French balcony roads

[wilbjr21]

France is probably the best place in Europe to ride a bike.

The Vercors is my favourite for Balcony Roads but ......... this one is a belter

Bourge d'Oisans to Villarde de Notre Dame and onwards. The other side of the valley is spectacular too.

It doesn't get any better than this - and I've done them all .

 

[davidfbmw]

has your mate looked at the location of Le Mans on a map? Hardly, "down there". Of course, if you are using St Malo, it might be on the way, but from Calais or Rotterdam (noting you are up north?

Yes we are getting ferry from Portsmouth to either Caen or st Malo and then train back to Folkestone

 

[Wapping]

has your mate looked at the location of Le Mans on a map?

A map? Are you mad?

 

[Arsey]

Just working a route out
Thinking of Le Mans and Monaco first and balcony roads back up to Chunnel

Monaco is gridlocked chaos .
I wouldn’t bother . Antibes for lunch , yes

 

[davidfbmw]

Monaco is gridlocked chaos .
I wouldn’t bother . Antibes for lunch , yes

We usually do Swiss and Italy but fancy a change
Did Ireland last year but weather was horrendous except the last bloody day lol

 

[jasp]

Some great routes here, many thanks and saved.

 

[Pukmeister]

Our group based ourselves in Grenoble for a few days as it was a pretty central location for accessing many of the balcony roads, a clean and modern city with plenty of choice for accommodation and cuisine/bars.

 

[davidfbmw]

Our group based ourselves in Grenoble for a few days as it was a pretty central location for accessing many of the balcony roads, a clean and modern city with plenty of choice for accommodation and cuisine/bars.

Was it ok for parking bikes

 

[Tinytim]

France is probably the best place in Europe to ride a bike.

The Vercors is my favourite for Balcony Roads but ......... this one is a belter

Bourge d'Oisans to Villarde de Notre Dame and onwards. The other side of the valley is spectacular too.

It doesn't get any better than this - and I've done them all .

Wow! Thanks for that.

 

[Pukmeister]

Was it ok for parking bikes

Yes, we used a modern hotel with secure off-street parking.

 

[wessie]

Was it ok for parking bikes

I like Grenoble, stayed there twice. Once 30 years ago and more recently. We used a hotel with garage parking but this place is no longer open. Looks like it has been converted to apartments on google.
Once parked up it is easy to get about on the buses and trams. We found that after 6pm they made the trams free and we had a tram stop 100m from the hotel.
There are a couple of reasons I might avoid Grenoble in future. the worst one from my point of view is the traffic. Getting in and out of the city is a pain, especially if it is 30C like when we went in June.
The other point is that anywhere in the motorway corridor south of Lyon is getting bad for bike theft. I would want garage parking in Grenoble now but I would more likely stay in a small town or village away from the autoroute. Probably a Logis or Brit hotel with regional restaurant attached. All independently owned

 

[Engineer]

France is probably the best place in Europe to ride a bike.

The Vercors is my favourite for Balcony Roads but ......... this one is a belter

Bourge d'Oisans to Villarde de Notre Dame and onwards. The other side of the valley is spectacular too.

It doesn't get any better than this - and I've done them all .

Looks fabulous but not sure I'd like that on a fully loaded 1250GS with Karen on the back.

 

[wilbjr21]

Looks fabulous but not sure I'd like that on a fully loaded 1250GS with Karen on the back.

I think you would manage just fine.

I did it twenty years ago on an ST1100 Pan European with my missus on the back.

That was why I bought my first GS - I wanted to continue to the other side of the valley but my courage failed me when the tarmac stopped.

These days I'm not sure if I could do it.

 

[Redboots]

I did it twenty years ago on an ST1100 Pan European with my missus on the back.

Guzzi Le Mans 850, 2 up with camping gear. Not a squeak from the back

 

[davidfbmw]

Guzzi Le Mans 850, 2 up with camping gear. Not a squeak from the back

My mate uses his V75 for touring

 

[Doc]

Tears from our lass on the Balcony roads and in the French Alps.
Frightened to death of the drop offs.

 

[Redboots]

Tears from our lass on the Balcony roads and in the French Alps.
Frightened to death of the drop offs.

I took a mate to loads of alpine passes in 2000. I was wondering why he was riding on the wrong side of the road some of the time. Turns out it was brown undies for him riding near the drop. I thought he would actually shit himself when we had to stop at the edge on a narrow one to allow a wobble box to pass

 

[leadfarmer]

Tears from our lass on the Balcony roads and in the French Alps.
Frightened to death of the drop offs.

I’d be the same

Not much scares me normally but for some reason I can’t do heights

 

[Arsey]

I’d be the same

Not much scares me normally but for some reason I can’t do heights

Jayne doesn’t do heights either . That’s why she’s with Doc

 

[vRSG60]

Our group based ourselves in Grenoble for a few days as it was a pretty central location for accessing many of the balcony roads, a clean and modern city with plenty of choice for accommodation and cuisine/bars.

Dare I say, looked a bit on the rough side in parts as I rode through 2 years ago.
Seemed to be an increase in "migrants" from the last time I was there. Generally still a nice place.