My first Euro Tour. Lots of delicious pics.

[sgtcalle]

So, just got back from my first tour abroad, having spent 10 days in the French Riviera, bit of Italy, and some Alps. Had a great time, feel like this could be a yearly occasion for me, learnt some good lessons I can take for next time. Trawled this forum prior to going as I was a bit nervous and in the dark prior to going, so thanks to all for the invaluable information you have posted in here!

Firstly, the bike. I picked up a '99 Honda Deauville back in June, for use as a commuter, and with this tour in mind. Cost me £850 and it performed admirably. Didn't miss a beat the whole time, and I did 500+ miles yesterday back from Paris without dropping below 90 the whole way (apart from the inevitable M6 roadworks). Prior to going I changed the oil and filter, plugs, air filter, front pads, and put two new hoops on it. It struggled a bit at altitude, but got over the line. I took my other half with me, so was loaded up. Granted, it wasn't exactly a sports bike through the bends, but it is in need of some new front fork springs. The ground clearance is pretty limited, I had the pegs touching down on multiple occasions, and also managed to dent my exhaust as it touched down too. I obviously got monstered by the sports bike crew, but on a couple of occasions managed to stay in touch with the charlie and ewan crew on their brand new GS'.

Quick note on my inventory as it may be useful for someone! Pretty standard really. I took all the usuals, worthy of note I suppose are the following:

I bought a car satnav and a waterproof case. Wired in a charger port for it. Was a god send, worked perfectly, although glare was an issue.
Tyre repair kit and puncture repair kit. Thankfully not needed but I thought it would be daft not too.
I had an old memory foam mattress topper lieing around, which I made a couple of arse pads to put down my trousers. Wasnt pretty, but wasnt going to spend the £s on a gel seat or anything.
Michelin maps - as recommended by some on here, were invaluable in route planning as the 'green' routes were great.
Didn't bother with breathalysers or spare bulbs, and glad I didn't. Could probably have done without the reflective strips on the helmets too, as no other bugger seemed to have, but I just bought some reflective adhesive tape off ebay as a cheap alternative.
I took some cable bicycle locks and used them on a couple of occasions to secure mine and my mrs' gear to the bike. It was far too hot to be tramping around carrying full gear so glad I did.
I also bought a selfie stick. Felt like a bit of a dick using it, but got some good shots using it.
Think that's probably all the things worth mentioning.

So, first day... I had a Dover to Calais ferry booked for something like 1730. So had a nice leisurely breakfast and got on the road from Liverpool. Not much to report here, it was a boring as hell ride, took me 6 hours with a few stops on the way. Uneventful, my sat nav solution got me there nicely. I should mention early on, that as I had my Mrs' with me the tour wasn't quite as I would have done it on my own. Probably could of done it a bit quicker solo but there we go. Bit of a side note, but I made one of these the night before going and it made for an amazing picnic!https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/gallery/2010/apr/07/how-to-make-shooters-sandwich
Ferry was uneventful, although I discovered French school children are basically the worst thing on this earth, the ferry was full of them.
https://i.imgur.com/Y00Xj8Al.jpg
Pretty poor turnout!
https://i.imgur.com/uAOdlSZl.jpg
Got onto the continent for 18.30 or something, ready to face one of my main fears - driving on the right, having never done it before. Don't know why I was scared, was easy really. Most of the time there were other cars on the road so I just followed them, which helped remind me. Didn't forget once! Impressed by the standard of French roads, very well surfaced, even in tiny rural areas. The drivers not so much, but i'll get onto that... So, I rode an hour-ish towards Paris, heading for Arras where I had booked a hotel on the Ferry. Got caught in a biblical thunderstorm, the rain suits came in very handy. I discovered French Autoroutes do not drain very well, and the road was soon 2 inches deep in water. Luckily we were only around 10 mins from the hotel at this point. I did have the biggest aquaplane of my life though, think my arsehole is still clenched. Spent the night in an OKish hotel on the outskirts of Arras. Didn't do any exploring as it was pissing it down and it had been a long day. Nice cold pint at the bar.. Bliss.

