Best route from St.Malo/Cherbourg to Pyrenees

[BoxerGirl]

We're off 2 up on the GS to France from the St.Malo/Cherbourg ports down to Pyrenees, in late Aug/early Sept.
Advice needed on the following -
1.Best ferry crossing and prices.
2.Good route down through Limousin/Dordogne and Massif Central area.
3.Hotels 'en route'.
4.Is the Carcassone /Beziers area worth a look - routes,sights and hotels??
5. Andorra and Pyrenees - Hotel and Route recommendations.
6. Anything to avoid - dangers and security
7. Best places/sights.
Any tips would be grateful,


BoxerGirl

 

[CBI]

Good Routes/Places

Hi,

Recently did a trip from St. Malo to the Pyrennes....

Basically took the motorway down just short of Bordeux and turned into the Dordogne.

A lovely route is to go East through the Dordogne but turn unto the "Bis" (tourist) route down to Toulouse. It was lovely complete with tree lined roads, poppy fields and some great roads.

There is a great B&B in Couze, Dordorge www.relaisdebellevue.com........their hospitality made our holiday.

I can't speak for Carcasonne because we went past it in favour of more time in the Pyrennes.

As For the Pyrennes...bear in mind it is 200 sideways for 100 miles forward as the crow flys!

Basically we went east to west. The Spainish side has some great roads After Andorra if you head towards Viella and then Bielsa.

If you want to Splash out the Parador Hotel in Bielsa is a must although it will set you back about 200 euros for a room and half board. Well worth it though because of the views.

As for a couple of things to see:

Cirque de Givani
Pont de Espana

P.S apparently there is cheap motorbike gear in Andorra due to the tax situation.There are a couple of shops at the west of the town just before going to the SPAINISH BORDER.

Cheers:beerjug

 

[The Foolish Fellow]

carcassone

brillant place to spend a night or two
andorra good to visit for shopping if only to see the place but we found it much better to spend the night just over the border in the closest spanish village. Much nicer place to stay and eat.

 

[stan]

camp

try camping at this 1 on the way down moto camp dordogne or just pop in 4 a beer

 

[Madmountainman]

A great Pyrenean Hotel

Is Auberge des Rivieres in Pont de la Taule just south of Seix. 00 335 61 66 83 57. Euros, 31 for a room for two. The menu is extensive and i can heartilly recommend the fixed price 23 euro one. Run by a Dutch lady who speaks excellent English so no probs there. Take a run up the valley through Couflens to Salau and have a wander, very nice.
Having recently done my trip i would choose to bypass the rest of France to concentrate on the alps and/or pyrenees. Check the Michelin map for roads with green lines for good routes, avoid the A roads, pick d roads that link large towns, they're quick and you see more of the real France.
In the mountains do 100-150 miles a day, it gives you time to enjoy all the scenery, stop for photos, icecreams, lunch etc. Logis de France hotels (free guide from tourist info),find the ones situated off the busy routes marked for character or location are very, very good.
Buy a good road atlas, smiths do one, i used mine a lot and wouldn't have wanted to travel without it.
Other than that take in what other advice you get on here and enjoy.
If you stay at the hotel tell the lady i recommended it to you via the GS club. I was the really tall english guy with the big boots! She'll know.

 

[Invicta Moto]

www.viamichelin.co.uk and type the info in and see what it gives you. Like Autoroute you can set some parameters for it to work with.

It also is updated to show where there are roadworks in progress wheras MS AutoRoute disnae.

 

[HeatedGrips]

Andorra - ugh! Terrible place. There's a street with about a dozen bike-related shops in the capital, but they have nothing you can't get here and the prices are pretty much the same.

Also if you try to get in or out at weekends the roads are completly clogged with French and Spanish going to get cheap petrol and stare in the windows of shops selling identical electrical goods.

Take a look, but don't plan a stop there!