# Driving to Portugal from Sussex



## mullum (Sep 16, 2011)

I'm going to Portugal beginning of August and thinking about driving there, whole trip 2 weeks (not rigid).
If driving from West Sussex, what would be the best way to cross the channel? Ferry from Newhaven to Dieppe? Eurotunnel? Ferry from elsewhere?

And driving through France and Spain, is there a preferred route? I don't mind the journey being a part of the trip, I'll be camping so stopping off along the way is doable. Perhaps a different route on the way back?

My concerns are : I've never driven in Europe, I've never prepared the car for driving in Europe (and I'll be in 3 different countries at least!), my car drinks a lot! Plus all the breakdown and insurance complications ...

EasyJet or mk1 TT coupe (225)?


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## corradoman (Sep 11, 2010)

its easy mullum, I drove to the greek isles from north wales in a VW transporter that I converted into a day van myself, it was great fun but no air con in august nearly did me and my wife in, Take the Eurotunnel its simple and quick, we stopped in france overnight then drove to annemasse and stayed. then through mont blanc, and through Italy to ancona then took the ferry to patras then another ferry to zante, then stayed for a few days did a bit of travelling then plodded back up to meet some friends in france and camped, epic journey :lol:


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## mullum (Sep 16, 2011)

Sounds great, I've camped in the UK with the TT so it should be ok. I've got a seat delete so it's just a case of leaving the subwoofer at home.
An aircon re-gas will be booked!
I'm just wondering what the advantages and disadvantages of ferries vs tunnel. 
Especially from down here on the south coast. The boat from Newhaven is a relatively short drive, whereas the tunnel (and other ferries) are much further. 
I'm wondering if the extra time driving is saved by crossing the channel via the tunnel (or indeed the other ferries)? And whether the landing point in France makes much difference? Best time to travel? (The cheaper tickets are later in the day).


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## brittan (May 18, 2007)

Other ferries to consider would be Portsmouth to Santander or Bilbao. Longer crossing but all your travel is in the general direction of Portugal. 
The Bay of Biscay has a reputation for being a bit lumpy though - you'll know what to expect if they start strapping your car down during loading!

Euro tunnel is very easy and quick and you drive off straight onto main routes so no faffing around finding your way out of the docks or surrounding town though the routes are well signed.

If you travel late into France then your first stop should be close to Calais. There's all sorts of choice from chain hotels, B&Bs, various chains of very basic but cheap rooms (Isis, Campanile, Formule 1 etc) and small hotels which can be very nice since they are essentially French. That gives you a good start the following morning and limits night driving while you get used to driving on the right. 
In rural France beware of La priorité à droite although on most major routes it is now discontinued and indicated by the yellow Diamond sign.


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## Spandex (Feb 20, 2009)

mullum said:


> I'm wondering if the extra time driving is saved by crossing the channel via the tunnel (or indeed the other ferries)? And whether the landing point in France makes much difference? Best time to travel? (The cheaper tickets are later in the day).


I think if you're very close to Newhaven, there's not much in it between the two routes. If you go via the tunnel you're going to end up coming back down past Dieppe anyway, so the landing point isn't going to make much difference either. It might just come down to cost and whether you'd rather spend 4 hours driving or sitting on a ferry.

It's been a while since I was down that way, but I've camped in Archachon (near Bordeaux) which is near enough on your route and it's a really nice area. The monster sand dune at Pilat just outside Arcachon is worth seeing too.


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## mighTy Tee (Jul 10, 2002)

Drive there, I would seriously look at Portsmouth routes via Caen or Cherbourg as it is straight down France from there and avoids Paris. If you go Dieppe or Calais route IMO you are adding unnecessary miles. If you go Portmouth to Spain then you will miss a lot of scenery, especially the Pyreneese (or perhaps go out via France and come back from Spain?)

Driving in France is dead easy, just make sure you have the mandatory breathalyser and safety vests etc. Covering large distances is relatively easy, although I would suggest sticking to around 400 miles (or 5 to 6 hours driving) per day, we did a 550 mile day through France and Switzerland and the following day was still tired.