Got on the road for around 10 the next day (Girlfriend does not like early mornings), and took the autoroute to Paris. Paris traffic is crazy, luckily, it wasn't rush hour, and my destination was only just off the ring road. The destination being Paris Bercy train station, where I dropped off the bike, to be put on the Autotrain down to Nice. https://i.imgur.com/fAIUstql.jpg
Bye Bye Bike!

I decided to take the Autotrain as I didn't much fancy the ride all the way down to the Riviera. Cost me £120 return I think, which isnt too bad considering I would have had to pay tolls, petrol and a hotel for the night if i had of ridden. Possibly might have ridden it on my own, but the Mrs wouldn't of enjoyed it much I suspect. Checking in the bike was quick and easy, even with my schoolboy French. Left me with the best part of a day to explore Paris, which as you can see from the photos, wasn't too bad.
https://i.imgur.com/gsz8zEDl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/8GnEZWdl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/pprwPZcl.jpg
The metro system is good. As on the autotrain you need all your clobber to be in panniers or topboxes, it meant we had to carry our jackets and helmets and some other stuff, which was a pain. We then got to Paris Austerlitz and caught our 20.00 sleeper train down to Nice. Sleeper train was as you might expect. Cramped, and didnt get a good nights sleep. I didn't find it too bad, but the Mrs struggled with it. In fairness to her, she had come off a night shift the day before so was in a world of her own. She nodded off coming down the motorway on the way down to Dover and nearly fell off the bike.

So, we got into Nice for 08.00. Couldn't pick the bike up till 12.00 so we took a walk down to the beach. Christ it was warm, especially carrying a bit of gear and with bike jackets on. I had a swim in the sea, shower on the beach, and had some breakfast. The sea was lovely, and felt much better for some food and a wash.
https://i.imgur.com/iBqTQZjl.jpg
Picked up the bike and took the M6098 along the coast. Lovely bit of road with fantastic views of the sea, but the traffic was appalling, and so so so hot in textile gear. Again, If i were solo I would of avoided this tourist trap, but had to keep the Mrs' happy. We stopped off in Monte Carlo, and it was again busy and hot hot hot. Some nice cars and boats to look at, but spent a heinous amount of money on some mediocre food.
https://i.imgur.com/4yF4gIul.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/rpthWkjl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/ivqJQy8l.jpg
The place was a building site, traffic was awful, and just full of awful people really. Won't be going back. I mentioned earlier about French drivers. I should be more specific. I found French car drivers to be OK, they often moved over for me anyway. The French riders though were another story. They all seem to ride either maxi scooters, or them daft three wheel things. Some of them were quite pimp, with Akra cans and the like, and I can see why they ride them. But christ they must have a death wish. Overtaking, undertaking, crazy pointless filtering, crossing solid lines in all the wrong places. Men, women, kids, all without gear on. I'd love to know how many fatalities there are per year. Had to be really careful to do my shoulder checks as you never knew if there was going to be a loon overtaking you at 10000 mph. Not that them buggers ever bothered looking over their shoulders. Each to their own I suppose, not going to go on an ATGATT rant. It was bloody hot to be in gear to be fair. Anyway, after getting out of the Monte Carlo hell hole, I carried on up the coast, and headed inland at Menton on the D2566. Superb bit of road, heading up into the mountains. On the downside I discovered the Mrs is apparently terrified of hairpins and tight corners. Sigh... we had some tears, and pretty sure she was regretting coming at this point. Bad luck love, my route is full of twisties! Didn't get any photos as just wanted to get to the destination. Took the D6244 at Sospel, headed through Saorge, and the tunnel at Tende. Had a bit of a mare at Tende. Got caught in another biblical thunder storm, which I think was sort of mountain rain. The 1km tunnel at Tende has traffic lights at either end with a count down. The lights stayed on red for 20 minutes as the tunnel was single track. Hence us sat with the rain bouncing off us for 20 minutes. Sigh. Other half took it well which was a nice surprise. A wild fox came right up to us which was strange. Came out the other side in Italy, and the rain eased off slightly. Headed to Cuneo for our hotel stop. Throughout the trip I just booked hotels for the following night on booking.com. Came into Cuneo in the pissing rain, and got into a nice guest house ran by a very nice Italian called Marco. Thankfully the rain eased off and we managed to walk into the town centre for a lovely dinner. Cuneo is a nice place, in the shadow of the mountains, some lovely buildings, and I found the people to be spot on. Might go to Italy for my next trip as I think I have some unfinished business there, having only spent the one night.
https://i.imgur.com/QtAy1qjl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/nk2frl3l.jpg
Cuneo.

