Zeebrugge to Toulouse early May

I am waiting for the washing machine to finish its vibrating the kitchen to pieces... So, via an iPad, Google and using Michelin's route planning map 726, here's an idea of a route for you:

Toulouse
Albi
Rodez (or via Millau if you want to see the bridge)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millau_Viaduct

Mende
Aubenas
Privas
Die (you are now right at the bottom (south) of the Vercors and want to head north. The 726 map doesn't show a through road from Die to Grenoble. This is because it only shows major routes. So you'll need either your smaller detailed map 791 or better still a suitable area map from the 511 thro' 527 maps range. One tip, you can can buy all Michelin's excellent 1:200000 scale maps in one book (see sticky).

Anyway, here's a link to a map lifted from Google:

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=v...hl=en&client=safari#biv=i|2;d|JOVsYGEAjISkAM:

As you can see, you can go straight up to Grenoble or go up and then hang a left west to Romans, which is where I would head to.

You now have a choice, maybe triggered by how long you spent in the Vercors.

(A) Pickup the motorway due north, Lyon to say Chaumont, then St Dizier, Bar le Duc, Verdun.

OR

(B) Romans
Tournon, picking up the green Bis tourist road
St Etienne
Roanne
Paray le Monial
Autun
Montbard
Chatillon-s-Seine
Chaumont
St Dizier
Bar le Duc
Verdun

From Verdun you can then work your way broadly north to Zeebrugge.

I think that took me five minutes, including getting the maps out, typing on an iPad and finding the Vercors link.

The basic half circle Google map route I suggested you create gave me the broad direction. The 726 map gave me a better idea of the reasonable roads I might take if I wanted to go a lonnnnnng way reasonably efficiently. Not least it gave me the green Bis tourist road from Tournon all the way to nearly Troyes, which is a lonnnnnng way. Another Michelin map ( basically just the 791) filled in a gap.

The 726 map also threw up lots of other possibilities, all easy to see as it is a very stripped down and simple map. That you have lots of choices is inevitable as you were asking for ideas across a huuuuuuge area.

The 726 map also shows very clearly what I call 'escape roads' and how to get to them. These are main roads and motorways. Don't be bashful using them, they WILL save you hours if you are stuck, have a problem or encounter weather from hell.... Or just want to get somewhere quicker in May, than you anticipated whilst sitting at home in Yorkshire in March.

BUT, WHOA A MINUTE, NEDDY... Summat is wrong....

You will notice that that route misses out the Vosges. Well, I did that on purpose to highlight how easy it is to make suggestions and make changes... And to highlight the problem of multiple possibilities. Want to bring the Vosges in? Here you go:

(A) Motorway Lyon to Beaune. Then motorway to Bessncon, Mulhouse to Colmar...

OR

(B) Go motorway Grenoble, Chambery, Annecy, Geneva. Then across to Besancon / Mulhouse.... Colmar

OR

(C) Take the Bis tourist route from Romans, skirting Lyon to the east, Bourg-en-Bresse, Lons-le-Saunier, Dole. Then motorway from Besancon.

The possibilities are numerous, as France is a very biiiiiig place and a lonnnnnng way.

The multiple options highlight how difficult it is to suggest routes, not least as:

1. Every one and everyone is different.

2. The time available is generally unclear. It took several goes to find out how long your 'open' timeframe might be, for example.

3. We have no idea what sort of rider anyone is, nor what they really want.

4. Well meaning bods gather up lists of 'must does' which few (if any) can manage to do in one jaunt. For instance, if you want to do the 'Must does' of the Millau (I got that one in for you) AND Orador, my half circle route to the east doesn't work.

If you want to go further west and if you still want to take in Verdun, you could go:

Toulouse
Montauban
Then an entirely different green tourist Bis route (or the parallel motorway, it's great this 726 map)
Perigeux (or Bive-la-Gaillarde, if you motorway)
Limoges
Le Blanc
Chateauroux
Vierzon
Auxerre

At Auxerre, you are now by happy chance just a bit north of the excellent Morvan region now, so you could drop own into it easily

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?oe=UT...a=X&ei=A2M8UZn3I-SR7Aach4DADw&ved=0CDEQ8gEwAA

Or, you could cut across from Chateauroux, via Nevers and into the Morvan that way. But we digress...

