Advice Driving through France and Spain

[~Yuckfou~]

I need to plan a trip down to Southern Spain.
Current plan is drive to Folkestone arriving late evening, stay overnight and then get the Eurotunnel to Calais. It's then 2,000 kilometres south to our destination.
That's where I need the advice. If I was on my own I'd blast that with one overnight stay. I'm not on my own, I've got Mrs Yuck and the dog. So I'm thinking two overnight stays dividing the driving up into 3 similar length journeys.
There seem on the face of it to be two viable routes
A28
AP-7
I'm not familiar with France at all so don't know which would be the best places to stay that have a dog freindly B&B or small hotel.

Any advice on the route, hotels or any other shizzles greatly accepted.

PS. Before anyone suggests it I know the ferry is the best way but Mrs Yuck won't get on a boat.
Putting the dog on a plane is a non-starter and we will need the car anyway once we get there (4x4 double cab pickup).

 

[DaGaffer]

I need to plan a trip down to Southern Spain.
Current plan is drive to Folkestone arriving late evening, stay overnight and then get the Eurotunnel to Calais. It's then 2,000 kilometres south to our destination.
That's where I need the advice. If I was on my own I'd blast that with one overnight stay. I'm not on my own, I've got Mrs Yuck and the dog. So I'm thinking two overnight stays dividing the driving up into 3 similar length journeys.
There seem on the face of it to be two viable routes
A28
AP-7
I'm not familiar with France at all so don't know which would be the best places to stay that have a dog freindly B&B or small hotel.

Any advice on the route, hotels or any other shizzles greatly accepted.

PS. Before anyone suggests it I know the ferry is the best way but Mrs Yuck won't get on a boat.
Putting the dog on a plane is a non-starter and we will need the car anyway once we get there (4x4 double cab pickup).

When are you going? After July 14th traffic is terrible for 2-3 weeks, especially in the south. Most direct way is Paris-Orleans-Toulouse if you’re going to Spain, which isn’t quite as bad as the A6/A7 route down past Lyon, but still pretty busy. Personally, if I had the time I’d go the (much slower) western route through Tours, Poitiers and Bordeaux and arrive in Spain at the western end of the Pyrenees (you’d also avoid the mad Catalonia traffic and there’s some lovely places that end of Spain like Pamplona). I haven’t actually been to that part of France for years (decades actually) but I remember it as some of the most beautiful country I’d ever seen.

 

[~Yuckfou~]

When are you going? After July 14th traffic is terrible for 2-3 weeks, especially in the south. Most direct way is Paris-Orleans-Toulouse if you’re going to Spain, which isn’t quite as bad as the A6/A7 route down past Lyon, but still pretty busy. Personally, if I had the time I’d go the (much slower) western route through Tours, Poitiers and Bordeaux and arrive in Spain at the western end of the Pyrenees (you’d also avoid the mad Catalonia traffic and there’s some lovely places that end of Spain like Pamplona). I haven’t actually been to that part of France for years (decades actually) but I remember it as some of the most beautiful country I’d ever seen.

We are travelling 24th August through France. That western route looks to be about the same distance as going more central so should still be able to do 3 chunks of driving. The idea of enjoying the view on the way down appeals a lot.

 

[Gumbo]

I can't help with info, but it's what we did as a family for holidays for years from when I was perhaps 5 until 14 years old or so? Travel down Mid August taking 3 nights and ending up in Catalonia, and then two weeks in a villa or apartment there before taking 3 nights or so to come back up.

They were fantastic trips. Seeking out small family run hotels, with amazing food probably cooked by Grandma, but matching any restaurant. Visiting interesting places on the way, as you're only driving for about 4 hours you can be doing a museum by midday with the right planning.

I loved it and would love to do it again.

We'd meet up with other Brits where we stayed in Spain who had blitzed it down overnight on the autoroutes and they were all completely shattered for the first few days and dreading the run back up to catch the ferry (or hovercraft!!"£!! it's that long ago!) for the last few days. Dad was lucky that he could take almost three weeks though I guess.

So no help, but your question brought back some nice memories

 

[Moriath]

I need to plan a trip down to Southern Spain.
Current plan is drive to Folkestone arriving late evening, stay overnight and then get the Eurotunnel to Calais. It's then 2,000 kilometres south to our destination.
That's where I need the advice. If I was on my own I'd blast that with one overnight stay. I'm not on my own, I've got Mrs Yuck and the dog. So I'm thinking two overnight stays dividing the driving up into 3 similar length journeys.
There seem on the face of it to be two viable routes
A28
AP-7
I'm not familiar with France at all so don't know which would be the best places to stay that have a dog freindly B&B or small hotel.

Any advice on the route, hotels or any other shizzles greatly accepted.

PS. Before anyone suggests it I know the ferry is the best way but Mrs Yuck won't get on a boat.
Putting the dog on a plane is a non-starter and we will need the car anyway once we get there (4x4 double cab pickup).

What are these strange kilo-meters. Some foreign construct?

Old fashioned miles make things seem much closer