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## ag (Sep 12, 2002)

I'd take an overnight ferry from Portsmouth over to either Le Havre or Caen then drive down the west coast avoiding Autoroutes. I'd go for a maximum of 350 miles per day. Then cross over into Spain and drive through the Picos d'Europa, going for a maximum of 250 miles per day. On the return I would take the ferry from Bilboa or Santander back to Plymouth or Portsmouth because this is a holiday and if you drive back in one go you'll feel it!


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## Spandex (Feb 20, 2009)

The longer ferry crossings only work out ok if you can do them overnight and you get some sleep on them. Otherwise it's a pretty mind-numbing way to spend 6-7 hours.

All the times I've been down near Bordeaux by car, we've done the whole thing from the Midlands in one go (with an attempted kip on the ferry)... And that's with only one person driving - I couldn't drive at the time, but in a show of solidarity to the driver I always navigated the whole trip so I wouldn't get any sleep either. We were all a lot younger then though.


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## ag (Sep 12, 2002)

Spandex said:


> The longer ferry crossings only work out ok if you can do them overnight and you get some sleep on them. Otherwise it's a pretty mind-numbing way to spend 6-7 hours.
> 
> All the times I've been down near Bordeaux by car, we've done the whole thing from the Midlands in one go (with an attempted kip on the ferry)... And that's with only one person driving - I couldn't drive at the time, but in a show of solidarity to the driver I always navigated the whole trip so I wouldn't get any sleep either. We were all a lot younger then though.


Getting to Bordeaux from the Midlands in a day is easy, even for an old 'un on their own. Taking the backroads and enjoying the ride is a whole different thing. Night ferries mean you leave the port the next morning at around 08:00, rested, fueled and breakfasted ready for a day of driving. Excellent.

To be fair, the roads in Western France are OK, but don't match Northern Spain and the Picos. I prefer La Rochelle to Bordeaux, but it is probably a bit far north for you, but Campsites abound on the Atlantic Coast of France. Spain, dunno, I haven't camped in years, perhaps I ought to.


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## mullum (Sep 16, 2011)

Guys thanks so much for taking the time to offer all this info and advice. I'd never have figured a fraction of this out between now and then - plus of course it's probably best and cheaper to get things booked ASAP.
I'm still digesting what everybody has contributed, so still undecided which route - but thanks to what I've been reading I've now got the confidence to take the car 

I don't have breakdown cover (afaik) so I imagine that'll be worthwhile getting?
Can't wait! Bring on the summer!


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## Spandex (Feb 20, 2009)

ag said:


> Getting to Bordeaux from the Midlands in a day is easy, even for an old 'un on their own.


We didn't use the toll roads, so it wasn't a high speed motorway jaunt and we didn't pay the extra to get a bed on the ferry... It was basically 24 hours door to door including ferry time and we probably got a couple of hours of low quality sleep in an uncomfortable seat on the ferry - apart from the time we got into the kids soft-play area overnight and used all the giant padded 'building blocks' to make beds...


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## mighTy Tee (Jul 10, 2002)

One additional thought is to get a morning ferry from Portsmouth, and include a cabin to get your head down for a few hours (which is cheaper than night crossings), arrive mid afternoon and drive for 4 or 5 hours to a cheap hotel. Ibis is good and fair priced.

_Remember you get an extra hour daylight in France so if it gets dark at 9pm here then it is 10pm local time in France _


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## mullum (Sep 16, 2011)

Good point, can drive later at that time of year too.


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## TheVarix (Apr 3, 2013)

I've driven to my town in the north of Spain twice since I bought the car. Both times I have taken the ferry to Calais and then traveled to Poitiers. Stayed there for the night and then continued to Spain. 
Second time I stopped at San Sebastián as well for one night. I'm from an area called Asturias (beyond Santander) that it's around 450km from Portugal. If you're going to the north of Portugal, you'll have to go through my homeland! 
It's motorway all the way so it's a good drive. The north of Spain is very rainy even in the summer so be careful as you can have really heavy rain even in June/July.
The motorways in France are a rip off. You'll spend around £70 (one way) just in tolls to get across to Spain. In Spain there are some short, cheap tolls near San Sebastián but the rest is free (I don't know about Portugal but can ask my dad as he travels there very often by road and knows it well)
It's a nice journey to do but a bit costly. To get to my town I used roughly 3 tanks, to get to Portugal you'll need a tank and a half more
(If you go to the north) so factor that. 
The car's headlights have a lever that you can rotate to set the lights to Europe'a roads (I always change them when waiting to board the ferry) so that's nice.
Maybe it's different for me as I have driven most of my life on the correct side of the road  but you get used to drive on the right quickly, just be extra cautious on roundabouts: the people will be coming from your left and you must give them right of way. 
Hope this helps!


