Alpes-de-Haute-Provence to Millau etc

[Cook1e]

Hi All,
Inspired by Dean, Franco and many others of this parish too numerous to mention, I have been planning a fortnight's jaunt round the SE and middle of France.

Approximate plan below, all input welcome. My worry is that I'm planning too much and maybe overdoing it, but if that proves to be the case, I'll cut some bits out (but which bits - they're all must-see ). About 1,000 miles between Lyon (day 1, Sat pm) & Clermont-Ferrand (day 13, Fri am)

Hope to post a report as I go, if I can make the technology work...

Thanks to all for enthusing & motivating me - can't wait!!!

Click here for outline route: Not so much the route, more the order of places to visit...


Rough Itinerary:
Fri 21/9/12 (after work): Hull to Folkstone. Midnight crossing on Eurotunnel. Hotel Kyriad, Coquelles. 250 mls 4 hours

Sat 22/9/12: Fast ride to Lyons on Autoroutes. Hotel Bayard, Place de Bellecour. 473 mls 7½ hours

Sun 23/9/12: Sore arse. Mooch around Lyons.

Mon 24/9/12: Palais Ideal, Hautrives – Voiron (Chartreuse) – Villard-de-Lans (Gorges de la Bourne, if open). Stay at Die.

Tue 25/9/12: Die, Gap, Col de la Bonette, Col de Moutiere. Stay at Castellane

Wed 26/9/12: Castellane, Point Sublime, stay at Digne-les Bains

Thu-Fri 27-28/9/12: Digne-les-Bains – maybe train ride to Nice (Train des Pignes), via Entrevaux (moto-musee, but also v. interesting mediaeval village) – breaking train journey is allowed, so maybe stop a while.

Sat-Sun 29-30/9/12: Sisteron, ochre quarry @ Colorado Provencale, Mont Ventoux (maybe stay @ Bedoin), Vaison-La-Romaine ruins.

Mon-Tue 1-2/10/12: Carpenteras, Orange, Avignon, Pont-du-Garde, Mont Aigoual

Wed 3/10/12: Tarn Gorge, Wed night @ Ibis Millau

Thur 4/10/12 Viaduc-de-Garabit, Puy-de-Dome Stay Thurs night nr Clermont-Ferrand

Fri 5/10/12: Clermont-Ferrand to Tunnel. Premier Inn at Ashford North. 450 miles, 7½ hours

Sat 6/10/12: Folkstone to Hull. 250 miles, 4 hours

Just a few of my source threads:
http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=312612
http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=310309
http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=197540
http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=300602
http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=270129
http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=237086

 

[JayC]

If you take the route D-E-F you will be missing something really spectacular! I wrote my RR for my Alps trip in July this year and made a point of stating just how breath taking the route along the (Saint Jean-en-Royans) Combe Laval Road D76 is whilst heading toward Die.

Here's the link. http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=307983

Enjoy , whichever route you finally map out.

 

[Cook1e]

If you take the route D-E-F you will be missing something really spectacular! I wrote my RR for my Alps trip in July this year and made a point of stating just how breath taking the route along the (Saint Jean-en-Royans) Combe Laval Road D76 is whilst heading toward Die.

Here's the link. http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=307983

Enjoy , whichever route you finally map out.

Thanks Jay, you must mean this one - thought it looked interesting! I'm plotting detailed routes using Basecamp, which is why the circuit on Google hasn't got the finer points correct.

Thanks for the link, I hadn't seen your report as I wasn't looking in the "Alps" section - my planning started with Millau and somehow wound up in the Alpes-Provence bit and further east...

All good tips, keep 'em coming

Cheers,

Ian

 

[Cook1e]

If you take the route D-E-F you will be missing something really spectacular! I wrote my RR for my Alps trip in July this year and made a point of stating just how breath taking the route along the (Saint Jean-en-Royans) Combe Laval Road D76 is whilst heading toward Die.

OK, I checked and the Gorges de Bourne (Villard de Lans to Pont en Royans) is closed for maintenance, so I rerouted along your recommended Combe Laval/Col de la Machine - thanks, it actually looks more spectacular than the Bourne Gorge!

 

[JayC]

OK, I checked and the Gorges de Bourne (Villard de Lans to Pont en Royans) is closed for maintenance, so I rerouted along your recommended Combe Laval/Col de la Machine - thanks, it actually looks more spectacular than the Bourne Gorge!

