# cost of driving from uk to spain



## xxxxxxxxxxxxxdeanhankin

Hi All,

I posted earlier on "thinking of a return" as you probably guessed the hint is in the title. Well ive found somewhere to stay in Cartama and I was thinking of renting a car but it looks like being an expensive business for 2-3 months so that set me thinking.

Provided I can find a decent enough motor over here for the journey what would you guys say would be a rough estimate on the cost of getting a car from uk to Cartama (id drive it back as well not dump it like most)

I dont want a pence per mile breakdown or owt fancy just a rough figure for the ferry, road tolls and owt else I should know about.

I know things can get a bit tricky with the guardia if they keep seeing the same car riding around with uk plates on so any info on this would also be a help.

Oh and whilst im at it if you can offer any other tips on getting here on a budget or anywhere that does really cheap car hire then go for it guys.

Thanks in advance

Dean


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## jojo

deanhankin said:


> Hi All,
> 
> I posted earlier on "thinking of a return" as you probably guessed the hint is in the title. Well ive found somewhere to stay in Cartama and I was thinking of renting a car but it looks like being an expensive business for 2-3 months so that set me thinking.
> 
> Provided I can find a decent enough motor over here for the journey what would you guys say would be a rough estimate on the cost of getting a car from uk to Cartama (id drive it back as well not dump it like most)
> 
> I dont want a pence per mile breakdown or owt fancy just a rough figure for the ferry, road tolls and owt else I should know about.
> 
> I know things can get a bit tricky with the guardia if they keep seeing the same car riding around with uk plates on so any info on this would also be a help.
> 
> Oh and whilst im at it if you can offer any other tips on getting here on a budget or anywhere that does really cheap car hire then go for it guys.
> 
> Thanks in advance
> 
> Dean


Very briefly, cos I gotta get the kids to school, When we were working it all out it was well into the 100s to drive out, much, much cheaper to fly. Of course it meant we didnt have a car, but quite honestly it was cheaper to sell the UK one and buy here. We hired for the first 6 weeks at a dicounted rate, til we had NIEs etc and then bought one.

I'd personally recommend flying out on a budget airline and seeing if you can get a deal from a carhire company, we used malagacar.com, but that was 18 months ago???

Jo xxxx


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## argus

*cheap car hire*

Hi Dean

Have you tried a broker (snip)
They search hundreds of different suppliers and show you the cheapest rates available for your location and dates. Certainly saves a lot of looking around!




deanhankin said:


> Hi All,
> 
> I posted earlier on "thinking of a return" as you probably guessed the hint is in the title. Well ive found somewhere to stay in Cartama and I was thinking of renting a car but it looks like being an expensive business for 2-3 months so that set me thinking.
> 
> Provided I can find a decent enough motor over here for the journey what would you guys say would be a rough estimate on the cost of getting a car from uk to Cartama (id drive it back as well not dump it like most)
> 
> I dont want a pence per mile breakdown or owt fancy just a rough figure for the ferry, road tolls and owt else I should know about.
> 
> I know things can get a bit tricky with the guardia if they keep seeing the same car riding around with uk plates on so any info on this would also be a help.
> 
> Oh and whilst im at it if you can offer any other tips on getting here on a budget or anywhere that does really cheap car hire then go for it guys.
> 
> Thanks in advance
> 
> Dean


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## mayotom

you can get a Cheap car options drive to Spain and when it finally fails sell it, cars hold their value quiet well in Spain....


.


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## xxxxxxxxxxxxxdeanhankin

mayotom said:


> you can get a Cheap car options drive to Spain and when it finally fails sell it, cars hold their value quiet well in Spain....
> 
> 
> .


Yes I tried a few brokers and they are asking for 2000 euro for 2 months which I find to be quite ridiculous. 

I think ill try and get something reliable here and drive down, so are there any toll roads etc that I should avoid. or should I take the scenic route and enjoy all that this option has to offer? 


Thanks

Dean


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## Seb*

Don't avoid toll roads. I'd suggest to take them. It shortens the drive by quite a bit and those roads are less busy which makes the whole drive easier. Concerning the route the only suggestion I have is avoid Paris, try to drive down via Lyons. Toll costs depends on your location, down to the Costa Blanca we paid around £150 for french and spanish toll roads.


