Route advice Santander-Perpignan

daveg · Aug 22, 2012

Any advice on the A-B-C section of this route appreciated:

https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=...pRkIBA&mra=dpe&mrsp=4&sz=11&via=2,3,4&t=m&z=8

We arrive in Santander and then head off to stay with friends near Perpignan a couple of days later. It's mostly the Ainsa-Perpignan section I've been debating. We were going to head for Cadaques but as we've been a few times I thought we'd try out as much of the famous N260 as possible and go more directly over the Pyrenees and along the N116.

Any thoughts and am I missing anything 'not to be missed'?

Cheers

David

sdcastle · Aug 22, 2012

What date do you sail? I'm going that way too through to Milan on Plymouth boat departure Sept 2nd. :beerjug:

daveg · Aug 22, 2012

sdcastle said:
What date do you sail? I'm going that way too through to Milan on Plymouth boat departure Sept 2nd.

Leaving 4th Sept on Portsmouth-Santander boat so we're a day or two behind. Have a good trip. Are you following a similar route?

sdcastle · Aug 22, 2012

Details here but basically the same route.
http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=299093
You have a good trip too. :beerjug:

IJGser · Aug 22, 2012

sdcastle said:
What date do you sail? I'm going that way too through to Milan on Plymouth boat departure Sept 2nd.

That's the sailing I'm on! Small world really isn't it.

SpeedyPete · Aug 22, 2012

I did that route a few weeks ago, with a few detours also, in a kind of loopy exploration of the area. Parts of the N260 are not so much fun and i was glad i added the little loop from el Pont de Suert, up to Viehla (which is a nice town - and if B is your intended overnight stay, may provide a nice alternative) and then wiggled over and back into Sort ... then on your merry way.

From memory that would add about 2 hours to your intended route but 'ride' it on Google maps and see what you think. Huge fun. I went on to Fos but that wasnt too spectacular and hence am a little uncertain of the time taken. Watch out for the comedy cows!

Later that week, i was in Cadaquez where the pesky local kids cut the straps to steal the helmets of the bike parked next to mine. Little fookers.

Enjoy!

daveg · Aug 22, 2012

SpeedyPete said:
I did that route a few weeks ago, with a few detours also, in a kind of loopy exploration of the area. Parts of the N260 are not so much fun and i was glad i added the little loop from el Pont de Suert, up to Viehla (which is a nice town - and if B is your intended overnight stay, may provide a nice alternative) and then wiggled over and back into Sort ... then on your merry way.

From memory that would add about 2 hours to your intended route but 'ride' it on Google maps and see what you think. Huge fun. I went on to Fos but that wasnt too spectacular and hence am a little uncertain of the time taken. Watch out for the comedy cows!

Later that week, i was in Cadaquez where the pesky local kids cut the straps to steal the helmets of the bike parked next to mine. Little fookers.

Enjoy!

Thanks for the comments Pete :thumb2

What was the problem with parts of the N260?

SpeedyPete · Aug 23, 2012

IIRC there was a bit of the road (between your A & B) that looked almost unbuilt, but i should have stressed the word .." not SOOO much fun" - it's all good and in parts it's fantastic. I just remember arriving at Sort and thinking i must do that loop backwards next time.

I was zipping about on a luggage-free CB1000r but my 'GS mode' is somewhat less frenetic (actually, cos i'm sh*t on the GS

) so that might make a difference .... but i recall not seeing another car in the 50 ish miles of that additional wee stretch and when back on the 260, I was back to overtaking lorries and what not.

It's worth considering anyway, if you have time. Listen to everyone's detour / must-see suggestions and it'll take you six weeks to get to Perpignan. In my case i had no destination in mind as i was simply playing from an Andorran base.

HTH

sdk72 · Aug 23, 2012

SpeedyPete said:
IIRC there was a bit of the road (between your A & B) that looked almost unbuilt, but i should have stressed the word .." not SOOO much fun" - it's all good and in parts it's fantastic. I just remember arriving at Sort and thinking i must do that loop backwards next time.

I was zipping about on a luggage-free CB1000r but my 'GS mode' is somewhat less frenetic (actually, cos i'm sh*t on the GS ) so that might make a difference .... but i recall not seeing another car in the 50 ish miles of that additional wee stretch and when back on the 260, I was back to overtaking lorries and what not.

It's worth considering anyway, if you have time. Listen to everyone's detour / must-see suggestions and it'll take you six weeks to get to Perpignan. In my case i had no destination in mind as i was simply playing from an Andorran base.

HTH

Hi Pete

Seems the N260 is the road to do, as a side question:
Any suggestions for Andorra as its part of my wee jaunt?

cheers

steve

SpeedyPete · Aug 23, 2012

Steve,

Andorra generally, but the town of Andorra la Vella particularly is a fume filled (on a humid day), tax free municipality with no tarmac pleasures to call it's own. If you want to buy bits for your bike, any electrical item, Pepper spray or cigs, its the best place in europe :aidan

Its OK to stay in as hotels are plentiful and cheap, as are eateries and watering holes and it's always very busy ...especially so at 6pm and i tend to find myself there so often for that easy-to-find-somewhere reason. Petrol is noticeably cheaper too of course.

The roads FROM Andorra in any direction are all equally good ...whether you venture down towards Barcelona, any other bit of rural spain, over to Perpignan or back up, over the mountain and out again to France which can take you off in 3 seperate directions.

If the weather is truly wank, use the tunnel out to France and record the sound of your bike screaming through like an F1 car

Rasher · Aug 23, 2012

SpeedyPete said:
Parts of the N260 are not so much fun and i was glad i added the little loop from el Pont de Suert, up to Viehla (which is a nice town - and if B is your intended overnight stay, may provide a nice alternative) and then wiggled over and back into Sort ... then on your merry way

Yep, best bit of N260 is from Sort to Adrall

Coming from the North (N230) you can turn off at Vielha and take the C-28, this is a terrific bit of road that brings you out at Sort, where you can turn left onto the best part of the N260, if looping you could ride the rest of the N260 to El Pont

daveg · Aug 23, 2012

Rasher said:
Yep, best bit of N260 is from Sort to Adrall

Coming from the North (N230) you can turn off at Vielha and take the C-28, this is a terrific bit of road that brings you out at Sort, where you can turn left onto the best part of the N260, if looping you could ride the rest of the N260 to El Pont

Great, sounds like our planned route is about right.

Leave Ainsa, Adrall for lunch. N260 all the way to France :thumb2

Route advice Santander-Perpignan

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