Troyes
St Dizier
Bar-Le-Duc
Verdun

An completely different route suggestion and you'll now miss the Vercors entirely..... But it will still be there in 100 years, so don't worry.

Get your maps, make a pot of tea and away you go. You now know how.
 
Just get a few michelin maps out, works for me

I usually have a rough idea or skeleton of where I want to go

Map on tank & plan on the fly depending on how I'm feeling, time of day, weather & reset my own internal human gps accordingly

I sometimes use a real gps but have never put a Pre planned (by computer) route into it ever

Seen many that have & got into all sorts of knots when it doesn't pan out & they don't possess a map, so are stumped & it ends in tears :)

I usually stick in a destination name, when I'm being lazy & pick 'shortest' route for an unexpected ride of loveliness
 
JohnnyBoxer said:
I usually have a rough idea or skeleton of where I want to go

Map on tank & plan on the fly depending on how I'm feeling, time of day, weather & reset my own internal human gps accordingly
Click to expand...

Now that's the problem JB, the OP didn't have a rough idea of what he wanted to do after leaving his pal in Toulouse. He had three possible vague ideas (nothing wrong with that): Spain, or kick about near Toulouse (and go home) or go home via WW1 'things'.

My opening suggestion was that he take a leaf out of the 'plan nothing' brigade, seeing how he felt once he had got to Toulouse (two or three days) and spent three days in the city with hs pal.

I am surprised nobody has expanded on the idea of going to Spain, riding along a chunk of the top of the Pyrenees. Then cutting off towards Tarbes, Auch, Agen, Perigueux, Brive..... And on....

Depending on which way the OP plans on coming down from Zeebrugge to Toulouse in his two or three days (he hasn't told us) I might well think it's a better alternative to go back on the westward route, via Limoges as suggested in my post above. It would be a sort of shortened and squashed lap of France in a clockwise (I do it anti-clockwise, I have no idea why). He would see a lot (but not the Alps) and maybe give him some ideas for the future.... Wife not withstanding :D

The possibilities are endless over six to eight days. It will make a great trip report as we will see the entire process from start to finish. Here's hoping he does one.... And that he doesn't change his mind and fly.... As as been known after lots of excitement :D. :beerjug:
 
Wapping said:
Now that's the problem JB, the OP didn't have a rough idea of what he wanted to do after leaving his pal in Toulouse. He had three possible vague ideas (nothing wrong with that): Spain, or kick about near Toulouse (and go home) or go home via WW1 'things'.

My opening suggestion was that he take a leaf out of the 'plan nothing' brigade, seeing how he felt once he had got to Toulouse (two or three days) and spent three days in the city with hs pal.

I am surprised nobody has expanded on the idea of going to Spain, riding along a chunk of the top of the Pyrenees. Then cutting off towards Tarbes, Auch, Agen, Perigueux, Brive..... And on....

Depending on which way the OP plans on coming down from Zeebrugge to Toulouse in his two or three days (he hasn't told us) I might well think it's a better alternative to go back on the westward route, via Limoges as suggested in my post above. It would be a sort of shortened and squashed lap of France in a clockwise (I do it anti-clockwise, I have no idea why). He would see a lot (but not the Alps) and maybe give him some ideas for the future.... Wife not withstanding :D

The possibilities are endless over six to eight days. It will make a great trip report as we will see the entire process from start to finish. Here's hoping he does one.... And that he doesn't change his mind and fly.... As as been known after lots of excitement :D. :beerjug:
Click to expand...

Well if it was me I'd do the Pyrenees & then come back via Santander as France is a big country with lots of 'dead ' bits connecting the good bits

But before you do anything, as you have rightly suggested - get a big Michelin map of France & Spain - put it on your kitchen table & look how the country 'fits' together

Aim for 250 miles per day max in the good scenic areas & 400 miles per day in the boring 'transit' areas

It's all a myriad of possibilities :)
 
Thanks very much for all of the suggestions.they're all printed off and I'm just waiting for the maps to land on the door step
regards Nick
 
Ferry is booked!! 6th May hull to Zeebrugge. I haven't booked my return one as that ties me down to a date but when I booked the outward journey they said book the return one as soon as I know,well that's going to be a few days before I want to come back. Anyone had any problems with trying to book a ferry at short notice to come back home,do they really get booked up?
 
