# Driving through France to Spain



## Maureen47 (Mar 27, 2014)

Hi All, we are doing some planning and I wondered if anyone has any experience of driving from the Euro Tunnel through France to Spain with a 7.5 tonne truck. We are using our truck to move our goods and chattels and will be travelling in convoy with me in the car with the dogs. We are using the tunnel to allow us to stay with the dogs although we will be separated on the train due to the truck being in freight. We plan one overnight having had an overnight in Folkstone prior to travelling to allow an early start and a full day through France. 

I know there are dog friendly hotels but the problem is the truck and being able to park.

We are being flexible on the journey and if we have to do 2 overnights then that's fine too just a bit concerned about parking the truck at overnight stops.

Would really appreciate any knowledge or experience anyone has of this journey.

Many Thanks


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## Gareth54 (Nov 8, 2014)

This site may help.

HGV information for France | About-France.com


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## Maureen47 (Mar 27, 2014)

Gareth54 said:


> This site may help.
> 
> HGV information for France | About-France.com


Thanks Gareth that was really helpful, have a bit of plan coming together now 

Overnight in Folkstone, early tunnel crossing , overnight 20 clics south of Bordeaux and then late arrival in Spain the next day. The French drive is one we know well (we are not going the Paris route !) and the Spain side we have done a couple of times. We plan to go with the flow and see how the dogs are, they normally travel really well and it will be November so at least no heat issues. I realise we will get separated in the tunnel crossing due to the truck being in freight but hoping we can park up somewhere when we get off to get back in convoy and let the dogs out. 

Does anyone know if its possible to stop within the tunnel complex on the France side ?


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## ccm47 (Oct 15, 2013)

Are you both able and willing to drive the lorry? If not your tacho will limit the distance you can travel each day!

Also remember there are many places where lorries may not overtake for many kms, hence the convoys of lorries.

Having stopped at Belin-Beliet (south of Bordeaux), we stopped overnight at Zaragoza before going on to south of Alicante. We could never have done the journey in one day from Berlin.


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## ccm47 (Oct 15, 2013)

Belin, not Berlin, ruddy autocorrect!


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## Bapom (Jan 1, 2015)

We just come back from Spain ,we were traveling by car . We used the ferry and started from Dunkirk.
We were traveling from our home in UK to our home in Spain 30 hours ,including 5 hours breaks, but without night in the hotel,because one of us could sleep in the car whilst the other drove. The Roads in France and Spain are packed with lorries,especially during the days and their motorways have mostly only 2 lines. All motorways in France and some in Spain are tolls, for one way traveling by car it was cost 130 euros. We did see at the service in France some hotels but hardly one in Spain. If you would like some more information please ask.


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## Maureen47 (Mar 27, 2014)

Bapom said:


> We just come back from Spain ,we were traveling by car . We used the ferry and started from Dunkirk.
> We were traveling from our home in UK to our home in Spain 30 hours ,including 5 hours breaks, but without night in the hotel,because one of us could sleep in the car whilst the other drove. The Roads in France and Spain are packed with lorries,especially during the days and their motorways have mostly only 2 lines. All motorways in France and some in Spain are tolls, for one way traveling by car it was cost 130 euros. We did see at the service in France some hotels but hardly one in Spain. If you would like some more information please ask.


Thank you , we are trying to work through the best options at the moment , the driving time from Calais is just over 20 hrs , with the truck you are allowed 10 hrs max on 2 days per week to keep legal with the tacho but with 2 dogs with me in the car in convoy and average speed low that will most likely be a lot more for us . We have found a hotel near Bordeaux but even that maybe too much on the first day. We are expecting the toll fees , its a one way trip so can take it easy if required. I guess we will do a close inspection of the French route and try and find various stop options on the way and see how we get on. We have done the Bordeaux route in a day before but in the car and not with dogs. The dogs travel well but we want to make the journey a pleasant start to our new adventure so the research continues , thank you for your reply


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## Maureen47 (Mar 27, 2014)

ccm47 said:


> Are you both able and willing to drive the lorry? If not your tacho will limit the distance you can travel each day!
> 
> Also remember there are many places where lorries may not overtake for many kms, hence the convoys of lorries.
> 
> Having stopped at Belin-Beliet (south of Bordeaux), we stopped overnight at Zaragoza before going on to south of Alicante. We could never have done the journey in one day from Berlin.