The following day I got on the road and followed the D205 and D902 to Briancon, via the Col D'Izoard. Best day of the trip for me, the sun was shining, although not too hot due to the altitude. These kind of roads and views were why I did this trip, not to be sat stewing in traffic in Nice. Photos speak for themselves really.
https://i.imgur.com/Xx57gz6l.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/yImAm08l.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/dOKaIO1l.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/noDzlITl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/tJHag5gl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/aGfuF2ql.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/wxCXLnkl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/1LAv0hkl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/xS3RTmSl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/LMtF7Crl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/QWy3U6Kl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/FIIn8p3l.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Txb2Iiyl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/9FvdHUSl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/FdPhATkl.jpg
Drank water from a river coming down from the mountain and might have been the best water I've ever drunk! The road was quite challenging on a 17 year old Deauville with knackered forks and a serious lack of power due to the altitude, so was really satisfying to get to the top. Coming back down I actually found more difficult, but the road was sublime, the best road I have ever ridden by far. Nothing I've ridden in England comes close. Saw a Ewan McGreger wannabee get overtaken by a cyclist, which made me laugh. Oh how karma got me for that one the following day. Also saw an animal crossing the road, which looked like either a wombat or a beaver, couldn't for the life of me work it out. Got into Briancon at a reasonable time. Briancon is a sort of Ski resort city as far as I could tell. We went into town and had a nice dinner, and then hit a bar to watch Belgium get beat by the Welsh. Was full of Belgians so was a great atmosphere, despite the sheep shaggers winning. Many pints were drunk with some friendly locals (once they established that we weren't welsh).
https://i.imgur.com/2wysPqUl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/vCuNkeLl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/XfMoTfHl.jpg
The following day we took the D1091 west. A few clicks out of Briancon some very officious frogs pulled me over (along with some German bikers I was following) and told us in no uncertain terms that the road was shut. Couldn't understand a great deal of what they were on about, but the gist of it was the road was closed further ahead somewhere due to a cycle race. Fucking tits! Tried to work out a detour, but one didn't really present itself without many miles on shit roads. So I thought I'll carry on and see what happens. Every other biker seemed to be doing the same. So I kept following the road. 20 miles or so down the road, people in hi-vis vests started appearing at the sides of the roads, and kept waving yellow flags at me. My fellow bikers seemed to disappear. Nobody seemed to want me to stop though so I just tried to look confident and carried on. Then I started to catch some cyclists heading in the same direction. OK, bit weird I thought. They don't look very happy with me! I kept going to Bge du Chambon. The road was good, really nice views, sort of travelling in a valley between mountains. I didn't get many photos as I was a bit spooked by all the cyclists. Kept on trucking until I was met with some bollards blocking the road, and a diversion sign. Bollocks I thought. Well I thought I'd follow the diversion as I'd come so far. It was a newly built road, very narrow and twisty. No other vehicles in site, until I came up behind a pack of about 40 cyclists, being followed by support crews in jeeps. WTF, have I somehow entered a bike race? Anyway, I hung back as there was no opportunity to overtake. Ashamed to say at this point I was overtaken by a couple of cyclists. Them buggers came out of nowhere, they cant half get a lick on coming down the hill. Anyway, after following this pack for a few miles at about 20 mph I managed to get past them, and into Le Bourg d'Oisans. Again, more hi-vis shouty french men. I had planned on going up to Alp d'huez and back down, but unfortunately this was completely closed off. Bit of a shame, but by this point i was sick of mixing with cyclists, and satisfied with presumably winning the race (I'm assuming that's what the Frenchmen waving their fists at me meant) I carried on. I headed down the N85 (Route Napolean) to Gap, caught a bit of a shower, but made it into Gap in one piece. Didn't think too much of the Route Napolean at this point, it was just a sweeping A road similar to the UK, just with better views.
https://i.imgur.com/Bql2jp7l.jpg
Gap didn't give the best impressions, hotel was a bit backwards, but the sun soon came out, and we headed into the town for tea and discovered it was actually quite nice. Watched a bit of Italy vs Germany, and drunk lots of beer.
https://i.imgur.com/MQZZR8el.jpg
Gap
https://i.imgur.com/wh8pEQhl.jpg
Olive for scale