Have a good one Cook1e , it's a jaw dropper! I did the D76/D2 route as I was in no hurry but as long as you get to ride Col de la Machine.

 

[thornley]

If you're doing Ventoux and Vaison you pass right past my place. Franco stayed last year. Look up the reviews in accom section under South of France. Better than Bedoin imho!

 

[franco]

Aha, good call sir, weather is holding up nicely down here. Just looking through your Itinerary, I'd say the only waste of a day would be the train from Dignes to Nice. Funny enough, I did exactly that journey last month with the wife and kids as we'd been planning to do it since we moved here 12 years ago. Sure, it's scenic, but it is slow, and takes 4 hours to get from Dignes to Nice, and there are only 4 trains a day, so if you stop in Entrevaux, you stop for at least a few hours. Better to do the ride on the road which follows the train line 90% of the way anyway.
Can't recommend Thornley's gaff enough, great location and a top host.

Enjoy. The route you've chosen will give you a great selection of what each region of France has to offer, when you're down next time, I'll give you some alternatives..

Rob

 

[Engineer]

Try to call in at the Hotel Le Marronnier in Rencurel (not far from Pont en Royan) it's a great biker hotel.

http://en.hotellemarronnier.com/Accueil.htm

 

[Giles]

When you turn East at Millau, go to Ales via the river Tarn valley floor that will take you north east to Florac.

http://www.routeyou.com/route/view/245711/car-and-motorcycle-route-gorges-du-tarn-motor-tour.en

 

[Cook1e]

Excellent Info, Thanks Chaps

This is exactly what I was hoping for, but beginning to think I may not get much more - great stuff!

John, I'd love to stay for a day or 2, how you fixed around Friday 27th- Sun 29th? I will probably change schedule a bit, so can't be sure of dates yet...

Franco, cheers for the tip re the train, I'll bike it instead - but maybe only to Entrevaux rather than all the way to Nice.

Engineer - Hotel Le Marronnier booked for second night, thanks for the pointer.

Giles, I think I already incorporated your route on the way west to Millau (map below), nice to have it recommended

Franco, John - do you know Walter McKinlay's place here? Thought it looks a nice place to pass an idle afternoon...
http://www.domainedemourchon.com/English/home.html

Cheers,

Ian

 

[franco]

Yeah, if you're not taking the train, you can go from Dignes les Bains to Castellane, which is one of the most scenic bits of the Route Napoleon for my money. I know you'll have just ridden from Castellane to Dignes, but hey, it looks different in the other direction. I'd also venture to say that if the only reason for a visit to Dignes was the train, then I'd stay the extra night in Castellane or Barcelonnette instead, as there's more in the way of Cols round there.
Entrevaux is really nice. Mediaeval, with a mad fort right at the top of the hill. You pay a token to enter the fort which you pick up just as you cross the bridge into town.
it's a 20 minute climb up there though

p.s. don't know the vineyard, but agree it looks a very pleasant place to while away an afternoon

 

[thornley]

This is exactly what I was hoping for, but beginning to think I may not get much more - great stuff!

John, I'd love to stay for a day or 2, how you fixed around Friday 27th- Sun 29th? I will probably change schedule a bit, so can't be sure of dates yet...

Franco, cheers for the tip re the train, I'll bike it instead - but maybe only to Entrevaux rather than all the way to Nice.

Engineer - Hotel Le Marronnier booked for second night, thanks for the pointer.

Giles, I think I already incorporated your route on the way west to Millau (map below), nice to have it recommended

Franco, John - do you know Walter McKinlay's place here? Thought it looks a nice place to pass an idle afternoon...
http://www.domainedemourchon.com/English/home.html

Cheers,

Ian

Yes I should be around and about that weekend. I'm back in Buis from the Wednesday. E mail me when you have more details.

 

[Cook1e]

On the Road

And connected! I'll do a proper report when I figure out how to link photobucket, but it's bedtime now.

In the meantime, here's a draft blog on Posterous:

http://cook1e.posterous.com/162866150

First attempt at travel writing, so feel free to rip the piss or whatever

PS: I saw this Brit-registered 1150 abandoned in the corner of Place Bellecour - is it one of ours?

 

[Cook1e]

OK, Ride Report's Up

See http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?p=3215120