Deleted account 251212001
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Brief ride report and a few pics from my recent ride to Europe.
Day 1 Saturday 17th May - Destination St Quentin France, Le Florence, 48 Euros including parking. 8am - All packed and Ready to Go - 280 Miles to the Chunnel. After a couple of stops on the way down we were on the train for 1.50pm heading for France. From Coquelles in from another 113 miles, we arrived about 5.30 local time - total mileage covered today about 400 miles.
Le Florence is a great Hotel for a stopover about an hour and 15 from Calais. (this wasnt it below!)
First french beers of the holidays, happy days.
Day 2 - Sunday 18th May - St Quentin to Beaune. IBIS Styles Hotel, 93 Euros included breakfast and parking was an extra 8 euros. I let the Nav 4 guide us there, avoiding motorways and toll roads. Approx 273 miles. Beaune is such a lovely place, a nice walled town with a bit of money, in wine country. Enjoyed a nice (80 euros) meal just up from the hotel. The IBIS hotel is very central, brand new and has air con and the breakfast was good. Secure underground parking.
Day 3 - Monday 19th May - Beaune to Aix-Les-Bains. Approx 166 miles. We spent a couple of nights at Inter Hotel L'Iroko. Located right on one on the ports and with an adjoining italian restaurant and a pub/restaurant over the road - hotel in a fab location out of the centre with stunning views. Cost was 80 Euros a night, breakfast was extra, parking was free. Cost for two nights all in was about 200 euros.
As we'd decided to stay here two days for a bit of a break off the bike, we took a trip to nearby Chambery.
Day 5 - Wed 21 May - Aix-Les Bains - St Maxime - Approx 277 Miles.
Again we were staying here for two nights - this time at 'Le Petit Prince' 94 Euros per night with free parking, breakfast extra. The breakfast here was one of the best , served on an outdoor terrace, excellent service. One to impress the missus. A minute from St Maxime seafront, Food and drink was very expensive in St Maxime itself but its a nice place and a stones throw from St Tropez - we went there for a few hours and didnt see what the fuss was all about.
Interesting can-am trike in the car park when we pulled up.
Day 7 - Fri 23rd May - St Maxime to Antibes - Approx 171 miles.
This time we were at another IBIS Styles - 99 Euros inc breakfast and secure parking - it wasnt in a great area and was quite a bit out of town and a very small room. I probably wouldnt stay here again although generally I really like the IBIS Styles hotels. Antibes seemed cheaper than St Maxime - more of a blackpool than a lytham-st annes, but the town had plenty of bars, and a great vibe for drinking/socialising.
Day 8 - Sat 24th May - this was where the Mrs headed home
and I was contining on my own for a week across to italy and then back up.
So after a detour to Nice Airport - I was on my way to Lucca Italy, along the south coast of France.
B&B Il Giardino Del Pettriosa. Lucca - Approx 233 Miles. 55 Euros including secure parking and breakfast. This is a top , top place, immaculate, with aircon and amazing breakfasts. a definate stop at if in Lucca, 2 minutes from the walled town.
I stumbled across some sort of car and bike show in the afternoon.
my personal favourite car that was there.....
Day 9 - Sun 25th May - Lucca to Mandello del Lario (italy). Approx 233 miles. Decided to go via the Futa Pass and I was glad I need. Slight mishap in one of the towns where my Nav 4 fell off and slid 20 ft down the road due to my carelessness.
No harm done to it just a few battle scars.
Stopped for a leg stretch at the top. Had a play with another GS WC (saw loads) , there were some loonies riding the roads on sports stuff quite a few triumphs, knee down in jeans.
The hotel was Mamma Ciccia - 45 Euros inclusive of garage parking and brekkie. The brekkie was ok but not up to the standards of everywhere else I had stayed up to now, shiney packet ham and dairylea type cheese at brekkie.
No aircon in the room but it was clean and tidy.
Stumbled over some sort of bike show that was just finishing when I got there.
This german dude and his missus (bike parked behind) were both on GS WCs.
Day 10 - Mon 26th May - Mandello Del Lario to Besancon (France) Approx 297 Miles.
This was a bad day - too many miles - I trusted the Nav and ended up getting lost south of Como, so took toll roads west across italy and through the mont blanc tunnel. Cost me 28 euros to get through the Tunnel. The other side of the tunnel I noticed a gendarme had been following me all the way though. Headed down to Border control and it said something about Vignette Compulsary which I didnt understand as I thought it was France, but no bugger was on the gates so I cracked on. Eventually in France I was on the N57 - a cracking a road, fast , flowing and open.