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## TomBorehamUK (Feb 2, 2014)

TheVarix said:


> Maybe it's different for me as I have driven most of my life on the * Incorrect * side of the road  but you get used to driving on the right quickly.


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## TheVarix (Apr 3, 2013)

TomBorehamUK said:


> TheVarix said:
> 
> 
> > Maybe it's different for me as I have driven most of my life on the * Incorrect * side of the road  but you get used to driving on the right quickly.


Heheh...


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## bhoy78 (Oct 30, 2014)

I have never drove to Portugal but have visted there many times, one of my favourite places. There roads are great I always hire a car but you should read up on the toll situations as there's more and more toll roads there now. In the hire car it's simple you have an electronic transponder but think it could be a pain in your own personal car. Drove from Portugal into Spain many times as well. The road's are great much better than ours and from speaking to people that have taken there own car's across I think Bilbao is the favoured route.


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## Hilly10 (Feb 4, 2004)

You will love driving in France. I once did a straight through fro Spanish side of the Pyrenees to home (Staffordshire 1170 miles) in 21 hrs including the 2 hour ferry crossing. As said you can covers some great distances over there. I remember one stretch up to Limoge 300 miles with the cruise set at 80mph and never stopped once. That Audi A5 3.0 Quattro was a great cruising car.


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## mullum (Sep 16, 2011)

I put this on hold due to other priorities - but now I'm checking routes.

Just did a quick search for a ferry from portsmouth to bilbos or santander - £1000! For one person in 1 car! 
thats ridiculous!


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## Pugwash69 (Jun 12, 2012)

When we drove to Valencia we took the ferry from Portsmouth to Bilbao. I'm sure it was no where near that cost in March/April though! The Ferry was a very good option.

I've just checked my records. This was 2 people and one car in April 2013:

Outbound 
Fri 5th Portsmouth - Santander	£269

Inbound 
Thu 18th Bilbao - Portsmouth	£239


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## mullum (Sep 16, 2011)

That's more or less the cheapest price I can find (return), so double that for days which are full up and high season - perhaps not so surprising. But a grand!
Euro tunnel is looking much cheaper atm, but that means more petrol and more toll charges, of course.


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## Pugwash69 (Jun 12, 2012)

There were regular roads in Spain that took the same route as toll roads, but they followed the mountain contours and probably twice as long. The toll charges there weren't bad at all. I don't know about France.


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## mullum (Sep 16, 2011)

Wife doesn't want to go, so I'll be doing all the driving alone - and not sure if seeing the scenery on my own with me worthwhile?
Still undecided how I'm going to do this :-/


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## Skeee (Jun 9, 2009)

I've driven one or two miles in France, Belgium, Italy, etc and I would recommend you keep an eye out for these signs and understand the phrase "prioritei la droite"


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## Skeee (Jun 9, 2009)

Hilly10 said:


> You will love driving in France.........


 And I'm ashamed to have to agree with this!


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## glslang (Dec 5, 2009)

mullum said:


> My concerns are : I've never driven in Europe, I've never prepared the car for driving in Europe (and I'll be in 3 different countries at least!), my car drinks a lot! Plus all the breakdown and insurance complications ...
> 
> EasyJet or mk1 TT coupe (225)?


No Squeezy Jet. TT is a great drive. I do it every year in the winter. 36 mpg easy for the TT but is still a lot of money in petrol. One of the most important things you need to know about driving in Portugal for the 1st time is the electronic toll motorways. Get yourself one of these https://www.tolltickets.com/country/portugal/viaverde.aspx?lang=en-GB&mnu=c. Otherwise you must register a credit card at the border. Follow the signs for foreign vehicles. You can always choose not use motorways but in certain places is hard to avoid them!

