I know that similar routes have been covered on the 'europe' section many times, but there is nothing better than up to date information.

I am travelling Portsmouth to Caen on the overnight ferry, mid July. This docks at 06.30

I then have five days to get to Calpe on the Costa Blanca from where i will be hiring a car and picking my wife, kids and my father up from Valencia airport for our annual summer holiday. I will be leaving my bike in Calpe and flying out late Sept to do a return ride.

I have viewed many route planners and atlasses and also conferred with a relative near Perpignan. In summary. I plan to take my first overnight stop at Tours which is 157 miles from my ferry dock at Caen, which will be just right after a semi sleepless night on a ferry. The following day will see an early start on to an area somewhere north of Cahors for another night, this is about 240 miles.. From here i will be on to the town of Ceret, near Perpignan to visit the above mentioned relative for a night. This is about another 200 miles.

After one night with my cousin, i now have two choices, either cut back and go through Andorra and then into Spain for one night before my final leg on to Calpe, which is one hour south of Valencia. OR go straight down the coast past Barcelona and stop somewhere like Peniscola for the night and then continue down the coast to Calpe.

I want the trip to be enjoyable which is why i have allowed myself 5 days as I think this is not too demanding.??? When I return for the bike in late Sept i will probably take a completely different route home, maybe even the Bilbao ferry, but thats another thread at another time.....

If any of you good people could give me any advice on my chosen route, it is very flexible at the moment ! I would appreciate it.

I will be travelling alone and staying in pre booked hotels so my daily destination will be very much fixed and I am happy with that situation. As I dont know much about France I am concerned that i may be passing very close to some wonderful places that i dont even know exist and could be worth detouring through..

Thanks in advance for your help.. this trip is consuming my life at the moment..

Lee

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