Thank you , we are still planning and any help from folks who have done the drive is really helpful, we can both drive the truck but I am not so keen to in France or Spain !


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## ccm47 (Oct 15, 2013)

Personally I prefer driving the lorry and towing in both France and Spain. Outside of the cities the roads are, in general a lot quieter and it makes sense to me to have the steering wheel on the kerbside so that on roads where they allow cyclists I know absolutely where they are before turning off. Also I'm less inclined to push my luck when overtaking.


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## fevmor (Jan 10, 2014)

Hi

Drove our 3.5t horse lorry through France twice with our animals and a 6.5t once with most of the rest of the farm down to our new place in Northern Spain from Wales but via the Ferry to Calais.
Found the truck stops felt very safe and were well looked after, the road system was really easy to drive on and the miles flew by. Avoided the Paris route and only bad bit was the road works around Rouen.


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## Maureen47 (Mar 27, 2014)

Phew its a 16 hour drive not a 20 hour drive , had included the trip to Folkstone in the calculation , its maybe doable with one overnight with the first overnight near the tunnel to allow for an early start , can you tell we are excited for our move !


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## ccm47 (Oct 15, 2013)

I'm not trying to be negative here but what speed are you working on as a projected average for the lorry?
We used to work on 50 mph for ours as in places with rocades such as Bordeaux you may be lucky to do a consistent 40. In November the lorries going to and from Spain will be full of fruit and veg for the shops so will not have eased off, if anything they will have increased as continental crops will have finished cropping and Spain can supply the markets.
16 x 50 only equals 800 mi!es, covered not enough to get you much beyond the Spanish border I think.


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## Maureen47 (Mar 27, 2014)

ccm47 said:


> I'm not trying to be negative here but what speed are you working on as a projected average for the lorry?
> We used to work on 50 mph for ours as in places with rocades such as Bordeaux you may be lucky to do a consistent 40. In November the lorries going to and from Spain will be full of fruit and veg for the shops so will not have eased off, if anything they will have increased as continental crops will have finished cropping and Spain can supply the markets.
> 16 x 50 only equals 800 mi!es, covered not enough to get you much beyond the Spanish border I think.


You are absolutely right , back to the drawing board ! We can realistically cover 40mph with the truck traffic permitting, the miles are 1062 so will just break it down and do overnights accordingly ! Planning as we speak


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## Cyberia (Apr 10, 2015)

Euro Tunnel? I thought they didn't even like big 4x4's let along lorries.

I have driven across France and Spain a number of times and it costs a fortune in tolls. Go on free roads and you will quickly wish you had not.

Be aware that you may have trouble getting fuel on Sundays. In France there are 24 hour pumps but they are only for those of us who have French credit cards.

There are non motorway sections. Pull into a supermarket, fill up with cheap fuel and food and drink, maybe have something to eat. The first stop for many heading that way is Neufchatel-en-Bray, in Normandy, some 114 miles from the Calais ferries. Take the south (2nd) exit and double back down to the town. Down the hill, past the Bully turn off and turn left (by the car show room, if still there) then past Aldi, past Lidl to LeClerc which has fuel as well as a good supermarket. There is also a McDonalds if you want something hot.

Note. People who have slept in their vehicles in official parking and picnic areas have sometimes woke up next morning to find all their valuables gone as thieves introduce a gas hose into their sleeping area with carbon monoxide or whatever. They are very skilled at what they do.

Another scam is to have people in another car point as though something is wrong with your vehicle. You stop and while they keep you busy, others steal what they can. 

Take plenty of water with you. Spain is a country full of mountains and there is one in particular where my old car, fully loaded, really struggled up it as it was a very steep climb for miles.

