Calais to Benidorm

[Papillon72]

Hi all, planning a trip in February next year from Nottingham to Benidorm and wondered if anyone has travelled down that way at that time of the year and what weather conditions to expect and roughly how long it would take me using the toll roads? I'm planning on heading down the Western side of France to Bordeaux and crossing into Spain beyond there as there is less road elevation and hopefully less snow?
Any advice welcome please? Many thanks.

Triumph T120

[doggone]

February can be like January or more like March, you might be lucky enough to get spring-like conditions.
It could also be wet and stormy or snowy.
It won't be impossible, it may or may not be unpleasant.
Have a realistic schedule you might have to wait out the odd day if its really bad or not be able to do half the planned distance in a day.

'Needing' to do 100s of miles in cross winds and driving rain on a busy motorway is potentially going to end badly.

[struan80]

That'll be fun. I'm jealous. One day I'll do a trip like that.

[A100man]

[Papillon72]

Thanks, I did look at the ferry to Bilbao/Santander to cut out the french section which would probably be the biggest risk weather wise but it is not cheap, then again I don't know what the toll roads would cost either?

[PotatoHead202...]

I'm doing Caen via Bordeaux, Bilbao, Leon, Braga, Lugo, Oviedo and Bilbao for the ferry end of March.

I did France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium and France again this year in March.

0°C in Germany but no snow.

Loved every second of it apart from the horrifically strong wind in the Rhineland.
____________________
Suzuki V Strom 1050XT, Honda CBF500 ABS,

[A100man]

[Freddyfruitba...]

[BTTD]

[Papillon72]

Thanks for the replies! Brilliant! I've been going with my friends to Benidorm every year for the last 15 years in the month of February. The weather in Benidorm has always been fantastic in February and I don't ever recall any rain and the last few times I've said to myself, next year I will be here by bike. I can stand being cold and shivering for hours on end as long as the roads are not icy. I rode to Greece on a vespa in 2016 in late August thinking France would be dry and sunny. It rained from the minute the ferry docked at Calais to well past Dijon as I headed for the Swiss border, then nothing but sunshine. I guess I got a bad few days in terms of french weather. It's the potential ice and snow that puts me off. I think the ferry to Spain would take me past the worst of it but that's a big chunk of the journey by boat instead of by bike. We normally book our flights in the next couple of weeks so I've still got time decide what to do. There is something very satisfying travelling in the direction of the sun and warmer weather on a bike as I'm sure many of you will agree to.