Planning for southern Spain

dkdavid

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Hi all
Not a trip report as such, I have this urge to ride to the south coast of Spain, yes I know I can hire a bike down there and easy jet it for very little money, but I guess I am after the experience, a few questions for the people that have done this trip, it’s circa 1300 miles from start to finish. I am no stranger to driving overseas being an international truck driver abet a few years ago now.
What sort of mileage is possible in a day, are hotels accessible with out booking?
Thanks in advance.
 
Miles per day depend on the roads you use

Get on the M ways and you can do 5,6,7 hundred miles a day easily in fact you could do the whole thing in a day if you ae obtuse enough

If you use the nice twisty roads wherever possible i personally would bank on 300 per day

Hotels are easy use booking .com or the like and you will have no problem, ride till lunchtime then whilst enjoying lunch appraise the mornings miles and project that to the afternoon and book a hotel in the vicinity of where you will end up

Simples
 
Loads of variables. Autoroute/motorway all the way....doable in two long days but I’d rather fly and hire than motorway it all that way. So normal A and B roads or their French and Spanish equivalent. If the journey is a big part of the appeal, take your time and take 4 days to ride it, see some sights on the way etc. Booking.com is great for sorting out accommodation. What time of year? If it’s high summer I’d be wanting early starts and early finishes without the hassle of looking for a hotel or guest house at 7pm at night. If Spring you have light on your side for longer days riding etc.
There and back could cost you £1000 with digs, food, fuel, wear and tear on tyres etc...which makes flying and hiring seem great value...unless, as above, the journey is the big part of the reason for the trip
 
Excellent advice from the contributors above, I had forgotten about hotels.com uses them for three weeks whilst in Japan earlier this year, possibly would do the motorway, abet a little dull for some but I used to do 50-60,000 miles a year on them.
 
I've just returned from a trip.

Northern England, EuroStar, clockwise down France, onto a little past Benidorm and back up through France on the other side, over 7 days.

We did probably 1/3rd on motorways, the rest on great roads. The tolls are expensive, but it saved us a day or two overall and we did the great biking roads we wanted to.

Accommodation is easy - always having a plan, but it changes, so we got to around 4pm before deciding where to stay and then hotels.com is so easy. I always set filters to secure parking on site and 500m from the centre of town - never failed to get a decent place to stay - read reviews though.

Enjoy it!
 
I’m a kinda loose route sort of fella and did what you are describing last year. Our rhythm was stop that night somewhere interesting and then look at the map, based on how far we wanted to ride for the next day and use booking.com. That worked out really well. 95% of our route was non motorway, but we did have the time! Top tip is set your sat Nav to shortest route, not fastest time and you’ll pass through amazing countryside and still make up time a long the way.

Anyway here is a post I made after the trip for a flavour.

https://www.ukgser.com/forums/showt...long-the-way-to-Morocco?p=5216335#post5216335

Glenn
 
Done such a trip a couple of times.
I tend to do Portsmouth - Bilbao then spend a day in the wonderful Picos mountains staying here http://www.hotelinfantado.com/EN/ho...MIi6LVreKJ5AIVCYfVCh3x7wFHEAAYAyAAEgKGFPD_BwE after which I meander my way down through Spain sticking to N roads which are empty and you find yourself travelling through some beautiful areas of Spain.
I always tend avoid Madrid, keeping either to the East or West of it depending which Costa I’m heading for.
For example last time I stayed at San Agustin del Guadalix then discovered the wonderful N320 down to Cuenca then the CM220 and CM211.
As yet I’ve never been disappointed in the roads taken and have always found them so quite.
I usually take 4 days including a 2 night stay in the Picos and always use booking.com.
Certainly give it a go but I’d certainly stay away from the motorway and make the most of a wonderful country. :thumb2
 

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Bloody HOT in central Spain at the moment.
Recommend Segovia or Toledo for an overnight stop
 
Bloody HOT in central Spain at the moment.
Recommend Segovia or Toledo for an overnight stop

I agree with both, it’s bloody hot at the mo and Segovia and Toledo are both well worth an overnight stay.
I usually go in September, still very warm.
 
yes I know I can hire a bike down there and easy jet it for very little money,.

Have done both a few times and without doubt the best option for us was fly and rent from Mark at bmwmotohire.
 
