Santander to St Malo

[Nancy North]

We're going to celebrate our retirement by cycling (slowly) from Santander to St Malo late Aug/early Sept. To make the euros go further we plan on camping at small sites (must have clean showers and loos though). Can anyone suggest any from about 30k east of Bilbao to Hendaye (just inside France) ie 2-3 night's worth of stopovers.
Nancy

 

[Dave Davenport]

We did Bilbao-st Malo a couple of years ago, we stopped at two nice sites on the coast, one near near Zarautz and the other at Hondarribia.

If you go to www.sotonia.co.uk , click on newsletters and open the winter 2010 one, there's a trip report.

We're doing Santander-Caen this August.

 

[Nancy North]

Thanks Dave. Will do. We shall be clinging to the coast/minor roads. Maybe you'll be overtaking us!

 

[Dave Davenport]

We did the coast route last time. From Santander we'll be heading south east towards Vitoria, then through the Pyrenees and roughly up through the centre of France this year. Well that's the plan as far as we ever have one anyway.

 

[bikepacker]

Campsites along this coast can be far apart. You ask 30k east of Bilbao. There isn't one until you get to Mendexa and in between there is a long climb after Gernika (take the left option at the start of the climb, the restricted weight route to the right is like vertical climb). The next after here is about 5k past Deba and that is down a lane 1k off the main road.

Can I suggest you cross the river north of Bilbao at Portugalete by the transporter bridge (World Heritage Site) then follow the river north to Sopela where there is a campsite. It is slightly overpriced (due to closeness to Bilbao) but facilities are good. Also in reception you can get directions to a quiet road as far as Gernika.

 

[ChrisBailey]

I'm planning a camping trip Bilbao to Cherbourg, along the Aquitaine coastline mid September so would be interested to hear how your goes.

I have read some Crazyguy journals, always a good starting point:

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/Baggins
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/slowtour2011 (a section of this ride covers much of the same route)

Closer to the day I will be downloding to my GPS from here, to try and get a good selection of campsites to choose from.

http://www.archiescampings.eu/eng1/ Near the end of each day see what's near.

My plan is to cover enough miles each day to complete the ride and sort of wing with regard to camp sites, if worst comes to worst I can always book into a hotel.

Chris

 

[bikepacker]

You really won't need a campsite GPS to find them in France. Aquitaine is littered with them and even north of the crossing to Royan most towns have a site. Between Bilbao and Hendaye is where they are limited.

 

[bikepacker]

We did Bilbao-st Malo a couple of years ago, we stopped at two nice sites on the coast, one near near Zarautz and the other at Hondarribia.

If you go to www.sotonia.co.uk , click on newsletters and open the winter 2010 one, there's a trip report.

We're doing Santander-Caen this August.

You should do what I did last year. Riding from Santander to the Semaine Federal, staying for the week then continuing to Caen.

 

[dragon72]

I stayed at the one at San Sebastián which is a fantastic city. However, the campsite's up the top of a big steep (and seemingly endlessly long) 10km climb at the western edge of the city.
I remember it was quite expensive when I went in August a couple of years ago, and I had to tell my pot-smoking backpacking 18-year-old neighbours kindly to kill the music after midnight. [gettin' old]

 

[Je ta Dawes]

We'd recommend the camp site at Sopela near Bilboa though the camping field is quite steeply sloping, however, the owners were quite pro-cycling 2 years ago (it is the Basque country after all) and if you talk nicely to them they might upgrade you to a lovely caravan pitch for no extra cost. Once you hit the Atlantic coast of France there are loads of camp sites.