Self-drive holiday to Catalonia: Our guide after 20 years of experience

From England to Catalonia, you are looking at roughly 1,400–1,600 km depending on where in England you set off from – plus the Channel crossing, of course. With over 20 years of experience renting holiday homes in Catalonia, Lisbeth and I have welcomed many English guests who have made this journey, and we have done stretches of it ourselves. It is a wonderful alternative to flying and renting a car – and for many people, the holiday truly begins the moment the car leaves the driveway.

This is the guide we wish our English guests had always had.

Why Drive?

There are actually many advantages to travelling by car:

• The freedom to stop whenever it suits you
• The opportunity to discover towns and regions along the way
• Easy transport of luggage, beach equipment and golf clubs
• Perfect for families or if you want to bring your dog
• No luggage weight limits or restrictions on the number of bags
• No stress about catching flights, finding rental cars, and airport logistics on travel days
  
  
  

Getting Across the Channel

Before the drive proper begins, there is of course the small matter of the English Channel. You have two main options:

Eurotunnel (Le Shuttle) – Folkestone to Coquelles (near Calais). The crossing takes only 35 minutes and runs frequently throughout the day and night. It is the fastest option and particularly convenient if you are coming from London or the South East. Book in advance during peak season, as it fills up quickly.

Ferry – Several routes are available:

• Dover to Calais or Dunkirk – the classic short crossing, around 1.5 hours. Frequent sailings with P&O and DFDS.
  
  
• Newhaven to Dieppe – a longer crossing (around 4 hours) but it drops you further into Normandy, which can be a nice start to the journey.
  
  
• Portsmouth to Caen, Cherbourg, or Le Havre – popular with travellers from the Midlands and the South West. Crossings range from 3 to 6 hours, and overnight sailings are available, meaning you can sleep on the boat and wake up in France ready to drive.
  
  
• Plymouth or Poole to Santander or Bilbao – a longer ferry crossing (around 24 hours) that takes you directly to northern Spain, bypassing France entirely. Many of our English guests use this route, and we highly recommend combining it with a stop in the Basque Country. Both Bilbao and San Sebastián are exceptional cities, and the food scene in San Sebastián in particular is an experience in itself.
  
  

The Route from England to Catalonia

Once you are across the Channel, you have choices. In practice, we would describe two main approaches:

The Fastest Route

From Calais or Dunkirk, the most direct route heads south through France on the A26 and A6 – the so-called Autoroute du Soleil – via Reims, Dijon and Lyon, then continuing south on the A7 and A9 through the Rhône Valley towards Montpellier and Perpignan. From Perpignan, you cross the border into Catalonia at La Jonquera and join the AP-7 south along the coast.

From Calais to the Costa Brava, this is roughly 1,300 km of driving. With two drivers and a couple of sensible stops, it can be done in a long day – but we would honestly recommend against it. Two overnight stops make for a much more enjoyable journey.

A practical tip we have picked up over the years: rather than booking hotels far in advance for every night, it is now very easy to find good accommodation at short notice using apps. That means you can stop when the traffic and your energy levels suggest it is the right moment. We have often enjoyed driving into the evening when the motorways are quieter, then sleeping a little longer and continuing once the morning rush hour has passed.

The Scenic Route

Here you turn the drive into a holiday in itself. We have done this in various forms, and some of our favourite travel memories have come from these detours. A few ideas:

• Via Paris – always tempting. Allow at least a night if you stop, and enjoy the drive through the Champagne region on the way down.
• Via Burgundy and the Rhône Valley – wonderful wine country, and Lyon is one of France's great food cities.
• Via Provence and Avignon – lavender fields, Roman history, and exceptional food. Slightly further east but well worth it.
• Via the Atlantic coast – a longer loop, but if you have not seen Mont-Saint-Michel or the D-Day beaches of Normandy, this is a beautiful way to combine them with the drive south.
• Via the Basque Country – particularly relevant if you cross by ferry to Santander or Bilbao. From there, follow the coast east through San Sebastián and the Pyrenean foothills before dropping into Catalonia.
  Our small tip from years of experience: choose riverside towns for overnight stops. Cities and towns along a river almost always have something special about them – a lively waterfront, good restaurants, a sense of place. Bordeaux, Avignon, Lyon, and Nîmes are all excellent choices along various southern routes.
  
  
  

What Does the Journey Cost?

Here is a realistic estimate for the fastest route in a standard petrol car – say a 3–5 year old family car averaging around 13–14 km per litre at motorway speeds with a full load.

