Hello.
Looks like im going to Valencia Thursday.
Can any one tell me the best route. (class one )
How long will it take me from calais?
What documents should i be taking/need.
Are there any weekend driving bans.
Anything to help on route will be very appreciated.
Thanks
no ban in spain.france is 22pm saturday night untill sunday night 22pm.dont leave before that as the genarmes will see you left earlier even though you are on uk gmt time on the tacho.take irun/sunbilla/pamplona/agreda/almazan/teruel route new free motorway,good restaurants on route,safe parking.you need hi viz if broke down and spare pair of glasses if you wear them and two warning triangles for breakdowns.insurance/reg docs/eu permit for paperwork.28 day attestation activity printout from the boss if you have no tachos from the last 28 days due to illness or holidays etc.
I would go Rouen Evreux Dreux Orleans Clermont Ferrand Millau etc and I reckon it’s around 21 hours from Calais. There’s a sticky at the top of the thread to tell you what docs you need. No driving in France on a Sunday unless exempt.
Thanks Lads.
Any more info most welcome 
gentyman:
Thanks Lads.Any more info most welcome
There is a sticky post here on what you need and includes the documents. I found it a great help.
Some of the things I can think of that haven’t been covered are spare bulbs, Permission to drive and a certificate of employment for France.
I have the electronic templates for the letters of attestation I can e-mail the files, PM me an Email address and I’ll send them.
Pleased to see both the routes are ones I would have chosen, I must thinking on the right lines. some of the race team trucks go via Lyon, but I think it adds time to the journey and it’s almost all toll motorway and not that cheap.
muckles:
Pleased to see both the routes are ones I would have chosen, I must thinking on the right lines.
Tolls in Spain are the reason I’d go Toby’s route in Spain and Rouen, Evreux, Dreux, Tours, Poitier, Angoulem, Bordeaux than straight to Irun than pick up Toby’s route.
Ross.
“edit”, i’d take Harry Monks route if I was light then once in Spain use the N340 as much as possible to avoid the big cost roads. (and of coruse it goes right past the Grand Buffet 
)
starting from calais,
calais abbeyville rouen evreux dreux chartres tours poitiers vivonne routier 1st on right after leaving A10 onto N10 after vivonne town and prison is about 8.30hrs drive
vivonne bordeaux irun sunbilla pamplona then take AP15 as far as exit 6 signed Madrid but then take 1st exit for Zaragoza free route.
follow for zaragoza ubtil exit for N122 Magallon, then take A121 to Ricla and Almunia de dona godina keep going towards carinena and pick up the new A23 all the way to Valencia.
only peage on AP15 in spain about 3 euros for artic plenty of good parking and restaurants on this route
welshboyinspain:
starting from calais,
calais abbeyville rouen evreux dreux chartres tours poitiers vivonne routier 1st on right after leaving A10 onto N10 after vivonne town and prison is about 8.30hrs drive
vivonne bordeaux irun sunbilla pamplona then take AP15 as far as exit 6 signed Madrid but then take 1st exit for Zaragoza free route.
follow for zaragoza ubtil exit for N122 Magallon, then take A121 to Ricla and Almunia de dona godina keep going towards carinena and pick up the new A23 all the way to Valencia.
only peage on AP15 in spain about 3 euros for artic plenty of good parking and restaurants on this route
Exactly as above - however be warned DO NOT park overnight at the services at Sagunto (north of Valencia), the chances of getting gassed are very high. Around that neck of the woods you are always better off going onto the national (N340) and parking at a restaurant.
If you are reloading around Castellon de la Plana then you can park at "upstairs downstairs) foods OK downstairs and upstairs “entertainment” very interesting!! Its just outside moncofa on the N340, theres also Simba just down the road, but there have been problems of late there too.
Bien viaje!
yes sagunto definitely a no go zone, our english driver john got robbed there even took his trainers 
plenty of parking on N340 make sure the parking says VIGILADO which means they have a nightwatchman but basic rule if theres plenty of spanish trucks and not many flipflop and sock brigade you should be ok
welshboyinspain:
yes sagunto definitely a no go zone, our english driver john got robbed there even took his trainers
plenty of parking on N340 make sure the parking says VIGILADO which means they have a nightwatchman but basic rule if theres plenty of spanish trucks and not many flipflop and sock brigade you should be ok
They left him with absolutely sod all! He was telling me they even took his dirty laundry and was forced to cover his modesty with a sheet off the bunk!!
