Dieppe to Arinsal (Andorra)hotel…3 leisurely days driving, plenty of stopping & sightseeing, menu de jour roadside and only one 2 hour motorway stretch to make up time after a road closure and getting lost 3x in a huge forest between Orleans & Bourges.
In France paid €1.735 and €1.762 for 98 octane ( no 99 anywhere).
Arrived Andorra this afternoon…8 petrol stations within a mile at Pas de la Casa, including two on the col at 7900ft ! 98 octane around €1.42, 95 octane €1.36.
Vitara (1.4 manual, two wheel drive) showing 55mpg after 1250 miles from home….dropped a bit after today’s exertions in the mountains.
Will continue to drop for next 10 days as I’m staying here and shuttling myself and 3 walkers around in our group, who arrive from Spain Saturday.
The Tarn & Ariege regions are beautiful…sunshine helps.
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Bit jealous to be honest.
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I have very limited experience of holidaying in France…a few long distance backpacking trips and walking hols…GR5, Vosges and Jura.
Ski trips were always last minute, normally in a catered chalet, but my initial thought was that France is a lot more expensive than Spain.
Purely by chance I found a great place for lunch in Aurillac yesterday whilst going cross country and had to cross the N122 back onto the D roads, whilst enjoying the D roads between Montlucon and Chatres. €15:30 for a wonderful 3 course meal, salad then skewered beef cooked over wood on an indoor bbq ! Home made tiramisu and vino ( declined).
Today joined the N20 south of Foix via Mirepoix and a €14 roadside P de J. Vino again declined.
Both places full..the former barely a seat left, full of office types.
Makes you think…£17 for a main course in a pub in the UK…so I very rarely eat out. Too tight.
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I wasn't over impressed with Andorra on the whole, but some of the high walking I did (in deep snow from the planned road to France, which I think is still not completed 40+ years on) was quite spectacular.
Prices vary tremendously across Europe. I'm currently in Vienna, and we ate out tonight a Deux (very well) for <£35 with drinks. Not bad for a (very busy) capital city.
The weather looks like it's going South tomorrow, though :-(
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Agreed. Entered on the N20 from the north below the peage.
Pas de la Casa is a dump…all I’ve seen so far are large hotels and pig ugly apartment blocks. I’m being joined by 24 friends, various nationalities, from my Spain based walking group. I’ve arrived 3 days early to recce the walks I’m leading..hotel is a monstrosity, but good value.
The mountains will be better.
Whilst in Vienna try to watch ‘Before Sunrise’ the first of a Richard Linklater trilogy, set in Vienna. Full of long monologues , conversation and featuring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delphy. One of my favourite films. There were 2 subsequent films as their relationship progressed.
Well worth watching.
Last edited by: legacylad on Wed 11 Sep 24 at 21:11
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I'm sure it is my advancing years, but every time I go to France I get increasingly frustrated with the UK: The roads, the road surfaces, the prices, the quality of the food whether raw in the supermarche or cooked in a restaurant, the architecture, the space, the climate, the diversity of geography, the courtesy most show to cyclists, etc., etc. Pretty much everything except, well, the French!
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And the H & Safety.
Just been up a narrow hairpin road to a col to recce the start of a walking route. Several roadworks, one way traffic, a few signs in the road, and wheelbarrows, no traffic lights, or workers with a stop go sign.
Just keep to 30kph as per and use common sense.
To be fair, some narrow roads though villages have patchwork quilt surfaces , a few holes, some dreadful speed bumps, but once outside, billiard table smooth surfaces.
Just filled up again on Elf 98octane @ €1.429.
Mountain village so not the cheapest.
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Totally agree to both posts - although I quite like the French along with our German cousins.
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A trip through some of the banlieues of Paris might balance your views. As tourists we tend to see mainly the good side of France. We don’t have to deal with the bureaucracy and red tape of officialdom, nor the casual racism that pervades the country. And not all French food is great. There are twice as MacDonalds in France as there are in the U.K.
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>> A trip through some of the banlieues of Paris might balance your views.
>>
Oh yes, we saw a fair bit of the banlieues when we popped over to see the Olympics. But lived to tell the tale!
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>> The weather looks like it's going South tomorrow, though :-(
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....and it did, big time.
I think we got out of Vienna (and Austria, and Bavaria) just in time.
In two hops (one high in Austria, and one near Passau on a steadily rising Donau), we had to go 260 miles or so West before we escaped the rain.
It wasn't exactly biblical, but it was entirely unrelenting: most of the journey was on Austrian and German Autobahn, which most certainly wasn't fun in those conditions.
Now in the vicinity of Stuttgart, today has been relatively pleasant, good for walking high above the Neckar valley.
