We had survived the 1,800-mile drive across the US from Colorado to New Jersey, and the 8-hour transatlantic flight, but the journey wasn't over yet. Staring out at the chilly Paris tarmac, the final 1,000-mile drive from Paris to Málaga was the last logistical hurdle standing between our family of five and our new Spanish life. This was the European finish line.
Day Five
We were informed near Paris by a flight attendant that there was dense fog and no planes were being allowed to take off. She was unsure if we would be able to land. Luckily, shortly before landing the pilot was given the go ahead and we made it to the ground.
Upon arrival in Paris, Mauricio presented the paperwork for our dogs for inspection. (Before you even consider this phase, make sure your dogs are legally clear! For all the rules on banned breeds and quarantine, check out our post, Relocation Abroad with Pets: Breed Bans & Entry Rules.) We were told everything was in order, and I remained with the dogs in a waiting area of the airport while he retrieved our rental car. We had booked a VW Touran for three weeks at a whopping $3,794.10, which was the largest vehicle we could reserve. When he arrived at the counter, Mauricio was told that the car we booked was not available (although he could see it in the lot). Exhausted and knowing I was waiting with the dogs, he agreed to take the largest car they said they had - a smaller BMW for an additional, €1,000 tacked onto the final bill!
Logistically, leaving the airport with three dogs and all of our bags was challenging. Mauricio took the baggage on a cart and loaded up the vehicle while I stayed with the dogs. This was done much less methodically than when we were preparing to leave Colordo. December in Paris is wet and cold so we had a walk, but a short one. Luckily there was no rain and fog was our only challenge.
There are two main routes from Paris to Málaga. The eastern option drops south outside of Paris toward Lyon before going back to the west along the Mediterranean Sea. The westernmost route is shorter and follows the Atlantic coast down into Spain, then cuts straight down outside of San Sebastian. That was the option we chose. We had previously decided to forego our hotel in Paris, and instead drive the six or so hours to Bordeaux straight away. We headed out of Paris, almost two hours after landing, around 11 AM. We were both physically and emotionally exhausted but ready to finish this journey.
The dogs were pretty cramped in the back seat, but managed to find a position that worked. Although, periodically I had to make Finn or Ellie move to avoid Ginger getting squished.
Driving in Europe can be quite different than the United States. There are the famous roundabouts to navigate, and the transitions from one highway to another can be very counter-intuitive. For example, in one highway transition here in Málaga, you actually go straight to avoid heading into downtown, while the intercity route exits and winds around to create another highway. The main highways, like the interstate system in the United States, tend to be large and modern. The A10 autoroute (A standing for autoroute) travels from Paris to Bordeaux.
The A10 itself is pretty to travel once you leave Paris. The highway was blanketed with heavy fog in a surreal scene out of Gotham. Fog surrounded our car but I could see tops of buildings high above us reflecting the sun. It was as if we were driving inside the clouds themselves. Outside of Paris toward Bordeaux is extremely rural, and once the fog lifted some the main scenery was only fields upon fields. In December there isn't much growing, so we might as well have been back driving in Kansas, only greener.
Every hour or so there would appear a travel plaza of sorts. For these you simply pull directly into the station, similar to those on Florida's turnpike, instead of exiting and turning onto another road. That was convenient, as we had to stop for coffee and a walk to keep us alert more than once.
We finally made it to the Pullman Bordeaux Lac, a dog-friendly hotel I found using BringFido.com. As always, I found the hotel but contacted them prior to travel to ensure we could bring three dogs, and two that are large. I thought the location of the hotel would be nice for us, situated right on the lake in Bordeaux. Unfortunately, it was already dark when we arrived around 7 PM, and so foggy we could barely see five feet in front of us. Thankfully, there is a large free parking lot for guests that has keycard entry and surrounded by a secure fence.
When we entered the hotel, we were pleasantly surprised by the welcome and friendly service. I did my best with the little French I could remember from college (Mauricio is much better) and the clerk did pretty well with English. The front desk told us to get the dogs settled in and come downstairs to relax and rest. They were not serving food, but told us we could walk a few blocks down to a restaurant. We were too tired to even consider it, so we opted to pass on dinner and enjoy a glass of nice French wine at the downstairs bar.
This was our first true moment of non-driving relaxation since leaving the US. The dogs, especially, relished the break. We rested well and the next morning spent some time rearranging the baggage in the car before heading to Toledo.
Day Six
The drive from Bordeaux to Toledo is just over 7.5 hours, typically. However, this journey skirts around the Bay of Biscay and, once again, we were enveloped in fog. That meant driving under the speed limit for several hours. While we were not aware of it at the time, we later learned safety harnesses are legally mandatory for dogs in the car in Spain, and the lack of one is a stoppable offense! We finally got some visibility outside of Burgos and had a nice uneventful drive to Hotel Cigarral El Bosque in Toledo.
This was another great find on BringFido.com. We were much further south, so although we arrived around 6 PM, there was plenty of light outside. The hotel itself has an impressive facade and entryway to greet you. We were attended by two lovely young women who spoke English to us.
There was plenty of parking a short walk from the front desk, so we took the dogs out and let them have a nice sniff around their new country. The hotel was very quiet, with few guests so close to Christmas. We were given a nice large room with no neighbors next door. It had a lovely and secure outside terrace, which was nice because it meant the dogs could get some fresh air without needing to be taken out of the room on a lead.
The views were spectacular and we felt reenergized after finally making it and looking out at Spain. We were ready for a meal and some relaxation, knowing our last day of travel was just ahead.The main restaurant was not yet open, but we sat at the bar and had some tapas. That was just what we needed before settling into our room.
Day Seven
We awoke on our final travel day to the beautiful clear skies of Toledo. The air was crisp, but that chill in the air that had followed us all the way from Colorado was gone. This felt more like a bright spring day dawning, and the official welcome to our new home in Andalucía.
The five or so hours drive from central Spain to the south is generally smooth, without a lot of steep mountain climbs or sharp curves. This was a nice thing because our last day of travel held a housing crisis we had to resolve during the drive or have nowhere to go.
This is a cautionary tale about hidden fees. We had reserved a long term rental house and the lease was set to start December 26. I had booked a hotel for a week at First Flatotel International west of Málaga. We were notified that morning the tenant in our rental home could not move out on time, and we would wait several more weeks to move in. When we called the hotel to ask to extend our stay and upgrade from a regular room to an apartment so we would have more space for the dogs, they indicated they were not aware we were bringing large dogs, although it was noted on our reservation.
It is important to note: for this specific reservation, I had used the Capital One booking feature and selected pet-friendly, not BringFido.
Finally after a lot of back and forth, they agreed to allow the dogs but would impose a much higher fee. The price I booked for one week was about $800, so we were looking at over $4000 for a month-long stay. Instead of keeping the initial booking of one week and then moving again, we decided to try to find a house to rent for the month. After several attempts, we finally located one in Mijas - about 45 minutes west of Málaga. We were set to arrive around 4 PM and the house would not be ready until 7 PM. The owner agreed to let us have a look first, and we wanted him to meet the dogs. The house was perfect for us, having a nice fenced backyard.
After those critical tasks were taken care of, all we could do was look for a nice dog-friendly place to relax before checking in. A short drive away, we found The Mausi Cafe, whose reviews were very promising for our group. They did not disappoint in hospitality or in food. We both had a steak, and the dogs got to relax outside of the car with plenty of water and scratches behind the ears.
And then finally, we were able to unload the car, put our weary feet up, and let go of all the worries of having a safe and successful journey to Spain! Ole!
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