Travelling from U.K. to Vera

Avoid Paris unless your travelling through the night as it will put over a hour or 2 on the journey, plenty of hotels on the way down and most allow dogs for a small fee. Tolls in France will cost around 100 euros, and fuel is expensive in France. 

We have done this journey a few times with our dog. I assume your dog has a pet passport or else you won't be able to bring it back to the UK.

First decision is how to cross the channel, we always used Eurotunnel as very easy (the dog stays with you and only 35 minute crossing).

Look at the 2 web links below:

https://about-france.com/tourism/no-tolls-routes.htm

https://about-spain.net/travel/no-tolls.htm

They give good routes and minimise the french tolls.

Watch the weather forecasts especially for the area around the border between France and Spain as you climb over the edge of the Pyrenees and it can snow and roads can get difficult.

Make sure you have the necessary kit in your car (spare bulbs, hi-viz for all occupants, warning triangles, etc)

We used Booking.com to find hotels en route and tried to use supermarkets in France for fuel as the motorway stations are expensive.

Fuel in Spain is cheaper and tends to be similarly priced on the Autovias.

For your return your dog will need the pet passport stamped and a worm pill administered. There are several vets in the Vera / Mojacar area that speak english and can do this for you at a reasonable cost.

All of the tolls on the motorways take cards but the machines are all on the passenger side so ideally have one of your passengers on that side otherwise you will need to get out to operate them.

Have a good journey.

Hi,

Nothing much to add to previous posters. Never done the ferry from Portsmouth to Santander due to cost & in that we always do this route in our motorhome. Dover to Calais but no idea about pet. The motorways through France can be quite costly so over the years we have developed a cross country route although you can just punch 'avoid tolls' into your satnav or smartphone.

Impressed by your resolve. For ourselves we would have put the dog in kennels, flown over & hired a car if necessary. Calais to Puerto Lumbreras is just on 2000km ( another 70km to Mojacar). Actually diesel in France is virtually on parity with UK but not on motorways. We always look for Super U supermarkets in France for fuel. In Spain you find cheaper servos on Industrial estates.

Well, the very best of luck & have a safe & interesting.journey where you will pass far more POI than down here.

Enjoy the festive season.

Best Wishes,

Bob and Sandra

Mojacar Playa and Puerto Lumbreras

Thank you for your comments and advice, we are looking at the experience as an adventure haha, it may be the worst decision we have made but hopefully not! We are just going to take it easy we aren’t in any hurry as long as we get there before Christmas 🎄 my dad is taking the sensible option and flying over......he has had a place in Spain for about 11 years and always flown and left the dogs with friends but want her (the dog) to come with us this time.  I may be back for more advice but thank you for the advice so far.

We drove down from Manchester via the Tunnel at the end of May, to Roquetas where we now live, that’s 90 mins drive further on from Vera. The two of us plus a dog had 4 stopovers, mainly at Ibis budget hotels Folkestone-Bourges-Perpignan-Xativa. It cost around €800 in total, just one-way.

I’d just suggest it’s likely to be less comfortable/safe doing this Dec-Jan season and for such a short stay. You may need a holiday when you get back having spent a week driving altogether ...

Hi alexander,, ive been driving down for over 10 yrs now for example merc 2.1 diesal 2 and a half tanks of fuel will see you good,,,, tolls (130 in euros )  just take the E17 motorway there you will head for the E15 right down to vera,average your self id say 550miles per driver,, i normally drive from dover right down to lyon or valence,bed down)( then stop over at a ibis hotel in spain (mollot del valles) just ouside barcalona its right next to the motorway E15 from there your 8 hours to vera ,,,,,,,,,,,,,, if you want to do it in one stop over ,id stop over in dijon ,france  from there its a 14 hour drive to very  and another tip  for you is get up around 4 am and get a good start ................... best of travels ,, 1100 euros thats for you going down and returning ,, try and return to the same hotels when ur heading back home,, and one last thing avoid thoes expensive services for large dinners,,,, hotels in spain could be difficult with a dog but in france you will be ok (f1 hotels) they are cheap and nasty but for a sleep they are                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               viamichelin website will tell your your toll prices,,,

( Another tip for you to think about is your breakdown cover just remember  breakdown companys will take you back to the uk to the value of your car so if your car is worth £3000  you wont be coming back with it)

Thank you, that’s all really helpful.  We plan to travel down with only 1 stopover in France.  Both my husband and myself will be sharing the driving, our dog is 8 and travels really well.  Our car is only 2 months old so I’m hoping that we won’t need breakdown cover but we did get rac breakdown cover when we bought the car and it covers Europe if we need it.  We are getting the 3am crossing from Dover and will also get up early the following day in the hope of making it to Vera.  Thanks for you advice.

One time we got an early Eurotunnel crossing 6 am and drove down as far as Carcassonne, then next day to Vera. It was a long journey but doable.