitely has some great routes that are on their D roads, but you do have to sort then out yourself.

We enjoy going different routes seeing different towns, why drive 1500 miles and see nothing but motorways and cars.

We try to get time to go into towns and villages along the way, sometimes at the right time of year spend a few nights in different areas, not only on route but visiting the great towns and cities of both Spain and France., (This year we visited Bastide towns in France, a few year ago we came down via Salamanca and Córdoba) 

I can assure anyone reading that this method is an enjoyable and healthy way, I would never say it was "the most enjoyable and healthy way", each to their own choice.