First Trip to France advice needed

[davew]

Hi

I am visiting France for a week beginning the 25th of April. I am going on the Ferry from Portsmouth to Cherbourg. My ferry arrives at 1300 ish into Cherbourg on the Monday.

I am wondering how much progress I can reasonably expect to make in the first day, I don't really want to ride in the dark if I can avoid it.

Is La Rochelle too far or easily achieved? According to Via Michelin Website it is 304 Miles about 5 Hours without breaks.

What is generally a sensible amount of miles to do in a day?

Finally does anyone know a good campsite around La Rochelle?

Regards

Dave

 

[The Mogster]

We tend to look at around 250 to 300 miles a day is comfortable touring, but it does depend on the roads and how much fun you are having.
Last years trip to Italy we had a 160 mile day.. too much Belgian motorway and we lost the will to live... and followed that by a 380 mile day cos we were having soooo much fun.

The Cherbourg peninsula can be be a bit boring, but the roads are quiet and well surfaced, well they were last year.. ....

as far as camping goes...sorry can't help there, we usually do Formula 1 hotels or a an other, budget french chain...they are as cheap as ya like and after a day in the saddle, asking my Beloved to sleep in a tent would result in having a tent peg shoved in me ear...

 

[dannyboy]

be thankful its just your ear

 

[Mr K]

I'd be tempted at less mileage, giving you time to get used to driving on the wrong side of the road, find a campsite, pitch camp and find food and drink, without rushing.

 

[Doctorbiker]

No - but I know some good restaurants in the area! Cherbourg to La Rochelle is a bit of a bash if you want to do it in an afternoon. You have to think about the time it takes to get off the ferry, get out of town and then on the autoroutes tolls stops and fuel and toilet breaks. Mind you, La Rochelle is a lovelly area and worth visiting.

Sean

 

[wessie]

Have you ridden 300 miles in 5 hours before? It is doable but you have to be committed and have a comfortable bike. Last time I did it was on a CBR600 from Trier to Calais. Averaged 70mph including 2x 15 minute fuel/pee stops. I was very glad to get a 2 hour break waiting for and on board the ferry. Especially as I had another 260 miles to do in the UK.

Better to break the journey down into 4x 75 mile chunks with 2x 10 minute breaks and a slightly longer one for a meal. If you were starting off after breakfast this would be a leisurely trip. To do it in April, set off at 13.30 and get there before dusk means you are going to have to motor on. My recommendation, if you are going ahead with Rochelle as a destination, is to prebook a cheap hotel that will be easy to find (the cheap ones will be on the outskirts anyway) - seems there's an Etap for £35 a night. Last thing I would want to do as it was getting dark would be to erect a tent and just being able to flop onto a nice bed is worth the £35.

My preference, with the afternoon arrival on the ferry would be to do no more than 200 miles and actually enjoy a stress free journey. St Nazaire looks to be in an okay position and you could swing west of Rennes and get off the E03 onto some less boring roads. Get up early and you can be in La Rochelle before lunch.

Of course, if you must be in La Rochelle that evening you will just have to hammer down the E03.

 

[Taff]

According to Mapsource it's 323 miles, so I reckon you'll struggle to do it in one hit if you don't even arrive till 1pm. And don't forget, that's when the ferry is due to dock; by the time you're off the boat, cleared passports, left the port etc you can kiss goodbye to at least another 45mins.

I've driven from the ferry to La Rochelle in one go two years ago, but our ferry arrived in the morning. If it's a holiday, I'd be tempted to break it into two stages as Wessie suggests.

... Finally does anyone know a good campsite around La Rochelle?

We stayed at La Taille site at Aigrefeuille D'Aunis which is about 14 miles inland from La Rochelle at N46.11467 W0.92668. It's a small family run site on the edge of the village, with a public swimming pool next door, which IIRC we were allowed to use free as we were staying at the site.

 

[Browny]

You can do it

This site is 50 miles inland from La Rochelle - Camping le Moulin @ Chef Boutonne. Small site with all facilities, incl pool and restaurant. Not expensive at all.

