Embark On A Spain To Portugal Festival Road Trip

Festival road trips are the best way to experience exciting new places, whilst taking in the culture, nightlife and atmosphere of different locations, with an epic soundtrack as you travel from festival to festival. The brilliant thing about Europe is that it’s accessible by car from the UK, so you can drive at your own pace and decide where you want to stop off on the way. Home to some of the best music and cultural festivals in the world, you can guarantee Spain and Portugal will provide you with the very best experience, so why not take a few weeks off this July and August and embark on our Spain to Portugal festival road trip?

Barcelona

To get to Barcelona from the UK, you can hop on the ferry straight over from Portsmouth to Santander, a remote location approximately six-and-a-half hours’ drive from Barcelona. The cost of a return ticket is £300 for one car, and saves you the hassle of driving through France. The ferry ride is 24 relaxing hours, and is much simpler than driving to the North of Spain from England. Once you get to Santander, set off for Barcelona, one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

You can easily spend your days soaking up the sun, or try out the local restaurants and markets, which offer fresh seafood, authentic tapas and sangria and flavoursome meat. The Gaudi House, Park Güell and La Sagrada Familia, designed by Gaudi himself, are iconic landmarks that make Barcelona so stunning. La Rambla is the busiest street in Barcelona, and the only place where you can find amazing food at one of the biggest markets in the world. The traditional street is never ending, with bars, restaurants, shops, street entertainment, you can walk along La Rambla for a good few hours. Make sure you spend some quality time on Barcelona’s famous beaches, as many people forget Barcelona offers the best of both worlds with city and beach life. Hostels in Barcelona start from €29 per night, and one of the best ones is The Buba House, which is only 15 minutes from the centre of everything.

Benicassim

Benicassim is around two-and-a-half hours along the coast from Barcelona, so the drive is spectacularly scenic. This year, it will take place from 13th – 16th July, and Stoke Travel offer an amazing package which includes a 4 day festival pass, accommodation five minutes from the beach, breakfast every morning and unlimited sangria and beef for only €270pp. Artists at Benicassim this year include Stormzy, The Weeknd, Foals and many more, so it is definitely a festival not to miss. Grab your ticket at www.fiberfib.com or have a look at Stoke Travel’s packages at www.stoketravel.com

Valencia

Valencia is only a short one hour’s drive from Benicassim so it’s worth driving down just to visit somewhere with a rich culture. You can easily look around Valencia in a day, or if you want to spend a few days there, Valencia offers many cheap hotels so you can relax on the beach and take in the Spanish air. Valencia is famous for its planetarium, oceanarium and interactive museums, which are on a bigger scale than anything in England, and the football stadium is legendary. With beautiful beaches, classic buildings and taste bud-satisfying restaurants, Valencia is idyllic for a few days’ rest in-between driving.

Arenal Sound, Borriana

Next up head down south to Borriana, which hosts Arenal Sound, located only 30 minutes from Benicassim. The festival will be held from 1st – 6th August, across numerous beaches, meaning you can have that festival experience but with a beach vibe. The festival ticket packages are $120 for the six days, and include beachside camping. Arenal Sound’s line-up this year features some outstanding artists, such as Bastille, Jake Bugg, Clean Bandit, Martin Garrix and many more. Tickets are available from www.arenalsound.com

Madrid

While making your way over to Portugal, make sure to stop in Madrid, the perfect location for a city break. The drive to Madrid will take you just under four hours, so make sure you give yourself plenty of time to soak up the wonders of this incredible metropolis.

Madrid is a non-stop city, with countless things to do day and night including shopping, eating delicious food, flamenco dancing and, of course, admiring the royalty. The Madrid Palace is the largest in Western Europe and a must-see landmark. The nightlife is always lively, a staple of which is the Joy Eslava nightclub, which has been operating every night for the last 29 years and hosting a different event every weekend. With rooftop cocktail lounges, vintage wine bars and authentic Spanish pubs, Madrid offers something for everyone. The one thing you must do whilst you’re in Madrid is visit the Chocolatería San Gines in central Madrid, if only for their famous sugar-coated Churros and rich hot chocolate.

Lisbon

Once you’ve had a mad time at Electric Loop, there’s nowhere better to relax and unwind in Lisbon, south Portugal and the country’s sublime and pretty capital. This is without a doubt the best place to chill out after travelling. It offers many cobbled street bars, captivating architecture, culinary surprises and stunning restaurant locations, not to mention a warm climate and endless sunny days that just might make you hang around for a few days.

For more festival inspiration for summer 2017 visit stoketravel.com

By Sabrina Shales
@sabshales