Pilotage is correct, 5 off 3 axis aircraft and 2 flexwings in the UK team flew to Marugan, 60 miles NNW of Madrid, for the World Microlight Championships. The 5 off 3 axis aircraft flew in a loose formation, the 2 flexwings flew solo and took different routes.
The formation of 3 axis types all met up at Headcorn after work on a Friday afternoon and crossed to Abbeville for the first night stop over. Cheap-ish Motel, restaurant on site, cheap landing fees, free overnight parking, fuel except Mondays, customs with 24 hour notice.
On the second day routed by Dreux (Mogas had been arranged in advance), Wannafly (UK run microlight school near to Poitiers) (Mogas and buffet lunch arranged in advance) and Montpezat (French Microlight centre with fuel and restaurant on site) where we overnighted (camping).
On the third day the intention was to route via Oloron (in France) and then to St Cilia de Jaca (Spain) via a lowish route through the Pyrenees but on the day Oloron was cut off by thunderstorms and St C de J was closed for a model aircraft world championship event. The final route went directly from Montpezat and went over the Pyrenees at between 11 and 12 thousand feet amsl. The highest peak close to the route was over 10 k. The turbulence was OK but the viz could have been better at times. Check your weather AND take local advice before heading over.
Some of these places are microlight only so won't be available to GA traffic but equally the number of microlight friendly airfields in the south of France is a bit thin on the ground.....
In Spain it gets worse. We visited Lumbier (microlight only) but they were closed/deserted, odd on a Sunday lunchtime, no fuel. Sanguesa has a disused but very impressive control tower but otherwise is in terminal decline, there is a petrol station within walking distance. In practice, when you land in the thistle field which passes as an airfield the traffic stops to take photos and they are happy to run you to the petrol station.
Do not go to Garray. The clown that runs the airfield has selective understanding of English (any queries or complaints will be met with "no understandee" gestures and much shouting) but is quite happy to overcharge and rip you off. When we arrived there it was clear that the weather was deteriorating rapidly and it looked as though we might have to stop overnight. He demanded 10 Euro for landing. The sign in the office said landing fees were 3 E, when we pointed this out he tore the sign down and threw it in a rubbish bin. Then he wanted 20 E for overnight parking, told us we were not allowed to camp but he could run us into the town for 30 E per car load (there were 9 in the party). There was Mogas in a bowser but it ran out after only two aircraft had been filled and he said no more fuel until the next day. Eventually he was persuaded to sell us some Avgas at an inflated price. As it happened the torrential rain and thunder storms passed through leaving just enough time for us to fly to Marugan before sunset. We divided the fuel we had to enable everyone to make the last two hour leg and then took off before we could be stopped.
While at Marugan my aircraft was damaged when a tornado caused a marquee to fly across the aircraft park so I can't report on the return trip but I do know that 4 off 3 axis and two flexwings flew back to the UK.
I was a bit disappointed with the level of detail on the Spanish paper charts but most impressed with my Aware unit. I only have the UK charts in the Aware but that did not stop it reporting all of the airspace in France and Spain for the route we took. GA and microlights are way, way down the pecking order in Spain and the charts are not really suitable for our level of activity. My permission to fly in Spain states that the maximum height above the ground I am allowed to fly is just 300M (1000 ft!) which is difficult when you see some of the terrain.
Rans6....