For a Russian tourist, a trip to Spain almost always involves air travel. But is this the only option? Inveterate motorists in forum reviews report that they have seen cars with Russian numbers in Spanish resorts such as Barcelona, Salou, Alicante and even in Andalusia. And this means that the route is beaten by pioneers.
If a tempting idea has crept into your soul to overcome the distance from Moscow to Spain by car, then this article is for you. Based on recommendations and feedback from motorists who have already traveled this route, we will tell you which settlements you need to drive through in order to: reach Madrid as quickly as possible or make the trip as comfortable as possible.
Practical points
To begin with, let's consider what a traveler should consider in order to get to Spain by car from Moscow. Visa to enterterritory of the Schengen agreement for citizens of Russia is required. You need to open it at the Consulate of Spain in Moscow. And, of course, you need to have the necessary documents for the car. If you plan to get to your destination not headlong, but for your own pleasure, then you will have to think about places to spend the night.
It's also worth deciding whether you're going to pay for highway fares or look for workarounds. The second option will lengthen your trip both in mileage and in time. If you do not plan to stay overnight in motels and hotels, then you should take an experienced driver as your partner with whom you can change. Roads in Western Europe are dangerous in the sense that they are too straight, with no bumps or potholes. Riding on them relaxes, and the driver tends to sleep. Gasoline in the West is not cheap. Therefore, it would be reasonable to stock up on fuel cans when leaving Belarus.
Calculation of travel time and money for the journey
Now you should decide how much to travel to Spain from Moscow by car. The answer depends on the technical capabilities of your car and, of course, on the human factor. Tourists in the reviews say that even if you change your driving position with a partner and overcome an average of a thousand kilometers a day, then it will take you four full days on the road (including standing on the Belarusian-Polish border).
To refuel the iron horse, you should prepare at least 600 euros (45,516 rubles). You also need to lay down some amount - at least 8 thousand rubles - for tolls. If you are planning to visitattractions in cities along the way, you should provide for the cost of paid parking. And, of course, spending on food and a possible overnight stay. As you can see, such a trip is not a cheap pleasure. Therefore, most tourists go to Spain by plane, and upon arrival they rent a car. But if you are an avid motorist and do not change your iron horse for any other, read the article further.
Paving the right route
It would seem, what is the difficulty? We apply a ruler to the map and connect two points with a pencil: Moscow and, say, Madrid. But such tactics are good at short distances, when the roundness of our planet does not matter. The line drawn by a ruler on the map will pass through the south of Belarus, the Volyn region of Ukraine, the Tatras in Poland, Slovakia, Austria, the Italian Alps, the Cote d'Azur of France, Andorra and cross the border of the state of your destination near the city of Seu d'Urgell.
But if we connect both points with a thread on the globe, it will turn out that we will have to go through the center of Belarus and Poland, the Czech Republic, the south of Germany, the north of Switzerland, and cross the border of France at the latitude of Lyon. Air liners follow precisely this shortest route from Moscow to Spain. By car, when you are connected to the road network, your journey will be much longer. The plane covers the distance between Moscow and Madrid in 3492 km. The motorist will have to drive an extra seven hundred kilometers. But the driver has several routes to choose from, andit will be possible to return to Russia by another road.
Considering the shortest path. Day One
Let's say you want to get to Barcelona with as few miles as possible. It is not a fact that you will arrive at your destination the fastest, but you will definitely spend less fuel. You are not interested in sights that you may meet along the way. Major cities you will pass on the bypass. So, what is the shortest route "Moscow - Spain"? How many km will you have to cover by car?
Moscow and the capital of Catalonia are separated by 3610 kilometers. The shortest way runs through: Odintsovo, Golitsino, Vyazma, Safonovo and Yartsevo. You need to enter the territory of Belarus at the point Lonnitsa - Zastenki. Then you need to follow the road signs to Minsk from the Vitebsk region. Having traveled around the capital of Belarus along the district, we move to Brest through Baranovichi. You can also spend the night in the border town. On the first day of the journey, you will overcome 1046 kilometers. Reviews about this section of the road are very mixed. Motorists complain that coverage is not good everywhere.
