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We are hoping to drive from UK to Motril this summer in our 3-seater Transit.

At present things are very much in the planning stage, though.  Crossing from Folkstone to Calais then working our way down via the A28 or AP-7 (Googled!)

We plan to take our tent and break the journey en route, the plan being the son can sleep in the van and we will have the tent.  We are hoping to rent an apartment for 7 - 10 days on arrival in Motril.

Any suggestions and advice would be more than welcome! 

Glenys

Don't stay overnight on service areas in Spain!  We met a couple who were robbed in a service area near Valencia, and according to the Spanish police were just one of nine vehicles which had been 'done' that day.  Take an extra pop up tent and stay on proper campsites and you'll be safer - as well as having somewhere to sit outside and have a proper break.  You can also take the opportunity to fill up in supermarket fuel stations near the campsite, rather than at the much more expensive service stations on the autoroutes.   In France you can save up to 20 cents a litre in the supermarket fuel stations.  I imagine your van isnt' the most economical so this could make quite a saving on such a long journey.

It's an awful long way to drive for perhaps only seven days in Motril, but no doubt you know that - and I think if you're going in high season, you'd be better booking your apartment before you go rather than hoping to find somewhere when you arrive.

To be honest, if it were me, and I were planning to stay in an apartment at my final destination, then I think I'd cost up a budget flight and car hire - which you may find is considerably cheaper than the fuel and tolls to drive down through France and Spain.  We always use non-toll roads, but then we don't have 'to be somewhere' - we've our caravan on the back and can stay just where and when we please rather than having to get to a particular site (or apartment) for a particular day.  If you make the journey part of the holiday then it's fine to just meander - but if I were faced with a drive of 2050 kilometres each way I think I'd just want 'to get there'.

We are doing it because we want to see more of the areas we would normally fly over!  As I said, it's only in the early planning stages as yet and the non-toll roads are certainly an option.  We've priced, albeit roughly, the different options and there is very little to choose between.  The rental of the apartment for 3 weeks would be in the region of £750; flights £400; car hire £1,000(for smallest available vehicle).  It's really swings and roundabouts.  I am apprehensive but it's a challenge before we get too old to do it.

When we camp in UK the son always sleeps in the van rather than a tent.  Would this be a problem on the continent?  We would definitely be looking at breaking our journey at campsites and thank you for that advice.  One part of me is thinking "That's a bit scarey" and the other part is saying "Just like the UK then..."  We may even decide not to do the apartment but to just spend the three weeks camping.  It is only in the planning stage!

Hi Glenys - driving through France is lovely - and there are some great campsites everywhere - over 11,000 of them, so you'd have no problems finding great places to stop.  I don't think it would be at all a problem your son sleeping in the van - French campsites tend to be less-regulated than British ones anyway.  Just get yourself a good campsite guide - Le Guide Officiel - available on Camping France is one of the most comprehensive with every campsite in, but not much detail.  The Caravan Europe 1 is good too - if you can pick up a copy, it doesn't 'date' too much.

You'll find France much more 'camper' friendly I think - and should be able to find sites without booking.  Most towns have a municipal site, ideal for stop-overs.

I didn't realise you were planning a three week holiday - so even with the stay over you should have time to do some decent sight-seeing on the way down and back.  We always make our journey part of our holiday - and have stayed overnight at some lovely places that have since become favourites to go back for much longer.

Any ideas of dates?  France tends to be busier between the 13th July and 13th August - before and after that campsites generally are fairly quiet, with some exceptions, obviously.  Ferries - Norfolk Line is good at the moment, but I see P and O are offering £20.00 crossings, if booked before 2nd February.

The son, John, leaves school this summer.  We'll be looking to leave here (NW) on 10th July and driving down for the ferry.  Just as the busy time hits France!  Ho-hum.  I was thinking if we had at least 2 overnight stays in France and maybe one in Spain (although I've no idea what the Spanish camp-sites are like).  It may be the last time the "baby" of the family wants to come on holiday with mum & dad so we want to make it memorable. 

There's a camp-site near the apartments that we stayed in last year, so it's a possibility that we could book there rather than rent an apartment. (Don Cactus Camping, Carchuna) Bit regimental but very popular with the Spanish.  There's also the availability to simply camp up on the beach as several motorhome owners did last year.