[GMJ]

Day 6

We have now moved down to Urrugne near the Spanish border. It was a straight MWay run as the most practical way of getting here. We got to site at around 1.50pm.

Camping Pays Basque sans mobil home ouvert année, camping Urrugne Cote Basque

Camping du Pays Basque, au bord d'un lac privé, le CAMPING LARROULETA *** à Urrugne, à 3 km des plages de St jean de Luz ou Socoa, dans les Pyrénées Atlantiques d'Aquitaine, propose piscine couverte et chauffée et vous accueille avec emplacements camping

www.larrouleta.com

The site allows you to arrive over lunchtime when the rection is closed and take a pitch. After 2.00pm you register with them and then pay on exit. We have a Comfort pitch (large) for €23 on the ACSI rate. There are smaller pitches which are cheaper but at 8.7m we need the larger one. The site is 5 mins from the MWay so perfect for an overnighter. There is a large supermarket right near the MWay junction too. No need to book this site either: just turn up. I check with them every year but never any need to book and always plenty of room.

 

[JanHank]

"If we sleep together will you be my friend" what a strange song to put on a French camping site video.

Looks a good place if you like a lot of people, trees and water.

Your certainly having a leisurely trip down Graham, I hope the weather has improved today.

 

[Penquin]

Interesting site which I have added to our potential sites if we go that way.

 

[barryd]

Day 6

We have now moved down to Urrugne near the Spanish border. It was a straight MWay run as the most practical way of getting here. We got to site at around 1.50pm.

Camping Pays Basque sans mobil home ouvert année, camping Urrugne Cote Basque

Camping du Pays Basque, au bord d'un lac privé, le CAMPING LARROULETA *** à Urrugne, à 3 km des plages de St jean de Luz ou Socoa, dans les Pyrénées Atlantiques d'Aquitaine, propose piscine couverte et chauffée et vous accueille avec emplacements camping

www.larrouleta.com

The site allows you to arrive over lunchtime when the rection is closed and take a pitch. After 2.00pm you register with them and then pay on exit. We have a Comfort pitch (large) for €23 on the ACSI rate. There are smaller pitches which are cheaper but at 8.7m we need the larger one. The site is 5 mins from the MWay so perfect for an overnighter. There is a large supermarket right near the MWay junction too. No need to book this site either: just turn up. I check with them every year but never any need to book and always plenty of room.

View attachment 99709

Did you not fancy the free Aire at St Jean de Luz Graham. Its the one with the TGV line right behind it and the main road in front. I think I once described it as the worst Aire in France. A few miles up the hill from there is a cracking free aire though at Col D'lbardin. Good views and just over the Spanish border. There are loads of tax free shops up there. We stayed on that Aire for over a week once a few years back. Quite like the area between St Jean de Luz and Biarritz. I expect the weather is a bit crap this time of year though but lovely in the summer. Gets busy though.

 

[jiwawa]

Your certainly having a leisurely trip down Graham

Leisurely?? He's hammering down!

Did you not fancy the free Aire at St Jean de Luz Graham. Its the one with the TGV line right behind it and the main road in front. I think I once described it as the worst Aire in France.

😂 I remember that one! Only ever used it once. Squeaky bum time trying to get into and out of a space.

 

[JanHank]

Leisurely?? He's hammering down!

Looks as if he is doing about 270km a day, getting to each daily destination in the light and not leaving until late morning, that's leisurely to me Jean.

 

[jiwawa]

100km is generally a long day for me!

 

[JanHank]

100km is generally a long day for me!

The engines only just warm then . I would do that if I didn´t want to go anywhere particular, just meandering, but to get to a destination is usually 2 hours driving and an hours stop, but that´s not at this time of year of course.

 

[bilbaoman]

Thanks Dick, I had another email from them a short time ago.
I think it was written by a junior, what a daft thing to. say, who wouldn't be keen to get anything repaired let alone a motorhome.

It is a RHD, when we bought it Hans didn´t want to wait a year for a LHD to be completed, he said he was not a young man (75) and wanted to enjoy it for as long as he could, so we had a RHD. Now I say the same thing, I don´t have too many years left and I want to enjoy it as much as I can before it´s too late. I will have a look at what you have given me though.

Thank you for your email.
I have taken a look into your order and we are waiting for parts to come in from our suppliers as we do not have the stock here at factory to be able to send out.
I will chase this with our supplier to see if I can provide more accurate ETA for you as I understand you are keen to complete the repairs on your vehicle.

