France Belgium and Holland

[raesewell]

Got our next european trip booked for April 2013 going across via chunnel having a couple of days in Le Touquet then on to Brugge for two days then another couple of days in Amsterdam then ferry back from Hook of Holland to Harwich stay in Harwich overnight then back to Yorkshire. I'm really looking forward to it.

[Casper]

Take good security for the bikes and chain them togeather. There is an underground 24 hour maned car park in front of the train station. I use that and try and park next to the gards bothy or in view of a cctv camera. Never had a problem

[Casper]

That down ramp between the bikes is the car park. Big building in background is train station. Easy to find and no great distance from red light area.

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=undeground+car+parks+amsterdam&hl=en&ll=52.378592,4.896791&spn=0.000003,0.002642&sll=52.376346,4.89722&sspn=0.003458,0.010568&hq=undeground+car+parks&hnear=Amsterdam,+Government+of+Amsterdam,+North+Holland,+The+Netherlands&t=m&fll=52.379134,4.896603&fspn=0.000865,0.002642&z=19&layer=c&cbll=52.37859,4.89679&panoid=m6yqhODEDOj9cEw10xUdKA&cbp=12,70.84,,0,11.51

[raesewell]

thank you for the tip, however will only have one bike and we are staying at the Novotel which is not in the center of Amsterdam and has its own parking facility

[Casper]

[raesewell]

It's me and the wife we are travelling down to kent from yorkshire on the saturday I have a couple of cousins in Kent and will have an evening in the pub with them, then accross through the tunnel Sunday morning short hop to Le touquet, Brugge and amsterdam as I said. We are coming back from Hook of Holland to Harwich and I found out today that a friend of mine has just moved to Harwich so will meet up with them when we arrive in harwich Premier Inn already booked. As for cash I probably wont take a great deal, however I will get a euro debit card before I go it saves all the exchange charges

[Marmalade]

I find using a normal uk debit card is actually cheaper than a euro card
____________________
Nobby the Bastard: How yo tell the difference between the actual japanese and her just screaming because she's had live fish stuck up her arse? [url=https://www.nicks-shop.co.uk/bcf-goodies-15-c.aspGet BCF stickers and things here[/url] Reflective helmet stickers - Legal requirement in france - Clicky

[TheDonUK]

Am i the only one that finds the dutch road signs frustrating?

Specifically Utrect - Breda - Antwerp.

They only show the next destination, not two or three down the line, so if you are winging it without GPS make sure you know the lie of the land. I have done that route probably over 10 times, and each time i get a little bit lost....
____________________
[Current Bikes - GSXR-750 K5 & C90-97 ] [Previous Bikes: Runner 125, YBR 125, GS500, Bandit 600, Hornet 600, ZX6R-99, C90-99, R1-99, XT600E-04, GSXR-750 K4, CRF250L '16]

[Casper]

Never had bother but i head down the A2 heading to Roermond. Back north on the A2 looking for Ijmuden can be tricky first time but apart from that no bother.

[MattEMulsion]

Nice trip but if you want some advice...

Le Touquet is a sh*t hole, I wouldn't waste your time going there.

Brugge is quite nice, rather touristy and a bit pricey but a good place to visit. There is quite a bit to do if you like that sort of stuff, but the weather can be iffy = it'll either be good or pissing it down!

Amsterdam, now that is a place all of its own. It changes from day to night. Make sure that you take a walk through the red light district just to experience the 'culture'. We stopped at the Best Western Blue Square hotel in the city which was really nice + most importantly it had its own secure underground parking area.

Finally the ferry from Hoek to Harwich is one boring long crossing now that they no longer have the fast ferry. Take something to entertain yourself on the boat on a daytime crossing. The best thing that you can do with that journey is take the overnight boat so you can get some sleep during those boring hours.

Don't get me wrong if you have booked up stick with your current plans, I am just giving you the benefit of my experiences having learnt which is the best way to go about these things.
____________________
Yamaha YZF-R6

[raesewell]

Thank you for your input. I particularly wanted to visit Le Touquet because it was apparently a favourite haunt of people like Winston Churchill, Oscar Wilde and Edward IIV to name but a few and if it turns out not to be nice I wont visit again. As for Amsterdam I have been before and am familiar with its foibles. I need to take the day ferry to harwich as I have a friend that lives there and will be meeting up with him and his wife on the Saturday evening for a few beers. but thank you anyway

[raesewell]

Typo Edward VII

[Marmalade]

[raesewell]

thank you i will remember that