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## Xose

deanhankin said:


> Yes I tried a few brokers and they are asking for 2000 euro for 2 months which I find to be quite ridiculous.
> 
> I think ill try and get something reliable here and drive down, so are there any toll roads etc that I should avoid. or should I take the scenic route and enjoy all that this option has to offer?
> 
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Dean


Dean,
Bear in mind that a car that's running beautifully back home will be tested to its full capacity in the French motorways at 70 and before you know it 90 being overtaken by renault 5's hardly touching the tarmac. If there's anything about to go, it WILL go somewhere on the catalan motorway (Paris-Barcelona). Within seconds of breaking down, a funny little man in a bright coloured van will turn up, put cones around your car and insist that a local tow truck takes you off the motorway to avoid a mass pileup - and charge you a shedload of wedge for the privilage. Not a lot you can do about it either as the Gendarmerie are on their side big time. Worth bearing in mind that most of these Autoroutes are two lane daytona 500 tracks in disguise, and they are not far from the real one in speeds and driving practices either. 

I had the misfortune of having a spark plug work loose once. Smoke everywhere and I thought the engine had just seized up. The van turned up in a nano second. I told the guy to take a chill pill because he really was over anctious to get me off the motorway. Just as he had finished sticking cones around the car area, the smoke died down and I noticed the high tension lead with the plug off the engine block. I remembered imediately that I had fitted the new plugs without retightening after the engine had warmed up (plank!!!) so back it went and the car was fine - few!!! but the little van man was doing his pieces for the whole two minutes it took me to do that.

Moral of the story. When you say "get myself something reliable", check the oil pressure, water pump, pullies etc really well and any signs of white gunk in the oil cap and the like, run like mad even if the car is a "sweet little runner".

Good luck and most of all, stop and take lots of breaks.

Xose


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## ivorra

If you intend to take the 'eastern route' to enter Spain through Catalunya, don't forget that the magnificent A75 motorway gives you 300 km between Clermont Ferrand and Beziers almost free of toll charges. The only charge is approx 6 euro to cross the viaduc de Millau (and well worth it!)


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## xxxxxxxxxxxxxdeanhankin

Xose said:


> Dean,
> Bear in mind that a car that's running beautifully back home will be tested to its full capacity in the French motorways at 70 and before you know it 90 being overtaken by renault 5's hardly touching the tarmac. If there's anything about to go, it WILL go somewhere on the catalan motorway (Paris-Barcelona). Within seconds of breaking down, a funny little man in a bright coloured van will turn up, put cones around your car and insist that a local tow truck takes you off the motorway to avoid a mass pileup - and charge you a shedload of wedge for the privilage. Not a lot you can do about it either as the Gendarmerie are on their side big time. Worth bearing in mind that most of these Autoroutes are two lane daytona 500 tracks in disguise, and they are not far from the real one in speeds and driving practices either.
> 
> I had the misfortune of having a spark plug work loose once. Smoke everywhere and I thought the engine had just seized up. The van turned up in a nano second. I told the guy to take a chill pill because he really was over anctious to get me off the motorway. Just as he had finished sticking cones around the car area, the smoke died down and I noticed the high tension lead with the plug off the engine block. I remembered imediately that I had fitted the new plugs without retightening after the engine had warmed up (plank!!!) so back it went and the car was fine - few!!! but the little van man was doing his pieces for the whole two minutes it took me to do that.
> 
> Moral of the story. When you say "get myself something reliable", check the oil pressure, water pump, pullies etc really well and any signs of white gunk in the oil cap and the like, run like mad even if the car is a "sweet little runner".
> 
> Good luck and most of all, stop and take lots of breaks.
> 
> Xose


Thanks for the advice xose, 

I didnt know the french roads were so bad but I have spent time in paris so suppose I should of expected the worst.

Im pretty well clued up on the inner workings of the motor vehicle but you just never know when a part will fail, only yesterday the alternator belt went on my van but luckily I had a pair of tights in the back (i trade wholesale clothing) and was able to sort out a temporary repair.

Im glad to hear that you sorted out your spark plug problem before they towed the vehicle as it sounds like an expensive job.

Im just realy undecided on the best way forward, the place im going to be staying is up in the hills and I could really do with transport to go and look at the surrounding area and just for day to day convenience.

When I stayed there previously for a year I had a mountain bike and had a really good time exploring on that but this time there will be no bike and my bro will be joining me. 

Perhaps I should stop being tight.

Anyhow thanks again for the advice its much appreciated

Dean


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## SunnySpain

deanhankin said:


> Thanks for the advice xose,
> 
> I didnt know the french roads were so bad but I have spent time in paris so suppose I should of expected the worst.
> 
> Im pretty well clued up on the inner workings of the motor vehicle but you just never know when a part will fail, only yesterday the alternator belt went on my van but luckily I had a pair of tights in the back (i trade wholesale clothing) and was able to sort out a temporary repair.
> 
> Im glad to hear that you sorted out your spark plug problem before they towed the vehicle as it sounds like an expensive job.
> 
> Im just realy undecided on the best way forward, the place im going to be staying is up in the hills and I could really do with transport to go and look at the surrounding area and just for day to day convenience.
> 
> When I stayed there previously for a year I had a mountain bike and had a really good time exploring on that but this time there will be no bike and my bro will be joining me.
> 
> Perhaps I should stop being tight.
> 
> Anyhow thanks again for the advice its much appreciated
> 
> Dean



Well, good luck, you willl have a marvelous time in Cartama, its absolutely beautiful, so no problemos there, go for it and may the force be with you !


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## SteveBarbosa

Hi Dean, me and the family are also driving down to spain at the end of July. It will be a slow meander through france and into the pyrenees to catalunya, across to cantabria/asturias, then down to castilla la mancha.

After much deliberation (and a hefty 3k bill for the latest repairs - don''t ask!) we've decided to take our uk car down with us. We're going to re-register it in spain eventually, but for now we're gonna just 'cruise' it for a while. I just find that if I'm going to leave the country I love and have lived all my life and move on then flying is such a crude way of traveling in these circumstances - much better to know where I've been than to know where I'm going. Thats my view anyhow.

We havent mapped out the route yet as we're so busy packing, but I guess we'll take a mixture of toll roads and get side tracked now and again.

Xose - thanks for that advice! Its good to know. We'll have european breakdown cover for a while, but it still wouldn't prevent over zealous tow truck blokes getting in the way if we have a misfortune. Here's praying that we dont. 

Sorry, as for the total costs we dont know, but we've gotten quotes for the ferry from Plymouth to Roscoff at around 300 quid (car with roof rack and bikes). Then petrol is around £60/64eur per 400 miles (eek!), then there are tolls which I havent got the foggiest. Also we're hoping to buy a tent (big enough for 2 adults & a 1 yr old) and camp our way down with the odd break now and again at a hotel. We originally wanted to campervan it down but too expensive to purchase and insure.

Regards, Steve


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## Xose

SteveBarbosa said:


> Hi Dean, me and the family are also driving down to spain at the end of July. It will be a slow meander through france and into the pyrenees to catalunya, across to cantabria/asturias, then down to castilla la mancha.
> 
> After much deliberation (and a hefty 3k bill for the latest repairs - don''t ask!) we've decided to take our uk car down with us. We're going to re-register it in spain eventually, but for now we're gonna just 'cruise' it for a while. I just find that if I'm going to leave the country I love and have lived all my life and move on then flying is such a crude way of traveling in these circumstances - much better to know where I've been than to know where I'm going. Thats my view anyhow.
> 
> We havent mapped out the route yet as we're so busy packing, but I guess we'll take a mixture of toll roads and get side tracked now and again.
> 
> Xose - thanks for that advice! Its good to know. We'll have european breakdown cover for a while, but it still wouldn't prevent over zealous tow truck blokes getting in the way if we have a misfortune. Here's praying that we dont.
> 
> Sorry, as for the total costs we dont know, but we've gotten quotes for the ferry from Plymouth to Roscoff at around 300 quid (car with roof rack and bikes). Then petrol is around £60/64eur per 400 miles (eek!), then there are tolls which I havent got the foggiest. Also we're hoping to buy a tent (big enough for 2 adults & a 1 yr old) and camp our way down with the odd break now and again at a hotel. We originally wanted to campervan it down but too expensive to purchase and insure.
> 
> Regards, Steve


A great site to play with for ideas of cost and route is viamichelin.com

I got this by just entering from Calais (pick any place inside calais it offers, it don't matter much in the grand scheme of things) and to Barcelona. The result was :
Costs 203.03 EUR 
Toll 83.05 EUR | Petrol 119.98 EUR | Road tax EUR 
Time 11h57 which 11h25 on motorways 
Distance 1323 km which 1296 km on motorways 

Great place to play with what if scenarios.

Worth knowing also that lorries are off the roads on Sundays. So this is a good day to travel. Mind you, if you're avoiding the Autoroutes and opting for the tree lined country routes typical of French motoring brochures, be aware that summer (specially weekends) releases millions of 40 mph caravans and they're all going where you are and they're all toguether behind the lorry on a hill on a two way route national. Avoid the temptation to join the cannonball run if you find yourself in this situation. Typical of this situation, if you do choose the scenic routes, be very aware when overtaking - not just what's coming at you, but a bigger threat IMO is what's about to overtake you and the 5 cars behind you, doing about 80mph on a 50 road and about to go right up your jacksie if you don't see him. This is a common danger in route nationals. If you adopt the chilled out approach, you just let them get on with it and enjoy the pantomime.

Last thing, be aware of the hours and hours of driving at high speed effect. This is when you're doing 50/55 and could have swarn (officer) you were doing about 30. Your mind finds it difficult to judge "slow" when you've been driving fast for a long time. Adding to this problem is that your car is probably heavier than you're used to on a daily basis and so breaking times are very deceptive. This is particularly relevent when you come off the motorway straight into Route Nationals and where most "fender bender" accidents happen.

