So the plan was fairly simple. We both needed a break, Madam much more than me cos the hotel business seems to get tougher every season and 2024 is the hardest yet also perhaps cos they decided to do loads of upgrades to the hotel AND the apartments so it was extra hard work.
We have visited Estepona in the south of Spain several times and we love the place. We visited before COVID, booked again and visited again post COVID so this must be our fourth time. We rent the same lovely self catering apartment each time as it is perfect for us, on 2 floors super well equipped with wonderful views over the complex and the beach.
Previous visits have been for a week or 10 days which were great. BUT given travel costs and time and stress plus the fact I am retired and Dani works mainly online we decided this time to book for the whole month of June as the extra rental is worth it given the journey cost. So. I decided to drive over and Madam to fly with Ryanscare cos she does not really like long road trips whereas I do.
I left Amalfi on Wednesday and drove gently up to Orte to the wonderful Hotel Lazio, shame about the name but this truck stop is a great place for an overnight. The food is fantastic and prices GREAT and the rooms totally good too, I never book cos they have loads of rooms so there is usually a spare. This time I paid a massive 80 Euro for the room plus 2 dinners cos my mate Riccardo came to eat with me. I filled up nearby and then I was up and on my way early as the hotel is only about 100 metres from the motorway junction.
I was soon in Genova driving up to Firenze (Florence) and then over to the west coast and then north along the coast motorway up to the huge port at Genova where I had a booking on the GNV ferry over to Barcelona which should have left at about 1300 so suggested check in time was 1000 and I was there by 0800 just in case. Check in indeed took some time as this ferry heads first to Barcelona and then to Tangiers so many African groups took ages to work everything out so patience was truly a virtue! We then drove into the massive ferry and I headed for some food JUST before the self service closed and then I found by cabin and went for a kip.
Despite leaving 2 hours late the next morning we were more or less on time into Barcelona and so I was on the road heading south by midday, the weather was good and the traffic ok just crowded around the main cities. Luckily I have a European telepass which covers Italy, France, Spain and Portugal so I do not need to stop at the motorway pay booths just slow down and select the correct booth, and it works great.
The total journey through Spain was 1150 kilometres and as I was in no hurry I headed south respecting all the speed limits (cruise control helps here), the motorways in Spain are 120 kph and at 120 the Vito is running at only 2k rpm so this means I can get over 1000 kilometres from a full tank!! I found a hotel near Murcia for the night which cost me a princely 44 Euro so I ate and then crashed and got down to Estepona a day early and checked into the Golf Hotel Valle Romana for 2 nights.
Then on Sunday Mrs Boss arrived on Ryanair and I collected her from Malaga Airport and she approved of the Golf Hotel. But the next morning we were away to the wonderful Carrefour and then checked in at 1100 am to our wonderful self catering apartment in Estepona where we have already stayed 3 times before. Happy Days!!!
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