(The day after we left Vienna, there were weather alerts for up to 2 meters (!) of snow in central Vienna. Not sure that materialised, but there were big falls round about. It was in the mid to high 20s whilst we were there.
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Here in Arinsal it’s been cloudless for the past 4 days.
4C in the shade early morning, but it soon warms up.
The A group ascended Pic de Casamanya yesterday @ 2740m (8989’). Yours truly finished the day with a badly sunburned nose...circling vultures mistook it for raw meat whenever we stopped.
Think we have another two days of similar weather before a downgrade in the forecast.
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Jealous of both of you!
We were in Manchester all day yesterday. Son lives there now. Hissed down all day. Manchester isn’t entirely (or even slightly) scenic at the best of times, but on a wet Sunday it seems especially distopian. :-(
The only positive I was able to take from it all was the very temporary feeling that it makes where we live seem marginally more appealing for a while. But, I’m sure that’ll wear off by lunchtime.
I feel a road trip coming on. ;-)
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>> ....and it did, big time.
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>> I think we got out of Vienna (and Austria, and Bavaria) just in time.
Was that part of Storm Boris?
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>> Was that part of Storm Boris?
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Certainly was. Mahoosive disruption across Central Europe. Still major weather warnings out. Vienna largely at a standstill.
Damp today, so moved on 40 miles to explore another area. €5 for a niceish Stellplatz at Nagold, walkable into town.
Weather forecast improving, so heading off to the Schwarzwald later, all being well
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Leaving Andorra today...weather changed for the worse yesterday so our 2 planned walks were cancelled...instead followed the infant river downstream from La Massana to Andorra la Vella...lovely path, elevated at times, didn’t see any otters.
There is a levada which runs above the town, affording great cross valley views, before dropping into the old part and quickly escaping back on the bus from consumer hell.
A leisurely two day drive south to stay with friends for a few days on the northern C Blanca before heading to the Competa (Malaga area) walking festival on Wednesday.
2C on Collada dels Possets at 2841m when we reached the summit on Thursday afternoon...considerably warmer in Competa.
Must remember to get my passport stamped on exiting this non Schengen country.
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"Must remember to get my passport stamped on exiting this non Schengen country."
I thought the new regs meant it was more important to get stamps on exit from Schengen countries. Maybe not, I need to read up on it.
Early flight tomorrow to Portugal till 7 Nov for me!! :-)
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We're slowly making our way back to the tunnel.
Weather improved immeasurably as we reached the Schwarzwald, though we exchanged flood warnings for gale warnings - the valley we were in was on the lee side, though it was certainly windy on the hilltops. Good walking every day.
If Runfer gets himself a campervan, he can have a "busman's holiday'. We stayed last night on a pleasant Stellplatz attached to the Deutsche Schuhmuseum (yes really). I think the €10 overnight fee was less than the entry fee, but I can't confirm as we eschewed the chance of a visit in favour of walking the hills and interesting rock formations adjoining.
We're currently on one of our favourite Stellplätze in the Hunsrück. High up with 360 degree views, wall to wall sunshine, gentle breeze, and chillin'. Being Saturday it's well populated, but acres of room, and widely spaced.Weekend hog roast later, apparently. One of the best pitches we know (given good weather) and still only €10.
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Andorra and Schengen.
IIRC you cannot use (Andorra or Switzerland) to reset your Schengen days eg a a 6month Visa for france extended using 90/180 rule.
More details here, but pretty indigestible!
travel.stackexchange.com/questions/175599/using-andorra-to-avoid-90-180-trouble
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I entered France at Dieppe Sunday 8th September
Entered Andorra Wednesday 11th. Passport stamped
Exited Andorra Saturday 21 September. Passport stamped.
Those 10 days don’t count as part of my 90/180, or so I assume …sail home from Bilbao 15 October.
Can’t say I understand what’s going on…I added up my days and totally forgot about 12 days in Fuerteventura in February & 10 days in Lanzarote in January?
These put me well over 90/180 and nothing was said when I visited Spain in April, May & June.
I was on about 110 days then so had definitely exceeded my 90 allowance.
Last edited by: legacylad on Sun 22 Sep 24 at 06:43
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ll
"These put me well over 90/180 and nothing was said when I visited Spain in April, May & June.
I was on about 110 days then so had definitely exceeded my 90 allowance."
I guess that the Spanish are not so diligent as the French immigration. Be warned if the French spot it they will prevent you from entering and/ or Fine you on leaving. Then there is the knock on effect of the airline having to return you - probably at your cost , since you will have declared that you meet entry requirements (somewhere in the small print).
