# Touring Spain North to South - Report



## pdiaz (16 Sep 2008)

Hiya!,

Last June I crossed Spain North to South in 15 days (13 cycling, 2 rest days). It was my first touring trip and also a wonderful experience!

Anyway, I am collecting tips, photos and GPS routes in a webpage. The address is http://www.pedrodiaz.com/cycling/spain2008.php. I thought it may be useful for someone planning to do a similar route. I'm still updating it with photos, maps and other stuff, but there's quite a lot of info there at the moment. Hope you like it!

Ohh, and any comments or suggestions either about the webpage or about the content are very welcome!

Cheers


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## Bigtallfatbloke (16 Sep 2008)

Now that is what I call a cool first post here! Excellent stuff! I was particularly interested in your gps route files...i just need to figure out how to convert all that code into my Garmin!?

I'd be interested in more detail about the weather en route (especially surviving the Spanish heat), and the ease of access to water/food in some of the more remote areas? Also, I know you used hotels but do you have any experience of the campsites on your route? Where are they, are they in the right places and how much do they cost etc? If i ever did the trip it would be on aself supported camping basis for cost reasons.

I lived in th Malaga area for 2 years so i know how dry and hot it can get...but I am starting to think that this would be a cool route to bolt onto say a trip down though France along the atlantic coast into northern Spain then down your route and either fly back from Malaga/Gibralter or continue into France and back from perpignon...(nobody mention Montpellier ok)


..great post...I have saved it in my favs as I possible tour for next year.


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## Bigtallfatbloke (16 Sep 2008)

..actually maybe you can help me..I would like to navigate your routes in my Garmin GPSmap60csx. I have downloaded your complete route file and opened it in mapsource. I would like to load each days ride individually and filter it to 50 points so that i can 'navigate' the routes (my gps has a 50 pont limit on route files if you want it to navigate)...I also have gps babel on my pc but I am not sure how to drive all this kit yet.

So...my question is...is it possible to load each days route file into my gps and have it navigate me along that route? if so How?

many thanks in advance.


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## pdiaz (16 Sep 2008)

Bigtallfatbloke said:


> ..actually maybe you can help me..I would like to navigate your routes in my Garmin GPSmap60csx. I have downloaded your complete route file and opened it in mapsource. I would like to load each days ride individually and filter it to 50 points so that i can 'navigate' the routes (my gps has a 50 pont limit on route files if you want it to navigate)...I also have gps babel on my pc but I am not sure how to drive all this kit yet.
> 
> So...my question is...is it possible to load each days route file into my gps and have it navigate me along that route? if so How?
> 
> many thanks in advance.




Hi there again,

Thanks for your kind comments B), I will update the page with weather and food/water information soon. The short version is: Weather is wet but warm at the north, dry and very very hot at the south. Water and food are easily available.

Regarding the routes, if you want to just have one route per document, it's as easy as copying the route (select it, right click, copy) and open a new document and paste it (Ctr-V). You can also download each route individualy in GPX format (mapsource accepts it also). The links are on the webpage

The filtering business is a little bit more complicated. All my routes are set to 250 or less points, because that's what my garmin supports. What I would do is open them in GPSbabelGUI and filter them (click on filter, Routes & tracks, simplify, limit to 50 points)

Hope that helps!


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## Bigtallfatbloke (16 Sep 2008)

Ok ta.
I cna get the route files individually by copy paste in mapsource like you said, no probs there. I then took the first file (day one) intogps babel and applied the 50 point filter and re saved the file. However on importing into the GPS unit I still get a message saying only 50 points can be used for on road navigation...must be a way round it...I'll keep trying.


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## pdiaz (16 Sep 2008)

Umm, did you checked the "Routes" checkbox in the "What?" section of GPSBabel? I just took one of my routes, filtered using GPSBabel and the result looks like it has only 50 points. Try this file
http://www.pedrodiaz.com/cycling/day2_filtered.gdb

Also, are you using on-road navigation? I found it to be a waste of time and a source of problems (just my personal experience). I usually have on-road navigation capable maps in my GPS, but all my routes are specified as off-road. That gives me 250 points per route

Cheers!


