Driving on the continent!

[NopeNopetyNope]

Hello, I'm looking for any tips or advice/guidance from people who've driven through France and Spain. Or any words of reassurance!

OH has just surprised us all with a camping trip in Spain. He has booked the time off work, sorted car and health insurance and come home today with a brand new tent and a load of other camping gear. He's also told the children who are beside themselves with excitement!! I know that lots of people would just pop in the car and go for it and I don't want my children to miss out on an adventure because of me but I suffer terribly with anxiety! Realistically it will be me doing the driving as OH won't be able to do much due to health reasons.

I don't even speak the languages, what about road signs?! Maybe if we were driving in Germany I'd mange to read the road signs but I don't even have a base knowledge of French or Spanish. Road signage is really worrying me. I'm also worried about not knowing which types of roads I'll be driving on (eg highways or narrow country lanes), refuelling (not sure what worries me about this but it does), overnight stops or rest stops, interacting with people! I have social anxiety and struggle interacting with people who speak the same languages as me, I will need to use my phone translator but what if people get impatient with me or think I'm ignorant for not knowing the language? Oh and the ferry, I've never driven onto one before and have no idea how it works.

I wish I was carefree and just went with the flow, enjoyed the adventure of exploring new places and I want my children to experience that without me ruining it so please, any guidance or reassurance (as much reassurance as you can muster) will be so much appreciated!

And thank you of you read all of that, apologies if I've rambled.

The ferry to Spain.is great but it costs a small fortune.

How long are you going for?

Came to say A roads are motorways but someone else has already mentioned it- these are the ones you want - do not attempt the N/D roads unless you want to go through town, villages, roundabouts, etc.
You can buy a pass for motorways, it's cheaper and also will save you the acrobatics or getting out of the car to pay a left side machine from a right hand drive car.
You need to have fluorescent yellow jackets in the car, a triangle, stickers to redirect your lights; Alford sell continental kits.
You cannot do this journey in one go, no way.

It depends where in Spain but I drive between London and Bilbao regularly with DC and only ever do one overnight stop, usually Tours or Le Mans.

yes OP, where in Spain?!

Eek, I think the ferry is going to be your biggest problem. Ideally you would get Brittany ferries directly to Spain but it is very expensive. Next best is Portsmouth to St Malo as it will be the shortest route. However these ferries get extremely booked up and there is pretty much no chance of getting a cabin. Driving in France is pretty straightforward but you do not want to be doing a very long drove without a decent night's sleep.

Driving from Calais to France would be an absolute no from me. You will also need to factor in at least one stopover at that distance.

In all honesty it sounds like rather a hare-brained plan from your DH, especially if you haven't done that kind of drive before. Has he paid the whole cost? If not I would think about cancelling and booking a site in France instead, closer to the UK.

But the kit from Halfords but it only comes with 2 x adult high vis vests. Everyone in the car needs one so you need to get extra for the kids.

Every time you start your car, stop and remind yourself: 'Driving on the right'. Do it every time.
Oh and motorway lanes are the opposite of course: the further right, the slower the lane.
You will be fine, the driving conditions are much, much better than here. Stop every time you need to regroup, rest, etc. Motorway stops are good but only stop at those with petrol stations and restaurants. DO NOT stop at the just loos ones.

Your OH is really thoughtless for booking all this, knowing you'll have to drive. Depending on where it is in Spain and which port you pitch up at in France, you're looking at 2-3 days to get there, and these will be long days in the car. Plan your route carefully - if you haven't booked the ferry yet you're looking at high prices; Dover-Calais is cheapest but it's a hell of a drive from there.

To be honest, I'd see if you can switch Spain for a site in France as it's a more manageable journey. Have a look here - it will tell you everything you need to take for driving on the continent RAC. Get a toll tag for the peage - the booths are very seldom manned now and the tag means you don't have to stop. Novotel is a good option for stopovers in France - they have family rooms and most have a pool (check before you book): motorway service stations are generally good but can get very busy at lunchtimes on major routes.

Campsites in hot areas in France can be very stony, would imagine Spain is similar - take rock pegs and a decent mallet. Would suggest you try a weekend here before you go to check you have everything you need and the set-up is familiar.

Has he booked a campsite yet?

There are loads of campsites in France - with pools, sometimes near the sea - and much closer than Spain.

We use Yelloh Villages a lot

Campsites Yelloh Village : camping rentals for your holidays

They often do fridge hire as well which is really handy

We did Spain - it is a long drive - but it's just me and DS and we are used to European driving.

Sorry for disappearing, yes he has booked the campsite and says he can't get a refund. I can't remember what the name of the town he said but it's near Tarragona I think. And it is booked for 2 weeks plus we have the travel time which he thinks will take 2-3 days. We're up in Newcastle so he wants to drive south and then stop over night before we go to France. I'm feeling so overwhelmed although I'm feeling moments of calm with all the reassurance so thank you all.

OH doesn't think we need to book for overnight stops, he wants to just drive and play it by ear/book on the road.
I have had a little look at the ferry to Spain, that would've been amazing and as PP says would've halved my worries but unfortunately they're booked up for when we want to be going. Plus a little too pricey (although as pointed out, it's going to be pricey with petrol, toll and motel costs anyway 🤦🏽‍♀️)
I can't believe it, I'm in shock. I love being at home, this is a nightmare for me! But my children do deserve more than an anxious mum stopping them from having fun.

