Spanish Trip!

[Waylyn]

Hi we are looking to take a trip for around 3 weeks in September to Spain I have a 2004 Pace Arrow 36R
8.1 vortec which has been LPG converted so helps with running costs, I want to get to the sun park up and enjoy the sun Spain and all it has to offer so not looking to travel with the Rv and see the scenery just want to get there and relax with a beer or two

we need advice and information on the best way to do this, we are looking for a site or that has good facilities, water electric hook up grey and black waste on the pitch (FULLY SERVICED) Entertainment restaurants

Close to a beach and towns restaurant etc, are there any discount codes for someone aged 61 (every penny counts)
Looked at Almafra, Benidorm. as recommended by Stuart (stunette) looks good to be fair and much appreciated advice
Not looking to move from site to site.

Maybe a site halfway to final destination for a night or just go straight through depending on travel time
All site and locations welcomed

Close to a town bars entertainment, markets for the misses
A good beach for snorkeling for me

Taking a Suzuki Burgman 400cc on the back so will have some transport if needed


e.g.
ferry crossings Santander or Bilboa and from which UK port

Rough cost of ferry

How to book the RV on a ferry as I had a quick look and 9m seems to be the max, the RV is 11.02 meters
so obviously I am missing the correct way to book this and what are the best days and times to book this to travel.

lpg availabilty
best locations/ sites
There is probably a lot of things i need to know and not listed

I have a 2004 pace arrow 8.1 Vortec which has been LPG converted so helps with running costs, I want to get to the sun park up and enjoy the sun Spain and all it has to offer

Reading this back it sounds like a big ask, but maybe someone has somewhere in mind for us

Sorry if this sounds like rambling, it probably is but you should get the gist of my rambling
Thanks in advance Lyn and Kim

 

[Merv-IOM]

Brittany ferries from Portsmouth to Santander is good but you have to call them because you're over 9 metres. I can't say how much cos I've not done it for a few years now, but if you ask on here who is a member of Brittany ferries, they may let you use their membership number (you'll get a discount when you book).

 

[Waylyn]

Thanks for the reply, much appreciated

 

[Olley]

The cost for us with a pet friendly cabin in 2023 was just under £600 with the code, I think that gives you 10% off.
A halfway stop from Bilbao could be the free aire at Zaragoza. Your to big for the actual aire but you can park nextdoor on the road around the sports field. We counted about 40 there last year.
And there's a tram stop across the road with a Carrefour a stop into town.

41°40'58.7"N 0°53'25.3"W

maps.app.goo.gl

 

[Steve Martin]

Portsmouth to Santander usually costs around £650 with discount code. Phone up Portsmouth Brittany Ferry office.
I just pull over at any service station for an overnight stop.
LPG widely available costs €1 a ltr average.
You will need fuel converters to fill up Amazon sell them.
Factor 50 sun cream.
DO NOT STOP if anyone overtakes and points at your wheels. Highway robbery very prevalent on routes along coast.

 

[Waylyn]

The cost for us with a pet friendly cabin in 2023 was just under £600 with the code, I think that gives you 10% off.
A halfway stop from Bilbao could be the free aire at Zaragoza. Your to big for the actual aire but you can park nextdoor on the road around the sports field. We counted about 40 there last year.
And there's a tram stop across the road with a Carrefour a stop into town.

41°40'58.7"N 0°53'25.3"W

maps.app.goo.gl

Thank you Olley that sounds like a possible stop over. Cheers mate

The cost for us with a pet friendly cabin in 2023 was just under £600 with the code, I think that gives you 10% off.
A halfway stop from Bilbao could be the free aire at Zaragoza. Your to big for the actual aire but you can park nextdoor on the road around the sports field. We counted about 40 there last year.
And there's a tram stop across the road with a Carrefour a stop into town.

41°40'58.7"N 0°53'25.3"W

maps.app.goo.gl

 

[Waylyn]

Brittany ferries from Portsmouth to Santander is good but you have to call them because you're over 9 metres. I can't say how much cos I've not done it for a few years now, but if you ask on here who is a member of Brittany ferries, they may let you use their membership number (you'll get a discount when you book).