Short way to Spain by car from Moscow
We cross the border with Poland at the Telma-Terespol checkpoint. We immediately take the direction to the southwest. We follow the road signs to Biala Podlaska, Sedlec, Kalushin, Wawer, Wlochy, Ursus, Brwinów, Stryków, Serechyn, Zlochev, Sycow, Sviniary, Konty Wrocławske, Legnice, Krzyżowa. Crossing the border between Poland and Germany near the settlements of Jendzhichowice and Kunnersdorf.
Lower Silesian Voivodeship (main city of Wroclaw)adjacent to the federal state of Saxony. We must immediately take a course for its capital, Dresden. Beautiful autobahns with perfect road markings will not let you go astray. All motorists in the reviews note that there are no toll roads in Germany. Driving on such a surface is a pleasure. When you reach Dresden, know that you have covered 1,860 kilometers already. After passing this big city, move a little west and then south.
After Chemnitz look for A72. This motorway will take you to Lower Bavaria. You can spend the night in one of the Nuremberg motels. Thus, by the end of the second day on the road, 2182 kilometers will remain behind you.
Day three
Moving along the route "Moscow - Spain" by car, you will definitely want to make a stop to admire the castles of Bavaria. But in the reviews, motorists urge not to waste time. You need to move from Bavaria to another alpine land in Germany - Baden-Württemberg. To resist temptation, stay away from major cities full of sights such as Heidelberg, Mannheim, Stuttgart and Karlsruhe.
We cross exclusively small towns - Weinsberg, Sinsheim, St. Leon, Mahlberg, Herbolzheim, Hochdorf, Hartheim. Thus we reach the east bank of the Rhine, which serves as the frontier between Germany and France. We cross the bridge over the river in the area of \u200b\u200bthe settlements of Neuenburg and Othmarsheim.
Here we are in the French region of Grand Est, in the Haut-Rhin department. We immediately head for the city of Mulhouse. Judging byreviews, the A 36 highway, which leads from the German border to Besançon, is very convenient, and the markings and road signs do not give the driver any chance to get lost. When you reach this city, know that you are already in the Franche-Comté region. But ahead of you is Burgundy with its small wine-growing towns. On A 6 we are moving towards Macon.
Remaining leg of shortest route
From Macon we get to Lyon, and from this big city take the A7 motorway through Valence to Nimes. Next, we have to ride through one of the richest regions of France. Overcoming this section of the road along the route "Moscow - Spain" by car, motorists leave reviews that are not the most favorable. On the one hand, of course, beautiful. But on the other hand, there are big traffic jams in the summer, and many sections of the road are tolled. Therefore, motorists are advised not to go along the A 9 (via Set), but along the A75. This way you will reach Perpignan much faster.
Then everything is simple: we move south along the sea. A9 from the French side goes into E15 from the Spanish. This road will take you through Girona straight to Barcelona. To reach the gates of Madrid, one can move west through Lleida and Zaragoza; or along the coast through Tarragona and Castellón to Valencia, and then turn inland. Those traveling by car from Moscow to Andalusia (Spain) should continue to stick to E15. This great motorway will take you from Valencia through Benidorm, Alicante, Cartagena, Almeria and Malaga to Cadiz. From there, E 5 leads north to the capital of the region, Seville.
A more measured and interesting route
Now consider another option: how to get to Spain by car from Moscow so that this trip turns from alternating monotonous autobahns into an interesting and exciting journey. Of course, you should plan to visit big cities. Therefore, immediately after crossing the Belarusian-Polish border, we head for Warsaw. After visiting the capital of the country, two roads open before the traveler: through Wroclaw to Dresden or through Poznan to Berlin.
The first route, as motorists assure, is shorter. The capital of Germany lies too north of the straight line connecting Moscow and Madrid. And after Berlin, you still need to turn south towards Dresden. But Poznan is a very beautiful city in Poland. And the capital of Germany is also not to be missed. Getting to Spain by car from Moscow, it is worth driving through the Rhinelands to admire the medieval castles at least out of the corner of your eye.
To reach France, head towards Frankfurt am Main. Then the first city of Germany's western neighbor will be Nancy. From him you need to head for Lyon, moving towards Montpellier. Then ride along the sea to Narbonne and Perpignan. Further - as indicated in the shortest route.
