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Driving South - a road trip from UK to the Algarve via France and Spain

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There are many UK expats living in the Algarve, most will have never travelled between the 2 countries other than by plane. The alternative to the flight is the overland trip by car, a journey of over 2500 km, not for the faint-hearted. The Google map above shows the route which is described below.

Having done the trip on several occasions, leaving UK via the Channel Tunnel and also from Poole by ferry, this article describes the route. Depending where you are in the UK, leaving from Poole/Portsmouth/Plymouth by ferry can reduce the overall journey by many hours.

The journey from the south coast of the UK to Faro in the Algarve typically takes 3 days/nights. The first day will generally get you somewhere near Bordeaux or the Spanish border, and the next 2 days take you across Spain and Portugal

Day 1: France

Arriving in France, one of the first things that you will probably notice is that there is generally a lot less traffic on the roads (unless you travel in August when all of France takes a holiday). It is always best to avoid Paris as the roads here are very busy, and it is easy to end up on the wrong road.

The western side of France has good roads all the way down the Spain, but if you want to avoid tolls then you will have to plan your route carefully beforehand, and allow more time for the journey. It costs around 50 Euros to follow the motorways from Calais/Cherbourg down to the border with Spain.

Much of the drive through France is flat and there isn't much in the way of spectacular scenery. The traffic builds up a little around the cities but is generally light.

Assuming that you left UK fairly early in the day, you will probably be close to Bordeaux by the evening. If you make it past Bordeaux there are plenty of roadside services with accommodation for around 60/70 Euros per night.

Day 2 France/Spain Border

Driving from France into Spain the scenery changes from flat pine forests to mountains. The roads change from the straight motorways of France to narrower roads which undulate through the spectacular green scenery around San Sebastian.

The first 100km in Spain is a slow, but following signs for Burgos the roads pass through tunnels in the hillsides as you leave the northern coast of Spain. You may not even see the sea once you leave France, although there is a brief glimpse towards San Sebastian. There are tolls for the first 100-200 km, but once you pass Burgos the roads are free and the scenery becomes flatter.

As you drive South of Salamanca you approach the central Plateau of Spain. The roads in Spain are generally very good, but until recently there was a stretch south of Salamanca where single-lane roads were unavoidable. These are now gradually being replaced by motorways. One good destination to aim for at the end of day 2 is Placencia which is just about in the centre of Spain. There are places to stay in the town (which is not very big), and the pices are cheaper than staying by the roadside. In fact in central Spain it can be difficult to find a bed for the night, and some of the roadside hotels are fairly basic.

Day 3 Central/Southern Spain & Portugal

Depending on the time of year in which you travel, once you pass central Spain, the temperatures can be very hot. Travelling down from Placencia you will see the scenery change, becoming more arid, and the pines of the north are replaced by olives. Storks flying overhead will also be a common site at many times of year. It is possible to get from central Spain to the Algarve in a day, but it is an arduous drive, and having already been on the road for 2 days tiredness can set in.

Somewhere around Merida is a good stopping point for the night, and there are plenty of roadside hotels of varying quality in Southern Spain.
The last leg of the journey is the drive around Seville and into Portugal.

There are many signs for Portugal around Merida, but be careful if you are headed for the Algarve, as some of the signs will take you across the border at Badajoz, and the Portuguese have toll roads unlike Spain. The roads around Seville are fairly straight forward, follow the signs for Huelva, and then cross the border into Portugal at Ayamonte. The motorway continue all the way along the Algarve to Faro and beyond.

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