Trip Invite Northern Spain back through France

[grantmac]

Inspired by Capt. Arseys recent trip to Spain would love to try same either later this year say end September or next year and am interested if there are like minded folk who would also be
My idea would be ferry from either Portsmouth or Plymouth to Spain and then ride all the way back through France. Can do the route and lodging through France but have no clue about the Spanish side.
Anyone up for it let me know

 

[TIJ650]

Inspired by Capt. Arseys recent trip to Spain would love to try same either later this year say end September or next year and am interested if there are like minded folk who would also be
My idea would be ferry from either Portsmouth or Plymouth to Spain and then ride all the way back through France. Can do the route and lodging through France but have no clue about the Spanish side.
Anyone up for it let me know

I would be Grant, but doubt I can get away.
Tentative at best

 

[SpeedTriple]

I'd be up for that - depending on schedule of course...

 

[JoeBiff]

Could I come on my scoot?

They seem to be the best thing since Max Branning got the Guernsey ferry to the mainland…

 

[Wapping]

Can do the route and lodging through France but have no clue about the Spanish side.

The ferries from the UK dock in either Bilbao or Santander. Assuming you’d maybe like to copy or roughly base the ride up through France on Arsey’s jaunt (and depending on time available) then a possible idea would be to ride the length of the Pyrenees:



Then, cut up to Millau, before turning west to Provence, before turning north to take in the ‘Must do’ of the hotel in Rencurel. Or, from the eastern end of the Pyrenees, cut up the middle or more western side of France, missing out the ‘Must do’ entirely.

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Love Spain north coast and Picos
Rioja country is also interesting

 

[Wapping]

Love Spain north coast and Picos
Rioja country is also interesting

Indeed. However, depending on time available (and the intention of coming back through France) the Picos might be in the wrong direction.

The north Spanish coast / Rioja region / Picos / ‘Green Spain’ etc maybe lend themselves better a round trip UK > Santander > UK by ferry in both directions, perhaps?

It all probably depends on the time available for the jaunt and its underlying intentions.

 

[Arsey]

Inspired by Capt. Arseys recent trip to Spain would love to try same either later this year say end September or next year and am interested if there are like minded folk who would also be
My idea would be ferry from either Portsmouth or Plymouth to Spain and then ride all the way back through France. Can do the route and lodging through France but have no clue about the Spanish side.
Anyone up for it let me know

Depending how long you have I’d do a slightly shorter version of our current trip . Ride the majority of N260 then up past Millau to Rencurel, where I’m typing this on the terrace over breakfast

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Indeed. However, depending on time available (and the intention of coming back through France) the Picos might be in the wrong direction.

The north Spanish coast / Rioja region / Picos / ‘Green Spain’ etc maybe lend themselves better a round trip UK > Santander > UK by ferry in both directions, perhaps?

It all probably depends on the time available for the jaunt and its underlying intentions.

When we both did the Picos in early 2000’s it’s a great area to stop and explore

 

[grantmac]

Depending how long you have I’d do a slightly shorter version of our current trip . Ride the majority of N260 then up past Millau to Rencurel, where I’m typing this on the terrace over breakfast

View attachment 506622View attachment 506623View attachment 506624

Thanks @Arsey, I was on my own yesterday so had a good few hours (almost 4 hours in the shade on my patio) looking through your trip routes, also some input from others and I think I have managed to put the basics together which is slightly diferent from your route (missing out the leg right to the east coast of Spain but cutting north along the N260 across the border towards Quilan and then north thruogh L'Aubrac, Le Mrovan and finally up to Verdin where the tour would end. 10 days from landing in Santander to thelast day for UK riders to be ack atthe Chunnel or ferry port at Calais.
Your trip report was really inpsiring and thanks for that! Now just to get a team together...already have possibly 2 interested parties.....
Looking at end of September

 

[Wapping]

There are several ways to ride the length of the Pyrenees. Here are several:

https://www.myrouteapp.com/en/social/folder/11330368?mode=share

Along with some excursions.

 

[Arsey]

There are several ways to ride the length of the Pyrenees. Here are several:

https://www.myrouteapp.com/en/social/folder/11330368?mode=share

Along with some excursions.

True, but to not ride the N260 for as much of the 510 ish kms would be a tad foolhardy as it’s recognised as one of the best rides in Europe .

A bit like taking the autoroute from Geneva to Nice and missing out on the Route des Grandes Alpes !

 

[er-minio]

If it can help with ideas/planning:

Pyrenees trip in 2019. Easter.
Ferry to Bilbao (when it was still 26 hours going south), rode across and then came back up the usual route. Super pleasant ride until almost all the way when we rejoined the major arteries south of Lyon.







This was about week all in.

A vacation I have a very good memory of.

Condensed in 60 seconds video format:

 

[grantmac]

Thanks all, I have some ideas of what I'd ideally like to do which is a combination of Arsey's trip and the ride up through France.
See below for routes. Hotels I have also sourced for September as option.
So for me the ideal scenario would be ferry from Portsmouth to Santander departing on Monday the 21st September arriving Santander on the morning of 23rd.
9 days up to Verdun and then on the 10th day people can ride back to Chunnel or ferry whereas I would head north back home to The Hague. Hope it inspires a few to pluck up the courage and maybe think aout joining.

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

 

[grantmac]

Day 7

Day 8

Day 9

 

[Arsey]

Day 7

Day 8

Day 9

Looks good.
Don’t forget the bear statue on day 2 near waypoint 11

 

[Mad Hatter]

Good route, my only suggestion if you have time would be on day 7 to cut east to valence then toward (but not into) Grenoble and from there north into the bottom end of the Jura (sort of Aix les Bains northward) and in the general direction of Besancon, then turn west back toward your original route toward Verdun. Reason for the suggestion is that the bit of your route from the west of Lyon through the beaujolais and maconaise hills is good, but not as spectacular is the route I've described that goes further east. Similarly I think the morvan is good (it was my local play area when I lived in Bourges) but not as good as the Jura region. However, there are no bad routes in France so you'll be happy wherever you go. Enjoy!

 

[grantmac]

Good route, my only suggestion if you have time would be on day 7 to cut east to valence then toward (but not into) Grenoble and from there north into the bottom end of the Jura (sort of Aix les Bains northward) and in the general direction of Besancon, then turn west back toward your original route toward Verdun. Reason for the suggestion is that the bit of your route from the west of Lyon through the beaujolais and maconaise hills is good, but not as spectacular is the route I've described that goes further east. Similarly I think the morvan is good (it was my local play area when I lived in Bourges) but not as good as the Jura region. However, there are no bad routes in France so you'll be happy wherever you go. Enjoy!

good idea but would be better if you made the route and sent it to me then I can check or add it in....


And now I need interested participants....
Not doing this one on my own.....

 

[er-minio]

From hotel del Oso towards Pamplona, there are a couple of alternative routes a bit further north that could be a bit more curvy/interesting. Even though the longest one takes significant time (but was a beautiful ride).
Bottom one can be extended all the way (starting from Oso) and done in a day easily.





I should be able to export them later.

 

[Wapping]

#17….

If you do go more to the east and start to collide with the mass of roads running into Grenoble from the west. I’d recommend hopping on the motorway, past Lyon and northwards to a bit south of Macon, before carving left to pick up the road into the Morvan and on to Quarre les Tombes.

Something like: