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Tour into France, Belgium, and beyond. Advise please

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TouringHornet
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PostPosted: 11:47 - 12 Jun 2017    Post subject: Tour into France, Belgium, and beyond. Advise please Reply with quote

Hi all,

Last year was my first taste of touring and took me down the Normandy coast from Calais, along the Seine then south on the back roads to Le Mans and back home the scenic route - 5 days of nice roads and a lot of rain! Typical!

This year i want to be more adventurous, have a week off work and can use the weekend either side - so 9 full days.

I want to cover as much as (comfortably!) possible, and have set my sights on a rough route of:
Calais > Belgium > Luxembourg > Vosges Nord > B500 > Vosges > Neuchatel, Switzerland > back across France via Le Mans to Cherbourg to get the ferry back home.

This may be on my own, or with a pal. Staying in cheap hotels is the plan. Happy with longish 300-400 mile days. Riding an MT09, so hopefully reliable and just need to shove fuel in it!

Belgium isn't massive on my hit list, though i'll go through the tip on my way to Luxembourg. Happy with a few motorways to get me to Luxembourg but then want to stay on the minor roads where possible.

Is it worth me hitting both north and south parts of the Vosges?

Any thoughts? I hope i'm not being too ambitious, i know its a lot of places to tick off!

Thanks all.

Mike
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chickenstrip
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PostPosted: 21:34 - 12 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

TouringHornet wrote:


I want to cover as much as (comfortably!) possible....Happy with longish 300-400 mile days.


Don't be. It's a tour, but it's supposed to be a holiday - you know, those things you enjoy?

If the weather's shit, those mileages will just be a chore. If it's baking hot, likewise. Leave yourself time to have leisurely breaks, see the sights, soak it all up. 250 miles is a reasonable max. for a really enjoyable experience. Then, if you still have the energy, go out for a spin in the evening.

I would suggest cutting down on your ambitions and head for one place that really intrigues/interests you. After all, it won't be the only tour you ever do, will it?

The Vosges is on my hit list (but not on my current tour). It seems to be in two parts. Route des Cretes captures my imagination, but I would also research what else might be in the area that I might like to go look at.
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Matt B
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PostPosted: 09:42 - 13 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's possible in 9 days but you won't get to see much. Chickenstrip is right, 400 miles a day is not enjoyable, all you will end up doing is ride from A to B, sleep, repeat.

That's two separate trips there IMO. Belgium and the Ardennes region has some fantastic roads (N66, N68, N834 & N89) and it's worth spending a few days exploring the area. Then do Luxembourg into Germany and the B500. Spend a few days exploring the Black Forest.

Leave Switzerland and Vosges out and do it on another trip when you have time to spend a few days down in the Alps riding the passes round that France/Switzerland/Italy triangle. Montets, Forclaz, Grand and Petit St. Bernard etc. Furka, san Bernadino and Stelvio a bit further afield too. Not much point getting down to the Alps and missing out on all the fantastic roads and scenery.
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pepperami
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PostPosted: 13:55 - 13 Jun 2017    Post subject: Re: Tour into France, Belgium, and beyond. Advise please Reply with quote

TouringHornet wrote:


Any thoughts?

Thanks all.

Mike


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TouringHornet
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PostPosted: 16:37 - 13 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yeah, i had a ponder since and thought going as far south as Switzerland was a bit optimistic.

Maybe head down the Black Forest back across the border and back up through the Vosges - one to mull over at least.

Can any one advise the difference, and if its worth doing, both the 'Vosges Du Nord' and 'Ballons De Vosges' slightly further south?
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doggone
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PostPosted: 17:38 - 13 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

You can get to Switzerland in a good day from the channel if so minded.
It depends if you want an Alpine/mountain pass busting bike trip or a more leisurely cultural trip with time to look at old towns and dawdle on winding roads through forest.

Doing both in a week is the issue.
The area where Switzerland Austria and Italy join is one of the more spectacular parts of Europe without going further e.g. Dolomites.
It's relatively compact so once there you would have time to relax and do touristy things.

I also rather like the Swiss/French border round Chamonix which is little closer.
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TallPaul_S
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PostPosted: 21:55 - 14 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Matt B wrote:
It's possible in 9 days but you won't get to see much. Chickenstrip is right, 400 miles a day is not enjoyable, all you will end up doing is ride from A to B, sleep, repeat.

That's two separate trips there IMO. Belgium and the Ardennes region has some fantastic roads (N66, N68, N834 & N89) and it's worth spending a few days exploring the area. Then do Luxembourg into Germany and the B500. Spend a few days exploring the Black Forest.

Leave Switzerland and Vosges out and do it on another trip when you have time to spend a few days down in the Alps riding the passes round that France/Switzerland/Italy triangle. Montets, Forclaz, Grand and Petit St. Bernard etc. Furka, san Bernadino and Stelvio a bit further afield too. Not much point getting down to the Alps and missing out on all the fantastic roads and scenery.


This.

Belgium/Luxembourg and then the Mosel valley and Nurburging/Spa regions are well worth a week on their own.

You can do the B500 on the way to the Alps, but you'll need a good few days in the Alps to make it worthwhile.

And I also 100% agree with the 250-300 miles a day max if on twisty roads, your average speed will be barely above 30mph, and with fuel/food stops that's easily 10+ hours on the road.
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chickenstrip
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PostPosted: 22:02 - 14 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

TallPaul_S wrote:


And I also 100% agree with the 250-300 miles a day max if on twisty roads, your average speed will be barely above 30mph, and with fuel/food stops that's easily 10+ hours on the road.


Today, I did from Menton, on the south coast of France, to Briancon, about mid way up the Route des Grandes Alpes. About 180 miles. Set off at about 9am, got to my hotel in Briancon at about 7:30pm. That included as many coffee and photo stops as I wanted, and a leisurely lunch break. I wouldn't have wanted to be going any much longer than that. I didn't feel pressured to rush, and could just relax and enjoy it.
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Alpineandy
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PostPosted: 23:37 - 15 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Personally I'd find even 250 miles a day for that many days would become hard work.
It's not difficult on Motorways but you may as well use a car for that.
On non-motorway roads I find that although you can have a day doing 250 miles easily, you'll also get days when 150 miles is tough.
One day is good open sweeping roads where you can see well ahead and the next is nadgery twisties where you can't see over the hedges.
Both are great to ride, but the latter can be difficult to keep an average speed over 40mph.

IMO better to set smaller mileage targets and if you get somewhere early and still want a ride then have a look on the map and ride a loop.
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rubyhorse2
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PostPosted: 11:44 - 20 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mentons bloody lovely!

i've learnt not to do massive distances, you just end up always clock watching and thinking about the next leg rather than enjoying the holiday.
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chickenstrip
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PostPosted: 20:26 - 20 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

rubyhorse2 wrote:
Mentons bloody lovely!



It was ok I suppose. I only stayed for one night, popped down to the coast road in the evening to find somewhere to eat. The place is full of mental scooter riders though.
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