JustCarsForum - Your Ultimate Automotive Community

I have completed the planning of my yearly journey to Spain, which is scheduled for the month's end.
The onboard navigation system has always been my go-to; all I have to do is save my destinations and waypoints.
However, there are a handful of reasons why I intend to using Google Maps this year.
Better presentation overall; it puts the Kia maps in their proper historical context; now all Kia needs to do is remember to manually condition the vehicle as needed.
I may also complete each leg using waypoints and record the results.
Even if it has its flaws, Google is a vast improvement over the stock system.
While Kia accurately shows speeds of 50 mph, Google continues to show them as 60 mph over the stretch of the A5 between Hockliffe and Little Brickhill, where the speed limit is 50 mph with average speed cameras.
Something more has been brought to my attention by this. There is a FUUSE charging station along that section of the A5; I haven't needed it yet, but it's inexpensive (39p).
All of their cables were stolen a few weeks ago!
I didn't know anything about this country's penchant for stealing unbolted objects.
As a personal challenge, I decided to see if I can reduce my charge expenses from last year's total of £123.01 (both ways) while I was making plans for my vacation.
I use IECharge and Tesla together. If you utilise Electroverse, IECharge is the cheapest at 0.23 cents.
However, I observed an abnormally high number of malfunctioning charging stations on the IE app.
After doing some research, it seems that cable theft is also an issue in France.
As of today, out of the four stations that were supposed to be used, only one is operational.

Has anyone crossed the Dover–Calais since the EES was implemented and has any advice to share?

"Anyone done the Dover Calais crossing since the EES was introduced & can offer tips?"
Stay away from crowded times and be sure to reserve in advance if you can. I recently travelled the Portsmouth–Caen route without ees machines or stamps in my passport; all it took was a basic check. Perhaps that's something to think about.

I appreciate you getting back to me, however I had booked my flight with DFDS.
I've been looking at the Santander route for a long time, but it seems really pricey.

The cost of petrol and tolls to go from Portsmouth to Caen/Cherbourg is identical to that of a trip to Santander or Bilbao. I prefer being behind the wheel over spending a few days on a boat. Considering that my home is very close to Portsmouth, taking the train or a dory across France would be more convenient, but the total cost, including fuel and tolls, would be comparable to using the Caen route. It would appear that Brittany Ferries has priced their services accordingly.

Driving is my favourite, and I love the adrenaline rush that starts my first day

Coming off the highway to fill up on my previous journey helped me save a tonne of money. France was costly, but fuel in Spain was roughly the same as here in euros. You should be able to make a significant save compared to my HEV with your electric vehicle.