Driving abroad and driving to Pyrenees!

[Eloisedublin123]

Hi all
Have agreed to a house swop which involves us (me and 8 year old and small dog) driving from Ireland to Pyrenees via Lourdes (as I’d like to see it? Via the newly opened ferry route of cork- Santander.
Which is an overnight stay on ferry and then 4 /5 hour drive to Pyrenees. I’m nervous of driving on the other side of the road and nervous of the big roads! Any help appreciated!! Thanks a million

I haven't driven that route but I have driven through France many times over the years.

There are a few things you need to sort out before you depart - ensuring you have the correct motor insurance and breakdown, carry spare bulbs, hi-vis vests etc (there is a list available on theAA website). In general though it's nicer than driving in on this side of the channel (England for sure).

No need to be nervous about the driving - the toll roads are often quieter. Can be expensive in tolls but worth it for the convenience. As soon as you drive off the ferry you just follow other drivers and it soon becomes second nature to stay right.

I would though just check where the dog stays on the ferry. I know on the cross channel ferries dogs stay in the car. Which probably wouldn't happen on an overnight crossing, but it would be wise to check that out first.

We are planning the same Eloise! I cannot find any reviews of that route from last year. I've done the trip from England but it's a bigger ship and was fine - very long though so do make sure you've books and films downloaded. I had my 8 year old with me and entertaining him was the biggest challenge. You'll have the dog in the cabin with you on the Connemara, won't you? That will be entertaining.

You disembark right in Santander so I'm debating whether to spend a night there before heading off to France. The roads in northern Spain were fantastic and we found everyone drove at or below the speed limit and everyone is on the "wrong" side which helps . The road signs are in Spanish and Basque which gives an idea of how confusingnour road signs in Irish must be to tourists. We drove right over the border with no stopping and it was easy peasy. We stayed on the coast last time though but are planning on exploring Lourdes this year. When are you going? We are going end August so hopefully will have found some reviews by then!

Thank you both v much!
We will hopefully have the dog with us in the cabin! We are going second week August on a home exchange on home exchange. Com! It’s a big adventure for us 🙈😂

We did something very similar last summer, although we sailed from Portsmouth to Santander.
Because we docked early evening we spent the night at Bilbao, went to the Guggenheim the next morning then drove to Lourdes that afternoon.
It was absolutely fine, a really easy drive.
The worst bit was in Lourdes itself, which was narrow roads with pedestrians streaming over them and queues of cars. But it's very small!

Thank you again! Feeling much calmer now!

We travelled from north west England, through France and ended our journey in southern Spain.

The roads both in France and Spain where far superior to ours in the U.K.

Just take your time. We also had our dog with us. Just mad sure we stopped every few hours to give him a walk.

You will be fine.

Thank you!
I’m prob most nervous of driving on the other side of the road 😂

France is huge and so the roads are usually quieter. Just pay attention at roundabouts, don’t go round the wrong way!

Toll roads- expensive but so worth it!

Service stops- usually lovely and big with green spaces. I usually take loo roll and wet wipes and antic bac gel. Loos can be iffy!

If you look at your route check and see if you will be going past any “beau village” and stop. They lose are marked with a brown sign and are pretty historical places.

Have a look at the Via Michelin website, it is packed with information about times/distances between places on your route, options for various routes, places to stop etc. You can print out detailed directions if necessary too.

Have a wonderful holiday!

Thank you so much!!

If you plan on using toll roads then get a toll tag. It means you can drive through the barriers without paying and you get billed a month later on your credit card. Saves faffing about with change and holding up impatient French drivers. If you go through a toll with manned booths it saves disturbing a sleeping passenger (if you have one, if not then it means you don't have to get out the car and walk round to the passengers side to pay).

Read up on 'Priorite a droite' - sometimes side roads have priority over the main road which can cause accidents if you're not aware of it. If you have a yellow diamond sign on your road then you have priority. If it has a cross through it then joining traffic has priority, even if it's from a side road.

Make sure you have a fluorescent jacket for each person in the car that is accessible BEFORE you exit the vehicle. Also make sure you have spare bulbs and first aid kit and change the beam of your headlights.

Thank you very much. You are very thoughtful for telling us 😀

We have done the Portsmouth to Santander crossing a few times and driven from Santander to south west France. In Spain you need to carry two red triangles. I think the rules in france are one red triangle, hi viz jackets, breathalyser and spare light bulbs. We find the motorways in south west france easy to drive on. We have the telepeage tag which makes it easier going through the toll booths. There are frequent services and aires (more basic stops). We have never encountered much traffic on the motorway that runs along near the pyrenees. Although motorways in france can get very busy on Saturdays in peak season.
The motorway from Santander to the french border is ok but it is more like a dual carriageway and it is windy in places. There are fewer services. We missed a turn once around Bilbao but managed to correct our course. It is easiest to pay the Spanish tolls with euros (cash) as the amounts are not that high. We have never encountered too much traffic on the Spanish side.

I don't think you will find it too much of a problem driving on the other side of the road. I think the best thing to do would be to look up the route on via Michelin before travelling and memorise a few key junctions in spain (ie joining motorway in Santander and route round bilbao), as well as having sat nav.

I would also echo what others have said about the lack of parking in Lourdes. We spent about an hour trying to park there on a day trip. It is probably ok if you can time your arrival for early morning or evening.