[mob17]

So i'm planning a drive down to Murcia taking my 335D I just needed some advice as i know some of you have done similar drives in the past.

Main question was should we avoid toll roads through France and Spain? If so is there anything we can use to plan the route?

Car wise, touch wood, i should be ok. Tyres have loads of tread and brake discs and pads are new. May do an oil change just before i go.

[Hotcoupe]

I did a trip not dissimilar two years ago down to Nerja, but it wasn't for leisure, and I had to get there and back as quickly as possible.

The quickest way is of course using the toll roads, is there a reason why you want to avoid them other than the cost?

I went Eurotunnel - Calais and took the A28 / A10 to San Sebastian.
From there we dropped down using the AP-1 and A-1 to Madrid.

You could take the same route as above, but from Madrid you'd want to take the A-3 and A-30 down to Murcia.

If I was doing it for leisure I'd go via Andorra, take the same route as far as Bordeaux then cut across West towards Toulouse and head for the Pyrenees, you won't regret it as the trip across the mountain range is an unforgettable experience.

Avoid the temptation to put your foot down, the roads in both France and Spain seem to be designed for high performance cars, and the bid 'D' will eat the miles and at big speeds

If you get a tug it will be expensive and it's an on the spot fine, so carry plenty of Euros, if you don't have Euros expect a trip to the local ATM to get cash out (I'm not kidding!)
Worst case scenario (excessive speed) expect an on the spot ban and the possibility of the car being impounded. Not experienced the latter, but the former was most inconvenient!
Getting flashed is not too much of a problem as the resultant paperwork is easily recycled, I use a shredder

Pan European speeding fines/points are on the way, so be wary and check this out before you go.
Both the French and Spanish authorities can and do contact the DVLA and can get driver details, however any fines are unenforceable at the moment

Don't stop for anything other than an obvious Police car, plenty of people have stopped thinking the car was unmarked and been mugged (more of a problem in Spain and up around the border), if you're uncertain head into a town before stopping.

I can't remember whether you had Sat-Nav?
If you do I found it worked very well in both France and Spain, although there was an occasion when the Sat-nav had the car going water skiing off the coast down by Malaga!

Enjoy, driving in both countries is a great experience and the road discipline is much better than in the UK on the whole.

PS: Your insurance policy will no doubt cover European travel, but still tell them with the dates you're away.

Edit: ViaMichelin is very good:

http://www.viamichelin.com/

[gangzoom]

+1 on using the toll roads.

We got through France on the way to Switzerland in about 8 hrs with two stops.

Very empty roads compared to Germany/Switerzland, and very few lorries because of the toll I assume.

Your 335D will be perfect (especially with your suspension kit), the iDrive sat nav is fantastic in Europe, the motorways junctions displays make it very hard to take a wrong turning

Just make sure you have some headlight stickers (just in case), fluorescent jacket in the glove box, may be some 1l of oil to top if needed.

Are you planning stops on the way?

I'm planning a similar trip this summer, down to Niece and back to the Uk by coming up through Italy and Switzerland...Though sadly the 335 wouldn't be there for the trip

[mob17]

Originally Posted by Hotcoupe

I did a trip not dissimilar two years ago down to Nerja, but it wasn't for leisure, and I had to get there and back as quickly as possible.

The quickest way is of course using the toll roads, is there a reason why you want to avoid them other than the cost?

I went Eurotunnel - Calais and took the A28 / A10 to San Sebastian.
From there we dropped down using the AP-1 and A-1 to Madrid.

You could take the same route as above, but from Madrid you'd want to take the A-3 and A-30 down to Murcia.

If I was doing it for leisure I'd go via Andorra, take the same route as far as Bordeaux then cut across West towards Toulouse and head for the Pyrenees, you won't regret it as the trip across the mountain range is an unforgettable experience.

