Member Since: 29 Sep 2006
Location: MIDLANDS
Posts: 8147
2018 driving holiday
Doing another driving holiday so for this year we're taking the chunnel and then doing a blitz drive straight down France (stopping one night in Bordeaux area most likely - probably just a budget motel place like an F1 or such-like) and on to Bilbao.
We'll then 'do' the North Spain coast over 3-4 days from Bilbao to Gijon dropping in on SWMBO's house there to sort some legal paperwork things out.
From there plan to drive the coast line down to Porto in Portugal.
Longest stay will likely be in Porto.
Probably can't go much further than there given the time constraints and current plan is to head East back into Spain to go to Salamanca (old memories of uni' there for SWMBO) before another Blitz drive home over last couple of days heading North East into France and then re-tracing back to Calais.
As SWMBO knows the North Spain coast well but neither of us have really been to Portugal are there any suggestions for the top part of Portugal from Porto directly across East and that area above the 'line'?
15th Aug 2018 7:36 am
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73121
Sounds a great Road Trip, don’t forget the pics.
15th Aug 2018 7:40 am
ruben D3 Decade
Member Since: 26 Sep 2006
Location: ASTURIAS
Posts: 2439
I could give you some advice from the northern coast of Spain, but I see that you do not need them, for Portugal I will tell you that either, I believe that wherever you go to the north of Portugal everything is very good, find out for yourself, you will lose things and you will want to return. And if in Gijon you see a tall and good-looking guy ....who walks with a very young beagle, it will be me, I do not usually use discovery in my city and I live in the center, the Cabrales street in Gijon in case you know it, a couple of horn sounds, prohibited, it will be enough. Good luck and enjoy. will you come in your disco???lost in translation!
DISCOVERY 3 SE man. TDV6 2006, my true love!
DEFENDER 2 SE D I6 MHEV 2024, other live.
Last edited by ruben on 15th Aug 2018 10:24 am. Edited 5 times in total
15th Aug 2018 9:46 am
hugeviking
Member Since: 08 Jun 2010
Location: cotswolds
Posts: 1482
The Europa mountain area is supposed to be nice, but you may do that on the north coast run ??
Andi.
Ah i see you just meant in Portugal.
15th Aug 2018 9:48 am
ruben D3 Decade
Member Since: 26 Sep 2006
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the north coast has 4 possible alternatives that parallel to the sea, run from east to west. For being concise, two fast national billboards, the old one of double sense and the highway of the cantabrico without toll. And then a multitude of smaller roads that go or next or close to the sea or the mountain range. You can thus go from Irun to Santiago, passing all the Basque Country, Cantabria, Asturias and Galicia, to finish, heading South, entering Portugal.lost in translation!
DISCOVERY 3 SE man. TDV6 2006, my true love!
DEFENDER 2 SE D I6 MHEV 2024, other live.
15th Aug 2018 9:58 am
astonbuilder
Member Since: 29 Sep 2006
Location: MIDLANDS
Posts: 8147
Ruben - we'll look out for you, probably the Beagle we'll spot first as "tall and good-looking" may not be that exact a description.......
Can always arrange a meet-up as I 'exported' Marmite out to a forum member (Pagoda) when we went to New York a couple of years back if there's anything you want from the UK
Last time I was there I stayed at the Hotel Hernan Cortes on Calle Fernandez Vallin and frequented the Scormant cafe bar just up the street (as I'll likely do this time as SWMBO sorts out her legal stuff).
Her property is in Quintueles, not far from the sea, about 15km east of Gijon
15th Aug 2018 2:52 pm
ruben D3 Decade
Member Since: 26 Sep 2006
Location: ASTURIAS
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Oh Scourmont! a beer on a small terrace, I go a lot, it's very close to my house. Quintes, good place in the countryside of Gijón on the sea,very well for to have a mariñana house, with the beautiful beach "España" very close and with more than a couple of typical places to dine and have a good cider. I know very well too! my brother-in-law has a property there that I frequent from time to time!
According to what days you will be here, maybe, If you want, we share a couple of pints in the Scourmont during one of those breaks with Swmbo!lost in translation!
DISCOVERY 3 SE man. TDV6 2006, my true love!
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15th Aug 2018 3:07 pm
nrich
Member Since: 04 Jan 2015
Location: Huddersfield
Posts: 269
Don't stay in F1 just done it in Reims no air con hotter than the sun ended up sleeping on the floor with the dog to keep cool Ibis budget much much better.
15th Aug 2018 8:40 pm
astonbuilder
Member Since: 29 Sep 2006
Location: MIDLANDS
Posts: 8147
Thanks for tip on F1 nrich 👍 (you autocorrect to ‘antichrist’ )
Ruben - I’ll PM you when in Gijon - te compraré una cerveza
15th Aug 2018 9:43 pm
ruben D3 Decade
Member Since: 26 Sep 2006
Location: ASTURIAS
Posts: 2439
lost in translation!
DISCOVERY 3 SE man. TDV6 2006, my true love!
DEFENDER 2 SE D I6 MHEV 2024, other live.
15th Aug 2018 11:33 pm
astonbuilder
Member Since: 29 Sep 2006
Location: MIDLANDS
Posts: 8147
Well, it's all systems go; routes mostly sorted and majority of hotels booked.
Stratford to Folkestone, chunnel over then Calais, Bordeaux, San Sebastian (via Biarritz), Gijon, Porto (Via A Coruna), Salamanca, Pau, Le Mans, Calais and then chunnel back to blighty
Around 3000 miles, about 90 gallons of diesel, around £260 on tolls and the rest I'll waste on booze, food and hotels.
Plan to bring another car load of wines, beers and spirits back with us 'as usual' and I'm sure SWMBO will get some cheese in amongst it too
We will be in Pamplona on Friday. We leave here (Millau) on Thursday with a stop off in the Pyrennees that night then onto Pamplona. If you see a tall good looking Englishman without a beagle that will most likely be me Enjoy you holiday fella The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything;
They just make the best of everything they have.
21st Aug 2018 1:24 pm
astonbuilder
Member Since: 29 Sep 2006
Location: MIDLANDS
Posts: 8147
Been following your antics on the trip on here, we were in the same bar in Brugges a while back. I'm past 'roughing it' in a tent now though
Couple of weeks yet before we kick off so I won't look out for you
Looked to go to Croatia (like Croftyd thread on here) but it would have covered a lot of ground we did only a couple of years back on a round Europe tour but we plan to get there one day (more likely a long weekend fly in and out jobbie though).
Got to say I had nearly had enough at 3 this morning when I was in the middle of a tummy bug. I could not be further away from the toilets You also have steps to negotiate out of the RT unzipping the awning not waking the other campers and keeping everything inside you while you do this. Then in pitch black trying to find a torch then a sprint finish. It was like the Kripton factor The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything;
They just make the best of everything they have.
21st Aug 2018 2:13 pm
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....who walks with a very young beagle, it will be me, I do not usually use discovery in my city and I live in the center, the Cabrales street in Gijon in case you know it, a couple of horn sounds, prohibited, it will be enough. Good luck and enjoy. will you come in your disco???
You also have steps to negotiate out of the RT unzipping the awning not waking the other campers and keeping everything inside you while you do this. Then in pitch black trying to find a torch then a sprint finish. It was like the Kripton factor 
