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Driving from the UK

Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2022 5:45pm
33 replies1449 views22 members subscribed
Lily12

Posts: 30

2 helpful points

Location: Moraira

Joined: 25 Sep 2021

Hi just wondering if anyone who has driven from Calais could give us some hints & tips, we hope to do this mid December with our small dog. Need suggestions for dog friendly places to stay thinking of doing approx 7 hr’s driving and then staying overnight. Anyone any suggestions please? Hoping to avoid Toll Roads, any help would be much appreciated. The route is looking like, stopping in Tours and then San Sebastián.

TIA

Rob60

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2022 5:05pm

Rob60

Helpful member

Posts: 243

316 helpful points

Location: Ontinyent

Joined: 12 Mar 2022

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2022 5:05pm

Having done the journey many times I would advise not to try avoid the tolls, unless you want to go on a magical mystery tour of rural and urban France. Go with the tolls and get to your destination far quicker, and using far less fuel as its expensive in France. 

Depending which route you choose you can avoid tolls in Spain but from our experience we've just wanted to get to our destination as quick as possible. Its a long enough drive as it is.

I can't recommend accommodation with a dog unfortunately, maybe someone else can assist with this.

Gillyb

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2022 9:15pm

Gillyb

Helpful member

Posts: 68

60 helpful points

Location: La Finca

Joined: 6 Dec 2021

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2022 9:15pm

Rob60 wrote on Thu Aug 11, 2022 5:05pm:

Having done the journey many times I would advise not to try avoid the tolls, unless you want to go on a magical mystery tour of rural and urban France. Go with the tolls and get to your destination far quicker, and using far less fuel as its expensive in France. 

Depending which route you choose you can avoid tolls in Spain but from our experience we've just wanted to get to our destination as quick as possible. Its a long enough drive as it is....

...

I can't recommend accommodation with a dog unfortunately, maybe someone else can assist with this.

San sebastian and Tours is a bit higgledy piggledy from Ontinyent. There are a number of routes and we do it every 2/3 months.  Really depends what you want out of your journey some beautiful scenery but you will be surprised at how expensive France is.   Two places to avoid are Rouen and Paris!  Both like wacky races and hair raising for first timers!  Our favourite route is up to Valencia then head for Zaragoza but turn off to Huesca/Jaca through the Pyrenees to Pau.  You can then go up through the middle via limoges and across to Poitiers or Tours or over to Bordeaux for overnight stop.  We stay at Merignac in Mercure who take dogs and have secure parking.  There are a couple of tolls up to Bordeaux but the majority are from then on heading North.  We usually leave eround breakfast time and drive until about 8pm, then eat and sleep and leave breakfast time to get the mid evening chunnel and arrive UK about 8pm.   From Tours head for Rouen and then Yves et Tot through national forest and adds 15 minutes onto journey but voids Rouen Centre.  Hope this helps

RichardH

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2022 11:28pm

RichardH

Helpful member

Posts: 255

186 helpful points

Location: Rojales

Joined: 9 Jan 2019

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2022 11:28pm

Rob60 wrote on Thu Aug 11, 2022 5:05pm:

Having done the journey many times I would advise not to try avoid the tolls, unless you want to go on a magical mystery tour of rural and urban France. Go with the tolls and get to your destination far quicker, and using far less fuel as its expensive in France. 

Depending which route you choose you can avoid tolls in Spain but from our experience we've just wanted to get to our destination as quick as possible. Its a long enough drive as it is....

...

I can't recommend accommodation with a dog unfortunately, maybe someone else can assist with this.

Rubbish set satnav to avoid tolls might add an hour tops to your journey .done it numerous times. 

Lily12

Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2022 11:14am

Lily12

Original Poster

Posts: 30

2 helpful points

Location: Moraira

Joined: 25 Sep 2021

Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2022 11:14am

Gillyb wrote on Thu Aug 11, 2022 9:15pm:

San sebastian and Tours is a bit higgledy piggledy from Ontinyent. There are a number of routes and we do it every 2/3 months.  Really depends what you want out of your journey some beautiful scenery but you will be surprised at how expensive France is.   Two places to avoid are Rouen a...

...nd Paris!  Both like wacky races and hair raising for first timers!  Our favourite route is up to Valencia then head for Zaragoza but turn off to Huesca/Jaca through the Pyrenees to Pau.  You can then go up through the middle via limoges and across to Poitiers or Tours or over to Bordeaux for overnight stop.  We stay at Merignac in Mercure who take dogs and have secure parking.  There are a couple of tolls up to Bordeaux but the majority are from then on heading North.  We usually leave eround breakfast time and drive until about 8pm, then eat and sleep and leave breakfast time to get the mid evening chunnel and arrive UK about 8pm.   From Tours head for Rouen and then Yves et Tot through national forest and adds 15 minutes onto journey but voids Rouen Centre.  Hope this helps

Many thanks for this kind response, as we are coming from uk, just trying to reverse the information.

