Spain: Where should i go?

cookiemonster

Guest
Hi

I've a conference in Barcelona the week of 21st May so I'm going to roll down the weekend before on the bike (crossing friday night to le harve, and then two days to get there). By Friday 26th May I'll be sitting free in Barcelona with a week to get back to Calais.

I was thinking of heading over towards Santandar on the friday - 350 miles or so, and starting my "holiday" in the Pico's, slowly heading east. I like a lot of what I saw in this thread on the adv board: adv thread

Question is though, am I just as well off in SE Spain, and heading up over the Pyrennes? Really I've only got a few days as it'll probably take three days to get back up to Calias (given i'll want to stay off the autoroutes), so I dont really want to be motorwaying around Spain.

Starting in Barcelona, where's good, what should i see and where should i go? giving i want to be standing in Calais the late afternoon on the following friday.

cheers

Jon
 
It's a long boring days ride to the Picos from Barcelona and a hard 2 day (or more relaxed 3 days) from the Picos to Calais (around 1100 miles). So you'll get maybe 3 days in the mountains. For me that's fine. A couple of days hauling the GS in and out of hairpins is enough for me.

Then again you can do the same in the Pyrenees and maybe take a route back through France that means you can see the Millau bridge.

hth

Cheers

Dick
 
Cheers Dick,

Yeah, im not sure i really want to waste a day travelling north west, especially if there's loads to see in the east. I'm much more into mountains and forests btw, and having a look it seems that there's the "Parque Nacional de Ordesa y Monte Perdido" on the spain / france border that looks pretty cool...

decisions decisions
 
cookiemonster said:
Cheers Dick,
there's the "Parque Nacional de Ordesa y Monte Perdido" on the spain / france border that looks pretty cool...

decisions decisions
Click to expand...

Doesn't it just! Not sure you can take a bike in though. From what I can gather from the website it may be no vehicles allowed other than the park buses.
If I were you I would do some of your journey on the autoroutes to save some time. If you go to see the Millau bridge then the autoroute up to Clermont Ferrand isn't bad at all in fact there have been times when I have enjoyed it.
PMed you.
 
Catalunya

The mountains around Barcelona are probably more spectatcular than the Picos, it's just that the roads tend to be bigger and more populous. I would play around the Barcelona area myself.

You could even take in a few days off-roading around Andorra. The place itself is a bit of a tourist trap but there are loads of off road schools around there that provide all the kit, bikes and instruction. It's on my list of 'must do' things.

Even if you just pass through on the GS you can pick up a load of duty free shopping (including loads of dirt cheap bike gear) and still enjoy the roads. Just get a Michelin map and plan to do as many of the 'scenic' roads a possible. :D
 
Mutley1150 said:
Even if you just pass through on the GS you can pick up a load of duty free shopping (including loads of dirt cheap bike gear)
Click to expand...

Those bastids in Andorra must put their prices up everytime I go! Never found anything cheap. :nenau
 
There's some nice roads around Olot, especially the on that goes up towards France / Puigcerda, the N152 :cool: . Also any road that's near in a river valley will almost certainly be twisty. The C-55 around Cardona is IIRC bendy etc,plus has stunning views of the hills. Trouble was, when I was on the above it was in a Kangoo 5 up :(
 
Shenzi said:
Those bastids in Andorra must put their prices up everytime I go! Never found anything cheap. :nenau
Click to expand...

Maybe they are not cheap compared to where you are :nenau

I saved £150 on an Arai RX-7 and £130 on a Dainese leather jacket :bounce1 all compared to U.K. prices from Silver Machine which is an Arai 5 Star and Dainese Pro Shop dealer. Admittedly these were both top of the line items and the latest designs to come out in the U.K. so I guess it depends on what you are looking at :nenau

Anyroad I was pleased with my purchases :clap
 
Mutley1150 said:
Maybe they are not cheap compared to where you are :nenau
Click to expand...

Nothing is cheap here except wine and oysters :thumb :thumb
I tend to compare with UK prices and as yet haven't managed to buy anything in Andorra. Today I ordered 2 Tour Xs, the best deal I could get was in UK at £240 each, couldn't get them under £320 in Andorra. As I said, the bastids put their prices up for me, maybe I should stop wearing pink :nenau
 
John Armstrong said:
There's some nice roads around Olot, especially the on that goes up towards France / Puigcerda, the N152 :cool: . Also any road that's near in a river valley will almost certainly be twisty. The C-55 around Cardona is IIRC bendy etc,plus has stunning views of the hills. Trouble was, when I was on the above it was in a Kangoo 5 up :(
Click to expand...
I'll second that, I did that stretch last year. Some very nice views (when the cloud lifted) and great roads.

Shenzi,

Bob, me and Clive will be in the Picos and then the Pyrenees from May 15th, heading up through France.

How about that deferred meet from last year (if we are near Narbonne)?
 
MikeP said:
I'll second that, I did that stretch last year. Some very nice views (when the cloud lifted) and great roads.

Shenzi,

Bob, me and Clive will be in the Picos and then the Pyrenees from May 15th, heading up through France.

How about that deferred meet from last year (if we are near Narbonne)?
Click to expand...

Dunno Mike, we have two lots of visitors in May so I will be doing my tour guide bit. However, I am sending you my phone number so give me a shout anyway, if I can I will.
 
Bob,

Unless it's changed, I still have it.
 
John Armstrong said:
There's some nice roads around Olot, especially the on that goes up towards France / Puigcerda, the N152 :cool: . Also any road that's near in a river valley will almost certainly be twisty. The C-55 around Cardona is IIRC bendy etc,plus has stunning views of the hills. Trouble was, when I was on the above it was in a Kangoo 5 up :(
Click to expand...


Experience suggests that the fastest things round twisty mountain roads are two-up vespas and little hire cars with half a dozen passengers :)

Any recommendations on towns / villages to stay in?

jon
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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