Route from Malaga to Girona (Spain)

[Looserlama]

Hi!

I'm organizing a bike trip across Europe this summer and one of the legs of my trip will be going from Malaga to Girona (both in Spain).

I've found a route that seems nice with lots of beautiful scenery and some cool things along the way. Unfortunately all the websites I can find about it are in Dutch. The route is called the "Andalucia Route" on Cylcing Unlimited (http://www.cyclingeurope.nl/routes/andalusie/index.php).

I'm basically just looking for more info on this route. I guess if anyone has experience with this route or nearby ones that you enjoyed, I'm just wondering how you navigated the route? Is a route map or guide a good idea? If so, where can I find one in a language I can read (English, French or German - I've found one in Dutch, but it's a very scary looking language...)? I'm sure they're lots of other resources out there that I haven't considered, like I said I'm new to all this.

Any and all advice is greatly appreciated!

 

[Mr McHenry]

Hi, If you load the page in Google Chrome, there's a translate option at the right hand end of the address bar.
I'm thinking of riding through France/Spain next May and can't decide between a route along the Med, or N->S following the Via de la planta, so this looks interesting!

 

[jay clock]

Hi, If you load the page in Google Chrome, there's a translate option at the right hand end of the address bar.
I'm thinking of riding through France/Spain next May and can't decide between a route along the Med, or N->S following the Via de la planta, so this looks interesting!

I have done the Ruta de la Plata (in fact started in England) and it was 500k of lovely road. Also done the coast from Almeria to Valencia. That Dutch route looks fine. My blogs are here www.crazyguyonabike.com/julian

Buen viaje!

 

[xilios]

I think they only have these books in Dutch. We've bought Maastricht to Barcelona and Basel to Nice in the past. They are good but we've learned that making our own way was best. If you want to follow the exact route, go to the map of the Andalusie and check out the towns the route goes through than open google maps, (example). Also click on google street view and see pictures of the route.
Hope this helps.

 

[jay clock]

I think they only have these books in Dutch. We've bought Maastricht to Barcelona and Basel to Nice in the past. They are good but we've learned that making our own way was best. If you want to follow the exact route, go to the map of the Andalusie and check out the towns the route goes through than open google maps, (example). Also click on google street view and see pictures of the route.
Hope this helps.

I agree that you do not need to buy a book for this type of route. Get the Michelin 1:400k maps and plan your own. Dont expect to find camping easily available if at all, and if you do it will be almost as pricey as hotels. If hoteling, aim for what they call a "hostal" which is a basic pension type of place and very good. 20-30 euro a night. Most have wifi and Airconditioning in the south. I used booking.com a lot but even small places will have somewhere to stay

 

[Looserlama]

Hi again!

Thanks for the advice! I actually just bought the 1:400k michelin maps for the parts of spain I'll be in. Just to double check, as 1:400k is already pretty big, the smallest roads are on the maps right? By that I mean, the maps don't just show the larger roads and not show some of the smaller ones that I would prefer to bike on do they? As I know michelin maps are usually geared more towards people in cars.

On the legend it shows "footpaths", which makes me believe there are no smaller roads missing, but just wanted to check.
Also, what are the types of roads people prefer to use while biking? To me I was thinking "surfaced roads" that aren't interregional roads seemed best, but they also have "unsurfaced roads" and "rough tracks", are these actually bad for biking? Just looking for your opinions on this!

Thanks for any help!

 

[jay clock]

There are tons of smaller roads missing from those 1:400 maps. Even towns and villagesTest an area using Google maps and street view. As an example look at Salamanca. It only shows the A66 motorway not the parallel huge empty old road.

Useful tip. Look at Viamichelin.com Zoom into a place for which you have the paper maps so the two look the same. If you zoom in one more level you get a more precise view using the trad Michelin imagery and allows you to plan better. I save screen shots of these for key areas in my iPad mini and can use these on the road easily and zoom in optically to see detailed routes (it does not zoom, just magnifies)

You quickly get a sense for what works. The other thing is that very often a new motorway parallels an old main road. Conversely they also often convert an old main road into a motorway with no permissible cycle access through a key route. Worth using google and street view again for any key areas.

Another fantsatsic solution is a phone app called maps.me. Download the base app, the the countries/regions you want. You then have completely data free (i.e. no wifi or 3G needed so will not cost you data usage) and detailed maps down to tiny alley ways. see examples here http://m.salsalito.store.aptoide.com/app/market/com.mapswithme.maps.pro/211/799482/Maps With Me Pro but you can zoom right in. My local park shows the benches!

It does not allow you to do route planning although you can add gpx routes to the mapping but personally I wouldn't bother. If you turn your gps on on the phone you can see exactly where you are

Totally free although I paid for the pro version for a couple of quid. I cannot speak highly enough of this app.

 

[Big_Dave]

If I can recommend just one road near to Girona it is the GI-682 Tossa de Mar to Sant Feliu de Guíxols, it's an excellent coastal road about 40km from Girona, it is absolutely stunning I've been along it many times, it was also part of the Tour de France route a few years or so ago.

 

[smith4188]

I've cycled across Spain four times. I can't remember any bad bits. Campsites are few and far between away from the coast but hostals cost little more than a campsite would. And if you want to eat cheap and big, go for the daily menú, usually a filling three course meal with a drink (or, if you're very lucky, a bottle of wine) thrown in for between €7 and €10. Spain's great.

 

[jay clock]

I've cycled across Spain four times. I can't remember any bad bits. Campsites are few and far between away from the coast but hostals cost little more than a campsite would. And if you want to eat cheap and big, go for the daily menú, usually a filling three course meal with a drink (or, if you're very lucky, a bottle of wine) thrown in for between €7 and €10. Spain's great.

100% agree...

 

[Looserlama]

Awesome! Thanks for the advice!

jay clock: I just downloaded maps.me, it seems amazing! Thanks lot for that tip!

While in spain we are now planning on staying at hostels or pensions most of the time, since it doesn't seem worth the effort to go camping there. The menu del dia is also another great tip!