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## Enogeze (16 Sep 2008)

Thanks for your post - some beautiful photos in your blog. 

I see that you used GPS Visualizer - I'm looking forward to seeing what it can do!

Oh, and by the way, maybe I'll try some pigs ears the next time I'm in Spain!


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## xilios (16 Sep 2008)

Nice site, thanks for sharing.


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## Bigtallfatbloke (16 Sep 2008)

I loaded that file into the gps and it would be easy to follow the track line i guess. Yes I do use the stay on road option which does limit it to 50 points ..but it worked ok for me in France...but I can see that 250 points would mean longer sections could be added per route file...I just like seeing the purple line actually on the road ..I find it easier to follow. I'll keep trying...if it doesnt work then I can just instal the 250 point files as they are and stick as close to the purple line when riding as I can if I eve rget to spain.

How did you find th elanguage? I speak a very small amount...tourist Spanglish really...


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## pdiaz (16 Sep 2008)

Bigtallfatbloke said:


> I loaded that file into the gps and it would be easy to follow the track line i guess. Yes I do use the stay on road option which does limit it to 50 points ..but it worked ok for me in France...but I can see that 250 points would mean longer sections could be added per route file...I just like seeing the purple line actually on the road ..I find it easier to follow. I'll keep trying...if it doesnt work then I can just instal the 250 point files as they are and stick as close to the purple line when riding as I can if I eve rget to spain.
> 
> How did you find th elanguage? I speak a very small amount...tourist Spanglish really...



Fair enough . The thing I don't like about the autorouting thing is that Mapsource seems to have a mind of its own when making the route. Sometimes I want to use that small road there and it goes thru the big highway on the other side, etc... Yes, you can adjust more or less how do
you want it to plan the routes, but it is a pain in the a** in my opinion. Didn't have any problems with the point-by-point route files, I created them following the contour of the road and although sometimes the waypoints were 10/20m off road, the GPS is smart enough to recognize when you have navigated a waypoint 


Actually, I'm spanish, so the language was not a problem  But my girlfriend is not, she speaks quite basic spanish and she got around just fine (I helped her with the language from time to time but also wanted her to practice, so she went around asking and shopping by herself). People usually are willing to help if you can speak some spanish, at least a few words. Older generations usually don't speak a word of english (but might speak some french - specially in the cities). Younger people usually know some english, might be good or totally broken. And of course, in the most touristy places (Cordoba, Salamanca, Malaga) your chances of finding someone english-speaking are quite high


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## Aperitif (16 Sep 2008)

Nice feature.



> I research prefetching algorithms for cache hierarchies in Chip-Multiprocessor systems.


 I guessed that... 

Well done


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## pdiaz (17 Sep 2008)

Aperitif said:


> Nice feature.
> 
> I guessed that...
> 
> Well done



Contrary to popular belief, some Computer Scientists *do* get outdoors from time to time


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## MarkF (24 Oct 2008)

Fantastic pics, I really enjoyed those. I love Asturias, it's a fantastic place to cycle and that is one trip I am "fixed" on doing.


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## pdiaz (26 Oct 2008)

MarkF said:


> Fantastic pics, I really enjoyed those. I love Asturias, it's a fantastic place to cycle and that is one trip I am "fixed" on doing.



Glad you liked them. We really enjoyed the trip, the Asturias part was _beautiful_ but very hard. They don't make a lot of flat roads up there!


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## videoman (26 Oct 2008)

Great write up and photos, thanks very much. I have considered a similar trip as I have been living in Tenerife for the last two years and would love to cycle from the UK and down through Spain and catch the ferry from Cadiz to Tenerife.