Have a fantastic trip and be safe.

Xose


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## Jogirl

*cost of driving*

Hi, try ViaMichelin: Maps, route planner, route finder, UK maps, European maps, hotel booking, travel guides they will give you a complete breakdown of the cost of driving from the UK to Spain including all tolls, fuel useage etc, to your chosen destination.


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## Lawrence brown

I hope this reply is not too late for you,
I drove to the South of Spain quite recently and it cost me about £300 including everything.
I have a Wife and a three year old, and it worked out cheaper than flying, and with no luggage restrictions!
My advice is Don't take the Toll roads unless you are on a strict timetable, plan on taking at least a couple of days to get there, and try to see something in France on the way.


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## SteveBarbosa

Lawrence brown said:


> I hope this reply is not too late for you,
> I drove to the South of Spain quite recently and it cost me about £300 including everything.
> I have a Wife and a three year old, and it worked out cheaper than flying, and with no luggage restrictions!
> My advice is Don't take the Toll roads unless you are on a strict timetable, plan on taking at least a couple of days to get there, and try to see something in France on the way.


No, not too late. We're still getting packed and the removals companies have given us quotes. We just need to decide on one. As for our plans, we are going via car to St Malo (with bikes and a roofbox on the car roof with the intention of spending at least a week in Brittany. Then we'll drive down through the western side of France (if anyone can recommend good places to camp over there I'm all ears ;-)). We will then head through the pyrenees with a few days there.

After that we don't know whether to do the north coast of spain to Galicia and down through Santiago-Salamanca-Segovia-Toledo, or head to Girona-Barcelona-Cuenca. Any recommendations or opinions will be gratefully recieved.

We can't wait as its all a bit stressful at the moment!


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## Tallulah

SteveBarbosa said:


> No, not too late. We're still getting packed and the removals companies have given us quotes. We just need to decide on one. As for our plans, we are going via car to St Malo (with bikes and a roofbox on the car roof with the intention of spending at least a week in Brittany. Then we'll drive down through the western side of France (if anyone can recommend good places to camp over there I'm all ears ;-)). We will then head through the pyrenees with a few days there.
> 
> After that we don't know whether to do the north coast of spain to Galicia and down through Santiago-Salamanca-Segovia-Toledo, or head to Girona-Barcelona-Cuenca. Any recommendations or opinions will be gratefully recieved.
> 
> We can't wait as its all a bit stressful at the moment!


GALICIA!!!:clap2: It's gorgeous.

I don't know what would happen if you turned left at Irun (the border) but if you turned right, it's phenomenal scenery - along the whole of that coast and you pass some great places to stop at, including the very well known San Sebastian beach. One thing I would say, having done the trip SSOOOOO many times over the years, and ultimately preferring San Sebastian - Burgos - Palencia - Benavente - Galicia, in other words, opting for good fast roads as opposed to wonderful scenary, coastal roads, is that after around 700 miles already covered going through France, 4-500 more lovely scenary or not are suddenly not as appealing (especially with kids in the back of the car!!) Of course, this alters significantly if you do the touristy thing and you can take time to stop and smell the coffee! Perhaps a stop at Le Mans or say, Orleans, if you're not going on the motorway. Then, Bordeaux, and then lastly, Biarritz, before heading to the border. Sounds crazy, but all part of the opportunity if you have the time and you like that sort of thing - and you will arrive at Irun nice and relaxed, as opposed to arriving (you and the car) steaming and stressed!!

Tallulah.x


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## bobtheboat

we take a toyota avensis to mazarron exactly 1400 mile each way cost us about 1400 ( takes into account euro rate) including fuel, two nights hotel. tunnel. takes us three days. we dont go mad french motorways are brilliant but costly. sometimes we go via andorra one time we caught the toour de france and the police shut the motorways with no diversion routes posted so we avoid that way now. 

this year i managed to get car for 2 months for 760 pounds thru avis promo so i am flying.

regards bob


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## cuevadame

Use ViaMichelin maps for the directions/costings and ADAC for your European Breakdown cover and you won't go far wrong. In France look for the 'Logis' sign for your (cheap) accommodation.

It's a great trip whichever route you take (avoid Paris though!) and you'll enjoy your adventure!


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## SunnySpain

IF you are serious about doing the coast of Galicia and want to see something worth seeing and by that I mean something quite special, then you should avoid drive straight down the coast motorway / national road from San Sebastian to La Coruna and then drive down to Vigo before taking the real motorway to Salamanca, not forgetting to stop off at Tally's mansion for a cup o tea -


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## Tallulah

SunnySpain said:


> IF you are serious about doing the coast of Galicia and want to see something worth seeing and by that I mean something quite special, then you should avoid drive straight down the coast motorway / national road from San Sebastian to La Coruna and then drive down to Vigo before taking the real motorway to Salamanca, not forgetting to stop off at Tally's mansion for a cup o tea -


:laugh: Based on the number of visitors we get, it's now listed as POI on all GPS systems. You nutter!!