I use the Eurotunnel and is dead easy to reach Bilbao (or just stop in Vitoria-Gasteiz) in one day if traveling on motorway and going through the north of Spain so your choice of route depends on your final destination. Lots of police around Burgos and Valladolid usually btw.

Apart from that be aware that the natives can drive quite fast in places and be prepared for some crazy overtakes on local roads. Bikers in particular can just fly past you. That's normal .

Apart from that enjoy the beaches and the food, cheap and really good. And in August make sure your aircon works!

Also I wouldn't worry too much about the rules about spare light bulbs and so on. Make sure you have them but don't fret about every single detail. I drove the Porsche down without the EU plate sign and the police didn't even bat an eyelid. They know pretty well where the car is coming from. The visibility vest is a must though.


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## glslang (Dec 5, 2009)

mullum said:


> Wife doesn't want to go, so I'll be doing all the driving alone - and not sure if seeing the scenery on my own with me worthwhile?
> Still undecided how I'm going to do this :-/


In which case convince the wife to do it over 3 weeks if you can. Go through Millau, Barcelona and the south of Spain all the way to the Algarve. Nice stops along the way and coastal road.

Or just do south of France and back through Route Napoleon. It'd be great for a 1st time European drive and not as tiring for another person to be with you.


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## mullum (Sep 16, 2011)

Two fantastic informative posts there, thanks very much for them. It's details like that which make all the difference, much appreciated!


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## glslang (Dec 5, 2009)

No worries. Happy to help.


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## mullum (Sep 16, 2011)

Can't make my mind up but time is ticking away! I must commit!

£140 return on Eurostar is winning ..

Not a big fan of ferries, and can't see the advantage yet. I'm in Worthing and nearest ports are :

Newhaven-Dieppe : under an hour to Port, 4 hour crossing £185

Portsmouth-Le Havre (èconomie) : over an hour to port, 5-9 hour crossing (for cheap sailings) £250

Euro tunnel Folkstone-Calais : 2 hours to port, an hour crossing £140


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## ross_cj250 (Mar 1, 2008)

I can recommend Eurotunnel, it's sooo easy, and only 35 minuets journey time...you'll never want to use a ferry again! No problems with rough seas and finding out you haven't got 'sea-legs' and you stay sitting in your car so no worries about it being damaged when you leave it in the hold of a ferry. I've used it numerous times over the years, usually for day trips to France and wouldn't go any other way...but then I'm closer to the tunnel than you.

Regards
Ross


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## mullum (Sep 16, 2011)

Cheers.

Ok so hotel booked in Portugal so its the journey I need to finalise, going to be Eurotunnel - so *calais to lisbon* http://tinyurl.com/m5mh9jg

If I leave Calais around 9AM, how far into France can I hope to get on day 1? 
And then day 2, presumably shopping somewhere in Spain?
Hoping to arrive in Lisbon by the afternoon/evening of *DAY 3* - doable?

I'll have a bit more time available on my return (4 days), so I could take a different route back - but is 3 days driving realistic to get to Lisbon?


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## glslang (Dec 5, 2009)

At least Vitoria-Gasteiz in Spain. You should get there about 9PM if using motorways, unless you stop a lot. Vitoria to Lisbon is about 7hrs drive. 
I can do my place in Portugal which 1h20m from Lisbon to Bordeaux in about 10h30m. They're quite easy distances to do. Not much to see in northern Spain (when using the usual motorway route) unless you stop in Salamanca or Tordesillas (really historical places).


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## glslang (Dec 5, 2009)

Don't know how much you're paying for hotel but have a look here http://www.pousadas.pt/historic-hotels-portugal/en/pages/home.aspx?gclid=CJ3ckJfF4cQCFfQZtAod6y8A5A. You may find inspiration for some drives around the country too.

With 4 days to come back I'd do Barcelona and then Millau on the way up. The same route up is rather boring. Of course it all depends if you already have some sight seeing in mind in which case do whatever you fancy!


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## mullum (Sep 16, 2011)

glslang said:


> At least Vitoria-Gasteiz in Spain. You should get there about 9PM if using motorways, unless you stop a lot. Vitoria to Lisbon is about 7hrs drive.


