We did it years back with a speedboat on the back (limited to 60mph or so) from the Midlands. (2 drivers)

Set off early to make the Ferry for early morning and broke the journey at a camp site in Lyon the same evening. From there it's a couple of hours to the border.

You might be best spending the night in Dover and taking the first Ferry over the channel. Calais to Lyon is about 450 miles, tiring but doable... camp up for the night and have a few swallies.... The following day you'd be in L'Estartit for lunch.

I've done it several times with kids in the car.

We start in Brum.

We normally aim to get an early ferry from Dover. So get on the boat at 4 or 5 am. Land in France at 7 or 8 their time and then drive. Comfortably, without having to belt the car to death you can get to Lyon by tea time. We normally stop at an Etap hotel in that region. The last 2 years we stayed at one in Valance just South of Lyon. Use the A26/A31 to circumvent Paris.

If you have to get to the Costa on a Saturday (change over day) then I suggest you then take a gentle drive down the Rhone valley on the N7 and aim to stop just before the Spanish border for Friday night. We have stopped in Narbonne and Perpgnon in the past. Saturdays can be hellish on the birder and so by getting that far down you can take the coast road past Colliore and cross the border down there on the corniche, very nice views. Stop for a coffee of something to eat at one of the little bays and then be on the Costa Brava by lunchtime.

Another route that is very good is to go via Paris and to leave on the A10 to Orleans then the A71 towards Clermont Ferand. Paris can be a bit of a bugger but the periferique is normally OK just take your time and know in advance which exit you need!

Take the A71 to CF and stop the night there. Next day take the A75 South and cross the Viaduct de Millau. This is breathtaking and worth the hassle of Paris. The A75 is also a free motorway and only the bridge has a toll. I would still stop on the border if I was planning to arrive on the Costa on a Saturday though.

Coming back we normally aim to stop just North of Lyon and then next day drive up to Calais. Sometimes we get a late ferry but normally we book a hotel in the port and have one last night of our holiday with a nice meal out. Early ferry next morning and home for lunch.

Thanks guys

The thing i have to remember is that i have to set off early to make the ferry, that's a 500 mile trip to get down to Dover before catching it I really don't want to have to camp up for two nights on the way there, but i guess if i had to, i'd do it

I have this crazy notion (and i've driven the vast majority of the way to Portsmouth when we've done it) that i could do an overnight trip down to Dover, have a few hours kip either before or after the ferry, and then drive another couple of hundred before stopping overnight. I'd then be pretty confident of taking a nice slow easy drive down through France to Spain ... however, i guess that's just crazy thinking mileage-wise, eh???

What cost if you are taking the toll roads right through? I have to say, Hi de hi, that the Millau bridge is on my list of things to see

We did it a couple of years back. However we crossed it in the mother of all thunder storms! The road also takes you straight across the Massif Centrale which is pretty spectacular.

Having the car with you on the Costa Brava is great. there is so much to see and do away from the coast. However even I was not brave enough to drive into Barcelona!

It's only about 90 minutes down to Portoventura as well. You can drive into the pyrenees and see the volcanoes.

We drove down about 14 times when the kids were young.We live in the North West of UK,and drove through the night to Dover,got to ferry about 6am and had a couple of hour kip before crossing,I will add that we both did the driving.Once we crossed over we drove till about 5pm and stopped overnight at a Premier Inn motel at Montpellier.Next morning we set off and used to arrive at our campsite about 10.30 am refreshed to start our holiday.Absolutly loved the drive,but we was younger then and couldnt do it now with one stop,it was tiring.We would pull into the picnic areas and make sandwiches up etc as we went along,used to have a portable gas stove to make hot drinks,saved on motorway services high prices.Tried the N roads the very first year,never again!! very hot travelling,took us nearly 3 days,and if you got stuck behind a truck,you just couldnt overtake for miles,only use motorways easier to drive on than ours,great to have your car when your there,so many places to see and not too far away.We mainly stayed at CAPallafrugell,but visited Estartit,Pals,Begur,Palamos,Playa de aro,San Agro,etc etc,lots.Best way is driving down yourself.

Do you think i'm being a tad over ambitious with my driving plans then?

The good thing is i have a year to plan this and think it through, so i'm in no rush. The thought of being able to take a trip to the various resorts on the Costa Brava is very appealing too
What about costs then?

Tolls, petrol, etc? (I think road tolls are a joke, the government should negotiate a free pass for us Brits with any country who has them, or charge the buggers when they come over here )

I've spoken to people who've driven down the route nationale roads, and they say it's been ok, but it would add time i would have thought, and as a single driver that's maybe not good!!

If i was to do this, i'd also more than likely make it early season (mid may) so it would be quieter, plus you sometimes get 3 weeks for the price of 2 early season, so might as well make it a long holiday!!

When you see the quality of their roads compared with ours you see where the toll money gets spent. I drive a diesel and the lower cost of the fuel compensates for the tolls.

We have a plug in fridge that runs in the back of the car and so we have cold drinks etc for the journey and like the above poster use the picnic areas for stops.