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## SteveBarbosa

Tallulah said:


> GALICIA!!!:clap2: It's gorgeous.
> 
> I don't know what would happen if you turned left at Irun (the border) but if you turned right, it's phenomenal scenery - along the whole of that coast and you pass some great places to stop at, including the very well known San Sebastian beach. One thing I would say, having done the trip SSOOOOO many times over the years, and ultimately preferring San Sebastian - Burgos - Palencia - Benavente - Galicia, in other words, opting for good fast roads as opposed to wonderful scenary, coastal roads, is that after around 700 miles already covered going through France, 4-500 more lovely scenary or not are suddenly not as appealing (especially with kids in the back of the car!!) Of course, this alters significantly if you do the touristy thing and you can take time to stop and smell the coffee! Perhaps a stop at Le Mans or say, Orleans, if you're not going on the motorway. Then, Bordeaux, and then lastly, Biarritz, before heading to the border. Sounds crazy, but all part of the opportunity if you have the time and you like that sort of thing - and you will arrive at Irun nice and relaxed, as opposed to arriving (you and the car) steaming and stressed!!
> 
> Tallulah.x


Well, we were hoping to take it easy (no more than 3-4 hrs a day driving) but it all depends on how our 1 year old copes with the heat. Its by no means as hot over here in UK at the moment (30c) but she is already feeling aggravated at home.




cuevadame said:


> Use ViaMichelin maps for the directions/costings and ADAC for your European Breakdown cover and you won't go far wrong. In France look for the 'Logis' sign for your (cheap) accommodation.
> 
> It's a great trip whichever route you take (avoid Paris though!) and you'll enjoy your adventure!


What is ADAC if you can excuse my ignorance?!! How much does it cost approx for you?


Looks like the northern coast could be the winner then eh??!!


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## chrisnation

I bought a _diesel_ Jeep Cherokee specifically to go touring down thru' France & Spain. These tough, mechanically basic [cart springs at the rear!], manly vehicles can be picked up for about £2k for a really good one in UK. And once down in the £2k region, they hold their value if not beaten about. 

I sold Tonto l [1996/P], a Cherokee LTD with electric everything and never a moment's trouble, for £2250 after 7 years' ownership and 2 trips to France/Spain . Replaced it with Tonto ll [2000/W] Cherokee Anniversary [immac, electric almost everything, f.s.h.] for £2200. Those are the figures you’re looking for.

The 2.5 diesel will give you +/- 35 mpg on the m/way. The cams are shaft drive, so no worries about whether the last owner has done a belt change - at least as far as valves and pistons coming together in a disorderly rabble.

Make sure the a/c works before you leave. You're gonna need it. If the Jeep runs OK, but is due for a regular service, get it done in Spain. I saved so much on the ridiculous service costs of Jeep main agents in UK by getting Tonto 1 serviced [+ other important work] in Tarragona that the saving covered *1] *The return ferry *2] *All the diesel *3] *120 litres of Euro1.05/bott Valencia wine. I later found out that the Jeep main agent in Valencia was actually cheaper £/hr than Tarragona! And so helpful and efficient.

I made the mistake of avoiding the Autopista down the coast after the Barcelona freebie. What a nightmare! Dreadful road, all smashed up, all the trucks that should have been on the m/way, all the local traffic, passing through every town. Had made the same mistake earlier, up in France, by avoiding paying from southwest Brittany to near Cahors. As an ex-boatyard owner, I did not see the funny side of being stuck for many miles behind a wagon transporting a sizable boat.

Came back north on the pay-way and it was bliss. Just factor in the cost of these toll roads as part of your mental/physical health policy.

I don’t recommend swinging all that way east to Lyon Why not straighten out the bends by going A16 >A28 to Rouen.>le Mans>A10 Tours>Poitiers>N147 Limoges>A20 @Limoges >Toulouse A61>A9 Perpignan >Le Boulou.

Come off at Le Boulou, turn west >D115 Le Ceret and take the D115 all the way over the mountains into Spain, drop down and pick up the autopista at Girona. The trip over the mountains on this route is really spectacular. Right at the top is the old customs post, now a falling-down shed. On the rock wall opposite the shed is painted a vertical white line. On the French side of the line is painted an arrow pointing back the way you’ve come with ‘_Francia 75 kms_’ On the Spanish side is an arrow pointing south and ‘_Espagna 360 kms_’ That’s yer Catalans for ye. On the m/way to Barcelona is a huge rock with ‘_Free Catalonia_’ painted on it. Underneath, someone has replied in English _‘Why?’

