Santander to Biarritz

[samjesson]

Good afternoon,

I'm planning a trip to cycle with a few mates from Santander to Carhors next summer. I've toured a bit in France before so i know what (ish) what to expect with that bit of the trip, but haven't spent any time in Spain. Has anyone done a route similar to this before who can offer up some advice re; route planning, camping spots, etc.

Many thanks,

Sam

[tatanab]

This topic has been covered a couple of times in the last year. If you search Santander, Bairritz etc you will probably find some of the old posts.

To summarise mine which started at Bilbao - plenty of campsites along the coast, very few inland even only a few miles, inland route very hilly, do not go through Hendaye but cross the Pyrenees a little inland Elizondo to Espelette which is an easy climb. Spanish maps are not terribly good, I found the best was the Michelin Zoom series.

[MrsHJ]

The main shock is the heat (if it gets hot it is really HOT) and the empty landscape. It's not all empty of course but the density of settlements on average is very different and don't expect much shelter from the heat. Expect quite long chunks of empty countryside compared to France once you are away from the coast. There are also fewer roads so the less detailed maps may not be a big deal.

PS my biggest learning point was that Sierra meant mountain. Still a family joke but I'd seen all the westerns talking about sierras and assumed it meant the grasslands the Cowboys were usually riding through, not the mountains in the distance. it's a fairly moutainous country I now realise, especially when you route map yourself through all the sierras!

[bikepacker]

I have done this route both ways a few times. I have no problem with the coastal route and have covered it in previous threads on this specific subject. Look them up and ask if you need further clarification.