France

[cherokee]

Hi guys need some advice and some pics you can steer me to,2012 five of us are heading into France again via the tunnel im looking for a region you guys can point me at that has nice biking roads and some awesome scenery. we will be renting a villa as a base so want poi to go see etc,last year did Arles le tech near perpignon so anywhere but there would be cool,and want sun and heat so north not really what we want either,cheers guys any help would be great....

 

[Rasher]

I would suggest the Alps, although sun cannot be gauranteed IMO it has the best biking roads and scenery in Europe.

It is also well suited to a villa base as there are so many great roads you cna easily get several full days riding from one spot.

This year we mainly did the French Alps, you could hang around quite far south and would be more likely to get good weather, or even base yourself on the coast somewhere near Monaco, the problem is the best roads are a bit inland so although weather may be more predictable the riding may not be as good.

I really would rate Barcelonnette from my trip this year as it has loads of great roads on the doorstep, or the Dolomites, although I have not been it seems like this is one of the best Alpine areas.

Anywhere in the Alps should fit the bill in summertime, the southern slopes tend to be warmer if that is your thing, and choose a base that is not high up as the difference between 1,000m and 2,000m is likely to be noticeable, anything over 2,000m "can" be very cold at night even in the middle of summer.


Get yorself a copy of "Motorcycle Journeys Through The Alps And Beyond" for a bit of winter reading, it should also give you some good ideas.

Closer to home the Black Forest is very nice, but again weather is not gauranteed, that's why on top of the bike holidays we like to go to Egypt for a bit of cheap sun and use the bike holidays for roads and views - not laying on sun loungers.

Some of my Earlier Trips:

Black Forest

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=249110


Swiss Alps

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=247181


French Alps:

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=279972

 

[wessie]

(reads instructions and snips this bit)

In France, I used a place near Grenoble as a base to tour the French Alps. Loads of nice roads to the west of Grenoble too.

 

[david a hall]

This will do, we stayed here this year and can recommend the venue and the area for bikes The D 16 is as good a road as i have ridden, usual town in a cliff stuff and good country side. The area is between the Loire and the Dordogne.
http://ridersrest.eu/default.aspx

 

[Deleted account 210609001]

Some of us here spent a week nr Colmar, towards the German border. Sandwiched between the Vosges Mts in France and hte Black Forest in Germany. Lovely scenery, plenty of places to go and see, good climate in the summer (you haven't said when you're going).

Alps are lovely if you have time, but weather less predictable.

 

[stolzy]

Look beyond the obvious would be my advice.

The alps are all very pretty and twisty but will be very crowded in the summer. Far to many dickheads on superomotos and weekenders.

If you want something different I'd suggest the Vosges, the Jura or the Massif Central. The latter is currently marketing itself as a motorcycle destination with special maps showing the best roads (imagine that in derbyshire), directories of biker-friendly hotels.

 

[Wapping]

Hi guys need some advice and some pics you can steer me to,2012 five of us are heading into France again via the tunnel im looking for a region you guys can point me at that has nice biking roads and some awesome scenery. we will be renting a villa as a base so want poi to go see etc,last year did Arles le tech near perpignon so anywhere but there would be cool,and want sun and heat so north not really what we want either,cheers guys any help would be great....

You have probably answered your own question.

You want something hot, like Perpignon (which was 'cool', as you put it), along with a villa and, as always 'great roads'.

Draw a line right across France, west to east, along the axis Agen, Ales, Digne. Just about anything south of that line will be hot (with a large to very large 'h') in August. I suggest August as it's probably the hottest month and you have decided not to tell us when you want to go. In fact you have told us very little.

Villas? It depends on what you mean by a villa? Anything from the splendid marbled halls of Monaco to a nice (but modest) house in the Ardeche, I guess.

First suggestions:

There are five of you going. It probably will not be before next summer, so you have a month or six to prepare.

Buy a half decent 1;200,000 scale map (see sticky), draw up a table in the pub and chat it through with each other.

