ROAD TRIP TO ANDORRA - possible help needed on way ;-)

[schizowife]

Hi All

Well, we've booked the euro tunnel! Planned a changeable route (cause we never stick to it anyway)The books on european aires are on their way. Passports up to date, Dog micro chipped and vaccinated. Personal and pet insurance all sorted then we got to breakdown insurance!!!! Are they taking the mick or what? AA want over £300!! I'm not driving to the flaming moon for gawds sake!!
We've been given a few suggestions...ie Adrian flux as Bessies insurance is due for renewal soon anyway so may be able to get breakdown and insurance together at a good price.
But one suggestion was at that price not to bother! Well i can do the basics and we always travel with a bag of spares, and in the 2 1/2 years we've had her she has never broken down, and she's done 3 trips now of over 2000 miles a time. oh, except when other half put diesel on her instead of petrol!!! (But that was human error not her fault) and the same person suggested there maybe some 80-90 members in France who would possibly be willing to help out if we were to have any mishaps on our journey. Is there a list of such members? Would very much appreciate it if someone could point me in the right direction

And if anyone has done a similar trip would also appreciate any tips or ideas of must see's on the way, we are both more into historical sites and the countryside rather than beaches and theme parks but if its worth seeing we'll try anything once! And we will have a dog who is with us 24/7 as i couldn't possibly leave Marley alone for long:).

Thankyou in advance

Schiz, Daz, Marley and Bessie xxx

[syncro up]

Can't help with break downs mate, like you weve never broken down, but we stil take it. Ours is thru glynwoods I'm sure, I'll confirm the price, we got similar quotes to you from the AA and RAC.

you'll enjoy Andorra, it's a beautiful wee country. Take some fuel cans with you, petrol is the cheapest in Europe, about £1.10 a litre. their drink and electrical goods are also dirt cheap, a lot of people must go their to stock up as ever vehicle going Andorra to Spain is stopped for an inspection and ask how much you've got. Thankfully they didn't look too hard...

we came through Andorra this summer running east to west heading to the ferry at Santander. The campsite in the centre of Andorra la ville is well seviced and over looks a sports ground. I'd recommend it if you in the vicinity.

[Mash]

Unfortuntely due to recent experience I can recommend Brittania Rescue, they quoted us £175 for annual cover to cover UK and Europe. After the thousands it musthave cost to repatriate us then the van 6 weeks later after the gearbox seized, I thin kwe've had our monies worth.

Andorra is a great country, toured it by motorbike in 2000, never thought I could get bored of corners...

Managed to cook my brakes and ruin my chain due to the number of 1st gear hairpins. Still remember filling the bike with Super unleaded (only petrol due to altitude) for 27p a litre.

Happy days.

PS: Almost every car seemed to get searched on the way out, luckily they waved us through on the bike despite the several litres of spirits in the luggage.

[schizowife]

Thanks for the replies, we've actually changed plans a little since last night LOL. We never stick to the same thing for long but thats the great thing with Bessie, we can please oursleves and change our minds as often as we like
Still going to Andorra but taking ferry from Saint Nazaire to Gijon ( Got to let the old man have some of it his way and he wanted to visit Brittany!) and coming back up the east of France after Andorra as i want to visit Geneva.

Will try both Britannia Rescue and glynwood thankyou

[Hightopfrog]

Hi schizowife,
Just a tip on shopping in andorra. the higher up the town you go the cheaper things are. We took in andorra by motorbike a few years ago and after buying a small camera from a shop in the town, later on in the day we took an evening walk to the top of the town (it rises through a vally of sorts) found the same guy in a different shop selling the same stuff but a fair bit cheaper. We had a friendly go at him about the difference and he said that it costs more to have a shop nearer the centre so he covers the cost by raising the prices. He was ok about it but we didn't get a refund. So take your time, check out the stuff for sale but dont buy until you've wandered up to the top of the town- its not overly far and could be worth it, it would have saved us a third on the price of a camera.
Geoff.C

[thechubbsdub]

Went to Andorra a few years back in a car. We made the mistake of going on a saturday in the middle of summer. We sat in traffic jams for ages and due to the last hour or two of the journey being fairly steep gradients, a lot of older vehicles were over heating. A lot of locals from the French and Spanish sides tend to go up at the weekend to fill up with cheap fuel and booze.

If you have a watercooled, I would take plenty of water and not much fuel.

[schizowife]

More great advice all round, thankyou Guys . Will certainly make sure to have plenty of water and plenty of room in the fuel tank

[project 2006]

I think there is a french or Spanish website / forum operate a kind of good samaritin service / emergency assist for vw transporters The Spanish one can e found if you google "Furgo vw" you will find it. I cant remember the french one but give me a couple of days and I find it. Regards david.

[Cruz]

How steep is the climb into Andorra from France? Is the gradient comparable to the Kirstone pass in the lakes?

[syncro up]

Not to bad, second and third gear stuff. There are some switch backs at on the upper half but it's do able. There is an option three quarters of the way up to miss out the summit and take a tunnel through the mountain, rather than do the last up and over bit.

[Cruz]

Great. I'll be following a T5 so I need to know I can get the tired old boy up there

[schizowife]

Great. I'll be following a T5 so I need to know I can get the tired old boy up there

Hi Cruz, when are you going?

Thanks again for the info syncro up will defiantely look out for the tunnel dont think i'll push Bessie to the top

DAVID, many thanks will look them up

[Cruz]

We'll most likely be in andorra the first few days in May

[schizowife]

We'll most likely be in andorra the first few days in May

Cool, I've got to wait til the end of June I'm already like a kid counting how many 'sleeps' til we go

[Ralf85]

Andorra is a tiny place which although scenic is very small and in my view ruined by the supermarkets and shops selling expensive stuff and oversized chocolate bars. You can drive through it in no time at all,topping up your tank on the way through and then enjoy the countryside either in Spain or France. Have a great trip.

Patrick