Avoid the temptation to put your foot down, the roads in both France and Spain seem to be designed for high performance cars, and the bid 'D' will eat the miles and at big speeds

If you get a tug it will be expensive and it's an on the spot fine, so carry plenty of Euros, if you don't have Euros expect a trip to the local ATM to get cash out (I'm not kidding!)
Worst case scenario (excessive speed) expect an on the spot ban and the possibility of the car being impounded. Not experienced the latter, but the former was most inconvenient!
Getting flashed is not too much of a problem as the resultant paperwork is easily recycled, I use a shredder

Pan European speeding fines/points are on the way, so be wary and check this out before you go.
Both the French and Spanish authorities can and do contact the DVLA and can get driver details, however any fines are unenforceable at the moment

Don't stop for anything other than an obvious Police car, plenty of people have stopped thinking the car was unmarked and been mugged (more of a problem in Spain and up around the border), if you're uncertain head into a town before stopping.

I can't remember whether you had Sat-Nav?
If you do I found it worked very well in both France and Spain, although there was an occasion when the Sat-nav had the car going water skiing off the coast down by Malaga!

Enjoy, driving in both countries is a great experience and the road discipline is much better than in the UK on the whole.

PS: Your insurance policy will no doubt cover European travel, but still tell them with the dates you're away.

Edit: ViaMichelin is very good:

http://www.viamichelin.com/

Hey Ian nice to hear from you hope you're doing well! Still have your lovely wheels on the car!

Just thought we could save some money, i've budgeted around £200 for the tolls for the whole trip (Murcia and back). If there's no point avoiding then i will probably just go on the tolls as i need to munch some big miles!

Going for leisure and have around 2 weeks to do this. Will probably leave at 6am on a Saturday and take the ferry over to Calais.

Thanks for the tip about Andorra. I went to Switzerland/Austria a couple of years back and love the mountainous terrain, however that time it was in a 320D with stock suspension. I will have to resist the urge to put my foot down, definitely don't want a fine, or even worse. Think i'll stick to whatever the limit is to be honest which will be hard. Wish i could make a quick detour to an autobahn!

I do have a sat nav but the disc is 2008, so i will buy the latest one this week. I have used aftermarket discs in the past but they are so slow and noisy, so will just go into the dealer chin up.

I think i'm covered by insurance but will let them know just in case. I also have BMW Emergency Assist just in case. Which reminds me, i am currently on non runflats, shall i take a space saver? If i got a puncture i would be stuffed really.

I'll have a look at the michelin site now

Originally Posted by gangzoom

+1 on using the toll roads.

We got through France on the way to Switzerland in about 8 hrs with two stops.

Very empty roads compared to Germany/Switerzland, and very few lorries because of the toll I assume.

Your 335D will be perfect (especially with your suspension kit), the iDrive sat nav is fantastic in Europe, the motorways junctions displays make it very hard to take a wrong turning

Just make sure you have some headlight stickers (just in case), fluorescent jacket in the glove box, may be some 1l of oil to top if needed.

Are you planning stops on the way?

I'm planning a similar trip this summer, down to Niece and back to the Uk by coming up through Italy and Switzerland...Though sadly the 335 wouldn't be there for the trip

Think i'll take the toll road just to keep the miles munching.

Can't wait to take the 335D, this will be the first trip into Europe with her.

I am planning to get to Calais early on a Saturday, maybe around 11am-12pm, and then doing a big drive to Toulouse and staying there overnight. It's about 600 miles and will probably take around 9-10 hours. Then on the Sunday planning to do the drive, now through Andorra, to Murcia which is around 530 miles.

Will definitely take some oil thanks! I will need to do some research for driving in France, as last i heard you need alcohol testers?

I love the Alpine region. It's a shame about your 335i, it's a lovely car. Are you definitely going to sell up?

[gangzoom]

I took out an enhanced RAC road side cover which included giving you a hire car to carry on and towing your car back to the UK if needed. Cost about £150 for 2 week cover....Saw one GB played car been recovered on the road out of Calais!! So a good check up on the car is really worth while...

French law says you need a breathlizer....but it also says the Police cannot deliver any penalties if you done have one

Sadly the 335i is going, just waiting to for the number plate transfer to be done and a date for the home electric charger to be installed before sticking it up on Pistonheads.