One way, from southern England to the Costa Brava area (approx. 1,500 km of driving plus the Channel):

• Eurotunnel or short ferry - £50–£120 (depending on season and booking)
• Fuel (approx. 110 litres) - £160–£185
• French motorway tolls - £70–£100 (€80–€120)
• Spanish motorway tolls - Largely free – much of the AP-7 along the Catalan coast has been toll-free since 2021–2023
• Two overnight stops (mid-range hotel) - £150–£250
• Total (one way) - approx. £430–£650 for the whole car
  
  

For a family of four, this is often comparable to – or cheaper than – flights plus car hire in high season, especially once luggage fees are factored in.

Disclaimer: These are rough estimates based on 2026 figures and will vary significantly depending on your car, driving style, booking timing, and fuel prices, which are currently subject to some volatility. Always check current prices before planning.

Electric Cars

We are often asked about making the journey in an electric car, and the short answer is that it has become considerably more straightforward in recent years. The charging network across France and Spain has expanded significantly, with fast chargers at regular intervals along all the major motorway corridors.

In Catalonia itself, the transition has not moved quite as quickly as in the UK, but that also means there tends to be less competition for charging stations. We currently have two of our houses equipped with their own charging point, and for the others we are very happy to help you find the nearest charging options. Do get in touch if you are considering the drive in an electric car – we will find the solution that works best for you.

If you have any questions about charging an electric car in Catalonia, or if you are considering making the trip by electric car, please feel free to contact us at info@sydensferiehuse.dk. Together, we will find the solution that suits you best.

Useful apps for EV travellers:

• Zap-Map – the go-to UK app for finding charge points, and it works across Europe too.
• A Better Routeplanner (ABRP) – plans your entire route with charging stops built in automatically, based on your specific car model, driving style, and weather. Widely used by EV drivers on long trips.
• Chargemap – one of Europe's largest maps of charging stations. Useful for finding alternatives if a station is occupied or out of service.
• Plug Surfing / Mer – broad European network access with a single payment solution.

Practical Things Worth Sorting in Advance

Driving in France - Crit'Air sticker

If you plan to drive through major French cities such as Paris or Lyon, your car will need a Crit'Air environmental sticker displayed on the windscreen. It costs under €5 and is ordered online, but it is sent by post – so order it in good time before you travel. 

Driving in Spain Rules and requirements

The speed limit is 120 km/h on motorways and 90 km/h on main roads. You are legally required to carry a reflective vest and two warning triangles (or the newer V16 emergency signal, which is gradually replacing the triangles). One quirk: in Spain you can be fined for driving in flip-flops, so keep a pair of proper shoes handy for behind the wheel.

Barcelona's low-emission zone (ZBE)

Barcelona has a low-emission zone, and foreign-registered cars must in many cases be pre-registered digitally before entering. Registration is free but must be done in advance – otherwise you risk a fine. This only applies to Barcelona city itself, so if you are staying on the coast or in the interior, it only becomes relevant if you make a day trip into the city.

Right-hand drive in left-hand traffic countries

A small but worthwhile detail: if you are driving a UK-registered right-hand drive car on the Continent, it is worth fitting beam deflectors to your headlights so you do not dazzle oncoming drivers. These are inexpensive and widely available.

Check the car before you leave

Tyre pressure, oil, lights and windscreen wipers. A long motorway journey is not the moment to discover you have slightly too little tread on the tyres.

What About the Train?

As an alternative to driving, the train actually works surprisingly well. I have taken it home from Catalonia a couple of times myself, and with good connections through France the journey can be done in a day and a half to two days. Eurostar from London to Paris is the natural starting point, and from Paris there are direct TGV services to Girona and Barcelona. At Girona station you can hire a car directly.

It is a relaxed way to travel, but it does require a little planning around tickets and connections. I am always happy to share tips with anyone considering the train.

Ready for the Journey?

A road trip to Catalonia does not have to be just transport – it can be an active and memorable part of the holiday itself. And when you finally roll into the driveway of the holiday house after a couple of days on the road, that first dinner on the terrace tastes all the better for it.

Most of our holiday houses have plenty of secure parking, and as mentioned, two of our houses have their own charging point. If you are considering a driving holiday and have any questions – about the route, electric car options, or which house best suits a family travelling by car – do get in touch. We have made the journey many times ourselves, and we are very happy to help make your road trip to Catalonia a great one.

Does a holiday in Catalonia sound tempting? You are welcome to visit our website or fill out our suggestion form.