Short trip To France

[wheelo]

I'm doing a short trip around France, 5 day only, flying to Paris then picking up the bike GS1200 and then two up and off around France, the plan is Paris - Cannes - Andorra - Bordeaux - Paris, Hotels and B&B. What I need to know is that is it too much to do in a short time, which nice roads to take, recommended accommodation, good places to eat, dose the Alps take too much time on a short trip, any help would be appreciated Thanks PS going on the 8th Sep

 

[Wapping]

Which nice roads to take to go Paris - Cannes - Andorra - Bordeaux - Paris in five days. Getting even a basic map, would be a good place to start.

Seriously, look at your question. What hotels to stay in, where to eat..... The country is twice the size of the UK.... Start with a map....

Can you get the Alps in? Not between Bordeaux and Paris, that's for sure.

 

[mrsroynie]

What I need to know is that is it too much to do in a short time...

In a word, yes! Not that it can't be done, but you are talking 4 x 500 mile legs so you're not going to have much time to experience La Belle France - and that's without mentioning that once you get onto mountain roads, it's going to be slow and tiring in the heat. Not what you want on tricky roads, two up.

I would suggest may be cutting out Andorra (pretty grim, except for tax-free shopping) and Bordeaux, and may be doing a nice little potter from Paris down to Grenoble, then Cannes via the Route Napoleon. Then perhaps west through Provence to the lovely walled city of Avignon and back up to Paris via the Rhone Valley, taking in one or two vineyards on the way ...

P.S. Actually, may be even that's a bit much for a 5-day trip. It's still a lot of miles - albeit more picturesque ones.

P.P. S. Did you really mean to post this in the Open Trips section?

 

[wheelo]

Ye I suppose I was a bit mad thinking that I could do that much in 5 days, I will leave it open to any ideas ye might have, thanks

 

[Fanum]

when did people lose the initiative to go find their routes, to explore, read up a bit and look at a map and to find out for themselves?

That lovely Mr Wapping knows his onions (anti-French stereotype pun totally intended) but if you just follow someone else's route, where's the adventure?



Go seek, and you will find

 

[sagalout]

As said above, France is utterly vast. We've just got back from a 5 day trip, covered 1350 miles and only covered Ypres (Belgium obviously!) down to Normandy and back.

It's also incredibly hot over there at the moment. We were riding in 34 degrees in textiles, and stopping to walk around war memorials etc. Usually once back on the bike you cool down again but I had to ditch the jacket and gloves to stop overheating, which meant lower speeds.

Again, as said, buy a map and work out what you can do per day. I always reckon on 200 - 300 miles per day depending on the sight seeing and roads. A bit more if it's just a motorway blast.

 

[paintman]

The lovely Mr Wapping certainly does know his onions, sadly he is acquainted with banana skins as well, whilst following him and a pre planned gps route recently a small group of motorcyclists enjoyed a brief tour of the private drive and gardens of a rather desirable Maison not too far from Dijon, of particular note was a tricky wooden bridge over the fish pond, now that was an adventure.

when did people lose the initiative to go find their routes, to explore, read up a bit and look at a map and to find out for themselves?

That lovely Mr Wapping knows his onions (anti-French stereotype pun totally intended) but if you just follow someone else's route, where's the adventure?



Go seek, and you will find

 

[jc_bromley]

The lovely Mr Wapping certainly does know his onions, sadly he is acquainted with banana skins as well, whilst following him and a pre planned gps route recently a small group of motorcyclists enjoyed a brief tour of the private drive and gardens of a rather desirable Maison not too far from Dijon, of particular note was a tricky wooden bridge over the fish pond, now that was an adventure.

Like the man said......

 

[ChasF]

and may be doing a nice little potter from Paris down to Grenoble, then Cannes via the Route Napoleon. Then perhaps west through Provence to the lovely walled city of Avignon and back up to Paris via the Rhone Valley, taking in one or two vineyards on the way

That looks to me like a good framework to start with. It depends if you're just there to do as many miles as you can or have a holiday - what do you like doing apart from riding the bike, what does your passenger like doing?

I have met people who've done 2000 miles in a week around France, brought all their own food with them never once went to a restaurant, hotel or even a campsite, and weren't even aware that the numbers in red circles were kilometres per hour (not miles).

 

[Wapping]

wheelo, me 'ol china, 'ave a butcher's at:

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=112301

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=281176

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=145740

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=71891

 

[Wapping]

The lovely Mr Wapping certainly does know his onions, sadly he is acquainted with banana skins as well, whilst following him and a pre planned gps route recently a small group of motorcyclists enjoyed a brief tour of the private drive and gardens of a rather desirable Maison not too far from Dijon, of particular note was a tricky wooden bridge over the fish pond, now that was an adventure.

It's a fair cop

I have been past the bod's house several times since.

The really stupid thing is that I had been down that road loads of times before. I have no idea what prompted me not to ignore the routing glitch

Up the fellow's drive, across in front of his very nice house (I half expected a large Rolls to be sitting there) across his little wooden footbridge, out through his rear garden and the horse field.

We should have knocked on his door and asked for bottles of pop and cake, in the style of the Beano

 

[mrsroynie]

... whilst following him and a pre planned gps route recently a small group of motorcyclists enjoyed a brief tour of the private drive and gardens ... of particular note was a tricky wooden bridge over the fish pond ...

Sounds like our arrival in L'Viv, via a labyrinth of wet and uneven cobbled back streets, tram rails and the pavement terrace of a small cafe. And this, despite a clearly signposted main road to the city centre and even signs to our hotel, all ignored in favour of the GPS ...

I despair sometimes, I really do

 

[wreck diver]

Paris-Grenoble,take the route Napoleon nice and steady,see the views and gorges .Hop over the border to Italy for lunch then head back to Paris. perfect 5 days without overdoing it