The Leaf should actually be ready for collection this week, clearly it's 100% slower than the 335i as any kind of performance car....but I love it's EV drivetrain.

I honestly believe full EV is the future of motoring, and with the stupid prices Nissan are shifting m on them at the moment (My total discount is £9980 with interest free credit) I couldn't let that opportunity go. Believe it or not I actually looked at the numbers on the Leaf before I bought my 335i, but 4 years agos the numbers didn't work....Plus if I didn't commit to the Leaf now there was a possibility I would have gone bought a Tesla...Which would be financial suicide, given I haven't got £1000/month to throw away on a car

[mob17]

Originally Posted by gangzoom

I took out an enhanced RAC road side cover which included giving you a hire car to carry on and towing your car back to the UK if needed. Cost about £150 for 2 week cover....Saw one GB played car been recovered on the road out of Calais!! So a good check up on the car is really worth while...

French law says you need a breathlizer....but it also says the Police cannot deliver any penalties if you done have one

Sadly the 335i is going, just waiting to for the number plate transfer to be done and a date for the home electric charger to be installed before sticking it up on Pistonheads.

The Leaf should actually be ready for collection this week, clearly it's 100% slower than the 335i as any kind of performance car....but I love it's EV drivetrain.

I honestly believe full EV is the future of motoring, and with the stupid prices Nissan are shifting m on them at the moment (My total discount is £9980 with interest free credit) I couldn't let that opportunity go. Believe it or not I actually looked at the numbers on the Leaf before I bought my 335i, but 4 years agos the numbers didn't work....Plus if I didn't commit to the Leaf now there was a possibility I would have gone bought a Tesla...Which would be financial suicide, given I haven't got £1000/month to throw away on a car

Wow so you're actually doing it? Hopefully the 2 years in the Leaf will be worth it when you get the Telsa. I like your forward planning, i can't really do that myself. It does seem you're getting a huge discount, near to 50%?

Does the Leaf have an LSD

I've got one question about BMW Emergency service. If i get a puncture, will they come out and sort it out, or will they be stingy and say its not a RFT tyre?

[ed330D]

I live in SW France, and frequently make the journey to the UK, and occasionally to Murcia.

Don't forget to factor in comfort stops and meal breaks; you'll probably need an overnight stop - I certainly would.

Your guess for tolls of approximately £200 isn't far out. I use autoroutes.fr whenever I want to compare routes for relative costs and time.
http://www.autoroutes.fr/fr/itinerai...nte%2C+Espagne

An alternate route which you may want to consider is:
Calais, Rouen, Le Mans, Tours, Poitiers, Bordeaux, Bayonne, and then in Spain;
Irun, N121 to Pamplona, Zaragoza, Valencia, and then to wherever your headed.

For an overnight stop I've found Spain's hotels to be much cheaper than the French equivalent. It's just something you may wish to take into account given that somewhere around the Pyrenees makes a logical place to stop.

Anyway, whatever you decide to do, have a great holiday.

[mob17]

Thanks for the tips ed.

Planning to only have one overnight stop from UK to Murcia. Should be ok i think.

[Hotcoupe]

Originally Posted by mob17

Hey Ian nice to hear from you hope you're doing well! Still have your lovely wheels on the car!

Just thought we could save some money, i've budgeted around £200 for the tolls for the whole trip (Murcia and back). If there's no point avoiding then i will probably just go on the tolls as i need to munch some big miles!

Going for leisure and have around 2 weeks to do this. Will probably leave at 6am on a Saturday and take the ferry over to Calais.

Thanks for the tip about Andorra. I went to Switzerland/Austria a couple of years back and love the mountainous terrain, however that time it was in a 320D with stock suspension. I will have to resist the urge to put my foot down, definitely don't want a fine, or even worse. Think i'll stick to whatever the limit is to be honest which will be hard. Wish i could make a quick detour to an autobahn!

I do have a sat nav but the disc is 2008, so i will buy the latest one this week. I have used aftermarket discs in the past but they are so slow and noisy, so will just go into the dealer chin up.

