First time tourer! UK-Italy (Advice!?)

[Pickledswede]

As per title really, this year I have 5 months off for summer after I finish my exams at uni, I really want to do some touring through Europe but I'm a bit clueless as to where to start! The countries I've listed are a few of the ones I'm really interested in seeing and I decided to make them into a rough UK-Italy route.

Basically I need as much info and guidance as I can get on touring but I'll try and summarise a few points here!

First off how many miles would I be expecting to do in a day, I've worked out a rough route (putting a new destination in google maps at points in each country that makes a roughly circular route) but I don't really know anything about any of the countries so I wouldn't know any particular places to visit or roads I should be aiming to get to. Anyway the route is about 2000 miles (so assuming 40mpg and £1.40/l that's under £400 petrol), how long is this likely to take me? What speed will I be averaging, would you suggest riding everyday? And how far?

I guess it's quite hard to find places to camp every night along a 2000 mile route so would I have to use hostels or even ( ) hotels? How much is accommodation likely to cost me?

I have little to no experience in any foreign language apart from Spanish (very useful...) is this going to be a problem?

How much luggage will I need to take? I'll be travelling on a CB500 or possibly a CBR600F depending on when I buy a new bike and when I leave. Are panniers a necessity or is a rucksack, a large tankbag and a tent/sleeping bag strapped on the back going to be enough?

Navigation - assuming I'm not going to scrupulously write directions for a 2000 mile route and tape it to my tank/stick in in my tankbag, how would you suggest navigating from place to place, country to country, and finding some good riding roads!

Borders and paperwork - what am I likely to encounter at each border and what will I need to have with me?

What am I missing?! These are the main issues I can think of currently but it's a massive undertaking and I'm certain I've missed a whole load of things out. Any tips/guides would be greatly appreciated. Maybe if this thread is successful it can turn into a generic comprehensive touring guide for the forum?

[Marmalade]

[motobiker]

[olionel]

what a nice position to be in. I rode to Turkey and back after uni couple of years ago, cos I could , just packed up and went, I had textile panniers and a holdall. motobiker makes a good point on clothing. Basically I found my Spada textile trousers were too hot (except for the alps) so I stuck my knee protectors in to my draggins and off I went with muchos comfort. Last summer I chose draggins purely and when it got cold I wore leggings underneath and waterproffs on top and I was quite comfy. (Draggings with MX armour on top will work fine too) Just my experience on clothing take it or leave it. Any modern motorbike jacket and trousers are BOIL IN THE BAG as soon as you stop at lights or even just riding. I wear hiking boots when touring, cooler, easier to walk in etc etc. Take winter and summer gloves. Infact south Italy will be so hot take some MX gloves or just cycling gloves.

As said there will be no border controls, unless you end up on a motorway going into Switzerland (but I think even that is very very very very rare) btw don;t end up on the motorway in Switzerland I think you have to have a monthly pass or they make you purchase it (according to others).

I'd say if you ve got that much time... defo go do the Alps, beautiful. Go to Interlaken, stay at Balmers Herberge with hot American backpackers, staff are very helpful with stuff. If you want to freeze yor ass off go to Lauterbrunnen and camp at 1000m altitude, also have a large beer at the pub before so you def wake up for a piss

Italy is nice, go to Florence, getting there is nice roads and after Florence it's nice aswell then you start hitting the barren dry south. I'd say if youve got THAT much time, get a boat to Igoumenitsa in Greece. Or screw that and ride up North and do the Dolomites and pop in to Eastern Europe.

I'd say take a tent, camping is waay more fun, + river cooled beer tastes better than draught. Fact!

Also, dont take too much clothing, stuff dries real quick when it's bungeed on to the back of the bike at 60-70mph.

I'm well jealous man, just friggin go you can buy stuff out there too.

P.S. Just incase take a few photocopies of your licence, paper and card, V5, passport etc etc

P.P.S
Also the roads from the Alps to the Cote d'Azur (towards Nice) are amazing aswell. D2204 or D2207, actually ye, on you loop back go to Chamonix, go up the mountain in the cable car have a look at the Glacier, ride to Nice on the nice nice roads look around, then go to Toulouse (studenty city)... enjoy

All the best
Oli
____________________
1989 CG125 - Childhood Sweetheart (she got kidnapped by baddies)
1998 ZXR400 - Teenage Love (lasted three years, then she turned lesbian and left me)
2001 XRV750 - Wife Material (still getting to know her but head over heels in love)

[Pickledswede]

Cheers for the replies guys! Great info! Sorry I haven't replied 'til now, been weighed under with exam work!

I think I'll try and keep the costs down by avoiding hotels wherever possible, better to go to a camp-site for cheaper and be able to cook for myself in the morning (which brings me to another question I'd forgotten- what cooking equipment do you take? What do you generally eat?) I guess the only problem here is there probably aren't abundant camp-sites everywhere I might want to stop!

Currently I have a set of badly fitting very heavy and hot textiles and my two-piece leather suit (quite tight fitting now - must have shrunk ) I expect leathers will be the coolest I can get, apart from some draggin' jeans or similar, which I should probably invest in anyway. I probably need to get a good pair of summer gloves and maybe a good set of winter ones as well (my winter ones at the moment are the lobster style ones and summer - cheapo mostly textile alpinestars). For when it rains I guess an oversuit is my best bet. My boots are not waterproof though so maybe a pair of waterproof ones or carrier bags as socks?

Thanks for all the info on places to go olionel! Did you manage to camp everywhere you went? And did you go with someone? At the moment my biggest worry is boredom, I can ride all day but when visiting places it seems a bit odd to go alone and in the evenings I suspect I'll be very bored! Any suggestions on that front?

Thanks very much guys - this is really helpful!

[olionel]

hello;

cooking, get a little stove top for gaz. You can buy camping-gaz in supermarkets so its small and will cook stuff. Take a small/medium saucepan.. saw half of the handle off if you like (take its lid too). also take a mug for tea etc

First time I went I was with a mate who was riding to Australia and I was riding to Turkey to visit family so we synced set off dates after graduations, we mostly camped or hostelled. I now go with my girlfriend (mostly camp) so duno how Id feel if I was on my own (on the way back from Turkey I was on my own I had fun but did gun it home). You might meet a fellow traveller anyway, have a look on HUBB, don't worry about getting bored either just talk to folk.

When aiming to go somewhere on the map you;ll instinctively aim at big cities (well I do).. aim at them but then try avoid them, outskirts little towns are more likely to have camp sites, nice b&bs etc..cities are better for lunch/coffee breaks in my opinion that is. Have you got a gps? thats good at finding campsites. Around 4pm 5pm start looking for a place to stay etc.

Dont worry too much just go and use common sense, talk to people. You'll be fine

camping tip: Gnochi cooks quicker than pasta!
also buy plenty of nice fruit, to eat on your breaks etc...
also hood jeans are cheaper and seem to be more protective than draggins...might but some myself
____________________
1989 CG125 - Childhood Sweetheart (she got kidnapped by baddies)
1998 ZXR400 - Teenage Love (lasted three years, then she turned lesbian and left me)
2001 XRV750 - Wife Material (still getting to know her but head over heels in love)