Hombre:
welshboyinspain:
yes sagunto definitely a no go zone, our english driver john got robbed there even took his trainers
plenty of parking on N340 make sure the parking says VIGILADO which means they have a nightwatchman but basic rule if theres plenty of spanish trucks and not many flipflop and sock brigade you should be okThey left him with absolutely sod all! He was telling me they even took his dirty laundry and was forced to cover his modesty with a sheet off the bunk!!
that would have been a funny site mark, he’s only got hair on his chin and probably his wotsits but he’s bald and short would have looked like that tango advert bloke but wearing a sheet like a toga thats the worst place to park in spain. i always park in torreblanca in restaurante piero its the one with the truckwash in and good old boy walking around the trucks at night, 8.50 for menu so i usually drop him my change for a coffee or a beer
Well what a response.
Thanks for all you help lads.
Will get looking on maps for all the routes etc.
hope i can digest it all.
Thanks again
bigr250:
muckles:
Pleased to see both the routes are ones I would have chosen, I must thinking on the right lines.Tolls in Spain are the reason I’d go Toby’s route in Spain and Rouen, Evreux, Dreux, Tours, Poitier, Angoulem, Bordeaux than straight to Irun than pick up Toby’s route.
Ross.
“edit”, i’d take Harry Monks route if I was light then once in Spain use the N340 as much as possible to avoid the big cost roads. (and of coruse it goes right past the Grand Buffet
Hi.
Can you tell me what/where is the grand Buffet.
Do we pay for parking at restaurants.
very rare to pay for parking but it is expected that you eat in the restaurant rather than cook in the cab whilst wearing your flipflops and socks and having a russian sputnik satellite hanging off the cab
cambrils is where you’ll find the gran buffet behind the shell garage 11euros eat all you can, free showers for truckers but that route through france is expensive on tolls.
welshboyinspain:
cambrils is where you’ll find the gran buffet behind the shell garage 11euros eat all you can, free showers for truckers but that route through france is expensive on tolls.
Look for a 30 foot high illuminated knife & fork.
Ross.
welshboyinspain:
cambrils is where you’ll find the gran buffet behind the shell garage 11euros eat all you can, free showers for truckers .
the food is excellent you can get addicted to it
Muckles, re your comment that race trucks go via Lyon thats only because most of the drivers are lazy gits they run double manned and like to stick their 500 hp top of the range trucks in top gear and leave them there.
Personally when I was driving for F1 race teams going to Barcelona or Valencia we always tried to go Pompey to Le Havre or Caen then down to Orleans or Nantes then either Clermont Ferrand/ Millau or Bordeaux-Toulouse-Irun-Teruel but then I used to get bored easily sitting on a flat motorway.
Chazzer
chazzer:
Muckles, re your comment that race trucks go via Lyon thats only because most of the drivers are lazy gits they run double manned and like to stick their 500 hp top of the range trucks in top gear and leave them there.
and don’t forget they all like to go to the same hotels and bars they’ve been using for years.
Although one team prefered a flat motorway as they were using an old Premium that had the same pulling ability as me out on a Saturday night. 
chazzer:
Personally when I was driving for F1 race teams going to Barcelona or Valencia we always tried to go Pompey to Le Havre or Caen then down to Orleans or Nantes then either Clermont Ferrand/ Millau or Bordeaux-Toulouse-Irun-Teruel but then I used to get bored easily sitting on a flat motorway.
Chazzer
Yep same here, try a vary the route as much as possible.
muckles:
Although one team prefered a flat motorway as they were using an old Premium that had the same pulling ability as me out on a Saturday night.
In Feb 08 I was at Jerez when a British Superbike team turned up with their old Renault Premium 385 and the tallest trailer I’ve ever seen on the continent, it must’ve been over 15 foot high!!! rather him than me!!
Ross.
chazzer:
Muckles, re your comment that race trucks go via Lyon thats only because most of the drivers are lazy gits they run double manned and like to stick their 500 hp top of the range trucks in top gear and leave them there.
Personally when I was driving for F1 race teams going to Barcelona or Valencia we always tried to go Pompey to Le Havre or Caen then down to Orleans or Nantes then either Clermont Ferrand/ Millau or Bordeaux-Toulouse-Irun-Teruel but then I used to get bored easily sitting on a flat motorway.
Chazzer
Last year i was on the hospitality for Ferrari and unfortunately we had to go the way we were told and meet at set hotels when stopping for the night!!! 