I always pre-programme my routes into my GPS, but do my research beforehand using maps and websites etc. The main thing is to ensure there are enough waypoints to allow the GPS to follow the route exactly as planned on Autoroute or Google maps etc. when converted to (in my case) a Tomtom .itn file.

This has allowed me to ride routes through rural Europe which I just wouldn't have found using a map in the tank bag. I do use the shortest or winding routes option to a destination at times though as, like you say, this does find some interesting places, even heading home from the Lakes etc.

I always take a small road atlas with me though just in case the GPS dies for whatever reason.
 
sven said:
I always pre-programme my routes into my GPS, but do my research beforehand using maps and websites etc. The main thing is to ensure there are enough waypoints to allow the GPS to follow the route exactly as planned on Autoroute or Google maps etc. when converted to (in my case) a Tomtom .itn file.

This has allowed me to ride routes through rural Europe which I just wouldn't have found using a map in the tank bag. I do use the shortest or winding routes option to a destination at times though as, like you say, this does find some interesting places, even heading home from the Lakes etc.

I always take a small road atlas with me though just in case the GPS dies for whatever reason.
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Thanks Sven
 
FF1078, if the ferry is full, you can always cross via Calais (train or boat) or I guess even return via Portsmouth, particularly if you come up the westernside of France.

My thoughts?

You seem to be aiming for a 'No timetable, seat of the pants, play it by ear, kinda' guy' approach but then worry about whether you'll get back on a ferry and over what routes to take across a large slice of France, I guess hoping that someone will tell you everything.

Just sit back, relax and think what it is YOU want to do.... You CAN do it...
 
I just wanted to know other peoples experiences with the ferry?,I thought that was what forums where about,learning through other people that have done it already?
 
I organised a tour to the Pyrenees with a group of friends from the VFR club in 2007 and the non-motorway route was Zeebrugge - Troyes (overnight) - Limoges - Pyrenees. The day riding across central France between Troyes and Limoges (via Bourges) was extremely dull on wide, straight roads through a featureless landscape. At that point I was wishing I'd caught the ferry to Spain instead.

The ride back via Millau, the Massif Central, top end of the Route des Grande Alpes and the Vosges, by contrast was fantastic :thumb2
 
sven said:
I organised a tour to the Pyrenees with a group of friends from the VFR club in 2007 and the non-motorway route was Zeebrugge - Troyes (overnight) - Limoges - Pyrenees. The day riding across central France between Troyes and Limoges (via Bourges) was extremely dull on wide, straight roads through a featureless landscape. At that point I was wishing I'd caught the ferry to Spain instead.

The ride back via Millau, the Massif Central, top end of the Route des Grande Alpes and the Vosges, by contrast was fantastic :thumb2
Click to expand...

Thanks Sven
Much appreciated
 
FF1078 said:
I just wanted to know other peoples experiences with the ferry?,I thought that was what forums where about,learning through other people that have done it already?
Click to expand...

Relax, you'll get tense and it'll spoil your holiday.

Have a look at the return ferry times and / or at the alternative methods of crossing back over the water. See if any one or more of them match in with whatever it is you are planning. You still have several months to go.

http://www.poferries.com/tourist/content/pages/template/_footer_About_FAQs_FAQ.htm

It is possible to arrive at the port and buy your tickets there, subject to space and availability. However, we should also make you aware that prices for reservations made at the port do vary from those booked in advance. Therefore, we would point out that to obtain the best possible fare, it's advisable to phone our Call Centre, as far in advance of travel as possible, on 08716 64 64 64 (Calls cost 10p per minute plus network extras. Calls from mobiles will be higher) where our staff will be happy to help you.
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You can of course always phone ahead to make a change to a pre-booked reservation, too..... Subject to availabilty and (maybe) a surcharge.

As your wife (or was it work) said you had to be back by a certain date, I'd suggest booking the latest return date you can sensibly manage and then bring it forward if you have to. Both the Zeebrugge and Rotterdam (not a million miles away) ferries run overnight everyday, so you'll probably get on something.
 
Heading to Troyes 7th May an stopping there the night, then on to Lyon for another overnight stop and then on to Toulouse. Once I meet up with my friend we are heading to Northern Spain via Andorra. Just mulling over my return journey from Toulouse but I'll keep posting.
 
From Lyon heading to Toulouse via Millau. coming back via Poitiers and on to Albert and doing a tour of the Somme before heading back to Zeebrugge for the ferry. Cant wait.
 
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