Besancon itself looked nice but I was about a mile up the hill at the IBIS Styles, 61 euros for the night inc breakfast and parking. Nice modern hotel with aircon in the room and recently refurbed, restaurant and bar was open too so I was sorted for the evening. Good place to stay I thought after a long day, spacious, clean, cheap and everything in one place.
Day 11 - Tues 27th May - Besancon to Bad Herranalb (Black forrest). Approx 197 Miles. Hotel Waldschlosschen. An uneventful day, weather was a bit drizzly , gave the autobahn a go and found the GS WC a bit flighty so came off onto some slower roads. I saw some sort of Eagle? at the side of the road stood pround in a cycle path.
The hotel was a real find (as was II Giardino Del Pettirosso) , the owner was so polite and helpful, the rooms were very grand and had character. Ate here for my evening meal it was about 15 euros for 3 courses and the beers were very cheap with an honesty bar on the landing. Room, brekkie and parking was only 45 euros.
Great breakfast one of the best. Couple of Dutch guys from Amsterdam were staying here so got chatting to them about bikes, one of the chaps owned 17 bikes and was a proper BMW nut, he was on a rockster, his mate was on a tiger 1050 (sounds like they know how to market them in holland).
Day 12 - Wed 28th May - Bad Herranalb to Sundern (Germany). Approx 221 Miles. Travelling north of Frankfurt, a bit of a tedious day the weather was grim and the roads were average until the last 80 or so miles when the scenery was lush green. Stayed at Hotel Palatino, cost was 79 Euros inc a Thai meal and breakfast/parking. This place was a bit wierd, a camp thai guy and I think his german boyfirend were running it. the room was a bit tired and smelt strongly of cheap flat pack furniture. One I wont stay at again down to the room really. Started to feel a bit homesick at this point, and feeling constantly knackered.
Day 13 - Thu 29th May - Sundern to Oostvleteren (Belgium). Approx 269 miles. Guest house Schraevenacker. 45 Euros inc breakfast and parking.
What another amazing location and place to stay. Immaculate , a small visitor farm with a small hotel, family run. I had a meal (15 euros) , a gigantic roast chicken and chips and ice cream sundae, plus some fantastic belgian lager. The missus would have liked this place. Very good I will definately go back if in the region. It was 10 minutes away from a few bars in a small town but I didnt need to venture out.
Day 14 - Fri 30th May - Ooslvleteren to West Yorkshire via Coquelles (chunnel). Approx 330 miles.
just time for a quick toilet break and photo before the 10.36 train for the return journey
Got talking to another foreign triumph nut, this time from switzerland on a sprint st (his second - first sold on 104kms), headed for the TT.
Back in blighty for about 10.30am local time, I used the sat nav to guide me to a
filling station round the corner from darford services (mega rip off for fuel). The rest of the journey was a crawl up the M1 with those big boxes on the side, I made it home about 4.30.
Total miles covered 3029.
Av MPG (on computer) 52 mpg.
Miles per tank - usually around 220 on super unleaded
Luggage - Vario pannier and soft bag large. The soft bag 2 up looked a bit precarious on the short luggage rack but was fine. Impressed with it.
Best Hotels/B&B - B&B II Giardino Del Pettirosso (Lucca), Waldschlossen (Bad Herranalb), Gasthof Schraevenacker (Oostvleteren).
Commended places to stay - IBIS Styles Beaune, Le Florence, Le Petit Prince, IBIS Styles Besancon
Worst Place to stay - Hotel Palatino (Sundern).
Congestion - Absolutely none other than on the M1 coming home.
Overall - enjoyed my trip, the first week though France was probably the highlight although I really liked the roads across to Lucca and riding the Futa Pass, probably a few too many miles week two in hindsight (was getting a bit tiring in germany with the bad weather towards the end), Im still tired now.
The Bike - 2014 GS WC TE edition. Its my fourth GS/GSA and I am very happy with it, the wunderlich screen spoiler made it all day comfy. It performed faultlessly and gave up to 240 miles from a tank. Cruise control came in very handy. Anakee 3 tyres on it and now on 4k miles, the rear is now squared off badly. My missus even thought the bike was comfy on the back.
If you got this far - Thanks for reading!
Day 1 Saturday 17th May - Destination St Quentin France, Le Florence, 48 Euros including parking. 8am - All packed and Ready to Go - 280 Miles to the Chunnel. After a couple of stops on the way down we were on the train for 1.50pm heading for France. From Coquelles in from another 113 miles, we arrived about 5.30 local time - total mileage covered today about 400 miles.
