2015 Santander France and back home

[Antyamr6]

Hi all happy new year I was just after a little route planning advice or reccomendations of places to pass through or to avoid!
The trip- 5 standard c90s standard tanks with each carrying up to 5lt of fuel, camping ideally rough as much as possible, aiming to Acheve a maximum of 150-200 mile per day using as little motorway as possible with the total trip no more than 12 days
The plan-Sail to Santander or Bilbao, then
Cross country to Andorra then either north Spanish Coast or Perpignan( whichever is nicest or both)
Then Perpignan up towards Montpellier then sweeping west towards Bergerac.
Then our plan was work our way north to Cherbourg and catch the boat home.
If anyone has any reccomendations of sites or roads around that route or general wisdome it would help blend and pull our route together nicely. We haven't set any target distances ect just going to see how it goes and have an adventure
Thanks in advance Ant

[Terry Palmer]

Hi I have been to camp sites around Avranches to Cherbourg and here are some ideas. From Avranches take the Granville road when you get to the village of Sartilly there is a left turn sign post for Carolles take it about 3 miles there is a camp site in the village of Carolles with a good beach. Another campsite just past Granville at Donville les Bains is a good site with beach. Mileage to Cherbourg about 60miles take road to Coutances then to Lesay turn left on D652 after about 1 mile turn right on the D650 this road will take you to Cherbourg. It is a very good road with little traffic and a brilliant ride. The other side of Cherbourg there is another campsite about 2 miles past the ferry terminal.

I have been to Bilbao twice but went to Atlantic Spain not the way that you are going. Two things to watch out for at the port, there are railway lines in the road and the lorry drivers are nutters. The port is called Santurzi.

Hope this helps, Terry

[BenB]

Make sure you pass through the Dordogne. Possibly follow the Vezere north from Le Bugue to Montignac. Check out the caves and rock settlements whilst you're there. Loads of sites in that area.

[BenB]

In fact, if you follow that route and carry on north you can visit Oradour-sur-glane. Creepy, possibly upsetting, but well worth a look.

[BenB]

Then maybe the cathedral at Tours?

Then Le Mans?

[Antyamr6]

Cheers for the advice guys, I'm just scribbling all these place names down for now then will plot them out on a decent map which leads to my next question. where is best to buy or print a detailed maps? The general road atlas I have is a bit vague tbh
We are aiming for May or July what sort of weather can be expected up the pyranese this time of year?
Can't be any colder than our jaunt out over the icy wet welsh horseshoe pass yesterday

[Terry Palmer]

Buy your road maps in France they are cheaper and more up to date and you can get them in Supermarkets. The French have a habit of changing their road numbers. The best way that I have found is go by place names which don't change.Terry

[Bogger]

I bought my latest map of France on the ferry over there this year. Yup I paid through the nose for the Michelin map 'book' but it is very detailed and was worth every penny. I think it cost about 23euros.They had a few French maps for sale and it's not until you have thumbed through each of them a few times do you get a feel for the correct one for you.

Bogger

[Antyamr6]

Thanks again guys much appreciated

[Fordy]

£14 well spent, all the best routes highlighted for you http://www.mapsman.com/store/product.php?id=301

Personally I'd take the ferry home last as the ride gets better as you head south and its a nice relaxing way to get home on the on the boat. Doing it the other way would be a bit of an anticlimax. I'd look to route down through the Massif Central, and then link the national parks down to Puigcerda and weave through the Pyrenees on both sides back to the ferry. Don't bother with Andorra, it's a big shopping centre in the mountains. Riding the mountains is more fun unless you want to load up on perfume and fags.