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10 Days - Spain & Portugal - The very best roads in Europe!
We have to do this tour every year! Without a doubt, these are the finest driving roads Europe has to offer. Enjoy 1,300 miles of mainly smooth tarmac – virtually free of traffic, hazards, and potholes – as we wind through breathtaking mountain passes and valleys carpeted with olive trees, where eagles and vultures outnumber people!
With overnight ferries to and from northern Spain, we look forward to visiting the Fernando Alonso Museum, staying in luxurious hotels including a converted castle and a former monastery, driving the highest pass in Portugal over the Serra de Estralla, and enjoying the warm, dry and sunny weather of this remarkable region of Spain.
Days
Hours
Minutes
Seconds
Day 1 & 2, Sunday 20th - Monday 21st September 2026
We arrange to meet in Plymouth on Sunday afternoon. After a briefing we embark onto Brittany Ferries’ sailing from Plymouth to Santander, with comfortable, air-conditioned cabins with ensuites.
We have plenty of time to relax, socialise, and get to know our fellow drivers and passengers, and enjoy the on board facilities – including a cinema and shopping – as we look forward to our arrival in Santander on Monday afternoon.
Day 2, Monday 21st September 2026
95 miles, 3 hours
On arrival at Santander we disembark and head west onto some exciting roads towards the Picos Mountains and our fabulous hotel in Camaleño.
We have plenty of time to relax in this beautiful location, perhaps also taking the cable car up to its 1,823 metre summit. The views are stunning.
We look forward to a lovely meal together this evening as we anticipate another excellent day tomorrow.
Day 3, Tuesday 22nd September 2026
125 miles, 3.5 hours
Today we head further west over 125 miles of wide, open, sweeping tarmac, with virtually no traffic.
Average speeds over this mountainous region are significantly higher than in the Alps.
We stop for lunch and an optional tour of the Fernando Alonso Museum in Asturias, before venturing on to our hotel set among breathtaking mountains and next to the serene Nalon River.
With lush private gardens, a gym, and Spa – and with a drink in hand – we can relax and reflect on an amazing day.
Day 4, Wednesday 23rd September 2025
190 miles, 5.5 hours
We continue southwest, over 190 miles of more wide, fast but safe tarmac, with very little traffic. We arrive at our hotel in Monforte de Lemos in the Galicia region of northwest Spain, to relax and soak up the unique atmosphere of this 17th Century former monastery. The hotel has a gym, jacuzzi, and outdoor pool, and due to its elevated location it offers amazing views of the Ribeira Sacra wine region.
Day 5, Thursday 24th September 2026
276 miles, 6.5 hours
After breakfast we have 276 miles of even more fast, exciting, and deserted roads.
We head south, crossing into Portugal and sampling some of the best of its roads down the central spine of the country, before heading back east into Spain.
We arrive at our splendid hotel near Salamanca – a former castle rebuilt in 1372 by Henry 2nd of Castile – overlooking the Águeda River.
We can relax with a drink and soak up the unique atmosphere with our fellow drivers and passengers, before dinner.
Day 6, Friday 25th September 2026
222 miles, 5.5 hours
We head southwest across stunning lakes and plains, and into Portugal again to sample the incredible road over the Serra da Estrela mountain range. At 1,996 metres, this is the highest point in Portugal, and if its a clear day we may be able to see the Atlantic Ocean over 100 miles away!
Our hotel – located back over the border in the La Vera Valley at the foot of the Sierra de Gredos mountain range – was formally the old castle-palace of the Counts of Oropesa, which dates back to the 16th century, and was the refuge chosen by Emperor Charles V after his abdication in 1555.
We started our journey in the greener, cooler, north of Spain, observing as we ventured south the gradual change to the drier landscape of the centre of this remarkable region. And so tomorrow, we begin our return towards the north.
Day 7 & 8, Saturday 26th - Sunday 27th September 2026
228 miles, 5 hours
After breakfast we head northeast through gently undulating terrain, on yet more stunning, empty, roads.
Our destination for the next two nights is the city of Segovia, with its incredible Roman and medieval architecture, including its Roman Aqueduct (itself a UNESCO World Heritage Site) which was the city’s source of water until the 1970s!
The views from our hotel are unforgettable, as we relax with a drink or two and share our best moments of the tour with new friends. The setting sun heralds the hot air balloons, as they slowly drift across the beautiful skyline. We spend Saturday relaxing, or exploring this unique city.
Day 9 & 10, Monday 28th - Tuesday 29th September 2026
222 miles, 3 hours
Our day starts with our final Spanish breakfast, and we bid farewell to Segovia.
We head north towards Santander, but even these roads – a mixture of sweeping A roads and empty motorways – are free flowing, and offer a perfect opportunity to really enjoy our cars one last time.
We join our Brittany Ferries afternoon sailing back to Plymouth, and look forward to spending our final evening together.
We arrive in Plymouth mid-afternoon on Tuesday 29th September, having said our goodbyes to a special group of new friends, who we’ve had the most pleasure making some lifetime memories with.
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price and inclusions
10-day tour cost per car £5,980; based on two people per car, sharing a twin or double room, and ferry cabin, and including the following:
- Hotel accommodation, car parking, breakfast and evening dinner (7 nights)
- Overnight ferry for vehicle and 2 passengers from Plymouth to Santander, and Santander to Plymouth, including air conditioned cabin with ensuite facilities (excluding meals and drinks)
- Use of Mitex hand-held UHF personal radio
- Use of Sat Nav pre-programmed with all waypoints, lunch and fuel stops, and hotel destinations
- Printed itinerary for the entire tour, with daily maps, route instructions, and contact information
- Private WhatsApp group for live locations, media, and group chat
- Tour video and imagery using Drone, Insta360, and Meta AI Glasses
- A maximum of 15 customer vehicles
- Led by Kevin & Richard
- Deposit £1,000, and balance due 12 weeks before departure
Solo driver with own room & cabin – £5,256.