Le Florence is a great Hotel for a stopover about an hour and 15 from Calais. (this wasnt it below!)
First french beers of the holidays, happy days.
Day 2 - Sunday 18th May - St Quentin to Beaune. IBIS Styles Hotel, 93 Euros included breakfast and parking was an extra 8 euros. I let the Nav 4 guide us there, avoiding motorways and toll roads. Approx 273 miles. Beaune is such a lovely place, a nice walled town with a bit of money, in wine country. Enjoyed a nice (80 euros) meal just up from the hotel. The IBIS hotel is very central, brand new and has air con and the breakfast was good. Secure underground parking.
Day 3 - Monday 19th May - Beaune to Aix-Les-Bains. Approx 166 miles. We spent a couple of nights at Inter Hotel L'Iroko. Located right on one on the ports and with an adjoining italian restaurant and a pub/restaurant over the road - hotel in a fab location out of the centre with stunning views. Cost was 80 Euros a night, breakfast was extra, parking was free. Cost for two nights all in was about 200 euros.
As we'd decided to stay here two days for a bit of a break off the bike, we took a trip to nearby Chambery.
Day 5 - Wed 21 May - Aix-Les Bains - St Maxime - Approx 277 Miles.
Again we were staying here for two nights - this time at 'Le Petit Prince' 94 Euros per night with free parking, breakfast extra. The breakfast here was one of the best , served on an outdoor terrace, excellent service. One to impress the missus. A minute from St Maxime seafront, Food and drink was very expensive in St Maxime itself but its a nice place and a stones throw from St Tropez - we went there for a few hours and didnt see what the fuss was all about.
Interesting can-am trike in the car park when we pulled up.
Day 7 - Fri 23rd May - St Maxime to Antibes - Approx 171 miles.
This time we were at another IBIS Styles - 99 Euros inc breakfast and secure parking - it wasnt in a great area and was quite a bit out of town and a very small room. I probably wouldnt stay here again although generally I really like the IBIS Styles hotels. Antibes seemed cheaper than St Maxime - more of a blackpool than a lytham-st annes, but the town had plenty of bars, and a great vibe for drinking/socialising.
Day 8 - Sat 24th May - this was where the Mrs headed home
and I was contining on my own for a week across to italy and then back up. So after a detour to Nice Airport - I was on my way to Lucca Italy, along the south coast of France.
B&B Il Giardino Del Pettriosa. Lucca - Approx 233 Miles. 55 Euros including secure parking and breakfast. This is a top , top place, immaculate, with aircon and amazing breakfasts. a definate stop at if in Lucca, 2 minutes from the walled town.
I stumbled across some sort of car and bike show in the afternoon.
my personal favourite car that was there.....
Day 9 - Sun 25th May - Lucca to Mandello del Lario (italy). Approx 233 miles. Decided to go via the Futa Pass and I was glad I need. Slight mishap in one of the towns where my Nav 4 fell off and slid 20 ft down the road due to my carelessness.
No harm done to it just a few battle scars.
Stopped for a leg stretch at the top. Had a play with another GS WC (saw loads) , there were some loonies riding the roads on sports stuff quite a few triumphs, knee down in jeans.
The hotel was Mamma Ciccia - 45 Euros inclusive of garage parking and brekkie. The brekkie was ok but not up to the standards of everywhere else I had stayed up to now, shiney packet ham and dairylea type cheese at brekkie.
No aircon in the room but it was clean and tidy.
Stumbled over some sort of bike show that was just finishing when I got there.
This german dude and his missus (bike parked behind) were both on GS WCs.
Day 10 - Mon 26th May - Mandello Del Lario to Besancon (France) Approx 297 Miles.
This was a bad day - too many miles - I trusted the Nav and ended up getting lost south of Como, so took toll roads west across italy and through the mont blanc tunnel. Cost me 28 euros to get through the Tunnel. The other side of the tunnel I noticed a gendarme had been following me all the way though. Headed down to Border control and it said something about Vignette Compulsary which I didnt understand as I thought it was France, but no bugger was on the gates so I cracked on. Eventually in France I was on the N57 - a cracking a road, fast , flowing and open.
Besancon itself looked nice but I was about a mile up the hill at the IBIS Styles, 61 euros for the night inc breakfast and parking. Nice modern hotel with aircon in the room and recently refurbed, restaurant and bar was open too so I was sorted for the evening. Good place to stay I thought after a long day, spacious, clean, cheap and everything in one place.
