Driving from Essex to Daya Nueava

Hello all.
Want to visit friends in spring in Spain and want to be away for about 5 weeks.
We want to drive down taking our time as in no hurry to get there or back.
Would like any advice on ferries and routes, would prefer to avoid tolls if possible, but as menrioned do not mind slightly longer routes if need be.
Happy to do a couple of over nighters en route.
Many thanks in advance.

I drove from Santander to Quesada earlier this year.

All you do is go into google maps on your phone. Put your destination as Daya Nueava or wherever.

On the top line, to the right of the box marked "Your location", are 3 dots. Press the dots and a menu comes up with Route Options on top. Press this, and then select the box asking if you want to avoid Motorways, Toll Roads or Ferries. And you're all done. (Just make sure you have a data plan with your mobile subscription).

Google will then tell you how long your journey will take in live time, what time you can expect to arrive at, and if there are any delays or accidents, Google will reroute you to the fastest route.

8.45 hours from from Santander. Never doing that in a single day again. It's just too far.

I'll be looking for recommendations on dog friendly accommodation before I do it again next year.

We have done Essex to Quesada many times. Got the Shuttle from Folkestone to Calais and drove Rouen , Tours, Bordeaux, Pau then through Sompfort Tunnel , Zaragoza, Valencia to Quesada. No tolls and a lot of countryside.

https://www.viamichelin.co.uk/

Shows route options, costs of those options if you put in your choice of vehicle, cost of tolls (or not, if you avoid those roads), overnight stops etc etc. Brilliant for planning long trips.

If you are thinking of going via brittany ferries and would like to use my customer number for a discount send me a pm. We travel to daya nueva 3 or 4 times a year from lincolnshire. It is a lovely drive which ever way you decide to come.

Thank you all for your replies have learn't so much.
Really appreciate your help

Calais, Rouen, Dreaux, Chartres, Vendome, Tours, Angouleme, Bordeaux, Dax, Oloron Sainte Marie, Jaca, Zaragoza, Valencia, La Font de la Figuera, Alicante, Quesada.
Plenty of good cheap hotels on the route, Jaca is a lovely place to stay. Tolls about 30€

Done this route many times, very pleasant but seems to drag on a bit. Approx 1100 miles

Many thanks for the info really appreciate it.