Driving camper from Cherbourg to girona

Kerryloca

Hi all,
In 2 weeks I'll be taking ferry from cork to Cherbourg. I arrive into Cherbourg at 4:30pm, so don't want to drive too late.
Can anyone recommend a place to stop with my camper within 3/4 hours of Cherbourg in the direction of olot/giros in Cataluna?

Thanks in advance!

CJhaughey

Have a look at this site and pick one that looks suitable
https://www.campercontact.com/en/france.aspx?map=1&filter=|200

piuswal

CJhaughey wrote: »

Have a look at this site and pick one that looks suitable
https://www.campercontact.com/en/france.aspx?map=1&filter=|200

Le Mans/ Tours direction, 3 to 4 hours ??

niloc1951

Kerryloca wrote: »

Hi all,
In 2 weeks I'll be taking ferry from cork to Cherbourg. I arrive into Cherbourg at 4:30pm, so don't want to drive too late.
Can anyone recommend a place to stop with my camper within 3/4 hours of Cherbourg in the direction of olot/giros in Cataluna?

Thanks in advance!

What route are you planning to take. This time of year snow is a risk on high routes.

Kerryloca

That's what I was wondering.. what the best route would be.... any advice?

niloc1951

Kerryloca wrote: »

That's what I was wondering.. what the best route would be.... any advice?

I would avoid routes any over the Pyrenees and the Central Massif in France.

My choice at this time of year would be Cherbourg - Bordeaux - Narbonne - Gerona.
It's all motorway and sure to be clear, just factor the tolls into the budget.
Just pop off the motorway into a convenient town which has an Aire for overnighting along the way.

DO NOT OVERNIGHT ON MOTORWAY SERVICE AREAS OR AIRES DE REPOS (Rest Areas)

Kerryloca

great, thanks for that..

yes I think that is the best route.. but will need to stop before Bordeaux as I don't think I'll be up for the 6hr drive...so think stop in Nantes is best?
Is the road via tours going over the Pyrenees?

SeamusG97

Kerryloca wrote: »

great, thanks for that..

yes I think that is the best route.. but will need to stop before Bordeaux as I don't think I'll be up for the 6hr drive...so think stop in Nantes is best?
Is the road via tours going over the Pyrenees?

Nozay isn’t bad if you’re stopping near Nantes. Just off the autoroute and has super U and fuel nearby. Pleasant mini lake and walks if you want to stretch the legs. Used to have Free electric hookup - been a while since we were ( depth of winter 2008) there so maybe not. Used to be a good greasy chip shop in the town if you’re pining for something fattening.

CelticRambler

niloc1951 wrote: »

DO NOT OVERNIGHT ON MOTORWAY SERVICE AREAS OR AIRES DE REPOS (Rest Areas)

WHYYYYY (not)?

Some of my favourite stopping points are motorway aires (Baie de la Somme, A16 and Aire de la Lozère, A75)

As regards the "best" route, it depends on how you rate speed versus cost. My preference for that journey would be Cherbourg - Tours (motorway or main roads) ; Tours - Chateauroux (slow enough, but OK if you don't have to do it twice in one day! :pac: ) ; Chateauroux - Toulouse on A20, toll-free as far as Brive-la-Gaillarde. Then scoot around the Pyrennées via Perpignan. Don't be tempted to go over the top via Andorra. The snow won't (necessarily) be a problem, but you can get held up at the Andorra-Spain border. Four hours the last time I did it. :eek:

There's a nice aire somewhere along the road between Falaise and Alençon that I've filed away in my head for future reference, which would be about the 3-4hour mark ... but that part of my brain seems to be offline at the moment! :rolleyes:

niloc1951

CelticRambler wrote: »

WHYYYYY (not)?

Some of my favourite stopping points are motorway aires (Baie de la Somme, A16 and Aire de la Lozère, A75) ....................................................

Motorway services areas and motorway aires are known to be unsafe. There is a relatively high risk of being robbed or interfered with at such places. You've obviously been lucky but I wouldn't risk staying at such a place, I usually use a dedicated Aire for motorhomes in a convenient town or village.

As regards a winter route to the sun, I would recommend staying away from high ground and use main routes which would be gritted and snow ploughed if the need arose.

Check out this website and this website if you don't have any hard copy giudes

CelticRambler

niloc1951 wrote: »

Motorway services areas and motorway aires are known to be unsafe. There is a relatively high risk of being robbed or interfered with at such places. You've obviously been lucky but I wouldn't risk staying at such a place, I usually use a dedicated Aire for motorhomes in a convenient town or village.

That's nonsense. For a start, any would-be thief will first of all have to pay a toll to get on to most motorway service areas, with the associated log of his/her movements when they enter and leave the péage. Secondly, most motorway service areas (and increasing numbers of "non-services" rest-stops are under video surveillance, unlike just about all of the in-village aires. Thirdly, crime in France is typically concentrated in urban areas, where you get all the same chancers and career criminals as in any other country.

In the last fourteen years of traipsing the highways and byways of France, the only (signs of) break-ins I've ever come across have all been in towns/villages, and the only places I've moved on from because of having a bad feeling about the area have been towns and villages.

The biggest "risk" you might have with motorway stopping points is not finding one that isn't already packed with HGVs & Polish/Romanian Transit vans parked for the night. But then you can have the same trouble with designated aires de campingcar.

niloc1951

CelticRambler wrote: »

That's nonsense. For a start, any would-be thief will first of all have to pay a toll to get on to most motorway service areas, with the associated log of his/her movements when they enter and leave the péage. Secondly, most motorway service areas (and increasing numbers of "non-services" rest-stops are under video surveillance, unlike just about all of the in-village aires. Thirdly, crime in France is typically concentrated in urban areas, where you get all the same chancers and career criminals as in any other country.

In the last fourteen years of traipsing the highways and byways of France, the only (signs of) break-ins I've ever come across have all been in towns/villages, and the only places I've moved on from because of having a bad feeling about the area have been towns and villages.

The biggest "risk" you might have with motorway stopping points is not finding one that isn't already packed with HGVs & Polish/Romanian Transit vans parked for the night. But then you can have the same trouble with designated aires de campingcar.

Everyone to his/her own