Weekend Spring Break - Ardennes / Eifel Advice sought

[Rasher]

Looking at a weekend break with some mates in Spring and thinking of heading to the Eifel Mountains / Ardennes Forest as it is only a few hours from Calais.

Can anyone recommend some routes or Hotels in these regions

 

[Deleted account 210609001]

It's a great area. It's lovely and green in the Ardennes, so be prepared for some rain, but it's by no means certain. Can be changeable though.

Wapping will be along later as I know he's stayed in some hotels in and around the area. Others will have stayed in hotels around the Nurburgring, but I haven't. I've camped in Luxembourg, Belgium and Germany a few times, stayed in a Logis hotel in Montherme in the French Ardennes, which was great - a nice little town too - but is hardly central for the Ardennes. Logis hotels are good but only in France, of course. I stayed in Klotten on the Mosel last year, but there are any number of hotels in the town and villages along the river. It's a popular tourist area - always a good sign - but get off the main roads and it's a million times less crowded than good old Blighty.

You'll have a great time - some lovely roads and scenery in the Ardennes. I've done day trips. 3 hrs from Calais on the motorway to Namur, then the fun roads start from Dinant onwards.

Favourite roads - the road east from Montherme along the Semois valley is really pretty. The road up and over the Hautes Fagnes in Eastern Belgium is a favourite with local bikers, for good reason - some very fast sweepy roads there. But it's all good really - I don't think there are any "must do" or "must avoid" roads. Any of the roads between the Ardennes and the Mosel will give you a great variety. The road alongside the Mosel itself is a bit dull but pretty scenery, and full of cruisers. But turn off the main road into the hills and you just can't go wrong. My particular favourite stretch is from Alf on the Mosel to Daun (to the north west) but I'm sure there are loads just as good. Luxembourg is a funny old place in my opinion, but it's hilly and the road surfaces are great.

 

[Smug]

Can recommend Neil and Ann Leigh

http://www.aeaventures.com/

 

[IJGser]

Eifel area has a surprisingly good mixture of roads. As others say you can't go wrong.


Sent from my iPhone whilst driving and even with autocorrect I can't spell!

 

[Wapping]

By weekend break, I guess you mean out on Saturday morning, back on Sunday evening?

I took a few fellow Tossers to Vianden, right on the Luxembourg / German border. We actually went over on the Friday evening (staying in St Omer, overnight) but you can do it just as easily starting on an earlyish train, arriving at Calais by say about 09:00. We came back to Calais via a different route. This was in November so we lost the light and it was cold at about -2C, but the roads were all OK if frosty.

I also too two or three bunches of Tossers for a three day jaunt to Bouillon, which is in the Belgian Ardennes, closer to the French border. This went:

Day one: Calais to Bouillon

Day two: A circular ride-out to Clervaux which is in the north of Luxembourg, a bit north of Vianden, which we went through. Back from Clervaux to Bouilon via a different return route to complete the circle.

Day three: Bouillon to Calais, via a different route.

I think I posted each of the routes (and others) in several threads on here.

If you want any more tips or whatever, let me know.

Richard

 

[Rasher]

Thanks Everyone

By weekend break, I guess you mean out on Saturday morning, back on Sunday evening?

No, it is looking like out on Saturday and back on Tuesday.

Looking around Google Maps it has become apparent that the Eifel, Mosel and Ardennes are all quite small and very close together so I am thinking we could probably check them all out probably using two hotels over the three nights.

Only pre-booking crossings early, will leave Hotel bookings to a few days before after the Weather has been checked out, or if the group is small (say four riders or less) we may just look for accomodation on arrival.

This leaves us a lot of flexibility to head to other areas if this region is going to be wet the whole weekend.

Plan B:- I know the Black Forest well enough and we can get there in one very long day, it's not much fun (8 hours in the saddle on UK and French Motorways) but worth it if the weather here is going to be fantastic and Plan A has gone belly up. If we stay on the French German border between Comar and Freiburg we are 30 minutes from either the Black Forest or Vosges.

Plan C:- Is the Morvan National Park, as all the other areas are at a similar latitude and only spread across 200 miles North to South and European weather tends to be in East - West fronts it is quite possible they could all be wet.

The Morvan park is about 150 miles further West, and a similar time from Calais, I have never been here, or heard much about it, but the roads look twisty enough and the wonders of Google Street view reveal what looks like OK surfaces and twisty (but not Alpine tight) roads in rolling countryside (and not much traffic)

Plan D:- Would be Normandy, would rather ride lesser roads in sunshine than "awesome" roads in the pissing rain, in my experience great roads in good weather can be pretty horrible in poor weather.

 

[Wapping]

The Morvan is excellent, easily within range and you can link it up by going across to the Côte d'Or, slightly north of Dijon.

Me? Given that you now have four days, not two, I would think seriously about the Morvan idea. I wouldn't bother with the Black Forest; you are only playing it safe, going back to somewhere you know. I would also bother less about the weather. Make a plan and stick to it. If it rains, it rains.

I think I have done a suggested four day ride thread to the Côte d'Or and the Morvan. If you can't find it, let me know and I'll ping it up here. You are not off until the spring, so no great rush.

-------

Found it. I am on my iPad so can't open what I think were Mapsource routes. I'll have a look later.

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=304727&highlight=Morvan

Have a look at this, too: http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=284740&highlight=Morvan

And maybe this:
http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=264833&highlight=Morvan

 

[Wapping]

One last idea for you:

You could easily do:

Day one: Calais to Verdun

Day two: Verdun to Turckheim / Colmar

Day three: Spent in the (excellent) Vosges or a ride to Rhine Falls in Switzerland, hitting the bottom of the Black Forest

Day four: Colmar to Calais and home. That is a pretty long schlep, so you would probably need to sling some motorway in. But if the four of you are prepared to set off early and not dawdle looking for wild flowers to press, with a bit of invention you can make a good route plan, for sure.

Have a look at: http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=305143&highlight=Verdun




PS I have been to the area (and the other places you have in mind) several times in just about all weathers. The only time it was a really not so great experience was four days of torrential rain and about 9 degrees C on my HP2 Sport. I still did most of the Vosges and much of the Black Forest but I can't pretend it was great fun. I had planned to go one my GSA, which would have been fine (I don't mind the wet or cold) but the final drive failed a day before I was due to go. So it was the HP2 Sport or nothing.... And it was better than nothing, albeit an HP2 Sport is not really at it's best on churned up hairpins, semi-race tyres and summer gloves....

 

[Rasher]

Thanks Wapping.

I am a bit of a passenger on this one as it is my mates trip, but he was after ideas and feedback from "my experience" which did not extend to anywhere I had been before as he wanted easy reach of Calais.

I will pass on the info and go where "he decides", May The Force Be With Me....

"These are not the roads you are looking for"