Southern France-any nice bits?

Dave Hall · Jan 31, 2004

I`m getting off the ferry at Santander in May and bimbling round the Pyranees for a week or so. I then want to ride up to the Black Forest for a bike rally before getting off Europe at Zeebrugge.
Problem is I hate m/ways and would like to travel up towards Strasburg through some nice scenery on pleasant biking roads. Anyone been that way before can point me to some nice bits?

peterb · Jan 31, 2004

Dave , I can strongly recommend the following route that i used to return from the Gorges du Tarn last year ( I did that last year early June in three days in small group )

via Ardeche ( Or Orange depending where you come from ) direction Mont Ventoux , Sault , Gap , Briançon , Col du Lautaret, Col du Galibier , valloire , Val d'isere , Cormet du Roselend ( fabulous !!) , Gex , several options towards Geneve - I went via Champagnole , Besançon , Belfort, Le markstein , Route des Cretes , Fraize , Luneville and then further direction Belgium

Should you have more time ( 2 days extra ) you could consider going via the Gorges du verdon , Castellanne, via Col d'allos or via Col de la Bonette ( Nation Parc Mercantour & highest road in Europe with tremendous views ) , Gap , Briançon , ... I did those in August

Note that some of these cols are not open before end may !!

PeterB

Merlin999 · Jan 31, 2004

Eat at -The Hotel du Levant in Castellane

Magical location and hotel. I have had two of the best meals in my life there!

Keyframe · Feb 1, 2004

peterb said:
Gorges du Tarn

PeterB

Oh Dear, the secret's out... my mother's lived down there for nearly 20 years. Well worth the trip.

Jimb · Feb 1, 2004

All of its nice, were going on Sun 2nd May to Santander, when are you off ???

Dave Hall · Feb 1, 2004

I`ve had to delay my departure Jim.....its the 23rd now. Just as well looking at these mountain passes.

Steptoe · Feb 1, 2004

Dave a must see is the "canyon du verdon ", down south 40, 50 miles inland from St Maxim ( along from St Tropez) . got some pictures, i'll post em when i can find them ..

franco · Feb 1, 2004

Southern France.

They're right Dave, if you're all the way down here, it would be a sin not to tour round the Grand Canyon du Verdon....After that there's a choice of routes over the Alps. Worth taking a few days, then going up the gorges du Tarn as suggested here, then you could cut across east towards Nimes and Arles, where you can check out the amazing Pont du Gard, which is a very well preserver Roman aquaduct then head north east to the Verdon. When exactly will you be in the south? Might be able to hook up and tour the gorges..I could never get fed up of that place. It's spectacular. I won't be around the first week of June though, then I'll be heading down the Pyrenees for Spanish Bob's do on the weekend of 18th-21st June....Let me know closer the time..if you need any more info, drop me a line..

Wherever you go down here, you'll find the scenery, roads, weather gorgeous...Even now, we went skiing at Auron, as I put my kids in ski school for the weekend, and me and the wife sat in a mountain chalet restaurant, on the terrace getting sunburn..on Feb 1st...magic! In late May, most of the highest Cols will be passable. You might see some snow though, and loads of Marmottes...beware, they're suicidal....

Tobers · Feb 1, 2004

If you get this far, a "must do" road is the Route Napoleon from Cannes to Castellane. It's pretty chocka getting out of Cannes, but once you're away from there and up the hill past the next little town (cant remember the name), you've got about 40 miles of track-like tarmac with beautiful scenery and gorgeous sweeping bends.

franco · Feb 1, 2004

Route Napoleon

Yer right there Tobers, an incredible piece of tarmac from start to finish... The town you mean is St Vallier-de-Thiey, that's where I took a load of pics the first day out on the ADV, running it along the N85...superb! At the end of the Gorges du Verdon too....

(RIP) Yosi · Feb 1, 2004

What a boring bunch of anoracks.

The best bits to be found in France reside under the winter coats of those gorgeous girls...

franco · Feb 2, 2004

Lunchtime today..

Hi Dave, just to let you see what the marvellous RN7 from Frejus to Cannes looks like from above...

franco · Feb 2, 2004

Sadly.

On the other side of the hill, it no longer looks green and forested like the photo above, as this is one of the areas hammered by fire last summer...

franco · Feb 2, 2004

another from the top

You can start to see the extent of the damage here...

Dave Hall · Feb 2, 2004

Cheers chaps...loads of ammo here.

I`ve been pouring over my mapsource, autoroute and Michellin maps for the past 3 days and I think I`ve got her sussed.

When I leave the Pyrenees at Ax le Therme I`m heading North through Carcassonne up to Gorge du Tarn then East past Pont du Gare, Avignon to Gorge du Verdon. Then North through the Alps to Annecy, past Geneva through the Juras up to Belfort then over the Rhine to the bike rally in the Black Forest. After that its up to the Mosel and the usual route home through Cochem, Nurbergring, Monschau and some boring belgian Mway to Zeebrugge.....Cant wait...many thanks.

franco · Feb 2, 2004

Bonne Route!

Dave, one thought, if you're going from the north end of the Gorge du Tarn, towards Pont du Gard, there's a scenic route called the Corniche des Cevennes. This is a great piece of (resurfaced spring 2003) tarmac, with lovely bends and some nice forest countryside and it's heading in the right general direction for Pont du Gard. With the scenery and villages round there, even if you get lost it's no big deal. I've found some of my favourite places that way.
Like I said, if you need any further info or whatever, drop me a line.

Cheers../Rob

Dave Hall · Feb 2, 2004

Re: Bonne Route!

franco said:
there's a scenic route called the Corniche des Cevennes.

Cheers Rob I`ve found that. I plan to spend a day in that area it looks like its worth a good bimble round.

roadrider · Feb 8, 2004

Dave Hall said:
Then North through the Alps to Annecy,

Dave, Don't forget to call in at Annecy, the lake is stunning, and a walk through the old town (mini Venice without the smell) well worth it.
John

Dave Hall · Feb 9, 2004

Yes I`ve been before but my pillion has`nt so its on my tour.

Barrie · Feb 9, 2004

South of France

Dave
They are right, PeterB and Tobers that is all perfect. I have done those routes but not all the same year, Queyras is great, that is the Galibier/Lautaret part of the route, so do Verdun/route Napoleon/ bung a right at Gap to Briancon over the 2 passes Galibier/Lautaret and down to St. Michel du Maurienne. from there you can go East to the end of the valley to the Parc du Vanoise, on to the very pretty Savoie village Bonneval, up the Col de Iseran, to Val d'Isere and back down the Tarentaise valley before heading north. try that and enjoy. I can email you some photos if you want.
Barrie.

Southern France-any nice bits?

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What a waste.

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