Driving to England from Spain

Some people think that the best way of travelling to England is by booking by a cheap flight on a low cost airline...However, more and more parents are taking their children to England for a summer English Language course and sometimes it's easier to take the car.

The shortest crossing From Spain to England is without doubt the ferry from Santander to Plymouth but there are some people who prefer to drive through France and, with the excuse of travelling to England, spend the night in a chateau, enjoy some French wine and cheese and some delicious pastries and cakes for breakfast...

How to organize a trip to England by car via France.

Ther are of course many variations but here are a few proposals (which we have tried out) step by step:

1. Setting off from Spain towards France: First stop: Mirepoix.

If you are setting off from somewhere in the South of Spain, Alicante for example, the journey is 788 kms in total. You need to take the Mediterranean motorway and exit at Terrrasa taking the road towards Puigcerdá. From there you cross the French border via Bourg-Madame, if you take the N-20 you'll see wonderful scenery travelling through the Pyrenees and small French-Catalan mountain villages. For people who set off early enough you could stop for some lunch in one of the villages along the way. We recommend Aix Les Bains... You will get to Mirepoix before it gets dark. We recommend staying at the 'Hotel Relais Royal', a great place to relax and enjoy some French cuisine. Mirepoix is a beautiful medieval village and we recommend taking a walk round its famous village square before dinner or early the next day before setting off.

2. The second destination: Chateau de Locguénolé (Henebont, South Brittany).

Leave Mirepox taking the road towards Toulouse, Bordeaux and Nantes until Hennebont. This is a long journey - 809 kms - but definitely worth it. Chateau de Locguénolé is a wonderful place. If you arrive in time to have dinner you'll have the chance to dine in the restaurant in the castle and watch the sun setting over the lake. The Chateau is expensive but by travelling so far you have probably saved a night staying in a hotel and you have the added advantage of being very near the port for catching the ferry the following day. In the morning before leaving the Chateau de Locguénolé, enjoy their extraordinary breakfast and following this take a stroll around the lake and its extensive forest to recharge your batteries...but don't leave any later than 2pm.

3. The third destination the ferry: Saint -Malo (France) to Poole (England)

Leave Hennebont in the direction of Lorient, Rennes until you get to the port of Saint-Malo. The ferry crossing is about 211 kms long. If you catch the 20.05 ferry with Condor Ferries you'll be in England by midnight (British time) after a 5 hour crossing. When you arrive in Poole and drive off the ferry you probably won't want to travel much further. A good option is staying overnight at the Harbour Heights Hotel located very nearby in the Sandbanks area.