For many people making the move to Spain travelling by road may be the more convenient option. For those who have a lot of items they wish to take with them but who do not want to use the services of a removal service then self-driving is a popular option. Those who are departing from the UK will need to take the Eurostar across the channel or book their vehicle onto a ferry to make the crossing.

There are several options for driving from Calais to Alicante on the Costa Blanca. For those looking for a mainly toll free route then the journey between Calais and the Costa Blanca via San Sebastian will take around 17 hours depending on traffic. There is also a route that goes via Perpignan that also has no (or very few) toll roads. However, for those looking to arrive quickly then the option of taking the tolls roads is there. This is obviously more costly but as the roads are relatively traffic free it means a speedier arrival at your final destination.

This is also true if your destination is in another part of mainland Spain. Those who are travelling further south for example can of course expect a longer journey. Motorway travel can seem monotonous; however it is the quickest way to travel. It is also worth remembering that the speed limits will be in KM/H and not MPH as in the UK. You must ensure you stick to the limits at all times and be aware that KM/H is a slower pace than MPH, for example, the motorways in Spain have a top speed limit of 120 KM/H/ which equates to around 75 miles per hour but can easily be misread.

A realistic time frame for travelling to Spain from the UK via road is around 2 days. This can vary depending on routes taken and stoppages made. For those in no hurry to arrive at their destination several stops en-route for sightseeing can add several days to the journey but it is a lovely way to see the country.

When you are crossing the border either from France to Spain or from Portugal to Spain then it is worth remembering that these countries are in the ‘Schengen’ zone, and therefore passport checks are not carried out. Another route is from Andorra, and this is considered to be a tax haven, so there are checks carried out along that border, so the queues there can often be lengthy.