Open UKGSer's travel section. Read some trip reports and / or look where the open invite trips have headed.... They probably go to areas with 'great roads', if I had to bet.

Have a look at the gites de France website, who rent modest to largish houses all over France. Anything there that looks interesting, sitting beneath the Agen-Digne line and in anyway matches what you enjoyed in Perpignan? Yes? Good, job nearly done. No? Keep looking.

Also Google: 'Houses to rent in France' or 'Villas to rent in France' or 'Nice villas in France' or something equally as imaginative.

You'll find something, I'm sure

 

[Rasher]

The alps are all very pretty and twisty but will be very crowded in the summer. Far to many dickheads on superomotos and weekenders

I would disagree with that statement, on both of my trips (August 2010 and September 2011) the roads were deserted by UK standards, the Stelvio area had a bit of traffic last year, but still far less than on the roads near me at any time of year. We rode the Furka, Grimsel, Susten, Oberalp, St Bernards, Fluella, Julier, Splugen and found very little traffic on any of them.

This years trip was even better, with the exception of a couple of passes covered in cyclists the roads were very quiet, I think we got overtaken by four other bikes on the whole trip (in a courteous manner) and probably overtook about six or seven bikes ourselves, the few cars we did come across generally got out of our way.

In my years of riding in Wales, Scotland, The Lake District, Yorkshire Dales, Yorkshire Moors I have always found them to be more congested than the Alps / Pyrenees / Black Forest and the traffic you do come across in the UK is far less inclined to get out your way.

 

[ebbo]

Look beyond the obvious would be my advice.

The alps are all very pretty and twisty but will be very crowded in the summer. Far to many dickheads on superomotos and weekenders.

If you want something different I'd suggest the Vosges, the Jura or the Massif Central. The latter is currently marketing itself as a motorcycle destination with special maps showing the best roads (imagine that in derbyshire), directories of biker-friendly hotels.

I’ve been looking at this for the past couple of weeks (Looking for easy win). The Vosges and the Massif Central are all easily reached in a days ride from French coast, unlike the Alps which are a good bit further.

Vosges:
For people living in the North of England use the overnight P&O ferry Hull-Zeebrugge then it’s only a 360 miles ride to the Moto Hotel Du Col De Bussang in the Southern Vosges. From the Eurotunnel Calais it’s hardly any further, 377 miles.
Take a look at a Michelin map of the Vouges area, its stiff with green bordered roads, enough to keep you going for a month…

Massif Central:
Overnight LD Lines ferry Portmouth-Le Havre then its only 379 miles to the Riders Rest in the North West edges of the Massif Central. Getting back is a little more awkward, with LD Lines its an evening sailing back to the UK, if you live in the far North you will probably want an overnight in a Portsmouth chain hotel, there are quite a few.
I really like the look of Riders Rest as a place to stay…

 

[wessie]

Overnight LD Lines ferry Portmouth-Le Havre then with LD Lines its an evening sailing back to the UK, if you live in the far North you will probably want an overnight in a Portsmouth chain hotel, there are quite a few.

I've reviewed many hotels & B&Bs in Portsmouth via Tripadvisor as I have family there so often stay. http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/members-reviews/wessie01

Currently, LDLines only have 1 crossing in each direction as they are on the winter timetable. In previous years they have operated a fastcraft from May to September offering a morning crossing from Portsmouth and a lunchtime sailing from Le Havre, getting back into Portsmouth around 3pm.

For a recent trip, I used LDLines to get to France and Brittany Ferries to get back home as I was very close to Cherbourg at the end of my trip. It cost more with BF but they offere more frequent sailings to Poole & Portsmouth.

 

[david a hall]

Massif Central:

I really like the look of Riders Rest as a place to stay…

I can recommend it, Tony is a good host and sound guy, Wendy an excellent cook.

