A tour of marinas in Spain - where do you suggest I go?

[John100156]

Never bothered to stop when running down from the ferry(s), but that looks like an interesting place, perhaps once I have retired next year.....!

 

[Asm]

Sometimes they are two nights and sometimes only one depending on times.

This was the issue I had for my trip that I did late December, I was planned to go via Brittany Portsmouth-Santander ferry.

I have run down to SCM many times from both Bilbao and Santander, as Mike says, it’s a very pleasant and easy, mainly motorway, run normally. If you are interested in toll charges, I have a bip-and-go so could look them up.

I used Express Test, it was undertaken without fuss at Northampton Saints Football Club car park.

I booked two PCR tests (one for SWMBO) for 17:00 on 25 Dec., and we received the test results via email at 15:35 on 26 Dec. Say 24Hrs.

The Ferry crossing was schedule 23 Hours, say 24Hrs, so you could just make it to the ES Border Control within the 72 Hrs timeslot if you booked your test slot carefully and ran down to (or a hotel near) the port, to await your result, wasted journey if positive though. Of course you need to overcome travel restrictions which fortunately I could.

In the end, I thought it was just too close on timing and I did not want all the stress, so I took the Eurotunnel and drove through FR (stayed overnight in Orleans) to get to the marina in ES.

With the Chunnel arrangement both Border Controls are in the UK, so only minutes apart. There was no border checks or significant policing at the FR/ES border, a long drive, which we have done many times before but I much prefer the ferry route…!

Thanks for that John! It’s all a bit compressed and getting the test results are in the hands of others! Also, in my case, the drive from Northumberland to the south coast doesn’t help!
I think people arriving after the two nighter are in for a surprise when they realise it’s 72 hours before arriving (assuming a negative COVID is still a requirement)
Presumably the Oceania in Orleans - still OK ?

 

[John100156]

Yep - Escale Oceania Orléans Alan, its just off the motorway, its perfect just for a quick overnight stop, no thrills, but just over the road from the Loire and a very secure car park at the rear which is what I like when loaded with contraband.... as it would be seen today!

When we diverted due to snow in Jan, we gave them a quick call and would you believe it they were closed for the weekend so we ended up in the Ibis in Orléans which was just about OK.....

 

[Hooligan]

Anyone got a link to the detail of 'essential travel' ?

Personally I believe that banning international travel is an infringement on civil liberties not seen since Stalinist Russia. If another country is willing to accept you then what kind of country are we living in that prevents you from going. So this in my very humble view is total Bollox and my simple answer to your question. Is that essential travel is anything you want it to be. Fixing your boat is quite essential for example and I doubt any airline would refuse you travel.

 

[Clancy Moped]

Some possible news at the end of the tunnel.

Armengol looking to June for opening of the tourism season

 

[DavidJ]

Some possible news at the end of the tunnel.

Armengol looking to June for opening of the tourism season

“which I am sure will be fixed so that the population can be vaccinated in summer when there are massive doses, which I hope will be soon”

Hmmmm?

 

[dune16]

Spain ban on UK travellers extended to March 2nd

 

[Alicatt]

I think you might be pleasantly surprised.
The ferries from the UK arrive in North Spain at Bilbao and Santander.
Santander is about 40 minutes further to drive than Bilbao.
But once you are on the AP68, it is a very quick run across Spain onto the AP2.
All the driving is on fast motorways.
Road tolls still in place on those routes.
Not sure about the road tolls north of Barcelona but the tolls from Tarragona south to Alicante have now been removed.

On our trip to SC, we leave the AP2 at junction 3 and drive down the Ebro Valley through Caspe and Gandessa onto the Ebro Delta where Sant Carles is located.
Lovely roads - very little traffic.
These pics show the typical state of the cross country roads from the AP2 down to SC
View attachment 108039

View attachment 108040

Can be a very pleasurable journey.
I can do the run to SC with a trailer in under 7 hours.

In your case, you would continue on the AP2 to Barcelona and the up to Roses/Empuriabrava.
I think it should take about the same time as the run to SC.

The beauty is that you have your car with you for your stay/holiday.
If you get the right ferry, you can also treat the crossing as a bit of a holiday - nice cabin - nice evening meal etc.

There are other ships in the Brittany Ferries fleet that do the run.
These are designed for truckers but they are quite comfortable - some even have upgrades to the cabins that make them more comfortable than the "cruise" ferries.

Why not try it sometime.

Some very nice roads in the North of Spain/Catalonia lots have been newly laid down, widened and possible to keep up a good speed on.

The road below I was along it in 1966, it was such a shock to have memories flood back and recognise exactly where I was 50 years later although in 1966 we were traveling in the opposite direction, heading towards Santander from Barcelona before heading down to Madrid, Dad was an expert in finding those little routes away from the traffic and it rubbed off on me too.
These are just a couple of out takes from the family holiday video, the two on the bikes are my eldest and my B-i-L doing a 150km cycle ride, they had just been up over a mountain pass and heading down to Camarasa,

Now within a couple of km from that lovely road was where we had our villa how different the roads are there.
Following my middle son to the chapel that coincidently bears the same name. In fact the chapel is directly above where the first video ends.

The villa where we stayed, it was for the 60th birthdays for my wife and myself, we took the family of 22 of us there.
Home (cansisquet.com)

 

[Seastoke]

Some very nice roads in the North of Spain/Catalonia lots have been newly laid down, widened and possible to keep up a good speed on.

The road below I was along it in 1966, it was such a shock to have memories flood back and recognise exactly where I was 50 years later although in 1966 we were traveling in the opposite direction, heading towards Santander from Barcelona before heading down to Madrid, Dad was an expert in finding those little routes away from the traffic and it rubbed off on me too.
These are just a couple of out takes from the family holiday video, the two on the bikes are my eldest and my B-i-L doing a 150km cycle ride, they had just been up over a mountain pass and heading down to Camarasa,

Now within a couple of km from that lovely road was where we had our villa how different the roads are there.
Following my middle son to the chapel that coincidently bears the same name. In fact the chapel is directly above where the first video ends.

The villa where we stayed, it was for the 60th birthdays for my wife and myself, we took the family of 22 of us there.
Home (cansisquet.com)

Was that volvo paul overtaking you.