Crossing Spain in February

[Roy C.]

Has anybody out there made the Santander crossing and then traveled through Spain to the South in February. If yes how were the roads for snow,ice etc?

[SteveW]

I did it in late December a couple of years ago.
The ferry was diverted back to Roscoff, bad weather Bay of Biscay.
It was fleeing cold on the motorways with snow flurries on the high ground.
....you did ask :laugh:

[Bart1]

I went south through Spain in late March and returned mid April and had snow both ways. On the returned leg we had to lay up for a day as the roads were so bad but it was OK as we had a spare day.

[Tim Cullis]

Done it many times in early Jan following the Dakar Rally when it ran in Africa. I remember one trip when six of us had electrically heated jackets and one didn't. The guy who didn't emailed his wife and organised a heated jacket for the return trip.

Handlebar muffs are also essential.



This was my bike this January.

[Pompier]

Hi,
We have done that the last two years (but with bike in van). We have been lucky with flat crossings and warm weather. The high parts get cold especially at night but they keep roads cleared (they park snowploughs up on motorway all ready) and with little traffic it is a lovely journey down to the south......well worth the small risk of bad weather imho

[Lairyskippy]

Last Xmas on our way back up to Bilbao we hit very bad weather, started with rain and rapidly turned to snow up and over the top. We were in a van and it was bad enough but wouldn't fancy it on a bike. Unfortunately all the snow ploughs were clearing the southbound route so the northbound route was awful. Mind you, it was lovely all the way from the south east coast up to Valladolid.

[SteveW]

I was heading to Ayamonte right in the South West Corner.
Following my snowy and cold journey down......On the return leg I routed back north through Portugal, I reasoned that Portugal, being nearer to the coast it would be warmer, plus I wouldn't be climbing as high.
Guess what? It was warmer, I don't know it I was just lucky or if generally that's the case.

[V_King]

did it last December, when it was apparently the coldest week in Spain for a decade. Still was wormer than in UK a week before I went, a friend reported +18 in Barcelona

apart from mountainous areas, there is no snow in spain even on coldest of days. on February it will probably be almost summer

[wideparting]

stick to the coast roads and you should be ok.

[Tim Cullis]

apart from mountainous areas, there is no snow in spain even on coldest of days

But once you exclude the mountains all you're left with is a few thin beach strips... :laugh:



Spain is the most mountainous country in Europe after Switzerland.

From http://www.spainthenandnow.com/spanish- ... lt_23.aspx

"The most distinctive geographical features of Spain are its mountains. They are so widespread that Richard Ford, the famous 19th-century English traveler called Spain’s topography “almost one mountain...” Numerous mountain chains cross the landscape like protruding ribs, mostly in an east west direction. "