_Happy trails!


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## ivorra

chrisnation said:


> I bought a _diesel_ Jeep Cherokee specifically to go touring down thru' France & Spain. These tough, mechanically basic [cart springs at the rear!], manly vehicles can be picked up for about £2k for a really good one in UK. And once down in the £2k region, they hold their value if not beaten about.
> 
> I sold Tonto l [1996/P], a Cherokee LTD with electric everything and never a moment's trouble, for £2250 after 7 years' ownership and 2 trips to France/Spain . Replaced it with Tonto ll [2000/W] Cherokee Anniversary [immac, electric almost everything, f.s.h.] for £2200. Those are the figures you’re looking for.
> 
> The 2.5 diesel will give you +/- 35 mpg on the m/way. The cams are shaft drive, so no worries about whether the last owner has done a belt change - at least as far as valves and pistons coming together in a disorderly rabble.
> 
> Make sure the a/c works before you leave. You're gonna need it. If the Jeep runs OK, but is due for a regular service, get it done in Spain. I saved so much on the ridiculous service costs of Jeep main agents in UK by getting Tonto 1 serviced [+ other important work] in Tarragona that the saving covered *1] *The return ferry *2] *All the diesel *3] *120 litres of Euro1.05/bott Valencia wine. I later found out that the Jeep main agent in Valencia was actually cheaper £/hr than Tarragona! And so helpful and efficient.
> 
> I made the mistake of avoiding the Autopista down the coast after the Barcelona freebie. What a nightmare! Dreadful road, all smashed up, all the trucks that should have been on the m/way, all the local traffic, passing through every town. Had made the same mistake earlier, up in France, by avoiding paying from southwest Brittany to near Cahors. As an ex-boatyard owner, I did not see the funny side of being stuck for many miles behind a wagon transporting a sizable boat.
> 
> Came back north on the pay-way and it was bliss. Just factor in the cost of these toll roads as part of your mental/physical health policy.
> 
> I don’t recommend swinging all that way east to Lyon Why not straighten out the bends by going A16 >A28 to Rouen.>le Mans>A10 Tours>Poitiers>N147 Limoges>A20 @Limoges >Toulouse A61>A9 Perpignan >Le Boulou.
> 
> Come off at Le Boulou, turn west >D115 Le Ceret and take the D115 all the way over the mountains into Spain, drop down and pick up the autopista at Girona. The trip over the mountains on this route is really spectacular. Right at the top is the old customs post, now a falling-down shed. On the rock wall opposite the shed is painted a vertical white line. On the French side of the line is painted an arrow pointing back the way you’ve come with ‘_Francia 75 kms_’ On the Spanish side is an arrow pointing south and ‘_Espagna 360 kms_’ That’s yer Catalans for ye. On the m/way to Barcelona is a huge rock with ‘_Free Catalonia_’ painted on it. Underneath, someone has replied in English _‘Why?’
> 
> _Happy trails!


Sounds like an excellent route BUT what does driving a Jeep Cherokee have to do with being "manly". Unless manhood depends on being seen behind the wheel of a gas quzzler of antiquated design made by a bankrupt US car company (now taken over by Fiat, making it therefore the "Fiat/Jeep Cherokee"). These insane SUVs jam and pollute the narrow but excellently paved streets of our part of Barcelona, presumably because the owners need them to boost their manhood. There is certainly nowhere to drive off-road except when parking on the pavement which they frequently do. Having made the return trip from Spain to UK four times in the last year in an ordinary family estate car I can assure you that off-road capability is not needed for this trip.


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## cuevadame

*Adac*



> What is ADAC if you can excuse my ignorance?!! How much does it cost approx for you?
> 
> Looks like the northern coast could be the winner then eh??!!



...........ADAC (German organisation) membership is around £70 for European cover for one year - the website is in English too which is a great help! If you need to phone them to get your membership sorted, they are very helpful but you should be able to complete it online......web link below:

The membership in ADAC

Good luck and have FUN!


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## phil481

The easiest way to find the cost of a route including tolls is to use one of the web sites such as the viaMichelin site where you can enter your preferences to avoid tolls or otherwise and tweak the route to your hearts content. Don't forget to add the appropriate ferry costs afterwards.

Buen viaje


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## chrisnation

*Steady on old chap/ess. Fact before furore*



ivorra said:


> Sounds like an excellent route BUT what does driving a Jeep Cherokee have to do with being "manly". Unless manhood depends on being seen behind the wheel of a gas quzzler of antiquated design made by a bankrupt US car company (now taken over by Fiat, making it therefore the "Fiat/Jeep Cherokee"). These insane SUVs jam and pollute the narrow but excellently paved streets of our part of Barcelona, presumably because the owners need them to boost their manhood. There is certainly nowhere to drive off-road except when parking on the pavement which they frequently do. Having made the return trip from Spain to UK four times in the last year in an ordinary family estate car I can assure you that off-road capability is not needed for this trip.