I think i'm covered by insurance but will let them know just in case. I also have BMW Emergency Assist just in case. Which reminds me, i am currently on non runflats, shall i take a space saver? If i got a puncture i would be stuffed really.

I'll have a look at the michelin site now

doing OK thanks, and yes I've clocked your car whenever you've put pics up, looks the dogs danglies.

Gangzoom also has my old Alufelgens

If you're not in a great rush to get to Murcia you could always do a mix of toll roads and 'A' roads, it will take longer but getting off the toll roads will let you see more of France/Spain as you travel down, and the roads are very good.
The toll roads are very boring, but get you where you want to be quicker.

If you know the date you're leaving and returning book the Ferry/Tunnel asap, you'll get a better rate the earlier you book.

I went to Strasbourg in Feb and the tunnel was cheaper than the ferry, so shop around and play around with crossing times, you can save a few quid on both. The Tunnel is much quicker by some margin, so if you want to save time it's the best way of crossing the channel.

I wouldn't be going on the journey you're planning without a spacesaver/spare wheel, if you get a puncture/blowout getting a replacement tyre in the right size will be a 'mare' and will cost you £'s and could delay you considerably.

You'll need a spare bulb kit and a Hi-Vis vest for you and ANY/ALL passengers, these MUST be kept in the car, the French are a bit picky about this!
Check out the AA website for other requirements:

http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice...equipment.html

The French breathalyser 'kit' law was suspended in 2013, but do double check they've not re - introduced it.

Don't buy anything on the Ferry, you'll get turned over, get it elsewhere before you go.

You will need an overnight stop, it's a long way down to Murcia!
Ibis Hotels are more than OK for an overnight stop and there are loads in France:

http://www.ibis.com/gb/booking/map-search.shtml

Enjoy

[mob17]

Thanks for all the tips Ian im sure they will come in handy.

I may get a space saver kit. £270 brand new from Germany. Will probably book the ferry this weekend.

[kayfaz]

Great info here just when I needed it, I've booked the eurotunnel for this Sunday at 2am, planning to take my first overnight stop around Millau Viaduct, second one around Murcia and then finally Malaga.

mob17 Have a look at Euro Tunnel prices rather than the ferry, it may work out a little more, but it takes only half hour as opposed to 1hour 45mins. It cost me £150 and for the same dates if I chose to use the ferry it would have cost £127.

Can't wait for it now

[mob17]

Originally Posted by kayfaz

Great info here just when I needed it, I've booked the eurotunnel for this Sunday at 2am, planning to take my first overnight stop around Millau Viaduct, second one around Murcia and then finally Malaga.

mob17 Have a look at Euro Tunnel prices rather than the ferry, it may work out a little more, but it takes only half hour as opposed to 1hour 45mins. It cost me 150 and for the same dates if I chose to use the ferry it would have cost 127.

Can't wait for it now

I'll be honest i haven't looked at the prices yet. But i was thinking wouldn't a rest of 2 hours on the ferry actually be a good thing in prepraration of the long drive ahead?

[kayfaz]

Originally Posted by mob17

I'll be honest i haven't looked at the prices yet. But i was thinking wouldn't a rest of 2 hours on the ferry actually be a good thing in prepraration of the long drive ahead?

Actually yeah you're right, if you are coming from the Midlands then the rest might be ideal, but for me it's just over an hours drive to Folkestone.

Do share any useful info you find out please. I have driven in Europe many times, but this is my first time to Spain though

[djgandy]

We did this exact trip last year, well almost, I stopped at Valencia. Tolls are optional, and there are some really good N roads, but it can be tricky finding them as a tourist and knowing where to take the toll and where not to take the toll.

We booked the 0730 euro-tunnel on a Friday but it was delayed, so we didn't really hit the road in France until 1000 French time. So my first point, unless you are doing a casual touring trip of France too, would be to get to France before 0900.