The next day I took the D4085 south, and a Sat Nav caused detour up some tiny rural roads which the Mrs enjoyed (not). Then headed to Castellane via the Verdon Grand Canyon. Breathtaking views, and a great bit of road. Was quite busy, lots of tourists and bikes. Again, pics speak for themselves.
https://i.imgur.com/iBxUdlFl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/PiW3A8Zl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/1duGpMXl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/7i79hRzl.jpg
Fucking valley of death riding through here, never seen so many bees.
https://i.imgur.com/1uwZLPgl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/hALSdPDl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/j1a0iZJl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/NF2EdF9l.jpg
Was a really good experience, but super hot, and again terrified the Mrs with some peg scraping action. Got into Castellane, which was a charming little town.
https://i.imgur.com/6zuYBGJl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/wQGlcS7l.jpg
Hotel had a pool, which was very welcome, so had a quick dip, then into the town for tea. Lovely little place, wish I had more time to explore the history of the place. Watched the French fail to do what our shower of c*nts failed to do and beat the Icelanders. Was a good experience watching it with the French locals.

The final days proper riding saw us head to Canne via some OK roads (D6085 if anyone has actually bothered to read this far). Spent a day in Canne, and got to use my novel locking all our shite to the bike solution, which was very welcome.
https://i.imgur.com/S6epu3Gl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/d0MQv7Al.jpg
Got up the next morning and headed to Nice where I checked the bike in to the Autotrain. Basically spent a couple of days on the beach (did I mention it was hot?), which was nice. As we didn't have all our bike clobber (hotel kindly let us use their bagagerie) it was a much more enjoyable experience. Canne is quite nice, as is Nice I suppose when you're not in the traffic.
https://i.imgur.com/AZA3DhYl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/DhUODF3l.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/kZ7Kdell.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/7ki7buSl.jpg
With Bonus GSXR
https://i.imgur.com/IlCSZvOl.jpg
Very flash and bling, and not cheap. 7 Euro for a pint!

