France when limited by time and money

[Swim41]

I've got the Dover to Calais ferry booked giving me just over a week on the Continent, heading out Thursday morning, back midday the following Saturday. These were booked on a whim early in the year for £20 return so if I don't go it's not the end of the world.

Previous tours have involved big motorway miles but this time a lack of time and cash puts me off that sort of caper. With little money available I was thinking of going to France, somewhere I've only ever been to on the way to somewhere else. The region around Calais had the reputation for being a bit dull so I'm prepared to do a hard day's riding if necessary (say 350 miles) to get clear of there but... any recommendations for nice regions that can be reached bimbling along doing 150-250 miles a day in the above time frame and preferably no mileage for a couple of the days.

I thought Le Mans might be a nice place to visit (this around a week before the 24hr starts so should be alright for camping). I don't want to do much, just potter around as cheaply as possible and take it easy.

Where's good? I suppose the Pyrenees is just about doable but might be better to save that for another time when I have more time and money.
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Yamaha XJ600N

[c-m]

Route Napoleon leading to Cannes is excellent.

It needen't be expensive either as there are some decent campsite around. You could base out of Antibes and explorer the French riviera.

Eat at supermarkets any buy local beer and wine and you'll be fine.

It is one of the great motorcycling roads:

https://www.beyond.fr/map/mpnapol.html

[Swim41]

[doggone]

I'd try for Chamonix area if the weather's OK.
I've done it in a long weekend once, stayed just two nights, one day ride there, one day back...
Plenty of campsites round there and not too busy between ski season and French holiday season (=August).

Loire Valley isn't far, haven't been there, but could be more relaxed than.
Pyrennees is too far in a week IMO.

[G]

What about the Alps?

I did Day 1) Hook of Holland > Amsterdam > Nurburgring
Day 2) Nurburgring > Bern (base of the Alps and some great roads.
Day 3) Bern > Aosta via back roads (including St Bernard pass) and further on.

So getting to the Alps presumably should be doable if you don't mind spending some cash on fuel and time on the bike- I was wild camping which saved some money. While I say 'time on the bike', I still got decent time walking around Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Nurburgring etc - but I was setting up camp at 10pm or later in some cases, so a pretty full day!

[c-m]

[Swim41]

[Swim41]

[mistergixer]

If i'm reading this correctly, you're after a holiday on the bike rather than a biking holiday.
If so, I'd suggest either Normandy with Caen as a base, Brittany with Brest or Rennes as a base, or the Loire Valley with Tours as a base.
Normandy - excellent if you're a bit of a WW2 history buff, plus places like Bayeaux and you're never far from the coast.
Brittany - a very different and unique part of France, not too dissimilar to Cornwall, but with better food.
Loire valley - chateaus, lazy days boating on the river etc Tours is a very lively city with a fairly high student poulation, fantastic market squares etc.

Of the 3, i'd probably go back to Brittany - it's like France, but a bit different (language, culture etc). Great coastline with charming little seaside towns like Perros Guirec.
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Space Monkey #7
Don Eladio is dead. His capos are dead. You have no one left to fight for. Fill your pockets and leave in peace. Or fight me and die!
Mistergixer's videos on YouTube

[Phoenix]

The whole area around Val D'isere and Briancon, Gap and just south is very nice, plenty of proper mountain roads and nice quiet places and undoubtably good weather. It's only 1.5days ride down there really.

[Grazoid]

I concur with MisterGixer!

Some fantastic roads and sights in Brittany, just keep away from the more touristy areas to keep the cost down.

[mistergixer]

[c-m]

Is it the Fazer?

[mistergixer]

[walker]

It's good, but it's not quite right.

[/walker]
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Space Monkey #7
Don Eladio is dead. His capos are dead. You have no one left to fight for. Fill your pockets and leave in peace. Or fight me and die!
Mistergixer's videos on YouTube

[Swim41]

[mistergixer]

HTH - just doing my job. I love France and les frogs, and have nothing but good memories of all my biking trips over there.
(Apart from when a wasp flew down the neck of my jacket whilst riding in Brittany. )
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Space Monkey #7
Don Eladio is dead. His capos are dead. You have no one left to fight for. Fill your pockets and leave in peace. Or fight me and die!
Mistergixer's videos on YouTube

[kitty kat]

[smegballs]

[mistergixer]

[c-m]

I think the guesses were jokes - haha

[Charlie]

You at least hope they where jokes...
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Past: Honda x8rs, Honda City fly, Honda Hornet 250, Honda VFR750, Yamaha xt600e.
Current: Honda CBR929RR & Yamaha XT660Z Tenere

[mistergixer]

^^The first one was, the second i'm not too sure of.

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Space Monkey #7
Don Eladio is dead. His capos are dead. You have no one left to fight for. Fill your pockets and leave in peace. Or fight me and die!
Mistergixer's videos on YouTube

[smegballs]

[621andy]

I'd stick to Normandy/Brittany. Or maybe think about the Belgian Ardennes. Another alternative is the Auvergne..I worked down there last year and was very impressed with the area. Puy de Dome area is lovely, but again might be a bit far for a short trip.

Going down to the Alps etc., stunning though it is there, would be pushing it a bit in the time allowed. I worked down that way last year and was very impressed with the scenery!

Autoroutes- outside of the Frenchie holiday season, and providing there's one going your way(!), they can be a smooth, efficient and relatively empty way to get to you to somewhere worth exploring...but watch out for the Radar traps; they're everywhere. On average one every 10km, and they'll be VERY well hidden(up embankments, behind hedges, in ditches etc etc), plus the fixed ones, which are clearly visible if you know what to look for; usually there'll be a speed camera sign, which 9 times out of 10 means a camera within 2-3km. If you do get stopped, they'll only accept cash, and if you're 30km/h over the limit you'll be in deep poo...guess how I know
There's often a bike or a Subaru Impreza parked up ready to chase if you're over...

Oh, and top up with fuel whenever you can! French garages often close for 2-3 hours at lunchtime and shut at latest 19:00. Sundays can be a bugger too! They often have automatic pumps with credit card payment, but unless you're VERY lucky it won't accept anything other than Carte Bleu cards!! The Autoroute service stations are open 24 hours usually.

Otherwise, lovely country and despite the reputation, very friendly if you at least try and speak the lingo(I exclude Paris from this!!), they love bikes, and most campsites welcome bikers.

There's a reason the French don't travel very much...they've got everything within their own borders...