#blog09
Anyone who has already traveled the long distance to Portugal with their older generation van or motorhome has of course made their way through the Pyrenees after the border with France. There you can choose whether to take the paid motorway or take the National route, which is free.
Not only is the highway well developed, what is more important is that it has multiple lanes. And this is exactly where the trick lies – and above all, the danger point.
I used to live in a 7.5 ton truck for many years. But I’ve owned smaller motorhomes for quite some time now. So of course I used to drive the free national route and was able to adapt. The current motorhomes have much weaker engines and that means that as soon as you go uphill, the speedometer sometimes drops below 60 kmh. In this case, much to the annoyance of the truck drivers. Overtaking on the highway is no problem for them. The horn is honked and then they move on.
But what this little post is about is the single-lane national route. Overtaking is usually not possible there for several kilometers and a huge queue forms with a lot of annoyance from numerous 12 T truck drivers behind you. CONCLUSION: Honking, tailgating, blatant overtaking actions, pushing away.
For me, in 2015 there was an overtaking maneuver by a Spanish truck where the passenger window was opened at the same height as my motorhome and an apple landed on my window, which almost catapulted me into botany. I was lucky that the window didn’t crack and my motorhome got back on track after strolling.
My tip: The route from the French border to Burgos costs around 28 euros and is quicker. You will reach your destination quickly and, above all, safely. After Burgos, the rest of the highway through Spain to Portugal is free anyway. ( #blog07 Tolls ).
I and many traveling surfers in campervans have had these experiences. Think about your safety and not the few bucks.
Have a good trip everyone.
I look forward to a comment, questions or suggestions.
Otherwise, have a good time. See you on the water.
Thorsten
Surf & SUP Coaching blog :
READ this article in German Language
#secretsurftravel #yoursurfguide #blog09
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