 

[ebbo]

Coming from the north, ideally I’m looking for a night sailing to break the trip in half as its 265 miles from York to Portsmouth and my mates have another 60+ miles on top of that. Put a night sailing on the end of that 265 miles and you have all the next day to get where you want to be, nice and easy. LD Lines seem reasonably priced, so do Norfolk Line Dover-Dunkirk, Brittany Ferries seem to be on another planet altogether cost wise.

 

[ebbo]

I've reviewed many hotels & B&Bs in Portsmouth via Tripadvisor as I have family there so often stay. http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/members-reviews/wessie01

You have been busy, well done

 

[Wapping]

I would disagree with that statement, on both of my trips ........ the roads were deserted by UK standards,

I agree.

The tops of the passes' car parks (where the restaurant / tourist tat shops are) may well be busy with coaches, cars, walkers and bikes but the rest.... not a patch on the A12 on most days.

 

[Bury_Dave]

I can recommend it, Tony is a good host and sound guy, Wendy an excellent cook.

Seconded

 

[Wapping]

cherokee, I just Googled 'villa gite provence'

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=vi...s=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&client=firefox-a

Lots of sites.

I chose Provence as it is certainly HOT in August and has some 'great' roads. On the whole 'roads' question, look at the 80 Virees a Moto sticky.

It gets so HOT that you do not see many bikes moving about after 10:30 or much before about 16:30.... but at least it keeps the roads empty..... and you can work up a sweat. Me? I take an air-conditioned car.

 

[cherokee]

Thanks for all the replies guys,Mr W sorry was a bit vague in the op,im going begining of july, We book our villas through Holiday lettings always had good service.i know to be honest all the roads down there are pretty good,but we are taking the girlies this year so need to have poi in the area so they dont get pissed with just hammering around mountain roads.A couple of years back a guy off here said the Gard region was defo worth a visit,so im leaning towards that area,being july i hope the weather is gonna be ridable,we hit 42degrees in perpignon last August so i know how not fun that is, sweating like a fugitive in riding gear is no fun at all.We are gonna take three days to get there, not sure the best way to do that, but will again study the trusted michelin map,we did two five hundred mile days down last year and that was no fun just head down and ride,we decided three days would maybe give us a better chance to see some of the country as we go through it.So anyone got views on this region?oh and just so you guys can have some pisstakin we will be on four KTMs one SMT and three 990 adventures...lol

 

[Engineer]

Hi guys need some advice and some pics you can steer me to,2012 five of us are heading into France again via the tunnel im looking for a region you guys can point me at that has nice biking roads and some awesome scenery. we will be renting a villa as a base so want poi to go see etc,last year did Arles le tech near perpignon so anywhere but there would be cool,and want sun and heat so north not really what we want either,cheers guys any help would be great....

The Vercors - try the Hotel Le Marronnier in Rencurel - dont go between 25 and 30th July though because I want to get my booking in first!

 

[Wapping]

Thanks for all the replies guys,Mr W sorry was a bit vague in the op,im going begining of july, ..... the Gard region was defo worth a visit,so im leaning towards that area,.....So anyone got views on this region?

Ah, now we are getting somewhere.

The Gard?

Centred on Nimes, very nice and it passes the 'Below the Agen, Ales, Digne line' test, too.

Provence as a whole is excellent, with plenty to do. Here is a quick sample:

http://www.augentilhomme.com/english/region-gard.html

http://www.gard-provencal.com/home.htm

http://www.enjoy-montpellier.com/1180512305162/1/fiche___article/&RH=

Even better arm yourself with the Green Michelin guide, with its suggested tours around the region.

Routes down and back? Take your pick.... Three days is good. Get the Michelin tourist map (see sticky). Your crossing via Calais is a good choice

 

[wessie]

Yes, that region looks like a good place to aim for, having the Med & the southern end of the Cevennes NP within.

Spoilt for choice for 3 day routes there and back too. Keep east and swing through Champagne, the Vosges, Burgundy & Ardeche. Alternatively, take a more central route and head for the Tarn Gorge & Massif Central. Preferably do both if you have allocated 3 days in both directions.