touring europe in early september first trip!!!help!!!

[itsdave]

me and three of my mates are heading to europe for two weeks in september its all our first time riding anywhere other than local as such so has anyone got advise.
we are all camping as its cheap and we have the gear.
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Project cg125 current bike cbr600f sport white+ black watch out for me in central London.

[Devans]

Plan a route first, probably a nice circle.

France-Belgium-Germany-Switzerland-Back into France?

Or maybe go into Italy and around the back of the Alps into Southern France.

Get paniers or decent luggage systems and decent tents etc. Nothing worse than waking up in a damp tent

You don't need a sat nav (i didn't have one) but they are usefull for finding hotels and campsites!

I went through France and into Switzerland last Sept and the weather was great, high in the alps it was pretty cold though even with the sun out!

I'd go by Eurotunnel, it's more exspensive but alot faster and very little chance of the bike falling over, plus i came back at 3am and still got the tunnel home xD with only a 30minute wait!

Most of all enjoy yourself and take it easy learning to ride on the other side of the road!

[chillyman0]

I am planning the same thing for the summer 2 up with the girlfriend on the back and was planning the France-Belgium-Germany-Switzerland-Back into France route you were saying Devans.

200 miles per day with the odd day sight seeing? Sound feasable?

Keep us posted on the plans 11559


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preivious : 2007 Skyjet 125 (died), 1991 gsf400 (problems, rotting in garden)
1996 gsf600n (sold)
current : 1996 VFR750 for sale, PM for info! 2000 E1 ZX-9r

[R4nger]

Most people offer cautious advice when travelling around Europe but it really could not be any simpler since it's only a 30 minute ferry crossing and the only thing that is different is that you ride/drive on the right.

The main things to carry are:

Space for food and WATER while travelling (tank bag?)
Fewest sets of clothes as you can get away with and your motorbike gear.
Botch anything repair tools like mole grips and screwdrivers. Not hammers, that's dead weight; you can use a stone.
Something to sleep in or under; just as long as it keeps you warm and uses the least amount of space.

Try and keep the weight down because when you see your favourite corner on the South West of Spain, you will have corner that extra weight around those corners.

As soon as you plan to go somewhere, you are actually putting in a deadline and the more deadlines you put in, the less fun it is. It's nice however to find a hotel at the end of your day's riding; just make sure you don't plan the hotel so race there at the end of the evening.

What is the point of planning to ride through all those countries and rack up an expensive fuel bill just to see 2 or 3 towns where you do actually stop for more than one hour? You could do a 2 week tour in Normandy, France. Just go where everyone wants to go and actually see what's in the town.

[doggone]

I'd head for the Alps and hunt out some high passes.
Allow two easy days to get there.
I wouldn't worry about exact route planning when you can camp.
Half the fun is following your nose and getting slightly lost sometimes.

You could very easily stay mostly in France, there are some wonderful roads in the French Alps and adjacent areas.
Two weeks seems a long time but a common mistake is trying to see something of several countries and doing too many miles.

[...]

[...]

HEYOOO

After a quick phone call, I can verify that OP is a good friend of mine and I am one of the three mates heading around Europe.

Route is as follows: Belgium - Amsterdam - Hamburg - Berlin - Prague - Stanzach - Lake Garda - Berne - through eastern France and up to Calais.

Bikes being taken are SV650, CBR600F, ER6F (my new baby) and my GS500 which I am giving to another mate so he can come along.

[StevenF]

Jealous! I've wanted to do this for a couple of years. I'm shit at reading maps so I would probably take a sat nav, enter a destination and let it take me there avoiding motorways etc...
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My Project - Honda CBR 600 F2/FM

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[Charlie]

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[StevenF]

[Charlie]

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[Charlie]

All the people in my unit continually tell me to be careful on my bike. Maybe they have seen my riding or something.

There are few people in West Lancashire who also have bikes, although I've not yet had a chance to ride with them. May have to change that and start some Network motorbiking ride outs
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Past: Honda x8rs, Honda City fly, Honda Hornet 250, Honda VFR750, Yamaha xt600e.
Current: Honda CBR929RR & Yamaha XT660Z Tenere

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[John933]

Try this,

https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=209414193245900737848.0004957dd158d427d961f&z=5



Three week's

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[John933]

With two week's. Make you way to southen Spain. Cheap as chip's. Good weather. And camping is not that hard to find.
John933

[c-m]

[Devans]

"Route is as follows: Belgium - Amsterdam - Hamburg - Berlin - Prague - Stanzach - Lake Garda - Berne - through eastern France and up to Calais. "

That will be awesome, easily do-able in 2 weeks with plently of time too chill out and relax

[John933]

[itsdave]

thanks for all the chatter some really helpful stuff and although not all relevant to the thread topic its nice to know there is more than just three motorcycling networkers and i would love to come.
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Project cg125 current bike cbr600f sport white+ black watch out for me in central London.

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[flatcat]

Justload your bikes up , and go .
no plan just go
thats what me and the missus did last time.
discovered all sorts of great places , and some shit ones as well.
but best holiday ever .
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to kill one man is to murder
to kill thousands is to conquer
to kill them all is to be god