|
Author |
Message |
TouringHornet |
This post is not being displayed .
|
TouringHornet L Plate Warrior
Joined: 16 Jun 2016 Karma :
|
Posted: 11:47 - 12 Jun 2017 Post subject: Tour into France, Belgium, and beyond. Advise please |
|
|
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 |
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
chickenstrip |
This post is not being displayed .
|
chickenstrip Super Spammer
Joined: 06 Dec 2013 Karma :
|
Posted: 21:34 - 12 Jun 2017 Post subject: |
|
|
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. ____________________ Chickenystripgeezer's Biking Life (Latest update 19/10/18) Belgium, France, Italy, Austria tour 2016 Picos de Europa, Pyrenees and French Alps tour 2017 Scotland Trip 1, now with BONUS FEATURE edit, 5/10/19, on page 2 Scotland Trip 2 Luxembourg, Black Forest, Switzerland, Vosges Trip 2017
THERE'S MILLIONS OF CHICKENSTRIPS OUT THERE! |
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
Matt B |
This post is not being displayed .
|
Matt B World Chat Champion
Joined: 01 May 2012 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
pepperami |
This post is not being displayed .
|
pepperami Super Spammer
Joined: 17 Jan 2010 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
TouringHornet |
This post is not being displayed .
|
TouringHornet L Plate Warrior
Joined: 16 Jun 2016 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
doggone |
This post is not being displayed .
|
doggone World Chat Champion
Joined: 20 May 2004 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
TallPaul_S |
This post is not being displayed .
|
TallPaul_S Trackday Trickster
Joined: 19 Dec 2013 Karma :
|
Posted: 21:55 - 14 Jun 2017 Post subject: |
|
|
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. ____________________ 00 Honda VFR800 | 09 Aprilia Tuono Factory
CBT 06/03/2014 | Mod 1 and Mod 2 passed 15/10/2014 |
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
chickenstrip |
This post is not being displayed .
|
chickenstrip Super Spammer
Joined: 06 Dec 2013 Karma :
|
Posted: 22:02 - 14 Jun 2017 Post subject: |
|
|
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. ____________________ Chickenystripgeezer's Biking Life (Latest update 19/10/18) Belgium, France, Italy, Austria tour 2016 Picos de Europa, Pyrenees and French Alps tour 2017 Scotland Trip 1, now with BONUS FEATURE edit, 5/10/19, on page 2 Scotland Trip 2 Luxembourg, Black Forest, Switzerland, Vosges Trip 2017
THERE'S MILLIONS OF CHICKENSTRIPS OUT THERE! |
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
Alpineandy |
This post is not being displayed .
|
Alpineandy World Chat Champion
Joined: 18 Mar 2015 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
rubyhorse2 |
This post is not being displayed .
|
rubyhorse2 Traffic Copper
Joined: 03 Mar 2015 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
chickenstrip |
This post is not being displayed .
|
chickenstrip Super Spammer
Joined: 06 Dec 2013 Karma :
|
Posted: 20:26 - 20 Jun 2017 Post subject: |
|
|
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. ____________________ Chickenystripgeezer's Biking Life (Latest update 19/10/18) Belgium, France, Italy, Austria tour 2016 Picos de Europa, Pyrenees and French Alps tour 2017 Scotland Trip 1, now with BONUS FEATURE edit, 5/10/19, on page 2 Scotland Trip 2 Luxembourg, Black Forest, Switzerland, Vosges Trip 2017
THERE'S MILLIONS OF CHICKENSTRIPS OUT THERE! |
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
Old Thread Alert!
The last post was made 6 years, 311 days ago. Instead of replying here, would creating a new thread be more useful? |
|
|
|