If you are in a hurry the motorways are fine. However with a 2 stop strategy you don't have to rush and so the N roads in some areas give you a much nicer drive with plenty to see and stop for.
Etap hotels cost about £30 a night for a room that sleeps 3. You pay an extra 5 euros each or so for breakfast which is worth it just for the coffee or drinking chocolate alone. The journey becomes part of the holiday and searching uot nice restaurants in towns, looking at the shops and sights etc is part of the fun. Coming back one year we stopped at Avignon. The Etap there is right next to the old town walls and about a 15 minute walk from the 'Pont'. We got there at lunchtime and so had the afternoon to sightsee then left next morning to drive North.

You are spot on, last year when coming back on the coach with Interbrava we stopped at Orange for an hour as we were running early, and it was great having time to have a nosy around the town, and it did tempt me towards taking my own car

The 2 stop strategy might be the best thing, allowing us to take our time through some nice French places en route

Another question!

Given the fact that it would only be me driving, and i wouldn't be totally sure of how many miles i could cover, would it be best to book an overnight stay in advance, or just wait and get one 'on the run' ???

there always seems to be plenty of roadside accom in France, but how good it is?

We always book Accor hotels (Formule 1, Etap etc) in advance. You can book up to 100 days in advance online and stay for up to 4 days at one hotel.

The website has maps and directions in English.

You use your credit card to pay when you book but they only deduct the money when you book in on the day. You can cancel beforehand with no charge. If you are arriving late their may be no staff on duty and you put the card you used to book in the slot on the door to gain admission. It is very efficient.

It is about 1050 Miles to the Costa Brava from Brum. In our car, without thrashing it, that is about a tank and a half of diesel. (90 litres). Tolls IIRC come to about £100 each way although if you are not in a hurry (with a 2 stop strategy) you can get off the toll roads occasionally and drive on the very good and scenic N roads (usually far better than our A roads) and get better fuel economy as well as you are tooling along at 90kph rather than 110 kph. We always regard the drive as a part of the holiday and there is no point in rushing down and then needing 2 days to recover from the drive!

after reading this i would love to try it, i drove to the south of france to do a job but as we live in yorkshire we got the hull ferry witch gave us a good kip before driving through belgium into france, it was a nice drive, getting past paris was a peice of cake with sat nav lol.

cider.
we are driving to calella (not cp) in 29 days time,well oh is i cant drive.
we live in fleetwood,nr blackpool, so quite a drive south,not quite as far as you though.
we have booked to stay in premier lodge onthe friday night,folkstone as we are going via the tunnel £62.
getting the 2 10 train,£94 return for us and car,so get to calais early.
drive for as long as oh wants(with rest stops)
and if he wants to sleep,stop for a bit longer.just get there a bit later.
booked hotel in calella £500 for 2 weeks.
on return,after an earlyish breakfast,drive(same as going stop when needed)
booked into hotel on that night in calais 45 euros for room.
leave on the 9 30 train and drive home.
tolls and petrol work out approx £150 each way.
not as cheap as coaching, but will be an experance.
will let you know how it goes on return.
regards angelica

Thanks Angelica, since you have only one driver, it will be interesting to see how you get on, and you're only 3hrs further south
So, you are only doing one stop, overnight on south coast, then getting off early to Calais? You said 2 10 train, is that 02:10am? You are then doing the Calais - Calella stretch in one go?

That is why i want to do it too, for the experience Actually, one of the reason i DONT hire a car on hols is so that i get peace to lie by the pool, but it would be nice to have my own car for one time, eh

cider,
yes sorry(2 10am) train it is,then driving though to calella.according to route finder sat nav etc,we should be there around 8 oclock(pm) but it doesnt matter if we are later(or ealier).
the euro tunnel trains have good prices if you go between midnight and six.
angelica

Sounds like a plan for me, travel down early morning to the south coast, book in at lodge for a night, get up early and catch the early shuttle across, then mosy down to the resort at leisure

Let me know how you get on, will be great to know

Angelica. Your drive would be at least 16 hours. I assume that the Sat Nav does not factor in stops for food, fuel and loos! If you are driving on a Saturday be aware that in the Summer the French roads can get very busy especially at the toll booths where queues of 30 mins are not uncommon and sometimes even longer (you will have to pass through around 4 or 5 pay booths on the way down depending on your route). There can also be big queues (I was once stuck in one 15 miles long, I have never crossed on a Saturday since by motorway) at the Spanish border on Saturdays although I have never been quite sure why as it is an open border! If you are traveling on 'Black Saturday' travel times between booths can double! Also if it rains the speed limit on motorways drops from 130 kph to 110 kph and don't be tempted to speed if you get the chance as the toll booths will calculate you average speed over the section and if it is above the limit they will call the police in!

Buy yourself a good quality GPS put it in the car tell it where you want to go to and away you go. I would recomend the TomTom One XL which will cover all of Europe and also tell you where the speed cameras are as in France the are no warnings about them unlike the UK and Spain.

I have done London to the Costa Brava in 14 Hours wothout and overnight stop except for food and the toilet, a lot depends on the time of year you plan to go France can be a pig in August as that is the main French holiday season.

Good luck and have a good holiday.