Do watch out for holiday days where many places will be shut.

I don't know if this is advisable but maybe leave the dogs in the vehicle overnight to stop it being robbed? I stop for accommodation when I have had enough driving for one day.

Do make sure you have a warning triangle, spare bulbs, etc. A fluorescent jacket too.

And of course a good road atlas, having pre planned your route.


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## ccm47 (Oct 15, 2013)

Cyberia I take it that you do not have a lorry to take through France?
1. Euro tunnel has a dedicated Freight section. Perhaps the 4 x 4 you refer to should have used that.
2. Lorries are not allowed on French roads from 22h Sat to 22h Sun unless they have livestock or non refrigerated fresh produce. The same applies to jour feries. So your comments about Sunday will not apply.
3. I'm nearly certain that the petrol pump problem went away with the arrival of chip and pin but as I have cards from UK, France and Spain I won't be checking.
4. We find the free roads in France, really quite good especially the one from Poitiers to Angouleme and then Bordeaux. This is signed as the E5 and continues on down to Bayonne and beyond. When driving a lorry speed is not of the essence.


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## Cyberia (Apr 10, 2015)

Yes, there are some free roads joining the toll roads and in general traffic flows fairly easily, though I have found it slow around Poitiers.

Going anywhere near Madrid? That is a nightmare for traffic and I aim to get there very late in the evening, then it is just a matter of making sure you take the right roads on the ring road, which is not as easy as it sounds.


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## Maureen47 (Mar 27, 2014)

Thanks for all the advice , we have driven through France many times and Spain less so , if it were just us in the car with the dogs it would be fine , just trying to plan ahead for the truck, I don't mind the tolls , its a one way one off trip with the truck so we will take the hit. The tunnel as another poster states does have a freight section so that's all ok.

We would take the ferry but there are no dog spaces available on the Santander route when we want to travel and it appears that on the other routes the dogs have to stay in the vehicle and I am not too keen on that , unless anyone has used the St Malo route and can advise otherwise ?


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## Phil-H (Feb 9, 2015)

It's been a 'very looong time' since I last hired a 7.5 ton van in the UK on a ordinary driving licence but it did not have or need a tachograph.

So my question basically is, are 7.5 ton vehicles now required to have a tachograph fitted?


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## Maureen47 (Mar 27, 2014)

Phil-H said:


> It's been a 'very looong time' since I last hired a 7.5 ton van in the UK on a ordinary driving licence but it did not have or need a tachograph.
> 
> So my question basically is, are 7.5 ton vehicles now required to have a tachograph fitted?


I am not sure if its a legal requirement but we have always used a tacho on the truck whilst driving in the UK and Europe.


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## Phil-H (Feb 9, 2015)

As I said, it was a long time ago and all I can remember was being told I was able to drive a 7.5 ton van on a ordinary licence because it was a hire vehicle.
Maybe it's different if you own the vehicle (I don't know) which is why I'm asking and maybe also help anyone else who might also be wondering.


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## Cyberia (Apr 10, 2015)

maureen47 said:


> Thanks for all the advice , we have driven through France many times and Spain less so , if it were just us in the car with the dogs it would be fine , just trying to plan ahead for the truck, I don't mind the tolls , its a one way one off trip with the truck so we will take the hit. The tunnel as another poster states does have a freight section so that's all ok.
> 
> We would take the ferry but there are no dog spaces available on the Santander route when we want to travel and it appears that on the other routes the dogs have to stay in the vehicle and I am not too keen on that , unless anyone has used the St Malo route and can advise otherwise ?



There are companies that will transport dogs for you, but fairly expensive and a few have bad reviews.


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## ccm47 (Oct 15, 2013)

Maureen47, we've used the St Malo route several times as its much handier for us.
There are kennels on board for both large and small dogs which are charged accordingly.
You can pop bedding, food and water in with them too.
You can visit them at least twice during the journey. Owners meet up at an agreed time at the information point and then one of the crew takes you down in the otherwise locked lift. Very often the crew leave you down there to make your own way back as you can take them for a leg stretch round the back of the deck as the lift remains accessible and the crew person has only limited time available for the visit.
Once in St Malo you will not be asked to show the dogs' passport.