We then took the first toll down the Rouen and then took the N10 all the way to Tours to save on tolls. This wasn't my preferred route, but because there was a huge traffic jam to get on the road to go the Le Mans route, we decided to take this backup route. We made it to Tours (with some stoppage and traffic hit) at around 1700. The other half was getting a bit agitated by then, as our destination for the day was Bordeaux and it seemed so far away, and it felt like we had gotten no where. So we hopped on the tolls from there and made Bordeaux by around 2100.

I think this was a mistake really, as my memory of another trip the N10 from Tours to Angouleme is actually a decent dual carriageway all the way, so for me, that would have been the best part to not have taken tolls.

So day one was 15 hours or so in total from leaving Watford at around 0530, with around 11 hours to get half way down France. Next time I'd make more of an effort to find ways to getting the the Le Mans roads. I remember them being better, even the empty "farm roads" which were long straight and flat.

Day two started around 1000 we hit the tolls right away and headed on the route for Jaca in Spain via Roquefort and Pau. I went this way because I wanted to go through the mountains and the Barcelona route is very boring IMO. We were a bit more relaxed on this leg, stopping for breakfast, a wander around.

I think we left Pau at around 1330 with a full tank of fuel. The air felt different here, it was cool and crisp and there was a kind of tension as I got nearer the mountains, with some dark looking clouds on the horizon. Had it been just me, I think I would have spent a day in the mountains just driving with the windows down. The roads aren't bad and there are so many twists and turns. If you have a JB4 this is where tuner codes will get triggered, as the air thins and the turbos are chucking huge amounts of volume into the engine to try and keep the power up.

Eventually we reached the tunnel to Spain. It's free and like 6 miles long. On the other side it was WET. I mean pouring it down. It didn't look like Spain at all, but as we headed south more, it dried up and looked more like desert. We headed for Jaca then Huesca and Zaragoza. Now, if you want to do some speed, this is the road to do it. From Zaragoza to Valencia is like the longest road in the world. There is barely anything on the way except villages and a fantastically smooth and empty carriageway. You can make it to Valencia in 2 hours ;-)

I think we made the edge of Valencia around 1800 and it was just under another hour to our final destination. It would be another 2 hours to Murcia from Valencia IMO, maybe 90 minutes if you are giving it the beans.

For the way back we went via Barcelona. It's pretty dull, but once you get to France there is some nice scenery. We stopped at Clermont-Ferrand this time. It's much nicer than Bordeaux. Bordeaux was full of shady people. Touristy I guess. Clermont-Ferrand seemed very French. I really liked it and there is tonnes of places to eat and it all feels safe and normal. We stayed the night in a much nicer hotel than what we had in Bordeaux for the same money. We loaded the car with French pastries and headed for Paris the next day. The roads were good again, but lots of tolls.

All in all, its a good trip. I'd do it again. The worst bit is when you land back in the UK and realise how crap our roads are

I can't remember how much it all cost. I think around £700 for Fuel + tolls. I averaged around 30mpg, with some stints up in the 35's. One tank barely did 300 miles, and not due to speed. I think it was just really crap fuel. On the subject of Fuel, stick to Shell and Esso and you won't go wrong. The Esso 98 was really good, the car loved it.

[pinco000]

Originally Posted by mob17

So i'm planning a drive down to Murcia taking my 335D I just needed some advice as i know some of you have done similar drives in the past.

Main question was should we avoid toll roads through France and Spain? If so is there anything we can use to plan the route?

Car wise, touch wood, i should be ok. Tyres have loads of tread and brake discs and pads are new. May do an oil change just before i go.

I just returned from a europe trip across 7 different countries and used toll roads. Noone bothered me except once on a return journey in Poland where they had gates and you had to pay 5 euros and that was it.
No worries, just enjoy your drive

[Evil Diesel]

If you have the misfortune to shop at Tesco the clubcard voucher exchange for the tunnel works really well - should only cost you about £45 of vouchers to book it.

[mob17]

Thanks for all the tips djgandy. Hopefully the 335D will average around 40mpg which should mean fuel costs for there and back will be around £300, but that's not including any fuel we use whilst we are there.

Pinco: I will try