Driving a Jeep Cherokee has nothing to do with being manly. Whether I am or not when driving mine is neither here nor there. I care not a whit. Up close and personal with some toothsome female is where my manhood is on the line. I think there was an irony-free moment there, from our correspondent, whilst reading that bit.

A vehicle that does 35mpg on the m/way cruising at 75mph cannot be described as a gas-guzzler. I believ you must be thinking about the various petrol versions of these Jeeps, the Cherokee 4 litre and the V8 Grand Cherokee. And the big BMW/Merc/Volvo equivs. Gas guzzlers every one, to be sure. Wouldn't touch one with a barge pole. 

Whether any vehicle of any type drives or parks on a pavement is nothing to do with the vehicle and everything to do wth the nut behind the wheel. I never do it in my Jeep but 5 million Parisians do it every day in every car known to man. In fact, in my experience, from Calais to Peshawar, Pakistan, the smaller the car, the more likely it is to park on the pavement. 

And the Cherokee is not amongst the undoubtedly bloated beasts that so excercise the anti-SUV brigade. Get out your measuring stick or check it out on line but you'll find that a Cherokee is smaller both in length and width than a Mondeo estate. I went to the trouble of checking this out when a friend of mine started foaming at me for buying my Jeep, not realising that some vehicles that look similar in shape to other vehicles of which she deeply disapproves are not necessarily the same size. 

An of course, the fact that Chrysler went bust has no bearing on its merit, good or bad, as a vehicle either. R-Royces are VWs and Bentleys BMWs. Lotus is part of some Indian car manufacturer. So what? 

Ironically again, the Cherokee is not a 4x4! It has occasional 4x4 capability in some forms but unless modified by the mud-plugging mob, it is not recommended to engage 4x4 except on suitably loose or slippery surfaces. 

In sum then, the Cherokee is a Mondeo-sized estate car [as my insurance co describes it] giving reasonable mpg, a high level of equipment on most models, tough, easliy serviced, comfortable and very cheap to buy 2nd hand. It will sell for about the same as you bought it, even after years and 10's of 1000s of miles of ownership, as long as you don't beat it to bits. Just right for our man heading south. Now, who'se going to spring me the dosh for a Fiat Maranello - I mean Ferrari Maranello.


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## jojo

ivorra said:


> Sounds like an excellent route BUT what does driving a Jeep Cherokee have to do with being "manly". Unless manhood depends on being seen behind the wheel of a gas quzzler of antiquated design made by a bankrupt US car company (now taken over by Fiat, making it therefore the "Fiat/Jeep Cherokee"). These insane SUVs jam and pollute the narrow but excellently paved streets of our part of Barcelona, presumably because the owners need them to boost their manhood. There is certainly nowhere to drive off-road except when parking on the pavement which they frequently do. Having made the return trip from Spain to UK four times in the last year in an ordinary family estate car I can assure you that off-road capability is not needed for this trip.


If any country needs 4x4s or jeeps or SUVs its Spain!!! I made the big mistake of buying a citroen picasso when we first moved here, I cant wait til it eventually falls apart so that I can get a great big rugged 4x4 that will cope with the diabolical roads and tracks that I have to drive on daily... even the towns and main routes have those ridiculous metal speed bumps that have taken the bottom off my car twice so far, and no I dont drive fast, apparenty my bottom drags!!!!! LOL

Jo xxx


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## Suenneil

jojo said:


> If any country needs 4x4s or jeeps or SUVs its Spain!!! I made the big mistake of buying a citroen picasso when we first moved here, I cant wait til it eventually falls apart so that I can get a great big rugged 4x4 that will cope with the diabolical roads and tracks that I have to drive on daily... even the towns and main routes have those ridiculous metal speed bumps that have taken the bottom off my car twice so far, and no I dont drive fast, apparenty my bottom drags!!!!! LOL
> 
> Jo xxx


ha ha ha !! mine too Jo I think !

sue x


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## SteveBarbosa

chrisnation said:


> Driving a Jeep Cherokee has nothing to do with being manly. Whether I am or not when driving mine is neither here nor there. I care not a whit. Up close and personal with some toothsome female is where my manhood is on the line. I think there was an irony-free moment there, from our correspondent, whilst reading that bit.
> 
> A vehicle that does 35mpg on the m/way cruising at 75mph cannot be described as a gas-guzzler. I believ you must be thinking about the various petrol versions of these Jeeps, the Cherokee 4 litre and the V8 Grand Cherokee. And the big BMW/Merc/Volvo equivs. Gas guzzlers every one, to be sure. Wouldn't touch one with a barge pole.
> 
> Whether any vehicle of any type drives or parks on a pavement is nothing to do with the vehicle and everything to do wth the nut behind the wheel. I never do it in my Jeep but 5 million Parisians do it every day in every car known to man. In fact, in my experience, from Calais to Peshawar, Pakistan, the smaller the car, the more likely it is to park on the pavement.
> 
> And the Cherokee is not amongst the undoubtedly bloated beasts that so excercise the anti-SUV brigade. Get out your measuring stick or check it out on line but you'll find that a Cherokee is smaller both in length and width than a Mondeo estate. I went to the trouble of checking this out when a friend of mine started foaming at me for buying my Jeep, not realising that some vehicles that look similar in shape to other vehicles of which she deeply disapproves are not necessarily the same size.
> 
> An of course, the fact that Chrysler went bust has no bearing on its merit, good or bad, as a vehicle either. R-Royces are VWs and Bentleys BMWs. Lotus is part of some Indian car manufacturer. So what?
> 
> Ironically again, the Cherokee is not a 4x4! It has occasional 4x4 capability in some forms but unless modified by the mud-plugging mob, it is not recommended to engage 4x4 except on suitably loose or slippery surfaces.
> 
> In sum then, the Cherokee is a Mondeo-sized estate car [as my insurance co describes it] giving reasonable mpg, a high level of equipment on most models, tough, easliy serviced, comfortable and very cheap to buy 2nd hand. It will sell for about the same as you bought it, even after years and 10's of 1000s of miles of ownership, as long as you don't beat it to bits. Just right for our man heading south. Now, who'se going to spring me the dosh for a Fiat Maranello - I mean Ferrari Maranello.


However manly I am or am not you've happened to garner my interest in this Jeep. I need to goggle an image of it and start looking and researching it up PDQ as I am off in a months time. Yes, that gas guzzling 330 sport doing at best 34mpg, at worst 25mpg. Hell, its even an impractical car for what we're using it for (in tow with a baby, bikes, camping gear). Its just cos I havent got much choice havign spent nearly 3k on it recently to get it fixed (double ouch!!!).

Whats the storage space like on these Jeeps then?


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## chrisnation

One of the criticisms of the Cherokee is that the 'boot' [with back seat in up mode] is rather small for the size of the car and the rear seat does not split. Added to which, the spare officially lives in that space - and Jeep wheels are big [but the tyres are not expensive, about £60 ea]. I was on my own and devoid of babies and bikes - but I did have camping gear and several boxes of books. For load-carrying, a European-designed estate car will be much more capacious and more suitable for a family with camping gear and bikes. Volvo estates come big and cheap, too.

I thought I might sleep in the back of the Jeep so I removed the seat of the rear seat - easy: one clip on one side, slides out of a channel the other ~ 15 secs. I had the full length of the load bay right to the backs of the front seats [if you follow me] and kept the load bay as clear of bits as poss for a] security b] not having to move loads of stuff if I wanted to kip down. My remedy for keeping gear out of sight was a roof box with a pair of s/s strops [6mm rigging wire, eyes at both ends] running through a U-bolt on the centre of the lid of the box and padlocked down to the adjustment holes in the roof bar rails. Your local friendly yacht rigger will make the strops up for you. Measurements are critical, for this. Position everything and use string templates for the s/s strops.

If I was in your situation and had decided a Jeep was it, I'd get a second set of roof bars [I got a second set from a 4x4 specialist scrappie in Glastonbury, £75 inc p & p [Jeep wanted £300!], mount the roof box well forward so there is room to put the spare on the bars behind the box. I measured all this up and works. The tailgate might bump up against the tyre but it will be above horizontal when it does.

Irrespective of what estate car you use [if you do], security is a major issue for these vehicles. Pull-over fabric covers or fold-over boards that estate cars come with to screen the load bay are soon rendered useless by heaps of holiday/baby gear. Sad to say that in my experience the coast of Spain is infested with North Africans stealing stuff from cars. I had a bag [fortunately with nothing of value in it] nicked from the passenger seat next to me while I was sitting in the driver’s seat! A skilful couple of likely lads from Morocco. 

The Jeep is a great 2-up long distance tourer or 5-seater regular local wheels. There are plenty of roads in Spain where the agricultural-spec suspension, huge ground clearance, let alone the occasional 4x4 ability, will come in handy. No low-slung bum on Tonto, Jo-Jo! So, bearing in mind what Bette Davis said in “All About Eve” – “fasten your seat belts. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.” you girls might find you need to change into a sports bra every time you want to go for a ride …


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