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## Maureen47 (Mar 27, 2014)

ccm47 said:


> Maureen47, we've used the St Malo route several times as its much handier for us.
> There are kennels on board for both large and small dogs which are charged accordingly.
> You can pop bedding, food and water in with them too.
> You can visit them at least twice during the journey. Owners meet up at an agreed time at the information point and then one of the crew takes you down in the otherwise locked lift. Very often the crew leave you down there to make your own way back as you can take them for a leg stretch round the back of the deck as the lift remains accessible and the crew person has only limited time available for the visit.
> Once in St Malo you will not be asked to show the dogs' passport.


Many Thanks for this , the St Malo route makes Bordeaux achievable in a day as from the ferry website it states its 325 miles to there from St Malo , I feel better about hem being in a kennel and visits available , wasn't keen on in the vehicle for 10 hrs + , I have been looking at Brittany Ferries , was that the route you used ?


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## Maureen47 (Mar 27, 2014)

Cyberia said:


> There are companies that will transport dogs for you, but fairly expensive and a few have bad reviews.


Thanks , we are driving anyway so would rather take them myself


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## ccm47 (Oct 15, 2013)

Maureen47, yes it was Brittany Ferries.Condor can be a pain because they can and do ask everybody to get off and then reload at Guernsey. We've also known them to downsize vessels for the second part of the journey.
With Brittany you have to phone to make the freight booking, if I remember rightly.
You can also book the dog as a lorry passenger. Portsmouth Harbour authorities got a bit snotty with us but Brittany said in their Ts and Cs it was Ok, and it was.
All dogs are now supposed to be muzzled whilst in the confines of the port.
A good grassy leg stretch area can be found at Tescos, Cosham on the A27 but just at the top of the M271.


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## Maureen47 (Mar 27, 2014)

ccm47 said:


> Maureen47, yes it was Brittany Ferries.Condor can be a pain because they can and do ask everybody to get off and then reload at Guernsey. We've also known them to downsize vessels for the second part of the journey.
> With Brittany you have to phone to make the freight booking, if I remember rightly.
> You can also book the dog as a lorry passenger. Portsmouth Harbour authorities got a bit snotty with us but Brittany said in their Ts and Cs it was Ok, and it was.
> All dogs are now supposed to be muzzled whilst in the confines of the port.
> A good grassy leg stretch area can be found at Tescos, Cosham on the A27 but just at the top of the M271.


Thank you , I spoke to a very helpful lady at Brittany Ferries today and found out we may be able to get the long crossing as the dates beyond those on the web at present are due to be released end of July and I will now get an email alert , if we can get a dog friendly cabin we will go for that and have less driving in Spain , sailings to Le Harve also have dog friendly options so that's another to consider , we have to book the truck and my car and the dogs so its going to be an expensive one but a one off so all ok. At least it gets the things I want to bring to Spain there and we can plan the journey well to make it as stress free as possible. I hope we get a place on the Santander route because despite the wretched Bay of Biscay it means much less driving. 490 miles from Santander to or destination. The dogs are regular and good travellers but have not been on an overnight ferry but I guess if they are in the cabin with us and we have access to the dog deck then they should be fine , they are hounds so they sleep a lot !

Brittany Ferries were most helpful but its 10p a min plus network charges so speak quickly if you ring them !


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## Kezar001 (Mar 29, 2014)

So how bad is the bay of biscay? How would October likely to be?


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## Maureen47 (Mar 27, 2014)

Kezar001 said:


> So how bad is the bay of biscay? How would October likely to be?


