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Done that way (but from Cherbourg) - Bourge Madame, on the French/Spanish border, is an interesting place.  You go up the main street, and half way up the signs change from French to Spanish - it's really quite strange.  At the bottom of the street is a Coiffeur, and at the top of the street there's a Peluquero!  I wonder what they used to do when the currency was different in each country (keep a pocket of each???)

Tom n gill- are you stopping over on the way down - if so where? I'm thinking of Lyon. Normally we have to do the majority of the journey on the first day as the second day we have to allow plenty of time to put up the tent, get provisions. explore etc all before dark. However ( and I will have to whisper this .........this year we are going to stay in a mobile home for the first time!)

This means  we can break up the journey into more half and half.

P.S- Val I've only just seen your earlier post- those figures are quite scary! I've been weighing up everyones thoughts and will have to discuss it with His nibs- but am now toying with calais-orleans- limoges- toulouse- ax-bourg madame-berga-manresa-Vilanova

I may look into a b/b etap whatever around Cahors- the French Duck website reckons you can do Calais- Cahors in 7 hours. I think I will take anothher look at mappy.com or michelin too and see what they say too.

thanks everyone

P. P. S/ Fao Tom n Gill

We may not be so daft after all!

Ferry with trailer , 4 bikes and windsurfer approx £200

Tolls and diesel £224- total --- £424

Easy jet flights for 4, taxes etc, 4 bikes, windsurfer, car hire- total £1,070.76

Cahors is a lovely place for an overnight stop.  There are some chain hotels on the way in (we stayed north of there, last year, at Domaine de la Faurie and went into or through Cahors two or three times) - but a more interesting option would be a Logis in the town, so you can see the Pont de Valentre and walk across it when it's lit up at night - lovely!!!  You may find that you can book a nice Logis de France there for about the same price as a budget hotel.  You have to take the autoroute junction 57 and drive into Cahors, then exit south on to junction 58. 

If you don't quite get that far (7 hours sounds a bit optimistic to me) then Brive just a bit to the north is another option.

Have a great time - the route through Bourge Madame is lovely - and the service area right at the top has great 360 degree views (and excellent baguettes!!).

We're off, too, on 23rd May - and like you are 'making it up as we go along'!  We've a vague idea of where we might be heading, weather permitting, but have been known to change things as we actually get off the ferry!

Have a good trip.

We've done the Toulouse/Foix/Bourge Madame route towing, yes - down to Cambrils, with three teenage boys in the back.  We had no problems, but did spend a fortune on the aforementioned baguettes as each boy probably filled up on three!  This was after a Cherbourg crossing, and when we were in more of a hurry to get there than we are these days, on our own! 

We usually do Clermont Ferrand/Millau/ Perpignan to Cambrils - because we love that road.   We know it so well now, and have overnighted in many different places at various stops en-route.   We also love the Gorges du Tarn area, so like last September, if the weather is good, we tend to hang around in that area.  This year we're vaguely planning to stop in the Dordogne, and use our canoe - but it's still only vague!  Otherwise, like you it may be the Ardeche (again, another of our favourite areas) and then perhaps down to the med - or like you, if the weather is bad we may go back to Spain!   We've just used up the last of our Ebro Delta rice, which is absolutely delicious, and almost worth a trip back for!