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Pauline39

Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2022 12:32pm

Posts: 51

46 helpful points

Location: El Chaparral

Joined: 13 Apr 2022

Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2022 12:32pm

Gillyb wrote on Thu Aug 11, 2022 9:15pm:

San sebastian and Tours is a bit higgledy piggledy from Ontinyent. There are a number of routes and we do it every 2/3 months.  Really depends what you want out of your journey some beautiful scenery but you will be surprised at how expensive France is.   Two places to avoid are Rouen a...

...nd Paris!  Both like wacky races and hair raising for first timers!  Our favourite route is up to Valencia then head for Zaragoza but turn off to Huesca/Jaca through the Pyrenees to Pau.  You can then go up through the middle via limoges and across to Poitiers or Tours or over to Bordeaux for overnight stop.  We stay at Merignac in Mercure who take dogs and have secure parking.  There are a couple of tolls up to Bordeaux but the majority are from then on heading North.  We usually leave eround breakfast time and drive until about 8pm, then eat and sleep and leave breakfast time to get the mid evening chunnel and arrive UK about 8pm.   From Tours head for Rouen and then Yves et Tot through national forest and adds 15 minutes onto journey but voids Rouen Centre.  Hope this helps

I searched and searched and searched for your recommended 'Yves et tot',  to no avail.  I finally found what it is - Yvetot, for others who might be searching.

Thanks for the recommendation, though - any route that avoids Rouen is a real bonus.  Rouen and Bordeaux are the two places that make you wish you were somewhere else 😳

Gillyb

Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2022 1:02pm

Gillyb

Helpful member

Posts: 68

60 helpful points

Location: La Finca

Joined: 6 Dec 2021

Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2022 1:02pm

Lily12 wrote on Fri Aug 12, 2022 11:14am:

Many thanks for this kind response, as we are coming from uk, just trying to reverse the information.

Ok, oops sorry about that.  Leave UK abt 9am into France and on the road for 11am.  Head for Yvetot then Tours the decide if you want to go through the middle or down through Pyrynees.  Stop at Merignac about 8 pm.  Eat and sleep then set off abt 8am head for Pau if through the mountains then Huesca then Zaragoza and divert off towards Valencia.  We usually get home around 7pm

martin7986

Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2022 10:13am

Posts: 26

18 helpful points

Location: Almoradí

Joined: 8 Aug 2017

Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2022 10:13am

hi, if you are driving down through Rouen it is not usually a problem as it is a main road that goes through the outskirts A28,E46,N338 all these roads follow on from each other until you reach the N28. also come off the A10 at Poitiers south onto the N10, this will take you to Bordeaux duel carriageway no tolls. if you are crossing the Pyrenees in December you will need snow chains! i carry on down the A63 to Irun crossing into Spain and then on to Zarragoza, Valencia etc. we travel with a dog most french hotels take dogs check on hotels.com we may pass on the way as we are coming the other way at the beginning of December, have a safe trip and enjoy, cheers Martin

Rob60

Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2022 3:45pm

Rob60

Helpful member

Posts: 243

316 helpful points

Location: Ontinyent

Joined: 12 Mar 2022

Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2022 3:45pm

RichardH wrote on Thu Aug 11, 2022 11:28pm:

Rubbish set satnav to avoid tolls might add an hour tops to your journey .done it numerous times. 

Hi RichardH

I'll hold my hands up as giving incorrect advice on this. I had been informed by a few people that avoiding tolls through France ended up with a really protracted and awkward route.

We drive to and from the UK 3 times a year so would appreciate it if you could give a quick over view of your route.

Cheers

Lily12

Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2022 4:34pm

Lily12

Original Poster

Posts: 30

2 helpful points

Location: Moraira

Joined: 25 Sep 2021

Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2022 4:34pm

Rob60 wrote on Sat Aug 13, 2022 3:45pm:

Hi RichardH

I'll hold my hands up as giving incorrect advice on this. I had been informed by a few people that avoiding tolls through France ended up with a really protracted and awkward route.

We drive to and from the UK 3 times a year so would appreciate it if you could give a quick over view of your route.

Cheers

Thanks for your response, is it possible to avoid the Pyrenees?

Probably a stupid question 🤣

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