1st trip to the Alps June 2012 - Advice on chosen route

smileydaz

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Im quite new to this website but as its full of very good advice I thought I'd put my planned route out there for comment.

Here goes:

I've just planned a 9 day trip to the French Alps this coming June with some mates, which will see us venture down as far as Monte Carlo before heading back north ended up at Evian les bain a week later. Below is my planned itinary and I would welcome and comments about whether Im taking in the best roads.

Day 1: UK to Troyes
Day 2: Troyes to Rencurel (SW of Grenoble) staying at Hotel Marronnier
Day 3: Rencurel to Chateauneuf Grasse taking in Route Napolean and D900
Day 4: Chateauneuf Grasse to Monte Carlo then up the Grand D'Alpes to Barcelonnette and onto Embrun
Day 5: Embrun to Seez via Briancon, Susa (Italy) and Val d'sere.
Day 6: A loop from Seez down towards Alpe D'huez and back
Day 7: Seez to Evian les bains via Cluses, Les Gets and Morzine
Day 8: Evian les bains to Troyes
Day 9: Troyes to UK

The accommodation in each destination has been set but the route can be changed, therefore comments / suggestions welcome.

Thanks
Smileydaz
:beerjug:
 
If heading down that way, I would recommend including the Verdun Gorge west of Castellane. You will not be disappointed.

Ray
 
MONTE CARLO

Did pretty much what your describing last year, only thing I would do differently is STAY AWAY from Monte Carlo, traffic is horrendous, parking even worse and that saying something when you cant even find a space for a bike, the place is rammed.
We wasted about 2 hours that day getting into and out of Monte Carlo.
We werent even able to stop, just turned round and left.

Route Napolean is the Dogs whatsits, nice fast road, Grand Alps were hard work at times, particularly Menton to Briancon.

Hope this helps.:rob
 
Pablo1 said:
Did pretty much what your describing last year, only thing I would do differently is STAY AWAY from Monte Carlo, traffic is horrendous, parking even worse and that saying something when you cant even find a space for a bike, the place is rammed.
We wasted about 2 hours that day getting into and out of Monte Carlo.
We werent even able to stop, just turned round and left.

Route Napolean is the Dogs whatsits, nice fast road, Grand Alps were hard work at times, particularly Menton to Briancon.

Hope this helps.:rob
Click to expand...

+1 Monte carlo, absolute nightmare:thumb2
 
smileydaz said:
Im quite new to this website but as its full of very good advice I thought I'd put my planned route out there for comment.

Here goes:

I've just planned a 9 day trip to the French Alps this coming June with some mates, which will see us venture down as far as Monte Carlo before heading back north ended up at Evian les bain a week later. Below is my planned itinary and I would welcome and comments about whether Im taking in the best roads.

Day 1: UK to Troyes
Day 2: Troyes to Rencurel (SW of Grenoble) staying at Hotel Marronnier
Day 3: Rencurel to Chateauneuf Grasse taking in Route Napolean and D900
Day 4: Chateauneuf Grasse to Monte Carlo then up the Grand D'Alpes to Barcelonnette and onto Embrun
Day 5: Embrun to Seez via Briancon, Susa (Italy) and Val d'sere.
Day 6: A loop from Seez down towards Alpe D'huez and back
Day 7: Seez to Evian les bains via Cluses, Les Gets and Morzine
Day 8: Evian les bains to Troyes
Day 9: Troyes to UK

The accommodation in each destination has been set but the route can be changed, therefore comments / suggestions welcome.

Thanks
Smileydaz
:beerjug:
Click to expand...



Looks good, When are you going?
Were doing a reverse route by the looks.

June 1st Wakefield to Chunnel to Reims Stop over in Reims. Hotel booked.
2nd Reims to Evain les Bains Hotel booked
3rd Evain - Bourge St Maurice ish (Route de Alps)
4th BsM to Briancon ish
5th Briancon - Barcelonette ish
6th Bar - Menton ish Grasse ish
7th Onto the Route Napolian, Head North ish
10th Last stop before the ferry is Brugge Hotel booked.
11th Ferry from Zebrugge to Hull
12th Home

Dates above might be flexible depending on timings / how pissed we get on the odd occasion lol .

Have panned alternative diversion route if some passes closed

Only book hotels as a minimum, no pressure to arrive then.