Thinking about it I usually baulk at having to drive for anything over 4 hours, so doing 9 or 10 hours driving a day might be a bit of a push for me. I'll try to choose two stop overs I reckon. But I'm already thinking about extending the trip and coming back the long way!
Cheers for the link, having a look now


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## mighTy Tee (Jul 10, 2002)

A little tip - Tesco Clubcard Vouchers can be used for booking EuroTunnel :wink:

As for driving - mainly dual carriageway roads can be boring but you can cover big distances, however aim for around 500 - 550 miles per day on this sort of driving. Once off faster roads 350 miles is a more realistic target.

Remember you can be timed between toll booths on the toll roads in France and receive instant fines for exceeding an average speed which is included in your toll payment, (one of the reasons the bikers take a *** break under the last bridge before the next booth) so setting cruise at 130kmh is the best way to drive these roads.


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## mullum (Sep 16, 2011)

Thanks Tee - damn I've used all my club card vouchers :-(

So I've booked the Chunnel - leaving in the evening, will stay the night in Calais (suggestions?) then next day drive 9 hours, stay the night in (?, the only place on the map I'd heard of in the area was Biarritz, any other suggestions?) 
Then day 2, drive another 9 hours to my destination in Portugal.

On the way back I'll have 4 days instead of 2 - thinking about using a different route. A place in France I've always wanted to return to is Vallon Pont D'Arc in Ardeche - although I imagine one night might not be enough :-(

Any suggestions or ideas, tips etc very much welcome


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## glslang (Dec 5, 2009)

TheInternet said:


> Situated only 19 km from the Spanish border, this glamorous city is home to the Casino Municipal. Overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, the beautiful Art Deco building is just behind the beach of the Grande Plage and has more than 200 fruit machines.


So lots of five a day :lol:. Never been but I think is a more sensible way to get there now. This probably sounds a bit rude but they only feel like big distances on the map imho. When the satnav starts the countdown then it'll make sense.

I use http://www.booking.com. You can put a region and that'll give you a lot of options around the area you want to stay.
My only tip woud be to get some proper food in the evening as in a nice meal somewhere.

Before you reach Bordeaux you could also target to stop in Poitou-Charents for fuel (Shell V-Power). They have a nice shop with Ile de Re chocolatery and other regional stuff.

As an even final tip is possible to reach Lisbon on V-Power alone but I let you find that out for yourself!


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## mullum (Sep 16, 2011)

Cheers 
Not sure though where you were referring to? Biarritz? To be honest I've only heard of the place because of the biscuits :lol:

I've been using hotels.com but also trying the sites for the big chains too. For the first and last nights (right after and right before each crossing) I've booked the basic F1 in Calais for £30 a night. Unfortunately I then tried to book a night in Biarritz but somehow the dates reset back to April! I didn't notice and booked quickly as it was so much cheaper than anywhere else, and it's now £30 down the drain as they won't let me cancel or amend it :-( doh!

I was wondering about petrol (preferring v-power)..


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## glslang (Dec 5, 2009)

Yes. Biarritz. I just googled about it. Know of it but never been.


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## L8_0RGY (Sep 12, 2003)

Where abouts are you staying mullum? I've been to Portugal regularly for the last few years and love the Quinta Do Lago area which has amazing restaurants, beaches etc.

We went over Easter and got a cracking deal by booking in advance with BA, but the pool guy was saying we should drive over in the summer as it would be a blast in the car - not sure the wife or daughter would see it that way though!! [smiley=argue.gif]


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## mullum (Sep 16, 2011)

My first destination is in the Alentejo region, then a few days later I'm thinking of heading to the coast. Problem is, because I'm driving, at least a week of the 2 weeks will be driving. I didn't really think it through :-/ need an extra week or two!

I'll check out the area you mentioned but I'm not sure I'll go as far as the Algarve, it'll just be further to drive back! I was in the Algarve (without a car) about 10 years ago, so I'd prefer to explore a new area.


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## L8_0RGY (Sep 12, 2003)

Agreed, it is a long drive, which is why I haven't done it before, but should be a memorable journey.

2 1/2 hours in the plane is much easier than several days on the road!!

Hope you have a great trip.


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