So, caught our sleeper train back up to Paris. They had double booked our beds (not sure you can call them that) cue me getting hot and sweaty trying to explain the situation to disinterested Frenchmen. Finally got some berths for the night sharing a coachette with a load of Asians. Got about 3 hours sleep, and woke up in Paris.
https://i.imgur.com/lC4Ae83l.jpg
Got across to Paris Bercy for 10.00 to pick up the bike to be told them won't have it unloaded for 30 mins. Bearing in mind it was supposed to be ready for 0900, I was a bit miffed, but we had hours to spare, so no worries. Time kept ticking by, the half an hour came and went, I started to get worried as we had a ferry to catch. Spoke to the manager to be told that the car that was parked behind my bike on the train had a flat battery, was a hybrid so couldn't be jumped, and they were waiting for a mechanic to come and sort it. Couldnt unload my bike till it was moved. Long story short, I lost my temper a bit, cursed the French, tried to claim some sort of compensation as by this time it was too late to make my ferry. Got fobbed off, but after riding the 3 hours to Calais in a foul mood, luckily P&O kindly put us on a later ferry for no charge. Saw the Calais jungle on the way through, which was quite an eye opener. Seems much more real than it does just seeing it on TV. Fucking stunk too. More french children on the boat, when I really needed a sleep.
https://i.imgur.com/ci2dZfOl.jpg
I pretty much hate all French people at this point, and have made a swift U-turn to fully support Brexit. The French couldn't organise a piss up in a brewery, we're better off away from these continental fuckwits! No wonder they can't win a war. A bit tongue in cheek (don't want to start a political debate) but I was thoroughly annoyed to say the least. Anyway, got back into blighty, and rode up to Liverpool. Not a good journey, got caught in M6 roadworks, and finally got home at 01.00 after being on the go since 07.00. I don't know whether there's something wrong with my arse but fuck me was it painful by the end. Considering the Deauville is a tourer with a supposedly comfortable seat, and I had a memory foam cushion to sit on, my backside was in tatters by the end of the trip. I'm quite skinny, so not much natural padding I suppose. Bike with a gel seat is needed for the next trip I think...

So all in all a good trip. Some fantastic roads, nice little towns and villages, and amazing views. I will most definitely be doing more in the future, have already started thinking about my next bike. Was planning on a sportsbike, but now thinking I might need a sports tourer! Where next...
____________________
CBR600F '02
Manchester

[Polarbear]

Nice report
____________________
Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[pepperami]

Cool , I liked the look of the roads high up in the mountains that were twisty.
____________________
I am the sum total of my own existence, what went before makes me who I am now!

[c-m]

I've been to Monaco a few times. I wouldn't want to live there for more than 6 months of the year, but I really liked the place. So much cleaner and better organised than the surrounding French towns such as Menton, and Antibes, and a lot nicer than Cannes with it's railway line that runs across the beach.

Anyway, each unto their own. Congrats on the trip. You've got the bug now, you'll be off somewhere every summer.

[sgtcalle]

Roads up in the mountains were sublime. Surprised by the variation in the terrain and roads in a short area. Lovely tight hairpins in the mountains, to more sweeping bends through wooded terrain on the way down.

Really want to do it again on a bike that handles a bit more, and on my own. Definitely got the bug!

I didn't actually go down into Monaco, I was heading east along the coast, and intended to go into Monaco itself rather than Monte Carlo, but I must have missed a turn.
____________________
CBR600F '02
Manchester

[Snowdonia Rider]

Nice review, thanks for taking the time to write it
____________________
I want your clothes, your boots and your motorcycle.
Suzuki GP125 Suzuki GSX600F Suzuki SV650S KTM EXC250F SkyTeam Bongo 125
My YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/SnowdoniaRider

[Lupo]

Very nice review, thanks for sharing it.
____________________
A por ellos, que son pocos y cobardes.

[sgtcalle]

Thanks gents. Quite satisfying documenting it to be honest!
____________________
CBR600F '02
Manchester

[sgtcalle]

I've been papped! Worth buying dya reckon? 11 Euro.

https://www.griffephotos.com/folio/462/media/02K2BWB61929001267RR90/esm44399.jpg.html
____________________
CBR600F '02
Manchester

[wots]

[Enduro Numpty]

Good report and photos. Glad you enjoyed your 1st European bike trip.

The furry animal that you saw in the mountains was most likely a marmot ,

[A100man]

[rubyhorse2]

great ride report there buddy, we did a very similar thing, i'll prob do a thread soon when i get some time.

autotrain for us was £99 each way, pretty easy but be prepared for delays, ours was last in and had a ramp fault so was 2 hours late getting our bike, no issues on our return though.