Might ride through Monaco, done it before = hellish but me mates want to go lol.
Hope its sunny,

Have fun anyway.
:beer:
 
Thanks for the feedback, it seems as if we're on the right track. Im hoping all the major passes will be open, I know when we done the Pyrenees last year around the same time the Col de Tourmalet was closed so we had a 50 mile detour to get to the other side, Im hoping that doesn't happen again!!

We leave the UK on the 31st May and return on 9th June.

Once in the alps I've calculated each day will be between 150 and 180 miles, is this comfortably achieveble?
:beerjug:
 
smileydaz said:
Im hoping all the major passes will be open

We leave the UK on the 31st May and return on 9th June.

each day will be between 150 and 180 miles, is this comfortably achieveble?
Click to expand...

Contact the local tourist offices to check when they expect the higher passes to open. Many have a date by when they will definitely still be shut. Whether they open thereafter will depend on local conditions. Some Michelin maps show the dates between which a road is certain to be closed.

The mileage is fine.
 
Monte Carlo....

If you insist on MC then there is a pretty good place to park only about 100mtrs from the casino. There's an underground carpark opposite the main door to the casino beyond the square. Pretty cheap to park for an hour or so.

Avoid buying stuff there though... small bottle of 7up lemonade was over £10 but that was in a street cafe next to the casino:blast

Agree about getting into the place though... bloody nightmare.

Also agree re the snow on high passes but 'some' marked as closed are passable ish. They also close passes at certain times in the day for road repairs and this can seriously damage your schedule. My advice is take a good map and dont rely solely on a gps. Its easier sometimes (always) to plan a detour on a map.

Roger.
 
Wapping said:
Contact the local tourist offices to check when they expect the higher passes to open. Many have a date by when they will definitely still be shut. Whether they open thereafter will depend on local conditions. Some Michelin maps show the dates between which a road is certain to be closed.

The mileage is fine.
Click to expand...

+1. What he said. Some of the high passes are unlikely to be open by the firsg week of June. You're headed to a fantastic area though, even if you can't ride some of the passes then there's LOADS of good roads and scenery in that area.

We did go to Monaco and I'd agree with the comments above, it's very busy, hellish expensive and parking is a PITA. I'm glad we went though, it's somewhere SWMBO had wanted to see for a while. Would we go again? Nope.
 
I think I'll be trying to get the others to agree to give Monte Carlo a miss, maybe its one of those places best viewed from the TV screen when watching GP racing. Thanks again for all the advice, really appreciate it.

:beerjug::beerjug::beerjug:
 
Good move to miss out on Monte Carlo :thumb2

The whole of that narrow strip of road, squashed between the Med and the hills is not really worth the bother..... Unless you have a Ferrari.... or a driver..... or a helicopter.... or a yacht....... as many of the locals do.

Many more much nicer places to see in Provence.
 
Wapping said:
Good move to miss out on Monte Carlo :thumb2

The whole of that narrow strip of road, squashed between the Med and the hills is not really worth the bother..... Unless you have a Ferrari.... or a driver..... or a helicopter.... or a yacht....... as many of the locals do.

Many more much nicer places to see in Provence.
Click to expand...

I could see me feeling rather inadequate in more ways than one if I went there, so I'll def avoid it!!!! Would hate to hit a peice of shiny italian metal with my big german two wheeled brute....no contest!!
 
Doing basically the same route RdeGA & RN last week in June(trying to ensure all passes are open), but as is advised above, I will be running across the coast area from Menton to above Cannes on the motorway. I know there is some peage but a lot less hassle.
 
Check out the Motorcycle Journey's book, worth the cost to see what is around.

Alpe D'Huez is a bit dull IMO and there are a load more better passes and roads nearby so unless it is on your bucket list maybe swap it for something else.
 
I wouldn't plan a dayls ride to get to Alpe d'Huez, but if you're passing close by anyway, it's a fun ride up and back. Mind the cyclists, though.
 
smileydaz said:
There's a mixture of bikes, three GS's, one Triumph Tiger 1050, one Sprint ST and one Triumph Daytona 650............what will you be on GS?

:beerjug::beerjug:
Click to expand...

BMW n Triumph club eh lol

we on

2 GS Adventure's
1GS
1 Tiger 800

Will probs be ships in the night I suspect lol. Im praying the passes will be open. :jager
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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