Thanks Steve I don't know if Santander or Bilbao will be best but will call when we finally decide which port we will travel from

Portsmouth to Santander usually costs around £650 with discount code. Phone up Portsmouth Brittany Ferry office.
I just pull over at any service station for an overnight stop.
LPG widely available costs €1 a ltr average.
You will need fuel converters to fill up Amazon sell them.
Factor 50 sun cream.
DO NOT STOP if anyone overtakes and points at your wheels. Highway robbery very prevalent on routes along coast.

 

[Waylyn]

The cost for us with a pet friendly cabin in 2023 was just under £600 with the code, I think that gives you 10% off.
A halfway stop from Bilbao could be the free aire at Zaragoza. Your to big for the actual aire but you can park nextdoor on the road around the sports field. We counted about 40 there last year.
And there's a tram stop across the road with a Carrefour a stop into town.

41°40'58.7"N 0°53'25.3"W

maps.app.goo.gl

The cost for us with a pet friendly cabin in 2023 was just under £600 with the code, I think that gives you 10% off.
A halfway stop from Bilbao could be the free aire at Zaragoza. Your to big for the actual aire but you can park nextdoor on the road around the sports field. We counted about 40 there last year.
And there's a tram stop across the road with a Carrefour a stop into town.

41°40'58.7"N 0°53'25.3"W

maps.app.goo.gl

 

[Waylyn]

Thanks Olley that could be a possible option, cheers mate

 

[Waylyn]

Portsmouth to Santander usually costs around £650 with discount code. Phone up Portsmouth Brittany Ferry office.
I just pull over at any service station for an overnight stop.
LPG widely available costs €1 a ltr average.
You will need fuel converters to fill up Amazon sell them.
Factor 50 sun cream.
DO NOT STOP if anyone overtakes and points at your wheels. Highway robbery very prevalent on routes along coast.

I am in two minds as to which port to got to, Santander or Bilbao, but definitely wont stop, the misses is now having visions of MAD MAX

 

[poacher]

I am in two minds as to which port to got to, Santander or Bilbao, but definitely wont stop, the misses is now having visions of MAD MAX

Santander is IMHO the easier port to exit and will put you quickly on to the dual carriageway headed south - although the 'old' main road (runs parallel) is much more fun / scenic but considerably slower and thirstier

I am in Steve's camp - truck stops for travelling overnights - campsites for longer stays if we want to explore an area (we tow a car)

 

[Waylyn]

Thanks poacher, how do you tow a car on a trailer I'm assuming, I would love to take my tow car on the A frame but been told it's a no go

 

[Steve Martin]

Been A framing for years in Spain Portugal but police are now ( since Brexit) starting to stop the use. Do you feel lucky?

 

[Waylyn]

Would love to take the car mate, but the mrs doesn't drive so i'm in a pickle if stopped, and I have the andrex touch( everything I touch turns to shite) I have made an electric bike rack to carry a 400cc suzuki burgman so have transport if needed, I know I said I only wanted to get to the final destination and relax but I think I may go from Santander and stop off at a couple of sites on the way down to wherever I end up, break it up a little and 3 weeks in one place may drive me mad.

 

[Merv-IOM]

A good Aires in Spain is Monesterio (free)

38.09417 / -6.27722
N 38º 05' 39'' / W 06º 16' 38''

Plenty of room, fresh water and waste dump and free electric. Lovely little town but the Aires will be closed between 1st and 15th September due to a local fair.

Ayuntamiento de Monesterio

Página web oficial del Ayuntamiento de Monesterio

www.monesterio.es

 

[Popty]

Hi, we did Portsmouth to Bilbao with a Trail Lite 30 ft rv in April 2022, with the 8.1 chevy V8 8.1 vortec, it was converted to run on lpg and absolutely no problem in getting lpg in Spain, average cost was about £0.60p ltr, did the trip from Bilbao to Calpe over 500 miles in one hit, All motorway AP68 from Bilbao acrossto Zaragoza, then Zaragozato Valencia, then A7 ValenciatoCalpe, left Bilbao about 8.30 on Saturday morning, arriving in Calpe 18.00 same day, averaged 23mpg, stopping for lpg, something to eat and toilets etc, site was camping calpe-mar (Google it) in Calpe, fresh water, grey water, electricity on pitch, nice swimming pool, restaurant etc, stayed for 8 weeks, Best holiday ever, walk to town, walk to beach, loads of cycling paths, and brilliant supermarket right opposite site.