Did you not fancy the free Aire at St Jean de Luz Graham. Its the one with the TGV line right behind it and the main road in front. I think I once described it as the worst Aire in France. A few miles up the hill from there is a cracking free aire though at Col D'lbardin. Good views and just over the Spanish border. There are loads of tax free shops up there. We stayed on that Aire for over a week once a few years back. Quite like the area between St Jean de Luz and Biarritz. I expect the weather is a bit crap this time of year though but lovely in the summer. Gets busy though.

It as not been free for about 3 years you now have to pay the width of the places means only people of HGV standard are allowed to park there the best aire is 30km south at capbreton but only in winter 8euro including electric and free wifi

 

[jiwawa]

Yes, my whole trip is meandering generally, apart from the last 4 or 5 days if I have to get from the warmth of Spain to my ferry in Cherbourg.

 

[barryd]

It as not been free for about 3 years you now have to pay the width of the places means only people of HGV standard are allowed to park there the best aire is 30km south at capbreton but only in winter 8euro including electric and free wifi

Blimey. People actually pay to stay there now?

From memory there were a few nice little sites dotted around the coast. I think they were pretty cheap as well. Not been for years though.

 

[bilbaoman]

Yes i pass 3 or 4 times a year and it is always nearly full mostly French

 

[GMJ]

Leisurely?? He's hammering down!

It's a question of managing Schengen days Jean. We prefer to spend more says in the sun in warm, dry Spain (hopefully) than in the rain in cold wet France at this time of year plus I need to manage our days as we are off to Sicily in April.

 

[GMJ]

Day 7

We stayed overnight in Zaragoza at the municipal site.

Camping Municipal de Zaragoza

It's a well known site on the run down to the sun. From here it's an easy run to the Med coast - Pensicola, Benicarlo, Benicassim et al however as we are heading further south we'll have another night inland in Spain. The site is €25 for the night for a very large pitch with electricity and water. There is a restaurant that is open all day but we didn't eat there. The Menu de dia was £12 for 3 courses and bread, which seems good value.

We aimed to do the whole run as toll free as it only adds 1/2 an hour or so to the drive and is more interesting as well. We got to site at around 2.00pm after leaving our previous site some time after 9.30. We stopped for fuel up in the mountains at €1.749ppl. There was a fair amount of snow around piled on the side of the roads but the roads themselves were clear.

As with previous trips down to Spain, we choose to stay on sites rather than aires. They provide us security; a guaranteed place plus guaranteed water (i.e. not switched off like some winter aires are). We are not averse to staying on the odd aire here and there but never on the way down.

 

[peedee]

Thanks for the commentry GMJ, I might have to use that route instead of the Somport Tunnel because of the the need for winter tyres in the mountains.
peedee

 

[raynipper]

I see your now on Win 11 G. I found the icons grouped in the centre annoying and pointless.

Ray.

 

[jiwawa]

When I was in Zaragoza I used a carpark from Park4night. It was a bit scary cos cars were parked half on the pavements at the corners n driving solo meant it was hard to see how much room there was. But it was so close to the centre of town it was well worth it. On a previous visit we were in a different carpark n I remember having a shower only a couple of feet from the crowd of pedestrians heading for the city. Took some getting used to!

 

[GMJ]

Day 8

We had another day of toll free driving down to our overnight stay in the hills to the west of Valencia. It never ceases to amaze us how vast Spain is and how rugged some of the countryside is when driving amongst the hills. Part of the route was on the N330, which is a single carriageway rod that meanders through hills and villages. Well worth doing.

We overnighted here...

https://kikoparkrural.com/en/

...which is a site we have stayed at before. Great value at €21 for the night (ACSI rate) for a large, fully serviced pitch in an area with lovely walks/cycling which is near to a large lake. There is also a restaurant but they don't open until 8pm which is too late for us. It's also a good option if moving further down the Med coast or to the Almeria area.

We topped up with fuel en route at €1.759ppl.

 

[GMJ]

A couple of photos from our journey so far...

Between Urrugne and Zaragoza where we stopped for fuel and for a coffee...

Lunchtime stop yesterday on the N330 between Zaragoza and our overnighter last night...

 

[erneboy]

Clear blue and sunny Graham?