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## seano (27 Oct 2008)

Great Ttrip and report Pdiaz. Unfortunatly I'm not so good at remembering the details due to the oldsimers but the forum might be interested in my C 2 C this year from Biaritz to Malaga in photos. Unfortunatly the weather was not the best however I would recommend the route. see www.seanoreilly.4t.com or give me a call for further info.


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## tonych (18 Nov 2012)

i realise this is quite an old (but good) conversation.

I would like to do this route in nov/dec (next week start!) - i am a little concerned about the weather.

Does anyone have any information or personal reference to weather through this route over nov/dec?

thanks
Tony


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## lulubel (19 Nov 2012)

tonych said:


> I would like to do this route in nov/dec (next week start!) - i am a little concerned about the weather.
> 
> Does anyone have any information or personal reference to weather through this route over nov/dec?


 
You'll need layers and waterproofs (and a good winter sleeping bag if you're camping, which I wouldn't recommend).

At high altitude, it will probably be below freezing at night. Day time temperatures will vary. If it's dry and sunny, it can get quite warm, especially in the far south, and if you're acclimatised to the UK, you could be in shorts and short sleeves by mid-morning/afternoon. There's also a reasonable chance of rain, which can be horizontal and cold, and you could also get cold winds without the rain.

You need to be prepared for anything - rather like a UK summer.


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## tonych (19 Nov 2012)

Thanks for the reply - i am thinking of camping (somewhere?) - so looks like a couple of extra clothes and a decent waterproof on the list then (and a hidden credit card just in case)

Hopefully heading out this thursday to follow the original route on this post. (just found out my stove and thermarest need replacing...  )

cheers
Tony


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## MarkF (20 Nov 2012)

Hi Tony, your body will be in UK winter mode, you will be fine all day, everywhere. I was in Barcelona last week, it was 15c and raining, anything more than a T-Shirt on had me sweating as I rode around.

Sent you a link with some camping tips.


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## lulubel (20 Nov 2012)

MarkF said:


> Hi Tony, your body will be in UK winter mode, you will be fine all day, everywhere. I was in Barcelona last week, it was 15c and raining, anything more than a T-Shirt on had me sweating as I rode around..


 
Barcelona is near the coast and low altitude, though, so it will be warmer than the high altitude areas in the middle of the country. Also, if you were in the sun, 15C and sunny is very different from 15C in the shade. There's still a lot of heat in the sun here, even in winter, and it's deceptive, as we've found out through living here.

Take a look at the current forecasts (late November) for Leon or Salamanca, for example (both on Pedro's route). They're showing night temperatures of around or below freezing, and daytime temperatures barely out of single figures. When we drove down across the middle of Spain 3 years ago, in the middle of October, the temperature at 9am when we left our overnight stop near Burgos was 2C. Even for someone acclimatised to the UK, it was cold!

You also have to be aware that Spain can get "cold snaps". Two years ago, we had a few days of 0-5C at the beginning of December, right down here on the southern coast.

I'm not suggesting the trip is a bad idea, but getting caught out by cold and/or wet weather when you're not prepared for it is a very miserable experience.


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## MarkF (20 Nov 2012)

I was putting some perspective on it and allying any fears that he may have had, it's not like he's setting off to Hammerfest.

Of course he needs to have wet weather protection, I got caught in a rainstorm in June near Reinosa, but I can't see him having cold problems apart from Leon (ish), once he's coming down from there he should be south of Salamanca just a day later.

I hope he takes plenty of pics.


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## lulubel (20 Nov 2012)

MarkF said:


> Of course he needs to have wet weather protection, I got caught in a rainstorm in June near Reinosa, but I can't see him having cold problems apart from Leon (ish), once he's coming down from there he should be south of Salamanca just a day later.


 
I was putting it from the perspective of someone who lives in Spain, and knows that it isn't all the country that you see on the holiday programmes (which a lot of people tend to think - quite naturally). We lived at 700 metres our first winter here, and we had whole days in December/January where the temperature didn't get above freezing. That's fine if you're prepared for it, but if you've only got clothes and sleeping bags suitable for 10C+, you're going to have a pretty unpleasant time.


