i would recommend the santander ferry, for several reasons-I reckon three days is what it would have to be.
I've been told about the F1 hotels in France and recommended them as a cheap bed. I was thinking of camping each night but the hotels are cheap enough, I can then save camping for Spain.
An alternative would be to get the ferry to Santander fro Plymouth. That leaves a journey of around 600 miles that would split nicely over two days.
Anyone here ever got the ferry to Santander?
Thanks for the replies.
it travels while you sleep, you cant.
it takes most of the distance off your hands.
works out cheaper if you tot up petrol, food and overnight stops.
theres a cracking restaurant onboard (well, it is a french ship!)
you could argue that the trip down is part of the holiday and it would be a great ride but after 3 500mi days you will be knackered mate, unless youre used to doing it.
we went over last year to a place on the coast between barcelona and valencia, it was 470mi there from santander, we did it in half a day (boat docked at 12 but by the time you get off it, through customs and hit the road its gone 1pm) autoroute to zaragoza, then winding back roads at night (no fun) through the hills north of barcelona then along the coast. got to our apartment about 10pm, knackered. had a great weeks riding around the coast and hills down there, then on the way back we did the tiring but fantastic hilly windy route first, stopped overnight in zaragoza (very nice city, recommended) and then took our time getting the boat at santander.
i have done 900mi in one day before but i was dead for a couple of days afterwards, im not used to that sort of concentration for so long and i was probably quite unsafe for the last quarter of it. i limit my self to 500mi per day now and only then if i have to do it. then youve got time to stop if you see something worth stopping for, no rushed lunches etc.
if youre in a small group in my experience the biggest hold up is smokers. they put 15mins onto every fuel/snack/pee stop