It can be bad I understand , depends on what your sea legs are like ,on an early Nov trip my husband struggled and spent all day in bed having thrown up all night , I was ok and spent the day upstairs. On the return trip it was worse , husband had taken sickness pills and stayed in bed for the whole crossing , I didn't sleep too well and we were delayed by 5 hrs as the boat stopped due to the weather , it was one of those where it rocked and dropped , not a pleasant experience. I have been in the Summer when it has been fine , but the Bay of Biscay has a reputation for a potentially rough crossing particularly in the Winter. You can check the weather but by then you are already booked and its too late but at least you know what to expect. Plan for potential delays in arrival times in the autumn winter as often it slows the crossing.

Its ok if you are not overly troubled by sea sickness and can do as my husband does , take the pills and try and sleep through it. Not sure how my dogs are going to be ! They travel well normally and don't tend to be sick but who knows , may have to ask the vet for some advice .


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## smitty5668 (Feb 25, 2015)

Kezar001 said:


> So how bad is the bay of biscay? How would October likely to be?


sailed it four times can be flat calm or gale force winds. pay your money and take your chance.


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## Kezar001 (Mar 29, 2014)

Sounds like the tunnel for me and driving on flat calm roads!😊


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## Fincaman (May 3, 2015)

Nobody has yet mentioned the dangers, and as we've experienced robbers twice on that journey through Spain I thought I should mention it. Motorways seem the worst places, especially the Madrid ringroad. Once our tyre was stabbed at a service station, then we were tailed until it burst, and robbed by fake repairmen as we changed the tyre. The other time we were flagged down by fake police holding a police badge out of their car window, and when we suspected the worst and failed to stop they tried to force us on to the hard shoulder. This time I just swerved past them and really put my foot down until they disappeared from the rear view.


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## Cyberia (Apr 10, 2015)

Fincaman. That is some bad stuff there, aimed I would guess at the holiday traffic from northern Europe. The road from Madrid to Benidorm and Alicante are favourites. Maybe try a different route next time? 


Going south, I've hit Madrid very, very late at night and few cars about on the Ring Road and elsewhere.


If you have to get out of the car at any public place, lock the door and if there are others with you, dedicate someone trustworthy to keep an eye on it at all times.


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## Maureen47 (Mar 27, 2014)

I hope our journey is trouble free as previous journeys have been , we don't intend to take the Madrid route and will be travelling from early evening into the night. We plan to stop early in the morning for breakfast and a dog walk but given there are 2 vehicles and 2 of us there can always be one of us with the vehicles and 2 dogs who woof at strangers !. Its a scary thought this journey !


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## Cyberia (Apr 10, 2015)

I travel till past midnight before finding a hotel. I have no problem with driving for endless hours but always fear falling asleep at the wheel, and it happens at strange times, usually a number of times in the day time where I have to stop and walk about a bit. Take some thermos flasks of coffee. You can refill them at garages.


Even planning the route and a good map doesn't always help with road signs being bad at times. I did get temporarily lost in Madrid one year and another time was north of the Ring Road, going north and I wanted to go right so I got in the right lane and at the last moment noticed the destination I wanted on a late board on the left hand side. A quick change of lanes (hardly any traffic) and the left lane swerved under the right land and headed right while the right lane headed left. Duh.


Take some good torches, and have spare wheels and jacks within reach if you need them and not buried under stuff. Some bottles of water is handy too as there are some very steep hills involved.


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## Fincaman (May 3, 2015)

I agree with all three there, and we have learned from the experiences. Above all, if you should break down on a motorway, or you have to change a wheel, always insist that your co-driver stays in the car and locks the doors, regardless of whether they feel they should be coming to your aid. That would have overcome one of the instances completely. Remember, too, that these guys do target susceptible cars, and we were driving an almost-new French-reg BMW.


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## Simon.J (May 1, 2015)

Wow this is all good news, we are also driving to the tunnel and then through France to Spain. So far just planning how far to go each day but this has been good info.


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## Cyberia (Apr 10, 2015)

Something to keep an eye on when taking dogs into Europe:


Ticks from Europe spread disease threat to pets and owners after controls relaxed | Daily Mail Online

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