Travelling to hosted site Spain in February

ChasNick, As you mention wanting toilets en route you are better to look at campsites rather than Aires.

If you plan to use the road south fromClermont Ferrand in February you will need an accurate weather forecast a few days in advance - in snowy conditions they simple close barriers and shut the road.

An alternative route between Tours and Perpignan is to go via Limoges and Toulouse - campsites are available and open that  way if you decide to use them.

Hi Chasnick, we returned last week from Spain/Portugal via France to the tunnel. 

We used the Western route to come up. We crossed the border into France at Hendaye having spent the night before at Burgos in Spain. Its good roads and we made good time, no tolls used though we could have.

Coming through France we stopped the first night on a CCP aire near Soustons. The next day not a long drive to another aire  east of Angouleme, then up to a site that was open near Tour (site open all year at Poitiers) after that 2 more CCP Aires took us to the tunnel. We could have done it in less time and stops but we were not in a rush.

The CCP Aires are good, fresh water is available, you can dump both waste water and toilet waste. There are plenty of Aires open all year in France. Some may shut off Freshwater in the extreme cold weather so  make sure you are aware of this and carry some just incase.

Aires in Spain, we have only just started to use these and have been impressed by the ones used so far. Slightly dearer than France but the ones we used had full facilities on them including one with a swimming pool.

I would suggest putting an app on your phone for Searchforsites, park4night and/or camperstop. I personally like searchforsites it's easy to use and you get lots of information and reviews.

Last year we came up from Spain a month earlier so didn't have to think about snowchains etc. We used the Bielsa tunnel from Spain into France which allowed us to get from Benicarlo into France in one easy drive. We have travelled down the Med coast into Spain but not in winter so will leave others to advise on that route.

Enjoy your trip. 

You might find >this record< of a winter trip to the Costa Blanc useful. I would not go via the Central Massive in winter but take a route down the western side of France. Some Aires, especially northern France, while open may turn off the water supplies to prevent frozen pipes. Just make sure you carry some water with you just in case. You do not say what time your crossing is so it is difficult to recommend sites because of this.

Check out the AA's web site for winter tyre informatiion, you may be able to avoid carrying snow chains by  using the west coast route down to Bordeaux and  crossing into Spain at Irun and heading for Santander then Zaragosa etc..

peedee

This is fantastic everybody this is what I wanted to here. Will go West. Crossing Feb 19th. Great advice and thanks.

 

Not sure of your specific destination in Spain but we head to Benicassim most winters and I can only echo TG's post...

although we are using Santander this Feb, it's usually been the western route, often starting Cherbourg or Caen, via Rennes, Nantes, Bordeaux then to Irun.

Then up to Pamplona, past Zaragosa, down the A23 towards Sagunt, turning back NE to Benicassim.

Often snow on the ski slopes but almost always cold and dry on 'the Plain'.

 

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Hi, fwiw ….

We have favoured the western central France route but then use Med coast down Spain and will repeat 7/1/23 hopefully  …

Calais, Rouen, Chartres / N154 route down to Orleans, Limoges, Toulouse, Perpignan, border, AP7 down the Med Coast. Cuts out a bit of Peage (€€ !) and gives some very convenient site options (Camping Montreal south of Limoges), Capmany site just across Spanish border (shorts on ).
The med coast of the AP7 south in February will be much more pleasant & warmer, with miles of orange blossom, than tedious barren high level cold  central Spain. Via Michelin the various options. 
Enjoy !
M

East, West approach into Spain...either is fine...we've done Perpignan route before, even nicer now AP7 is free.

however, a lot depends on starting point...for us in the SW a starting point of Poole or Portsmouth makes the Western side favourite.

we did head for Clermont Ferrand a while back but that's also pretty high prone to 'weather' in January.

the 'tedious barren high level cold central Spain' can appear that at times, but we've generally had great weather and can make pretty fast progress in a light van on great roads.

plenty of choice.

ChasNick, In other words you can go any way you choose.

How about a few days sightseeing in Paris, Lyon, Avignon and Narbonne - they all have campsites open in winter, plus museums, galleries, shops and restaurants in each of those cities.

Hi Chasnick

We are travelling at the end of January to stay at the CAMC Rally at Alannia Costa Blanca.  We travel with a dog so the long ferry journey does not suit us.  Ferries can also get cancelled at very short notice in adverse weather.

We have a 13:20 Eurotunnel crossing booked and plan to follow this route.1st night we will stop at the aire at Pont de l'Arche (312 miles from home, 143 miles from Calais), second night on a municial aire at Chaunay (256 miles), 3rd night at Camping Larrouletta (257miles), 4th night at an autopista rest stop near Teruel (257 miles), then a final 197 miles to Alannia.

With regard to the route, we always travel via Rouen in the first instance then travel via the N10/A1/A 63, the A20/A61 or the A71/75 depending on the weather forecast.  The high level trip via Millau is spectacular in winter but the likelihood of snow in January/February is quite high.  It can also get very cold and icy.

The western route is probably the most reliable but is more prone to wet and windy conditions, but there are probably more overnight stopping points than going over the top of the Massif Central.

If you stick to the autoroutes to cross into Spain at either the Med or Atlantic ends of the Pyrenees, you are not required to fit snow chains. 

With regard to the services available on aires, grey and black waste emptying facilities are usually open, but fresh water supplies are often turned off in winter.  We will leave home with an 80% full water tank and our waste tank will be sufficient for the entire journey, although we will empty regularly to save carrying excess weight where possible.  Black waste will be emptied, subject to the facilities being operational but we also carry a spare loo cassette, just in case (never used to date). 

We have twin 13kg Gaslow cylinders for heating and hot water, so we keep nice and warm overnight and replenish our LPG supply prior to arriving at Alannia.  Larger Repsol service stations usually have LPG (GPL) pumps that are easiy accessible.

Hope our experiences are some help to you.  May see you at Alannia.

 

Edit:  Somehow the map defaulted to going through the centre of Bordeaux - not advisable - keep to the autoroute !!