We have spent the last few weeks booking our holiday and I can’t wait to share it with you. We haven’t been abroad for a few years so don’t mind spending a little more and the extra planning involved. Plus, if I am honest I like planning, organising and bargain hunting!
Why did we decide to go on a Road Trip?
We have talked for quite some time about going on a road trip in Europe as we love watching travel vloggers and seeing the flexibility they have and where they go. It feels like such a more unique holiday than flying to one destination and I am so excited!
After thinking this for a while, I came home a few weeks ago from the shops to Stuart asking if I fancied a road trip to Portugal. I was keen and then he told me why, the blooming football! I mean don’t get me wrong the football will only take up a very small amount of the holiday but men eh! Both Ben and Stuart are avid Mansfield Town fans and this summer the team are training in Portugal and playing a friendly against the Chelsea under 21’s team while they are there and these two wanted to go and make it a holiday!
Whilst I am not a football fan I am excited about the road trip and if you follow me on Instagram I will be updating you with pictures and reels along the way so keep an eye out. If you don’t follow me then what is wrong with you? Only joking, but pop over and follow me on @justaveragejen.
Our European road trip itinerary
Both myself and Stuart drive (though neither of us have driven in Europe before!) so we plan to share the driving. We have bought so many specific things for the trip which I am currently writing about for you so I will share that next week when I have a few more of the items arrive so I can photograph them!
Day 1 – Setting off
We are starting our holiday late in the evening. Ben has his prom as he is leaving college (maybe you saw my Instagram picture?) which finishes at 10pm so we are literally leaving just after that! We are picking him up at 10, taking him home to change out of his suit and then driving down to Dover. So on day 1 we will be doing about an hour’s worth of driving before we are into day 2! The total drive from our house to dover is around 230 miles (370km) and takes about 4 hours 15 minutes, more if we stop for a coffee and to swap drivers!
Day 2 – To Dover, Calais and Poitiers
Day 2 will start with us in the car from starting the journey around 11pm and on our way to Dover. We intend on arriving at Dover around 3.30am, having an hour’s sleep in the car and then going to the port. We need to be at the port 90 minutes before the ferry departs. Our departure time is 6.55am UK time. So we have allowed enough time for a short sleep but if we hit lots of roadworks that might not be an option!
We arrive in Calais at 9.30am French time and will be driving down to Poitiers straight away, with a few toilet stops of course! At some point along the drive we will stop and swap drivers and have lunch too. The journey from Calais to Poitiers is around 400 miles (650km) and depending on traffic will take around 6hours 30 minutes in total not including the stops so probably more like 8 hours with stops, especially with my bladder if I have drunk coffee!
At Poitiers we have a hotel booked for the night (including breakfast!) and will be finding somewhere local for tea when we arrive. Any suggestions pop them in the comments below! Unfortunately we wont get much time to do anything else in Poitiers.
Day 3 – Driving to Valladolid, Spain
Day 3 will be a long one! We are having breakfast at the hotel in Poitiers then setting off and driving down to the France-Spain border and on to Valladolid in Spain. We have one night in our hotel there and again will probably see very little of the area by the time we arrive! The journey from Poitiers to Valladolid is around 510 miles (820km) and will take around 8 hours 40 minutes excluding stops so probably close to 10/11 hours with breaks for lunch, the toilet and swapping drivers!
In Valladolid we will probably be eating somewhere local again too but again, we have not planned this yet so any suggestion let me know!
Day 4 – Valladolid, Spain to Albufeira, Portugal
By day 4 we are expecting to be a bit sick of driving and shattered but this is the last day of driving for a few days thankfully! The current route we are looking at for this journey includes crossing the Spain-Portugal border at Badajoz and will be around 480 miles (770km) and take 7 hours 30 minutes excluding breaks so probably closer to 9 hours with breaks!
When we arrive in Albufeira we will be ready for a drink and a good night’s sleep that’s for sure!
Day 5-10 – All inclusive in Albufeira
We have a 6 day break in Albufeira and we have booked all inclusive so I am sure I will make good use of the drinks after all that driving! While there we will enjoy the beach, the football (them not me!) and generally having a relax for 6 nights!
Day 10 – Albufeira to Fuenlabrada, Spain
We will definitely enjoy our last all inclusive breakfast at the hotel this morning as another long drive is on the cards. Today we will be driving from Albufeira to Fuenlabrada, a city around 30 minutes drive from Madrid. The drive today will be between 6 hours 45 minutes and 7 hours 15 minutes (without stops) or 465-473 miles (750-761km) depending on the route we take. One option is going on some of the roads we have driven on the way to Albufeira, the other is via Seville so we will possibly decide that when we are in Albufeira!
By the time we arrive in Fuenlabrada it will be evening but then we have 2 nights there which is nice and means we can explore a little.
Day 11 – Fuenlabrada and Madrid
Day 11 will be a full day with no driving (or maybe a little!) in the Madrid area so that will be nice and no doubt involve looking at the areas football stadiums as Ben is Football mad! Any suggestions of places to eat or visit not too far from Fuenlabrada?
Day 12 – Fuenlabrada to Bordeaux
So another day of driving, day 12 is driving from the hotel in Fuenlabrada across Spain to the border with France and up to Bordeaux. This will be another quite long day of driving with a total of around 442 miles (710km) and 7 hours 30 minutes of driving before stops so more like 9 hours on the roads! We will definitely be ready to sample the wine from Bordeaux when we arrive! We have 2 nights in Bordeaux though so it will be worth it.
Day 13 – In Bordeaux
We haven’t yet decided what to do in Bordeaux so we are open to suggestions that don’t involve too much driving! If you have suggestions that involve no driving at all then that is even better! They have Ubers in Bordeaux right?
Day 14 – Bordeaux to Le Havre
This is another driving day! Today we will be driving from Bordeaux to Le Havre which is in the Normandy area of France. I am looking forward to this area as there are so many historical things we can see and it sounds lovely. Also by then we are getting closer to home again! The driving from Bordeaux to Le Havre will be around 6 hours 30 minutes without breaks so probably closer to 8 hours in total and the distance is about 426 miles (685km). We have a 2 day break in Le Havre though so that will be nice.
Day 15 – Le Havre
A day of looking around the area and lots of relaxing to finish of the holiday I think! Anything you recommend in the area?
Day 16 – Le Havre to Calais and maybe home!
So the last day of the holiday will be spent driving from Le Havre to Calais ready for our teatime ferry back to the UK. This drive will be a short one in comparison to the others at around 180 miles (290km) and just short of 3 hours! I think by the time we get to Calais we will be ready to go home, don’t you?
We arrive back in the UK at 6.05pm UK time and probably shattered! We are aiming to drive home that night 230 miles (370km) but we are open to the idea if we are tired of getting a Travelodge or Premier Inn somewhere on the way and having a night sleep and getting home on what will be day 17 instead! If we do drive straight home we will get home around 11.15pm so it is likely we will decide to stop somewhere overnight if the traffic is bad but time will tell!
What do you think?
What do you think about our road trip plans? Have you done anything like this? Would you like to? Let me know in the comments below! Do you have any book recommendations I can enjoy in Albufeira, something that is light reading would be my preference as I will be drinking and shattered!
Follow our road trip on Instagram and Facebook and keep an eye out for my other preparation posts and of course all the photos and stories afterwards!
