Summer 2014 8000km 4-6 weeks (France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Switzerland)

[lrosales]

Hi everybody,

As the title very concisely says, I’m planning a trip around Europe following coastal cities and mountain roads.

My plan is to go around France, Spain, Portugal, Italy and then to Switzerland. Here’s a preliminary route: https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?mid=zcfgMi4OL_3c.k8x20-F4MP7g

The round trip is around 8000 kms, departing from London, and I estimate it could be done in between 4 and 6 weeks.

I haven’t decided dates nor accommodation yet.

If anybody is planning something similar or want to join me, I’ll be happy to talk to you.

Any recommendation is going to be very welcome.

Thanks!
Leo

 

[lrosales]

PS: I'm new to this forum, just post my presentation here: http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?358247-Hello-world!

Cheers!
Leo

 

[Yellow Peril]

Not wishing to be critical but seems more like a rush to do miles than to actually see anything, over 4 weeks that's 180 miles every day if you don't have any rest days.

 

[kevingrahambutler]

Done a small part of that route Pisa to Genoa two up this year, very nice indeed, very slow going as you travel the coast line, some nice twisty's

 

[kevingrahambutler]

119.04 miles every day if done in 6 weeks

 

[rocky burns]

That route along the French southern coast is an absolute ball ache. It's city after city, and you wont do that sort of milage in a day. I did most of that route in 2011 but went down through the Pyrenees. I got so fed up and hot by the time I got to genoa I went inland and made a different route.
4-6 weeks will give you time to see things if your up in the morning and finnish by midday.
Its s fantastic route for sight seeing, just slow going. Make the milage less and the sight seeing more or the trip becomes a choor instead of a holiday.
What ever you do enjoy

 

[lrosales]

Thanks for the inputs!!

I'm not trying just to do miles, and critics are more than welcome. I guess I'm used to travel where there's "less to see".

Doing less miles makes sense, I think Switzerland deserves a dedicated trip, and France is only a passthrough (except for the south). That way it would be a total of around 4700 miles, of which 800 are just "to do fast". Still may be too much, how many miles do you usually estimate per day in routes like these ones?

 

[snelly]

That,s quite a route you,ve set yourself irosales. That,s not to say it,s not do able but it seems more of a task than a holiday. Sticking to the coast will really eat into your schedule .The wife and i also tried Pisa to Monaco along the coast road: SS01 if i,m not mistaken. But as Kevingrahambutler said, we too had to move inland at Genoa to the Autostrada, simply because the going became too slow. If you don,t want to ride the towns and cities you can usually get around them one way or another but it all takes time. What you may find is the fast roads are not fast enough to make up for the time lost on the slow roads. Whatever decide have a good time.