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## tonych (20 Nov 2012)

Hi Mark & Lulubel,

Thanks to both of you for the different views on this.

I intend to be camping (but will need the odd shower) so i guess as the temperature drops as i go up the hotels will be more seductive.
I am OK in cold and wet (just wet for days is grim).

Mark - read your about trip thanks for that!

Hopefully i will put the pics and a bit of a review up somewhere when i get back.

keep biking!

cheers
Tony


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## MarkF (20 Nov 2012)

Good luck Tony, will look forward to seeing some pics..


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## tonych (7 Dec 2012)

Hi Mark & Lulubel,

well i completed the Spain leg - took a hideous amount of photos (will find somewhere to put them on here later).
it was wet and cold (-5 camping in the hills is fine with the right gear - but tricky to get started in a morning!)






I have thoroughly enjoyed the trip - and am just contemplating going further - to Marrakesh. 

Looking at heading over on the ferry on Tuesday and flying back to the UK just before xmas - anyone done Tangier to Marrakesh out there with any advice or routes?

regards
Tony


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## lulubel (7 Dec 2012)

I was thinking of you, Tony, when we had that really cold spell. That camping spot looks beautiful, if a little chilly!

I'm glad you enjoyed it and looking forward to seeing more photos.

I haven't been to Morocco, so can't comment there. It might be worth starting another thread for it because I think there are at least a couple of people on here who have been.


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## tonych (7 Dec 2012)

The pic above is beside a quiet road 10km or so outside Salamanca, i had to go through a damaged gate into a grassed disused area of someones small holding. (this was a rarity that i was glad to find).
I have to say, coming through Spain with the fences right beside the road (well - beside the drainage ditch beside the road) with those black/white "Privado Caza de cota...." signs everywhere - is the hardest place i have ever been to wild camp (I don't make or leave any mess behind whatsoever) - and apart from the campsite on the North side of El Torcal i didn't see one other formal camping place at all. (and as that was the start of my last day i didn't stay there.)

I didn't expect that - was hoping to camp most nights.

On the other hand there are numerous Hostals to stay in quite reasonably (never tried a Pension or Mason).

*No1 reason not to jump a fence and wild camp*
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20775197/P1090672.JPG




*Packing up*
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20775197/P1090004.JPG




*leaving time*
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20775197/P1090010.JPG




cheers
Tony


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## jay clock (7 Dec 2012)

Cheers and well done. I did UK to Gib via western Spain in Sept and Oct and had generally nice weather but very cold at Burgos. Full details here http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=1&doc_id=11271&v=LB

An online buddy of mine is also doing it (starting next week and aiming to do UK to Sevilla in 2 weeks! http://jamesspratt.org/ and http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/forum/board/message/?o=1&thread_id=412809&page=1&nested=0&v=I


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## lulubel (7 Dec 2012)

Do you mean coto deportivo de caza?

That's just a sign saying game hunting is restricted in the area.

Coto privado de caza and coto intensivo de caza are slight variations on the same theme.

None of the signs are saying camping isn't allowed there, but they're not saying it is either, and as with any wild camping, the landowner could come along at any time and say he doesn't want you there.


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## tonych (7 Dec 2012)

I think the most common was "Coto privado de caza".

Yes there was quite a bit of shooting going off...
and quite a fair few large bulls too.
both of which were a good deterrent to me! (along with fences, mostly barbed wire and locked gates - some chainlinked fences looked like they were to primarily keep wild animals (deer etc) off the roads)

its looking like i misunderstood - to mean private keep out.
my fault for not checking up further.

great trip though - next time i will be more adventurous with the camping side of things

Tony


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## lulubel (8 Dec 2012)

tonych said:


> its looking like i misunderstood - to mean private keep out.


 
It's an easy mistake to make when you see the word "privado".