We have been there many times - both bike and car. Last visit was by bike in Oct 2010. We usually go from Caen, and the A28 autoroute runs all the way down to Tours. The A28 is very quiet, scenic and you can make v good progress!! Then it's the A10 from Tours to Poitiers, then the N10. That can be done in 4 hours. Add the short distance from Cherbourg and I reckon it's all achievable that you will get there before dark.

 

[Rasher]

My initial route planning is always done with Google maps, I can easily mange to do a journey x-country within their times including stops and without going ape.

For motorways they are pretty accurate, you can only average a slightly higher speed and by the time you have stopped for fuel / toll booths etc you are not gonna be in front by much - unlesss your intent on obliterating the speed limits.

Also allow for bad weather, I had to ride for what should have been about 5-6 hours including stops to get to my Hotel in the pyrenees in 2008, rolled of ferry in the worst storm I have ever ridden in, gale force winds and rain drops the size of golf balls. In the end it took us about 8 hours.

Your 323 miles "should" be do-able in 5 hours with brief stops, but if you really do not want to be riding past 6.00pm then find somewhere nearer for the first night, if you don't care and have a Hotel pre-booked for your arrival then you should be OK if you do not mind possibly riding a bit longer.

 

[Wapping]

Hi davew

OK first trip to France, so let's see what we can do to help.

(1) Do you think 300 miles in a day (the day starting at about 13:00) is a long way in the UK?

If YES. Then it's no less far in France. So re-think.

If NO, IT'S BREEZE. OK let's move on.

(2) Other than 'not in the dark', what time do you want to arrive in La Rochelle, to start putting your tent up?

(3) Does the time you have chosen give you sufficient time to leave the ferry at one pm, ride 300 or so miles, find the campsite, check-in at reception and put your tent up, have a meal etc?

If YES. OK

If NO. Re-think

=====

Now some other questions:

(1) Why do you want to have your first night's stop in La Rochelle?

(2) Why take the ferry that goes to Cherbourg, right on the tip of the peninsula?

Why not take the one that goes to Caen?

Why not take the one that goes to St Malo? It runs over night, so you get off the boat at about 08:00 the next morning all fighting fit.

Have you considered the speed cat?

(3) What roads do you intend to ride between Cherbourg and La Rochelle?

Motorway / main roads?

D type country roads?

The answer to (3) will definitely dictate your probable real average speed / time taken to ride 300 miles.

(4) Where and when are you off to after La Rochelle? Or are you planning on using the town as a base for the rest of your holiday?

====

Campsite? Try a Google enquiry. http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=la...s=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&client=firefox-a

Anything come up that takes your fancy?



And / or have a gander at the Michelin campsite book for France.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_r=1EDXYHQH6T4594N78WZG



PS The sun will set at roughly 21:00 / 21:30 local French time towards the end of April.

 

[Malcvtr]

I did 2,500 miles in France, Switzerland and Austria last summer, averaging a couple of hundred miles a day. That was enough for me, being able to stop at cafes, take pictures, go for a stroll, etc.

My view would be that you need to remember you're on holiday! Why waste a day hammering down an Autoroute, stressed that you might not make it to the campsite before dark? Just stop about half way and have a chilled out, enjoyable ride. France is such a great country, you can enjoy being almost anywhere in it!

 

[davew]

St Nazaire it is!

Thanks for the help I think I will simply take it easy and book into Formule 1 Hotel in St Nazaire.

I have driven in France extensively and have no problem with the "other side of the road" but this is the first time I have rode there so really wanted to take it easy.

I have 7 days and was hoping to get down to Pamplona, in Spain and then back up so I think i will have to do some 300 mile days.

Thanks for all you help.

Dave

 

[Wapping]

7 days there and back, front door to front door? If so, let's have a look.

Some part of two days definitely lost on the return ferry rides Portsmouth, Cherbourg, Portsmouth. Let's say one day.