 

[Olley]

If you're thinking of a slower drive down, why not go to Madrid?

The other year we went to Santander on the Pont Aven from Portsmouth, the sailing is about 6pm from memory and it's a 24 hour sailing (one night aboard), not 36 hour (two nights aboard) like the new LPG boats Brittany have.
The Pont Aven got us to Santander around 4pm and I drove the 124 miles to the free aire at Palencia, the town is worth a look around, about a 15 min walk through the park to town.
Next day it was on to Camping Osuna in Madrid, this is a 5 min walk to the Metro which takes you straight into the centre of Madrid. Its an ok site but nothing special except its location. If you're pulling a trailer, it's the best option.
There is now an aire in Madrid which is cheaper, Area Las Ciguenas, which gets a good write up on searchforsites.

From there off you go to the coast. We went to Lisbon after Osuna.

Palencia https://maps.app.goo.gl/SSmMsBTauN49B5FZA
Osuna https://maps.app.goo.gl/f6SASpcpxL7FwWov9
Madrid aire https://maps.app.goo.gl/HYz8Asw49HY4cp6G8

 

[Waylyn]

A good Aires in Spain is Monesterio (free)

38.09417 / -6.27722
N 38º 05' 39'' / W 06º 16' 38''

Plenty of room, fresh water and waste dump and free electric. Lovely little town but the Aires will be closed between 1st and 15th September due to a local fair.

Ayuntamiento de Monesterio

Página web oficial del Ayuntamiento de Monesterio

www.monesterio.es

Sounds good, shame about the local fair maybe somewhere local to park up for a day or so

 

[Waylyn]

Hi, we did Portsmouth to Bilbao with a Trail Lite 30 ft rv in April 2022, with the 8.1 chevy V8 8.1 vortec, it was converted to run on lpg and absolutely no problem in getting lpg in Spain, average cost was about £0.60p ltr, did the trip from Bilbao to Calpe over 500 miles in one hit, All motorway AP68 from Bilbao acrossto Zaragoza, then Zaragozato Valencia, then A7 ValenciatoCalpe, left Bilbao about 8.30 on Saturday morning, arriving in Calpe 18.00 same day, averaged 23mpg, stopping for lpg, something to eat and toilets etc, site was camping calpe-mar (Google it) in Calpe, fresh water, grey water, electricity on pitch, nice swimming pool, restaurant etc, stayed for 8 weeks, Best holiday ever, walk to town, walk to beach, loads of cycling paths, and brilliant supermarket right opposite site.

Sounds amazing, I don't have 8 weeks but will be 3-4 weeks so should be good, the 23mpg from the 8.1
I get around 6-7mpg out of mine tell me your secret

 

[Waylyn]

If you're thinking of a slower drive down, why not go to Madrid?

The other year we went to Santander on the Pont Aven from Portsmouth, the sailing is about 6pm from memory and it's a 24 hour sailing (one night aboard), not 36 hour (two nights aboard) like the new LPG boats Brittany have.
The Pont Aven got us to Santander around 4pm and I drove the 124 miles to the free aire at Palencia, the town is worth a look around, about a 15 min walk through the park to town.
Next day it was on to Camping Osuna in Madrid, this is a 5 min walk to the Metro which takes you straight into the centre of Madrid. Its an ok site but nothing special except its location. If you're pulling a trailer, it's the best option.
There is now an aire in Madrid which is cheaper, Area Las Ciguenas, which gets a good write up on searchforsites.

From there off you go to the coast. We went to Lisbon after Osuna.

Palencia https://maps.app.goo.gl/SSmMsBTauN49B5FZA
Osuna https://maps.app.goo.gl/f6SASpcpxL7FwWov9
Madrid aire https://maps.app.goo.gl/HYz8Asw49HY4cp6G8

I won't be pulling a trailer or A frame leaving the car here as I don't want to be having issues with the police out there, I have a 400cc suzuki burgman on the back for this trip (Kim hates bikes but needs must) so I will have transport if needed, I am looking for a coastal holiday I love Snorkeling so maybe we could do a bit more traveling every couple of days and see much more of the country inland and coastal and then settle in the second week