Mini holiday this weekend, advice please :)

[h00dwink]

Well, bit of a spur of the moment impusle holiday i'm going on.

Will be getting a ferry to Calais at about 6pm thursday afternoon.
Planning on sleeping "rough" Thursday and Friday night. Probably a car park somewhere. Good idea or dangerous do you think?
Then will be going to a campsite near paris for Saturday-Tuesday.

Have full soft luggage (tailpack/panniers/tankbag). Planning on travelling relatively light. Wont really need many clothes for Thu/Fri as i'll be riding most of the day.

As i'm looking at this with rose tinted glasses, there's probably stuff i'm overlooking.

So, list of jazz to take-
Passport
Docs for bike (V5/mot/insurance certificate/license)
Spare key
Tyre foam
GB sticker
Some euro's
Bank card (know it works there)
Road map
Tent
Sleeping Bag
Clothing
Spare gloves and waterproofs
lock for bike

Feel free to add to this.
Cheers
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Sahf East Winnah 4LYF
https://bikepics.com/members/h00dwink/00sv650s/
www.youtube.com/h00dwink updated regularly

[Rookie]

All looks good except the camping in car parks bit. If I remember rightly French police are very strict on this and don't let it go on. So you would need to be camping out of sight.

[h00dwink]

Don't mean camping, I mean just unrolling the sleeping bag and having a bit of sleep like that.

Other parts i forgot to add were the bike bits like spare bulbs, triangle etc...
____________________
Sahf East Winnah 4LYF
https://bikepics.com/members/h00dwink/00sv650s/
www.youtube.com/h00dwink updated regularly

[benvanwell]

Basic first aid kit is always sensible - but I'm sure they have sticky plasters in France! Gaffa tape will work wonders in so many situations.
Wouldn't recommend sleeping in a car park, but anywhere out of sight should avoid any trouble. Perhaps take a list of some cheap places to stay (e.g F1 hotels) in case you are desperately needing some kip late at night and its bucketing down....

Ben
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Currently Riding: Triumph Sprint ST 1050
Previous: GSF600s, GS500, BMW F45, CG125

[syl]

EHIC card
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Current bike: Kawasaki Z750S

[phil2alp]

Sleeping rough in any urban area Thursday and Friday sounds like a very bad idea- robbery etc plus you'll get hardly any sleep and feel knackered on Friday and Saturday. Is it worth the possible problems if you can afford a dorm bed in a hostel?

[h00dwink]

Touché, think i'll try my hand at finding a hostel or something.

Have been getting some of this stuff together today, tyre foam and spare light bulbs. Also thought i'd change the oil+filter on the bike so i know it's good stuff for the journey.
Have had no issues with this bike so far so hopefully there wont be anything on the journey. Any problems will have to be sorted out if/when they come along.

Tomorrow i'll be sourcing a road map. Was considering buying SatNav but i have no where in particular i want to go until Saturday (and they're not really cheap compared to a £3 map of france ).
So will just find somewhere that looks interesting on the map and head towards it. Trying to avoid motorways.

It's not the longest of "touring" holidays but it's a start and i think i'll really enjoy just being away from everything for a while.
____________________
Sahf East Winnah 4LYF
https://bikepics.com/members/h00dwink/00sv650s/
www.youtube.com/h00dwink updated regularly

[.....]

Good stuff old chap. An advance solo scouting mission .

[Swim41]

Funnily enough I've just booked myself on the chunnel for a similar solo run in a month's time. Planning on a few days in Germany, up round the Harz Mountains. I've been meaning to take the plunge for ages.

[Barker-CBR 600]

What you going on?
The SV650 thats in your sig?

Should be good fun. Could probably find some good reccomended roads in the area your headed by doing a search on this forum (thats how i picked some up for trip to scotland!)
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Previous - Gilera DNA50 / XVS125 Dragstar/Honda CBR 600F/GSF 650 Bandit
Current - 2013 Suzuki VZ800 Intruder
'Is this a rhetorical question?'

[Kris]

Definately take a roll-mat to lie on.

Don't do what we did and forget, then have to spend every night laying out every item of clothing under the sleeping bag just to make it bearable!

Oh and use campsites, much easier and pretty reasonable!
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NSR125RR - ZXR750H1 - ZX9R E1 - GSF600S - GSF600SK3 - VFR400-NC30 - SV1000N - ST1100-R - CBR900RR-R - GSF1200SK5 - GSF600SK1 - VFR1200FA - GSXR1000K2 - ZZR1400 D8F
www.prisonplanet.com

[h00dwink]

Am going to be using NorfolkLine ferries, cheapest crossings available out of them all £18 each way, so £36 for a return!

Yea am going on the SV.

Am really looking forward to going now that the stuff's being gatehred in and i'm having to sort bits and bobs out.
Will have a nice old day of riding around on Friday going where ever, then make my way to my main place on Saturday, avoiding the motorways. Should find some cracking roads.
Know there's some awesome ones near the camp site as I used to work there, so can't wait to give them a ride.

Will have a bit of a test with putting the stuff on the bike later, see how it'll all fit.
____________________
Sahf East Winnah 4LYF
https://bikepics.com/members/h00dwink/00sv650s/
www.youtube.com/h00dwink updated regularly

[map]

[h00dwink]

Just chucked on all the luggage to see how it fits on and had a small ride to get a feel for it. It's like a strange little arm-chair

Pretty pimp if i say so myself.
https://img239.imageshack.us/img239/3889/dsc02771mr2.jpg
https://img239.imageshack.us/img239/4357/dsc02772wu4.jpg
____________________
Sahf East Winnah 4LYF
https://bikepics.com/members/h00dwink/00sv650s/
www.youtube.com/h00dwink updated regularly