all i want is abit of an adventure,i dont know anyone into touring on bikes other than you guys so im cluless as to what to do and where to go,but i can tell you 250-300 miles a day max,mainly camping,riding from 9am-5pm and i want to see the mountians because i enjoyed scotland so much. spain is not that important,i just thought down the west of france and in to the east of spain via the pyreenes would be a good run.
or is there better closer?
OK, that's no problem at all....
It's a good run OK to the Pyrenees but tricky if you want to do 250-300 miles a day, leisurely, camping, 09.00 - 17:00 with stops in between. You may run out of time... simple as that.
Let's see what we can do.
Go first to the map sticky
http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=136891
Michelin are not the only maps but they are right at the top of the pile for tasks like this. Definitely buy the Michelin 726 tourist map and the 1;200,000 scale map book. You do not need any other maps. Use a GPS by all means, they are fantastic, but a map will help you plan things out much better. Plus they always work and a local can help you.
On country type roads (I am not talking about farm tracks, or tiny lanes) you will probably not average over 40 mph. Probably much less if you stop for pictures, relaxing and a long lunch. So, if you rode for 10 hours, non-stop, you will go 400 miles maximum. On the topic of lunch. France by-and-large stops for lunch 12:00 - 13:30. Arrive at one and they may say sorry. Monday can also be a tricky day, certainly in the morning, as many shops in the rural parts and many towns will be shut. It's part of the country's charm and you can't change it.
You want to try to avoid making your route too intricate, with too many left, right, left, turns in the middle of nowhere (France is big and very rural). It's fine if you are in a car but a real pain if you are not used to it, are not really sure where you are going and it's loshing with rain.
Do not avoid motorways or the major roads out of bloody-mindedness - or because it's not 'cool' - if you really need to get somewhere. An hour on the motorway could be 80 miles. The same hour on some D roads? Probably 30 miles, so that's two and a half hours out of your day, possibly wasted.
From a very quick look at the 726 map, I would consider:
Roscoff, roughly south east to Poitiers. There are perhaps two ways of doing it:
(1) Roscoff, Lorient, Vanes, Nantes, Cholet, Poitiers (jolly scenic and you could stop off to see the U-boat pens and the huge standing stones) but it's slow and you could end up spending three days just doing it.
or
(2) Roscoff, Rennes, Angers, Poitiers (direct)
Or, by adding a bit, south east to Saumur (a very nice campsite by the river) then east a bit, Chinon, Loches, Chatillon-s-Indre.
Either way, get yourself onto the 726 map's green Bis roads running down to Limoges. The green Bis roads are easy to follow 'tourist' routes. They may sometimes be true main roads but they are still fine and above all easy to follow. Use them with confidence.
From Limoges you have a choice:
Limoges, Perigaux, Agen or Montauban.
Limoges, Emoutiers, Tulle, Aurillac, Rodez, Albi, Castres, Carcassonne. This will take you through France's central mountain range. They are not the Alps (for sure) or even Pyrenees but not bad, just different.
Limoges, Perigaux, Agen, Auch, Tarbes, Pyrenees.
Return the parallel route, from the way down. It's easy to plan with the 726 map.
Run out of time and not making it? Don't worry. Stop and change plans.
How?
Look at the 1:200,000 scale map and find the yellow (preferably green bordered) roads around where you are or nearby. These 'green' roads are different. These are scenic roads and could be going anywhere.
What else:
You could lob in a detour to the Millau bridge, that is on a motorway, so easy to get to. But it's a day (by the time you have looked the bridge, taken pictures, had a wander into the museum) from the Pyrenees, don't forget. Or you can just ride over it, or look at it from the bottom.
You could stop off at Oradour-sur-Glane to see where the Nazi army murdered hundreds. Or you could be a bit different and pay a visit to the forgotten village at Maille, where something truly dreadful happened, too:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/7512078.stm One might take a day or an hour, it's up to you.
In short, a broad square: Angouleme, Clermont-Ferand, Millau, Auch (a huge area) is stuffed with great roads, campsites and 'stuff' (as my daughter would call it). You could spend a week just going, Bererac, Sarlat, Figeac and all the places in between.
Planning and a bit of research is half the fun. Getting lost is the other.
I hope that gives you some ideas.
ook at Le Puy de dome in the Vulcano region, Millau viaduct and the nearby Gorge du Tarn. Its the area around Clermont-Ferrand if you look at a map of France.
