Fangoria

iTrader: (1)

I'm scheduled on a flight out of LA to New York to Lisbon tomorrow night
After being stranded since Thursday I've had enough so will rent a car from Lisbon back to Northern France then take my chances there
Whats the quickest route back from Madrid? - anyone

I wondered if it was quicker doing the Biarritz and up route or going central France and up? - maybe I could take in some amazing driving roads!!

I can get a one way car rental for £1500 ;-)......

Dont really want to take my chances here in the USA

Any good maps i can get on-line?

Snazy

Google maps ?

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Rail would be cheaper and quicker, plus you can doze on the train.
Madrid> Irun(change)>Bordeaux> Lille Europe(change)>London St Pancras.

Any good?

JackClark

Holy Cow, that's some targeted advertising. Anyhow, I alway drive via Biarritz.

Disco Boy 2

Have done Calais - Bilbao and back a couple of times.

We have always done Calais - Rouen - Le Mans - Poitiers - Bordeaux.

warrtster

iTrader: (5)

This might be of help

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Did that last time we drove back from Alicante (via Zaragoza and San Sebastian); It seemed to be the most Toll-efficient route. N10 all the way to Poitiers is free.

One word of advice if one wants to avoid tolls: Get a good road atlas that clearly shows the differnce between toll roads and free motorways and which part of the main trunks roads are dual carriageway. It can save you a few bob on tolls by using alternative roads (especially if there is a free dual carriageway running alongside the toll road). All the on-line maps don't seem to clealy show what is toll and what is not, same with dual carriageways on trunk roads.

Sat Navs are great but its either nothing but toll roads or avoiding them completely, when in reality one wants to mix it up a bit. Program it anyway, but make a destinations/vias list with road numbers and big cities, and use the sat nav as a backup (or for picking up speed cameras - plenty in France)

For cheap diesel; "Auchan" shopping centre/hypermarkets usually have cheap fuel. There is a big one on the N10 just south of Poitiers (literally off the main road: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&q=auchan&sll=46.548428,0 .303326&sspn=0.011673,0.019205&ie=UTF8&split=1&rq= 1&ev=zi&radius=0.46&hq=auchan&hnear=&ll=46.549166, 0.300772&spn=0,0.019205&z=16&layer=c&cbll=46.54906 9,0.300673&panoid=WN8VznGnY3a1bhH5cX_6rA&cbp=12,25 8.8,,0,-0.53); fill up there and you should have plenty enough to get you to calais - where there is another Auchan on the retail park near the Eurotunnel.

If you find a service area that has a Paul Boulangerie franchise, then thats the place to get some nice cake and sandwiches to keep you going - think Greggs but much nicer (and fresher).