Camping on the Costa del Sol:
Firstly Spain has plenty of camping sites close to the coast literally hundreds. Inland sites become a bit scarcer. The Cost Brava has numerous sites as does the entire Mediterranean coast all the way down to Estepona where O Meara Camping ran an “Air Camping holiday” in the 1970’s.
Camping Los Jarales is a typical southern Spanish coastal site. This particular site is between Fuengirola and Marbella and for an ordinary site it has a raft of facilities. It boasts a supermarket, electricity, swimming pool, crazy golf, restaurant, 50 metres to the bus stop, gas, laundry, parking, internet access, bar, cafe etc. The camping site can be accessed off the main road. Camping Marbella Playa is in the same general area and boasts much of the above without the swimming pool but right beside the beach! Both sites have restaurants on site as well as all the other necessary facilities. Both sites are large and shaded as indeed even in late September shade was needed. Long term users and there are many give the sites an untidy look as people struggle to get shade with whatever is at their disposal. Some of the pitches with expensive motor homes or caravans were covered with tarpaulins or gazebos to give protection from the sun. Electricity costs €4.25 for 10 amps and €7.30 for 20 amps per day. The 20 amp load presumably would allow you to run an air conditioning unit! The minimum pitch price in Camping Marbella is €28.55 in high season. There were not many campers using tents at this time of year but there were some. I noticed a few family dome tents, a frame tent, a 20 year old trailer tent, some smaller dome tents and a Rapido folding caravan, all units that O Meara Camping have stocked. A discount of between 20%-50% was given for stays over 15 or 30 days outside of peak season.
*******************************************************************************
Driving: The standard of driving was terrific. Signposting was excellent. France has higher motorway speeds 130km with 110km in the rain which is sensible. Speed limits in villages are kept tight to the village again unlike Ireland where the limit is way outside the towns (for planning only reasons I am advised). France also has a higher 70km speed limit and I reckon if we changed most of our 60km to 70km we would have better driving. On a 4000kn journey I did not SEE a single speed trap neither did I see any excessive speeding. I did experience high continuous motorway speeds. In some villages the speed limit in the centre comes down to 30km with a flashing 30km speed limit but only for a very short duration unlike the entire quays in Dublin. At no stage did I not know what the speed limit was, unlike Ireland where it is simple to unintentionally break a speed limit, where there are so many variable limits even on the same road, with no obvious reason. Cameras on French motorways are announced! and you’re a fool if you are caught and reduced limits are obviously necessary for safe driving not just a limit for limits sake.
 
*****************************************************************************************************
Irish Ferries.
If anything the standard of service and cleanliness has improved. The staff on board was at all times cheerful and helpful. Food on board is still very expensive in the main restaurant but there is a terrific Cafeteria area. Lunch in the cafeteria saw us getting fish and chips that were as good as any we had eaten anywhere. The Oscar Wilde ship, the cabins and the journey are part of what makes the adventure complete. Irish Ferries have really competitive rates if you can travel out of high season. There is none of the silly baggage rules and awful queuing both ordinary and priority that Ryanair use. Car travels with whatever is inside without question. Not been asked to put your bag in to a metal container to see if it will fit or can more money be extracted from you. Irish Ferries even give you a sticker for your hand luggage as you leave your car so you can easily return to the same place.