In the case of serious breaches they have the power to ban you from visiting any Schengen country.
www.eeas.europa.eu/sites/default/files/visa_waiver_faqs_en.pdf
Whist you may get away with it now. when ETIAS, is finally introduced all info will be on line. Like all government IT contracts it has suffered repeated delays. It has recently been pushed back from 10/11/24 to mid 25. Just hope that Starmer negotiates something favorable before final launch.
etias.com/etias-launch-pushed-to-2025
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Since February was more than 180 days ago, I don't see any reason for concern.
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I have asked this before, who checks the 180 day rule?
Anytime I pass through passport control they open the passport, stamp it and hand me it back?
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They also scan your passport which probably includes a check (well, they do mine anyway!!)
Passed through Luton earlier. After security there is now an additional desk and arch at the bottom of the escalators at which there were 5 or 6 police, standing having a chat. Also a camera over the arch so I guess they are using facial recognition. You can now take 100ml of fluid through.
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The UK scan your passport, but they are not bothered if you have spent 90 days out of the country. Rarely get scanned in Europe destinations, and if you have loads of exit entry stamps no-one is going to add them up.
Until the ESTA arrives that is.
Friends of mine are sailing round the med all year, and there they get checked thoroughly but some over uniformed, under employed, officious local Hitler.
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Well maybe they're just testing the system but mine has been scanned each time in and out of Portugal for at least the past year - which isn't loads but it's 100%.
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Experienced 30 minute queue at passport control when departing Porto last week. 40 minute queue when arriving at Lisbon airport the week before ( no queues for EU residents)
I read that a Ryanair flight departed Lisbon in August minus 40 passengers stuck at Passport control
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The gift that keeps giving :/
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I guess they hadn’t heard that ww’ve taken back control:-)
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>> Since February was more than 180 days ago, I don't see any reason for concern.
>>
Im not concerned. Now.
Returned to Spain a few times during March > June but not for many days. Last minute week here & there when cheep flights and rentals allowed.
Im currently well with my 90/180.
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Just realised our local council have a fleet of Suzuki Vitaras that are used for the care at home team.
Must be about 40 of them or so. Had a glance at the tyres on one today but look to be standard non winters.
Seem to be a high spec version as well.
Edit- found this
www.dailyrecord.co.uk/in-your-area/lanarkshire/new-fleet-hybrid-cars-helping-31055172
Last edited by: Bobby on Sun 29 Sep 24 at 19:46
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I specifically bought a 2019 last of the non hybrids. Top spec SZ5 with opening pano roof. Slightly more power, and performance than the hybrid..which friends own. 46mpg since my trip started, but that includes 10 days in Andorra up n down.
Today was the final day ( of 4) of the Competa Walking Festival, a mountain village inland of Malaga. Stunning scenery, an annual event, pre booked choice of 3 walks per day. It’s been hot…Friday was 24kms, 1360m ascent, afternoon 32C and out for 9.5 hours. Proper scorchio.
Back to a rental on CBlanca tomorrow…lots more walking, pre brekkie swim, sail home from Bilbao mid October.
Jeez I’m lucky.
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Filled up with petrol yesterday prior to my leisurely drive north to Bilbao starting tomorrow..,95octane was €1.403, diesel €1.194, which is near as dammit £1/ litre.
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Sailed home from Bilbao 15 October, after 3 days pootling around Basque Country.
Once home, calculations showed just over 51mpg..a real mix of motorway to/ from the south coast, out from Newhaven, back into Portsmouth.
About 3,800 miles. Lots of ihills in Andorra, some fast motorways driving in Spain to catch up a day, but also plenty of short mimsing days.
Great trip, and two bookings made for late Spring and Autumn 2025, both with Brittany Ferries to and from Spain.
Vitara was just the job..not perfect, but a small footprint, economical, sufficient power with the 1.4 unit and good visibility all round. Not flash but gets on with the job.
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>>calculations showed just over 51mpg
Pretty good .. I get 45-47mpg out of the ole woman's automatic (luvly box) brown and mild hybrid.
>>Not flash but gets on with the job
Yup!
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It sounds as if the Vitara might stay with LL for a while yet. I seem to recall its days might have been numbered before the trip.
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Correct.
I considered alternatives more suitable for long distance touring. Quieter & more relaxed on long days , but the more I read into it, the more I saw compromises.
Discounted baby Lexus, new model Tucson.
Better the devil you know
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Mates 2015 1.6 Vitara has been bullet proof compared to my 2021 Hyundai which is currently sitting in a dealership sans engine!
Last edited by: zippy on Mon 4 Nov 24 at 23:30
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Suzuki - Andorra fuel prices - Runfer D'Hills