Some part lost doing whatever you want to do in Pamplona, let's say one day.

That leaves you about five days for the round trip, Cherbourg, Pamplona, Cherbourg. Let's call that 2.5 days each way. You are used to driving around Europe in your car and you alone know what you can do on your bike. Do you think that two and a half days will leave you enough time to do the round trip in five days on your bike in a relaxed way and take it easy? If yes, job done. If no, rethink.

Me, I think you can do it. Half a day from 13:00ish to wherever. Then two days from wherever to Pamplona. A day in Pamplona. Two and a half days back.

If your real purpose is to go to Pamplona, save a load of effort and book the Spanish ferry, perhaps?

 

[stolzy]

A first day on a bike in an unfamiliar (for a biking anyway) of 300miles is doable, but if its a holiday I would avoid it unless there is a pressing need to be in La Rochelle tha day.

Overall Pamplona and back in 7 days, again possible, but you'll be spending a lot of time on the bike, and quite a lot on unattractive motorways. If you're solo and your main objective is to ride the bike, then fine, If you're having a holiday or, especially, if you're taking a pillion . . . .

 

[Rasher]

Why not go somewhere a bit closer as you only have a week, it sounds like your gonna spend 6 days on motorways and ferries just to get one day to do something nice, you could just ride up and down the M1 six times and the money you save on the ferry prices / campsites could put you in a top London hotel for one night.

 

[Wapping]

What would I do?

You can do Cherbourg to Pamplona in 2.5 days, without too much motorway. Get a decent start and crack on; no dawdling for pictures, coffee and wild flower pressing. Don't piddle about with camping, it just wastes time. Check into hotel and check out in the morning. Quick and easy.

If I HAD to go to Pamplona for a holiday, I would try to maximise my time there.

(a) Return flight to Pamplona. quickest, cheapest and easiest.

(b) Ferry to Spain, it takes about twenty hours. Easier than riding between Cherbourg and Pamplona. Ferry back for the same reason.

(c) Ferry Portsmouth to St Malo. It runs overnight (and you do not want to ride in the dark) dumping you off in France at sensible o'clock in the morning. The whole day ahead is available. Pick up the Bis tourist / N roads / a bit of motorway to skirt the big cities or if time runs short.

(d) Speed cat out and / or back. I assume it still runs?

(e) Ferry to Caen or back from Caen. The ferry back leaves Caen at about 09:00 in the morning and fair zips across, as they turn the wick down for the night time crossings.

(f) Motorway across France in a day. Short hop to Spain on motorway the next day.

My last choice? A return ferry to Cherbourg. Why? It dumps you off at 13:00, wasting half a day and is about as far away from Pamplona as it it is possible to be on the west side of France.

 

[ChasMill]

(e) Ferry to Caen or back from Caen. The ferry back leaves Caen at about 09:00 in the morning and fair zips across, as they turn the wick down for the night time crossings.

08.00 I think ....

 

[AlanAce1967]

I regularly do trips from Peterborough to Fort William in one hit, just under 500 miles, stopping only for fuel and one coffee break, takes me around 7 hours. I also drive in France and Spain and would expect to make similar progress. Why not go with no plan, just ride until you have had enough then find a Premier Classe or similar cheap hotel. La Rochelle is easy enough if you have a comfy bike. Id rather put in the mileage first to get to Spain then slow it down and chill.
Have a safe journey.

 

[wessie]

(d) Speed cat out and / or back. I assume it still runs?

From the arrival time and his home location, he is getting the Fastcat from Poole, as I considered this recently.

The ferry options I've selected for my trip in September is out on Portsmouth to Le Havre with LDLines which is significantly cheaper than Brittany Ferries overnight routes. My last stop is a weekend with Dave & Val near Cherbourg, so I'm getting the BF fastcat back to Pompey to save the drag back across to Le Havre (plus the 2pm arrival is better than the LDLines option).

 

[BAKERMAN]

5 days there and back, stick it on a truck and fly down 4/5 extra days riding

Or truck it one way ride it back