[smallfrowne]

Arrgh pictures are Haaaaa-UUUGGGGGGEEE!

Looks like a nice trip and all that, just a handy tip if using imgur to host the imgs - slip an l before the .jpg (lower case L) and you'll get a large thumbnail which is a good size I think... Struggling to scroll through em on this ol' laptop.


____________________
'90 VFR750; '89 NC30; '95 DR650; '89 CD250U; ~'82 CG125; ~C90

[Ebbs73]

Nice report ,great pics I enjoyed that .
Reminded me of a very similar ride/route We did but we rode all the way down and back and it was hard work .
Ive been away with friends but never the girlfriend , was it hard , arguments , stressy ?
I'm really interested in the train idea , could you please post some details , I could google everything but I'm sure you may have some links saved .

Why did you pick the ferry over the Chunnel ?

Cheers
Chris

[rubyhorse2]

sorry to hijack but just trying to help, we did a similar route this June. here's some info on the autotrain for you.

Costs : £99 each way for a motorbike
Can book online https://autotrain.uk.voyages-sncf.com/en/ but need use google translator, or you can ring.
Paris pretty easy to find, though it is quite central as is Nice, but satnav got us to both perfectly.
Can buy extra insurance for the bike at 20 Euros when there, if thats worth it for you.
Staff all very helpful at both ends - we had soft luggage and the rules state they need to be taken off, we charmed them and they allowed us to leave them on both ways, all good with no issues.
Bike goes overnight so can either fly or take a train and collect it next day. If planning ahead be prepared for any delays, our collection in Nice was 2 hours delay.

Think thats it, ask away if need any more info.

[image riot]

Fantastic report and pictures
____________________
GSXR750 > GSXR1100 > ZX9R > CBR900RRP >CBR929RR>K1200S

[sgtcalle]

Cheers chaps. Sounds as though delays on the autotrain are quite common... Wish I had known that before going. Sounds as though a flexible ferry ticket could be a good idea if you're picking your bike up on the same day. The frog that I was dealing with say the autotrain people will only reimburse people for a 6 hour or more delay, which I think is a bit poor. Obviously they arent very confident in their punctuality. Think the autotrain was £120 for me. Would I use it again? I think so, but I'd plan around not being able to pick up the bike when stated.

On the going with the other half front... Wouldn't go with her again. It just meant I compromised on what I wanted to do. Could do less miles, chose a route which stopped in places I thought she would like, and I probably would of camped if I'd been solo. And she did do a lot of moaning! I guess I just assumed she would be as comfortable/happy as me on the bike. I forget I have been riding bikes for years and she's probably only been pillion a couple of dozen times.

This is probably the best link I can give you, gives all the main details:

https://autotrain.voyages-sncf.com/autotrain-webapp/pdf/common/Guide_Auto_Train_2015_en.pdf

Cant remember why I went ferry over chunnel, I booked it ages ago. Seem to remember it was cheaper?!

Thanks for the tip, I have been advised the same by Cansa, but havent got round to editing yet!

Ahhhh a marmot! Looked like good eating!
____________________
CBR600F '02
Manchester

[Ebbs73]

In regards to the mrs , thats what I was thinking .

I've always been with my friends and camped €8 up to €40 a night so worked out cheap .
If I took the woman she would want a hotel , wouldn't ride that far and maybe moan about everything .
Thing is I love it and enjoy it all so really want to share it with her .
The train would definitely help , thank you for the links .

Chris

[rubyhorse2]

totally agree that taking the other half changes the ride.

I also had tears one day, after blasting along for 2 hours on the shitty autostrada and not arriving at our accommodation till 8:30 i stopped and turned around to a crying angry wife...was not a good night that one

But..it is nice to share the experience and we had a great time after that, though it was nice hotels all the way in order to keep her happy.

Tunnel Tip : maybe it was me being numb (so sorry if this is common knowledge) but if you rock up to the tunnel its full price, cost us 118 euros coming back as opposed to 40 pre booking.