Return trip
Many motorists do not like to return the same way. It's time to consider the route "Spain - Moscow". What is the best way to get home by car? From Madrid, you can head straight north. After some time you will reach Valladolid andBurgos. And there is already a stone's throw to Bilbao. This city is located on the coast of the Bay of Biscay of the Atlantic Ocean.
We are moving along the sea to the east. Behind San Sebastian, French lands begin. You can head east and drive along the northern edge of the Pyrenees on the A64 to Toulouse. There is another option. You can continue north along the coast of the Bay of Biscay, visiting Bordeaux, La Rochelle and Nantes along the way. Now let's look at how to organize a further route, if we chose the first option - through Toulouse. Here we have two possibilities.
Through the "lands of the Cathars"
The route "Moscow - Spain" by car in the reviews, travelers call it too interesting to rush along it at the maximum allowable speed. For example, Toulouse was an independent county until the end of the 13th century, which was conquered by the Kingdom of France during the so-called Albigensian Crusade, aimed at eradicating the "Catari heresy". You should learn more about this original region. Motorists in the reviews strongly recommend visiting Carcassonne.
After that, you can head for Narbonne and take the A 75 to Clermont-Ferrand, in order to get from the capital of Auvergne to Lyon. But there is another route from Toulouse. If you drive north through Montauban, Brive-la-Gaillard and Limoges, the A20 and A71 motorways will take you to Orléans. From there, it's within easy reach of Paris. Motorists mention that on the way to the capital of France you will pass Versailles.
From Nantes toRussia
Let's now consider another section of the route "Spain - Moscow". By car, you can reach Paris just as easily from Nantes. You just need to keep moving northeast. On your way you will meet no less interesting cities - Angers and Le Mans. You will enter the capital of France along the A 11. It is worth making a short detour to see Versailles.
From Paris you can go to Russia in different ways. For example, the way you traveled to France - through Nancy, Strasbourg and Stuttgart. But you can lay a route a little further north - through Reims, where the French kings were crowned, the dwarf state of Luxembourg, and the German cities of Trier and Mainz. About this section of the route "Spain - Moscow by car" reviews are the most laudatory. The Rhinelands, with their castles, vineyards and cliffs, are included in the UNESCO list. After passing Koblenz, Bonn and Cologne, we turn east and move along the north of Germany to Berlin. Further, the route will run through Poznan, Warsaw and Bialystok.
Western Europe luxury tour
Getting to Spain by car from Moscow, some travelers do not plan to get to their destination as quickly as possible. They are more attracted to interesting places along the way, beautiful landscapes, cities full of attractions. They are also considering a beach holiday - and not necessarily in Spain. Especially for such travelers, we offer the following circular tour of Western Europe.
The path will run through Minsk (Belarus), Bialystok, Warsaw, Poznan (Poland),Berlin, Potsdam, Dusseldorf, Cologne, Aachen (Germany), Liege, Brussels, Ghent (Belgium), Lille, Arras, Paris, Chartres, Le Mans, Tours, Poitiers, Angouleme, Bordeaux, Bayona, Biarritz (France), Bilbao, Burgos, Madrid, Murcia (Spain). Here, in one of the small resorts of the Costa Dorada, you can arrange a little respite with a beach holiday. Further, we propose to continue the tour through Valencia, Tarragona, Barcelona, Manresa, Puigcerda (Spain), call in the Principality of Andorra (in the capital of the same name or in Pas de la Casa), Toulouse, Carcassonne, Narbonne, Montpellier, Lyon (France) to Smolensk.
The distance from Moscow to Spain by car is rather big. Mileage will exceed nine thousand kilometers. The road will take a lot of time. But after all, the path itself is an exciting adventure. On the way, you can stay at hotels or campsites. Some big cities, such as Paris, Berlin or Madrid, can take a few days. The duration of your tour will also depend on the number of days spent at the seaside resort. Motorists assure that you will remember such a trip much more than a 4-hour flight to Spain. The roads in Western Europe are wonderful, but traffic violations are punished very strictly. Motorists are advised not to exceed the speed limit and to drive with seat belts fastened.