Most families would take their first camping trips in the UK and would then go abroad once they’d got the hang of it. Given your anxieties and your OH’s inability to drive, I’d remove any notion of going to Spain. Getting to Spain from any of the northern French ports is a hell of a journey for an anxious sole driver who’s never driven abroad before. You’ve got no chance at this stage in getting a cabin for an overnight ferry crossing, so your family will have to sleep in the communal areas, which is grim and is something I’ve vowed to never do again. The ferry to northern Spain is very expensive and most likely fully booked by now. I suggest getting a ferry to Brittany or Normandy and to stick around those areas rather than drive hours and hours and hours to Spain. They’re both lovely parts of the world. Alternatively, take LeShuttle from Folkestone to Calais, the journey is only 35 minutes and it’s a relatively short drive from Calais to resorts such as Le Touquet and Le Crotoy. Even better, stay in the UK for this first camping trip, but it looks like that ship has sailed!

Allowing for traffic …...that’s gonna be a 15 / 16 hours of driving in France and Spain?? Fuck that OP

I see that OP’s update has rendered most of my advice irrelevant! I wish OP the best of luck. But seriously, cancel the Tarragon site, getting there looks mad given your circumstances.

Bloody hell - you're starting from Newcastle?!! That's a whole day just to get to the ferry! You are making real headaches for yourself if you don't book stopovers in advance. A lot of the French holiday in France and places will be booked: for your own sanity you need to know where you're stopping and when. Looking for a hotel with tired hungry stressed kids when you've been on the road all day is a definite no!! Don't put the tent up for a single night - it's far too much hassle and you will need to book in August anyway. Honestly, your oh has really not thought this through.

I'm sorry but your DH is insane to book a campsite so late in the day without sorting the ferry. And you have to drive all the way from Newcastle too? Can you see if the campsite has any on-site accommodation available and you fly there? You could shorten it to one week to reduce the cost. Otherwise I think I would just say he can suck up the cost of his ill-advised booking and do a camping trip in the UK instead. I would be so angry with my DH for booking a holiday that involved me driving for days. That's too much to put on you.

Routeplanner suggests that via Calais that is 1250 miles and 20 hours of driving for someone who has never driven on the continent before.

Sorry, but that would be a hard no from me unless there were two drivers.

I’d be looking at flights and hire cars at this stage or cancelling it and taking the financial hit. There is zero chance of me as a confident driver agreeing to over a thousand miles in the summer with kids on board and a waste of space husband who thinks this is ok to book without checking with me!

This. An experienced driver would be stupid to spend three days sole driving with two children, let alone an unconfident one.

Your dh is a selfish inconsiderate arse. If you don't want to let your children down, book flights or find a UK campsite.

I feel so trapped. I have to do it, he's bought so much stuff. I don't really mind necessarily long distances (although this takes the biscuit). I have driven long distances in this country before, the longest is probably 8 hours in a day. So splitting the days up into a certain number of hours isn't my biggest worry. It's mainly the foreign/unknown roads. Although all the worrying and anxiety makes it more tiring so long a journey will be harder.

I'm going to spend tomorrow trying to figure out stop overs to book, hopefully I can figure it out. I'm honestly not as thick as I sound, I know it should be straightforward to look where you're going and plan stops but the anxiety makes me so flustered and I can't think straight.

OP many un-touristy little towns and villages in France have a campsite, you will find last minutes spaces there but beware rigid welcoming hours, so you would need a minimum of planning. Maybe get a small pop-up tent just for that.
2 to 3 days - more like 3 - sounds fine to get there.
Since you'll be doing the driving your DH should take charge of the logistics, organising where to eat, sleep, looking after the children on and off road. You need to concentrate on the driving and to get decent rest and recuperation.
It's a really nice thing to do as a family, your DCs will always remember this big adventure! Enjoy!

I would be co cross and upset if my DH did this and I would not be going. A trip like this at least needs a discussion before booking. Has he booked any "surprises" like this before?!?

Funnily enough, I know I sound like a nervous wreck of a driver but despite my anxiety and the fact that I don't like leaving my home very much, I am a pretty confident driver. I've never had any dings or near misses and I'm not a hesitant or nervous driver. I've driven long journeys up and down the country because my family is so spread out. But driving in another country is a different kettle of fish.

I feel sorry for your kids….3 days to get there and 3 to get back….how fucking boring is that gonna be

Came on to say this. You have to drive the length of France to get to Spain … so why not camp in France? PitchUp.com is good for finding campsites.

Sorry OP but your DH is an inconsiderate dick. What you are planning would be a lot if you lived next door to the ferry terminal in Portsmouth - but I’ve just read you are travelling from Newcastle 😵‍💫

Honestly cancel the Spanish campsite and if you want a foreign road trip at least just explore Normandy or Brittany. The roads are super easy to navigate as others have said. Lots of lovely towns to explore, crepes for the kids, and seafood for you with a glass of something chilled. And temperatures not 40 degrees in a fecking tent.

I've just come back from a two week trip to the Dordogne, setting off from South Yorkshire.

We got the Le Shuttle (Eurotunnel) from Folkestone, then drove down through France.

We stopped over twice on the way there, same on the way back, so it was about 250 miles of driving each day. Spain is significantly further.We did one stop in Calais, then one about half way (near Le Mans going, near Orleans on return).

I really wouldn't have wanted to travel any further in a day (and not just because my car air con is buggered), and that was sharing the driving roughly 50:50.

If you're expected to do all the driving, then you get to set the rules about when and where to stop, as a minimum. And I'd definitely plan and book the stopovers in advance just for peace of mind.