Day 11 - Tues 27th May - Besancon to Bad Herranalb (Black forrest). Approx 197 Miles. Hotel Waldschlosschen. An uneventful day, weather was a bit drizzly , gave the autobahn a go and found the GS WC a bit flighty so came off onto some slower roads. I saw some sort of Eagle? at the side of the road stood pround in a cycle path.
The hotel was a real find (as was II Giardino Del Pettirosso) , the owner was so polite and helpful, the rooms were very grand and had character. Ate here for my evening meal it was about 15 euros for 3 courses and the beers were very cheap with an honesty bar on the landing. Room, brekkie and parking was only 45 euros.
Great breakfast one of the best. Couple of Dutch guys from Amsterdam were staying here so got chatting to them about bikes, one of the chaps owned 17 bikes and was a proper BMW nut, he was on a rockster, his mate was on a tiger 1050 (sounds like they know how to market them in holland).
Day 12 - Wed 28th May - Bad Herranalb to Sundern (Germany). Approx 221 Miles. Travelling north of Frankfurt, a bit of a tedious day the weather was grim and the roads were average until the last 80 or so miles when the scenery was lush green. Stayed at Hotel Palatino, cost was 79 Euros inc a Thai meal and breakfast/parking. This place was a bit wierd, a camp thai guy and I think his german boyfirend were running it. the room was a bit tired and smelt strongly of cheap flat pack furniture. One I wont stay at again down to the room really. Started to feel a bit homesick at this point, and feeling constantly knackered.
Day 13 - Thu 29th May - Sundern to Oostvleteren (Belgium). Approx 269 miles. Guest house Schraevenacker. 45 Euros inc breakfast and parking.
What another amazing location and place to stay. Immaculate , a small visitor farm with a small hotel, family run. I had a meal (15 euros) , a gigantic roast chicken and chips and ice cream sundae, plus some fantastic belgian lager. The missus would have liked this place. Very good I will definately go back if in the region. It was 10 minutes away from a few bars in a small town but I didnt need to venture out.
Day 14 - Fri 30th May - Ooslvleteren to West Yorkshire via Coquelles (chunnel). Approx 330 miles.
just time for a quick toilet break and photo before the 10.36 train for the return journey
Got talking to another foreign triumph nut, this time from switzerland on a sprint st (his second - first sold on 104kms), headed for the TT.
Back in blighty for about 10.30am local time, I used the sat nav to guide me to a
filling station round the corner from darford services (mega rip off for fuel). The rest of the journey was a crawl up the M1 with those big boxes on the side, I made it home about 4.30.
Total miles covered 3029.
Av MPG (on computer) 52 mpg.
Miles per tank - usually around 220 on super unleaded
Luggage - Vario pannier and soft bag large. The soft bag 2 up looked a bit precarious on the short luggage rack but was fine. Impressed with it.
Best Hotels/B&B - B&B II Giardino Del Pettirosso (Lucca), Waldschlossen (Bad Herranalb), Gasthof Schraevenacker (Oostvleteren).
Commended places to stay - IBIS Styles Beaune, Le Florence, Le Petit Prince, IBIS Styles Besancon
Worst Place to stay - Hotel Palatino (Sundern).
Congestion - Absolutely none other than on the M1 coming home.
Overall - enjoyed my trip, the first week though France was probably the highlight although I really liked the roads across to Lucca and riding the Futa Pass, probably a few too many miles week two in hindsight (was getting a bit tiring in germany with the bad weather towards the end), Im still tired now.
The Bike - 2014 GS WC TE edition. Its my fourth GS/GSA and I am very happy with it, the wunderlich screen spoiler made it all day comfy. It performed faultlessly and gave up to 240 miles from a tank. Cruise control came in very handy. Anakee 3 tyres on it and now on 4k miles, the rear is now squared off badly. My missus even thought the bike was comfy on the back.
If you got this far - Thanks for reading!
) pics of food. The steak tartare looks lovely.
I booked everything in advance using a site called booking.com, its very easy to use, once ive worked out roughly where i want to go towns/cties wise, i do a search for that region give or take a few miles (tick parking option) and tend to order the results by customer review score. Most of the places you can reserve for free and you can cancel in advance up to about 24hours, or the option to pay a bit less to stay but have to pay a cancelation fee. I just use google maps and a michelin map to plan stuff out, and write each days planned destination down in an excel spreadsheet, where i also allocate costings to try and add up roughly how much it all costs, can usually cram it all onto an a4 sheet that i take with me.