Most of the ones around here say coto deportivo de caza, and we didn't have a clue what that meant when we first arrived here, so looked it up. I think the official difference is that privado is private land, and only the landowner (and anyone he allows) has game rights. Deportivo is (officially) public land, but only certain groups have game rights. However, just to further muddy the water, a lot of private landowners round here put up deportivo signs rather than privado.

I'd say the best bet is just find a quiet place to camp and see what happens. Worst case is you could be asked to move, and you can still offer the landowner a few euros to let you stay. In the current economic climate, I don't think many would refuse. (Being a landowner in Spain doesn't necessarily indicate wealth. In most cases it just means you own a bit of land that's probably not very productive, and takes a lot of work to produce very little income.)


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## tonych (19 Dec 2012)

all done!!!
after i followed most of the original route on this post i took a few days off while my family joined me in southern spain.

i then took the ferry from Tarifa to Tanger city -- in the next eight days i cycled Moroccos west coast down to Safi then in a mad last day did the 100mile stretch from Safi to Marrakech - i will sort some reasonable pics out and add a few words for those that are interested once i get back to the UK.

totals - 2060km; 17000m ascent. - from my Garmin Edge 500.

regards
Tony


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## tonych (19 Dec 2012)

currently thinking of doing Uraquay-Argentina-Chile 
coast to coast late next year...

Tony


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## MarkF (20 Dec 2012)

tonych said:


> currently thinking of doing Uraquay-Argentina-Chile
> coast to coast late next year...
> Tony


 
That sounds good. I'll look forward to seeing some more Spain pics.


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## tonych (8 Mar 2013)

Hi Mark/Lulu

I finally got around to adding some photos from the Morocco leg of the trip....

Spain - https://www.dropbox.com/sh/awqpfvsqec48umz/9SEeoq204e/Spain
Morocco - https://www.dropbox.com/sh/awqpfvsqec48umz/FoGvZ0jkxg/Morocco

regards
Tony


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## AWhitaker (30 May 2014)

Hi everyone,

I know this is an old thread but I thought I'd ask anyway.

Next month I am planning to cycle from London to Malaga.

With the intention of keeping mileage down I was planning on cycling the most direct route. London to Portsmouth, ferry from Portsmouth to St Malo (France), along the west coast of France from St Malo to Biarritz, Biarritz to Madrid (Spain), Madrid to Malaga.

I have found quite a bit of information for cycling along the west coast of France but not too much about cycle routes from the north to south of Spain.

As I mentioned I am thinking of cycling via Madrid, however I am not determined to do this route if there are arguments against it/ better routes from north to south.

Has anybody completed a ride like this/ or parts of it? I am particularly interested in routes from the north of Spain (San Sebastian/ Pamplona etc) to Malaga.

I am planning on camping most nights and I aim to complete the ride in under 30 days - if possible. 

Any advice, information, websites, contacts you can offer me I would be really grateful to hear about.

Thanks

I have uploaded a google map image with a possible route.


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## mmmmartin (30 May 2014)

i have ridden from gibraltar to toledo, then on the bus to madrid to fly home, and on the bus from irun to msdrid then guadalajara outside madrid back to France via pamplona. Also recently ridden caen to bordeaux.
In France you can camp easily, there are sites all over the place. In Spain campsites are rare and expensive. I think this is because in the summer it is far too hot to camp. There are fences everywhere along the roads in Spain, so wild camping will be tricky. You could use youth hostels or hotels. In Spain a room is about €40, more in France. One way would be to camp in France then post all the camping kit home rather than carry it, and use youth hostels or hostales (hotels) in Spain. You might want to avoid Madrid: cycling unfriendly. The road through the Pyrenees via elizondo is good: where there are tunnels cycles are banned but there is an excellent traffic free good tarmac road as an alternative, which the petrol tankers have to use as they are also banned from the tunnels. Once you are at elizondo there is a very flat winding road to the main road and once over the summit it is downhill for 30 miles on a small hard shoulder of the road: seemed pretty safe to us.
Plan your days ahead: accommodation can be sorted a day or two in advance. Remember that very many of these towns have no accommodation at all of any kind and you can easily find yourself with a 30 mile ride in the dark to find a hotel. From Gibraltar to France we saw about six campsites, most on the Med coast. Camping is not something many seem to do in Spain.
Your French route is ok, the roads south of pointe de la grave south of royan are straight, dangerous, fast, busy and boring and the cycle paths are good but winding. 
Learning Spanish is a help: I used the dorling kindersley cd and books for £20, made a big difference.


