Advice for a compleate Numpty :/

[tweedy453]

Hi there looking for some advice on my first tour of France on the gs1150
traveling with a work mate(gsa1200) taking the ferry from hull to zeebruge and thats where my woes start. My suggestion was to drive down the east side of France to south coast and nip across into andora for a spell we've got 14 days to play with so should a breeze.My mates suggestion was basically head for Limoges/angouleme day 1 then Tarbes day 2 my concern is a) Paris ring road b) 461 miles first day!!!!!!!!!! its a bit much for a 46 year old gs1150 touring virgin

Any suggestions thoughts you guys have would be greatly appreciated just don't agree with my mate, and give me some help on suggested routes down the eastern side to convince him I'm / we are right!!!! all the best Jon

 

[Canuck]

If you don't mind putting in the miles, on the auto route you can get to tarbes in one day... then have the rest to play around in the mountains. There are also some nice routes through france en route to tarbes, but that will affect the amount of days you have in the mountains. Wapping or something will give you more route ideas!

 

[Rushy]

My advice.........complete

Can't offer any other help as I d on't know France much at all , although the areas around the Millau Bridge , Gorge du Verdon and Castellaine were nice when we went a few yrs back

 

[twizzle]

Ride down to Portsmouth get the overnight Ferry to St Malo, it's an easy day down to the Spanish border / western Pyrenees ..... Gentle N roads then work your waybeast zigzagging the mountains.....look out for the 260 on the Spanish side....

Riding round Paris is shit....

 

[Giles]

If you have roughly two weeks, then maybe set a half way point for a few days. (Take yer pick - from somewhere in Andorra to Barcelona to one of the lovely French towns like Mirrepoix).

And then wing it to and from.

Depending on how bike fit you are, you may well find that every third or fourth day you're either ready for a day off the bike or at least an easy day.

I think your 'East side' is not a bad idea - Tarn gorge, (go under Millau bridge not over it ..) Route Napoleon, Route des Grandes Alps, ... Nice, .. Monte Carlo etc etc are all at your grasp.

Logis de France are a great chain of hotels - always a bit quirky and family run, (a far throw from Ibis and Premier Inn..), Having a Logis hotel guide in yer panniers (or an I-phone..) is worth it.

Not knowing where you're staying (apart from your midway pre booked Hotel) will definitely give you a better adventure.

 

[stever1]

If your starting from Zeeb, then go as far south as Obernai/Hohwald area then spend a couple of days playing around there. You could then go to the South East of France and play across the cols and possibly do the route napoleon from Grenoble to Cannes. On the way back stop at Millau and do the Tarn gorge area (i think thats the correct name).
The main thing is to ENJOY.

 

[(RIP) Johno23]

Your plan is the more sensible of the two. Avoiding Paris I would definately recommend, It's not too difficult if your used to it, but why go there if you don't need to. Especially as you said you were a virgin I would head so far on the auto route from Northern France say 80 miles or so, then get onto the D roads. Far too many to mention, but if you ride through the Champagne region heading South through Epinay down past Troyes towards a small town called Semur en Auxois . Great riding roads lovely little town. Great little Hotel, " Hotel des Cymaises " and your a good way into your trip.From the tunnel about 260 miles or so I think. Not sure from where your coming from.

 

[Wapping]

Tweedy, me ol' fruit.... When are you going?

We can sort you out a great holiday, for sure. But first some of the basics as usual, before bods get too carried away.

You have fourteen days. Is that 14 days door-to-door, of which two overnight passages (I guess) are taken up on the ferry and two half days at either end to get from your front door to the ferry and back. Is that right?

You want to get to Andorra 'for a spell' (I am not sure why or how long your spell is to be) and then (I guess) come back??? Great.... Super.... but....

What day do you leave home?

What day do you roll off the ferry at the start of your Continental journey and at what time?

When do you want to arrive in Andorra?

When do you want to leave Andorra?

Do you really want to go to Andorra? (I don't mind, just asking)

When MUST you be back to catch the ferry back home?

What (other than the 'east side of France') might you have in mind for the journey down to Andorra?

Do you have anything in mind for the journey back?

You need not go anywhere near Paris (unless you want to)

Do you have a decent map.... other than no doubt some Google thing on your PC? If not, get one.

It's your first jaunt away, which is great. When riding in the UK, do you think 250 miles in a day is a breeze or a chore or have you never done it? In short, what do YOU want out of YOUR holiday? For instance, do you want a day off every third day, say? If so, you might want to be in a decent sized town (or maybe not) or maybe you might just want a short bimble out on your days off, to go to see 'things'n'stuff' or maybe you might want to lie in your pit? Or maybe 'just chill' as they say, whatever that means? Bods often want to do different things, you see?

Camping?

Hotels?

Formula 1 flea pits?

Five star?

In towns?

Private hotels, where they might not speak English?

Chain hotels, where they definitely will?

Secure parking? Or are you happy that the Continent is not 110% full of every rogue and knave out to steal YOUR bike and shaft YOU up the 'arris each moment?

 

[(RIP) Johno23]

Now Mr Wapping is here, he will sort you out

 

[tweedy453]

I told u i was a numpty!

First things first thanks for all the input guys cheers

I am leaving wed 13th june from hull 1830hrs arrive zeebruge 14th approx 0845hrs

return to Blighty wed 26th june depart from zeebruge 1900hrs

Happy to do a bit of b&b as well as bit of camping dont mind roughing it a bit as it all adds to the sprit of adventure and its got to be more comfortable than a dirty wet shell scrape on exercise

The itinerary .....well we havent really got one other than reaching a fair way down south the first day and booking a hotel for that night,its really a case of a blank page or more likely open the map close your eyes and jab it with your finger to show your next destination!!! I have a tomtom rider pro europe and a Michelin road atlas of france.

Distances per day well ....250 to 300 miles iam comfortable with but i could do more if i had to but i want to see some something of the country, its sites bars and restaurants.

Hope this gives every one some direction on advice for what to see were to go my little excursion thanks again in advance for any input cheers jon

 

[Wapping]

On what day do you want to arrive in Andorra?

On what day do you want to depart from Andorra?

I ask as it seemed to be the target of your outward leg, to stay there 'for a spell'

-----------------

But hey, you give the impression of being a shell scrape, seat of the pants, chilled-out self-reliant kind'a guy. So let's just say that your 14 day timeframe is fine to achieve all that you appear to have in mind. Just look at this thread http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=302273 as Mort is doing something not dissimilar. You could take your map, trace his route out on it, reverse it perhaps, then tretch it a bit to include Andorra, add in a chunk to take you back to the Dutch coast and the job will be all but done. Mort has a map, of course. You may well need one.

 

[tweedy453]

Thanks again for all the reply and input Ive certainly taken it all on board and will be planning a flexible route on all your recommendations down eastern side and will definitely be doing the the route Napoleon

So if you can recommend any hotels b&b in that neck of the woods drop me a line! big thanks to Wapping, checked out that link and will be investing in a new Michelin map. all the best lads Jon