Pyrenees and Alps Tour ...... Is this realistic

[Timnorth]

So got a tour planned for beginning of June covering Pyrenees and Alps , a lot of riding on twisty roads to cram into 2 weeks! ... Would be good to hear from anyone who has done this to see if I got it covered and if its realistic.

http://holygasoline.com/2015/05/24/pyrenees-and-apls-preparations/

Other tours for 2015 inc Scandinavia (Aug) and Morocco (Oct)

Cheers
Tim

 

[Madmountainman]

I did this run the year Steve ran the very first hog raost. I did the old two night sailing from Portsmouth to Santander, went west to east, pass bashing in The Pyrenees, scooted over to The Vercours and Alps and made my way north through the centre of France, via Normandy, to Calais. All in, just over 3000 miles in just under two weeks. Fantastic riding trip, but you need to be on it every day, banging the miles in. If you want to take time to stop an see stuff, look again at your itinerary.

 

[Timnorth]

I did this run the year Steve ran the very first hog raost. I did the old two night sailing from Portsmouth to Santander, went west to east, pass bashing in The Pyrenees, scooted over to The Vercours and Alps and made my way north through the centre of France, via Normandy, to Calais. All in, just over 3000 miles in just under two weeks. Fantastic riding trip, but you need to be on it every day, banging the miles in. If you want to take time to stop an see stuff, look again at your itinerary.

Cheers ... sounds like a very similar route to you .. Only 2 bikes doing it and we both like to get good riding days done rather than stopping off and sightseeing etc. Ive put a few low mileage days in (less than 150miles)

 

[Myke Rocks]

Yes, it is possible, but:

Planned to do similar last year over 2 weeks.
Then we got to South Austria, and discovered that it takes around 5 days just to travel the good roads round there from a single base point. (Malta) We spent 2 days there.
Switzerland similar.

Easy enough to do, but not a sensible thing to do.(Speaking from experience.)

This year, we are getting bikes shipped from Ireland to Memmingham, then spending 5 days in South Austria and another 4 days in other places. Next year we will do the same thing in Pyrenees.

Remember, it is not can you do it, it is whether it is a sensible plan for a biking holiday.
Myke

 

[Rasher]

Have a look at "Motorcycle Journey's through the Alps and beyond"

This lists 75 routes in the Alps, all of them at least half a days ride, and a few that some people would struggle to do in a whole day - probably 40 - 50 days worth if you tried to tie them all together. The Alps are about the size of Mainland UK - but just stacked with great roads.

I have had 4 trips to the Alps, on average about a week in the Alps on each occasion (plus a couple of days in / out) and have clocked up about 70 passes in total, but ridden some more than once. I have also learned there is also a huge amount of good roads and passes not in the book, and then you may want to stop and visit some places

The Pyrenees is quite a bit smaller, and I think less packed with great roads, but I bet there is still a good weeks worth there.


Of course you can ride both in a week, a bit like you could tour England, Scotland and Wales in a day if you just used the Motorways.

 

[Timnorth]

Have a look at "Motorcycle Journey's through the Alps and beyond"

This lists 75 routes in the Alps, all of them at least half a days ride, and a few that some people would struggle to do in a whole day - probably 40 - 50 days worth if you tried to tie them all together. The Alps are about the size of Mainland UK - but just stacked with great roads.

I have had 4 trips to the Alps, on average about a week in the Alps on each occasion (plus a couple of days in / out) and have clocked up about 70 passes in total, but ridden some more than once. I have also learned there is also a huge amount of good roads and passes not in the book, and then you may want to stop and visit some places

The Pyrenees is quite a bit smaller, and I think less packed with great roads, but I bet there is still a good weeks worth there.


Of course you can ride both in a week, a bit like you could tour England, Scotland and Wales in a day if you just used the Motorways.

Just got one off eBay ! Thanks for the heads up, be something to read whilst on the boat might even change a few things