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## tonych (30 May 2014)

Hi AWhitaker.

I followed the route at the head of this conversation and it worked out well. Camping opportunities are rare. Wild camping only for me (for only a few nights) - as I didn't see one campsite - as has been said - fences are the thing (with bulls behind them).

If I were to do this again I would assume I would be finding a hostel every night and if I came across a camping spot in the hour or so before my nightly destination I would take it.

Carry as little food as possible 2 days worth of pasta and water - plenty of places to stock up, but this was my first trip through Spain and the whole place with the exception of large town centre supermarkets still makes very good use of the daily Siesta.

enjoy the trip - Spain is worth it - the infrastructure even remote country roads are superb.

regards
Tony


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## MarkF (31 May 2014)

mmmmartin said:


> In Spain a room is about €40



Normally I'd budget on 30 Eu for 2 sharing a decent room, on my own I may have to take a place above a bar, 15/20eu. I can stay in a decent room in the middle of Barcelona, 200m for Las Ramblas, for 25eu! It's very rare for me not to have found a good cheap room in Spain, that is one of it's major attractions for me, it's not worth taking (weight) camping gear unless that is what you really want to do.


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## AWhitaker (31 May 2014)

Hi,

Thanks for all your suggestions, recommendations and advice. It has really helped!

I am currently working on my final route so I may be back on here before too long. 

Cheers.


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## jay clock (1 Jun 2014)

I have done pretty much what you planned. I would personally avoid the whole Madrid area - Spanish urban roads are no fun.

I can strongly recommend the old main road N620 or 630 down from Salamanca to Sevilla. Read all about it here and see my report http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/julian2012


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## MarkF (1 Jun 2014)

jay clock said:


> I have done pretty much what you planned. I would personally avoid the whole Madrid area - Spanish urban roads are no fun.
> 
> I can strongly recommend the old main road N620 or 630 down from Salamanca to Sevilla. Read all about it here and see my report http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/julian2012



I can endorse Jay's recommendation, it's relaxing and safe with most (and nearly all industrial) traffic on the adjacent autovia.


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## Battleforbreath (23 Aug 2017)

Hi!

My Sister and I are looking at doing a similar trip to raise money for the British Lung Foundation. The only difference really is that we plan to go through Seville.

I'm trying to find an appropriate bike, could you make any recommendations? How much on road and off road / on gravel does the trip involve?

Also how did you track your route to make the GPS map? That's awesome!

Thanks so much for sharing this!

Hannah


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## jay clock (23 Aug 2017)

Personally I would avoid gravel 

In terms of bike, I would suggest a new post in the What bike section or perhaps better in the touring section. Depends on load. For Spain I avoid camping, so lighter load and lighter bike. And you can probably manage with very little.

My route went through the centre of Sevilla

I now us a Garmin and would use that, and take a laptop. Not everyone's choice. I use Ride with GPS and check Street view to see if the roads have been STreetviewed. If they have it is probably cyclebale


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## tyreon (7 Dec 2017)

Saving reading your report till later,and when I return. Hope it's raining outside when I read your travels. 

Cycled Spain south to north. Luv'd it. Some(lots!)o really quiet roads,billiard ball table smooth. Had to get up early tho to set off cos we were finished by 1pm: too hot


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## John Peel (7 Dec 2017)

As I complete novice with no real route plan, here is my experience from Irun to Madrid http://www.stephenpeel.co.uk/cycling-spain-to-madrid


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