Question 1. When (what year) are you thinking of going?

Question 2. When (what time of year) are you thinking of going?

Question 3. What time (moment of arrival to moment of leaving) have you set aside to be in Spain?

Question 4. How long have you set aside to get from your house to Spain and back again?

Question 5. Do you plan on riding to Spain or taking the ferry? Coming back, how?

Question 6. Have you looked at the RiDE guide to Spain?

PS It’s not a trip report at all.
 
Question 7. Do you prefer to have everything planned and booked before you leave home? Or are you happier making it up as you go along?
 
Hi,

My wife and I are off to Spain in the next few weeks. We have been doing this trip now on various motorcycles for the last 10 years.

It takes us about about 4 days to get to Southern Spain where we recently discovered a little B and B just north of Malaga in a village called Alhaurin el Grande. To call it a B and B is a massive understatement. We usually stay and chill out by the pool for a few days before meandering back to Santander or Bilbao, depending on which ferry we booked, for the journey home.

We use “N” roads whenever possible and only cover a few hundred miles a day. This means we can get up, have a lazy unrushed breakfast and still be at our next stop for the middle of the afternoon, then it’s a quick shower and change and out to explore where ever we are on foot.

A lot depends on budget and in the early days Booking.com was our friend, but for the last few years when travelling we have stayed in the Spanish Paradores which are like 4 and 5 star hotels. They are subsidised by the Spanish Government and are dotted all over Spain. Definitely not cheap but for what you get not expensive either.

They always seem to have plenty of offers on and if you get their Amigos card (free) you can amass points to use to get free stays or meals and the card usually gets 10% off your booking as well. Take a look here for more details. https://www.parador.es/en They are very large buildings and are rarely booked up.

Your mileage estimate seems ok, ours going by google maps will be very similar (excluding excursions). The last time we did the trip our mileage door to door was just a fraction over 2000 miles (we live in Blackpool)

Don’t want to teach you how to suck eggs but always take plenty of water with you when riding, it gets very, very hot in central Spain and you can get dehydrated quickly on a motorcycle without realising it. The first signs are a really bad headache, loss of concentration and then, well you get the message.

I was thinking back to when we started. A typical holiday on the north coast of Spain cost us about £650 for the ferry and included a casa for the two of us for a week, today that's just the ferry price.

Sorry I do seem to have gone on a bit, If you want any more info just ask.
 
My rule of thumb: 250 miles per day off the motorway, 350-400 on motorway.

As above, we are big fans of Paradores and we've just planned our June 2020 trip which will be a big loop down to the south. Three weeks means we'll have time for a few two-night stays, and keep the daily mileage lower. We're planning to ferry to Santander/Bilbao to save the ride through France. Longest day will be 305 miles. Most others around 200. My days of 500 mile plus days are over, as age catches up with me and it takes a toll!

If you're happier doing more miles, it's hardly difficult and as long as you allow for plenty of breaks and lots of drinking I'm sure it'll all be fine.
 
I would suggest an overnight in Ciudad Rodrigo near the Portugal border, an old fortified town that featured heavily in the 1812 Peninsular Wars and also go to Ronda.
 
I would suggest an overnight in Ciudad Rodrigo near the Portugal border, an old fortified town that featured heavily in the 1812 Peninsular Wars and also go to Ronda.

A couple of hours from my gaff in Portugal and a place I have yet to stop at, I always admire it as I go around it, but have yet to stop, as it is too close to my house! I will have to plan it in at sometime, as the walls look amazing, I went through it last time on my way back....Seemed a reasonable place.
 
Some very good advice given. I would favour going west of Madrid via Salamanca, then you can take in the Picos and Portugal on your way down. Caceres is a hidden gem, as is the Roman ruins in Merida , that route will bring you into Andalusia via Sevilla, a big city, but worth a visit. A bit more info would be good, time of year, type of route preferred, how long have you got ect.

Southern Spain has some fabulous roads, with breathtaking views.
 
A couple of hours from my gaff in Portugal and a place I have yet to stop at, I always admire it as I go around it, but have yet to stop, as it is too close to my house! I will have to plan it in at sometime, as the walls look amazing, I went through it last time on my way back....Seemed a reasonable place.

Well worth it Dave.
 


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