Is Milau worth visiting? Route back to Calais from Bolgona

GS TRV

GS TRV

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After the Ital Moto GP my brother and I will be making our way back to Calais from Bologna. We have roughly two days to make our ferry from Calais to Dover so any recommendations would be welcome.

I had thought of passing by Milau bridge but wasnt sure if it was worth it. Anyone have any other recommedations?

Thanks

Trev
 
V4 TRV said:
After the Ital Moto GP my brother and I will be making our way back to Calais from Bologna. We have roughly two days to make our ferry from Calais to Dover so any recommendations would be welcome.

I had thought of passing by Milau bridge but wasnt sure if it was worth it. Anyone have any other recommedations?

Thanks

Trev
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Worth a visit in my opinion, but given your chosen channel crossing it's a little off your natural route, still, you have 2 days so go for it :thumby:
 
V4 TRV said:
I had thought of passing by Milau bridge but wasnt sure if it was worth it.
Click to expand...

That`s really a self answering question mate.
If big bridges and their construction aren`t of much interest to you,then no,it clearly isn`t worthwhile.
However,if the design,construction,logistics and difficulties of such structures hold appeal and interest,then hell yes,the Millau bridge is well worth a detour.
It`s not much more impressive to cross than any other bridge to be honest, but get yourself down in the valley to view it or get to the visitor centre then stand and gawp at it......that`s worth the detour.

Oh,and buy yerself a badge while there,to impress and piss off those who`ve always wanted to see it but haven`t been. :thumb
 
Tarka said:
That`s really a self answering question mate.
If big bridges and their construction aren`t of much interest to you,then no,it clearly isn`t worthwhile.
However,if the design,construction,logistics and difficulties of such structures hold appeal and interest,then hell yes,the Millau bridge is well worth a detour.
It`s not much more impressive to cross than any other bridge to be honest, but get yourself down in the valley to view it or get to the visitor centre then stand and gawp at it......that`s worth the detour.

Oh,and buy yerself a badge while there,to impress and piss off those who`ve always wanted to see it but haven`t been. :thumb
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Good point - not really sure it is but just wanted a decent route back to Calas tbh :aidan
 
No ... It's not worth the huge detour.

If you were going to play in the Tarn Gorge (to its East ...), that would be different, but it's not worth altering course for the sake of a couple of photos.

(And if you did, don't go over it .. go under it ..)

:thumb

 
..... A trip we did a few years ago (on the way back from Mugello and to make a change from our Swiss journey there..) was to take the coastal motorway - the E80 - from La Spezzia to Monaco.

That's a really good motorway! Lots of interest (for a motorway! - very scenic coastal route..) and covers ground quickly to the start of the Routes Des Grandes Alpes.

Then take a couple of days on the Route des grandes alps, and wind your way to Annecy for an overnight stop.

That would be my route of choice (assuming of course you've had a play in the swiss alps on the way there ..)

:thumb2
 
I did it whilst breezing home after a thrash round the Pyrenees, followed by the Valencia MotoGP in 2006. It was definitely worth doing but the route I was taking was so much more over that way than yours.

I would forget it for this trip and put it on a ‘back burner’ for another day....It will still be there whenever you go....;)
 
It's a spectacular feat of engineering that's definitely worth seeing.

But not on your trip.

A quick check on Google Maps shows Mugello to Calais as about 880 miles. That's a reasonable distance to cover in 2 days anyway. Go via Millau and it's 1120 miles. An extra 240 miles or 3-4 hours.

Pick a city centre hotel as an overnight stop and spend that 3 hours doing a little sightseeing followed by a nice meal and a drink. Much better than 3 hours on the autoroute.
 
If it was your last chance in life to see the Millau, yes it would be worth a very significant detour from Bologna.

As it's probably not, no.

That's the trouble with 'Don't miss, must see' suggestions.... Bods always want to see them, no matter where they are starting from or heading to.

To coin the old codger stood in the lane to the innocent tourist.... "You wanna be going thar, do 'e? Well, I wouldn't be a startin' from 'ere"


As to a two day route from Bologna to Calais? That's 850 odd miles as the crow flies....

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?saddr...zH0edKM4Nm-rA&gl=uk&doflg=ptm&mra=luc&t=m&z=6

My suggestion would be to break the back of it by getting to Dijon. Then gander at some of my suggested routes back from there in assorted posts in the Travel section. A search of Dijon will turn them up.

Or hunt through the many hints-and-tips on how to get from Calais to the Alps*, then reverse and adopt any one of those to suit.

Either way, you have two days of about 400+ miles each day to complete the journey, if you break it into two equal chunks..... It can be done....and not all on motoways by any means... if you get up and get on with it.... more difficult if you press wild flowers.



* Odd that few bods ever ask about going the other way. I guess they just reverse their steps :nenau
 
Wapping said:
* Odd that few bods ever ask about going the other way. I guess they just reverse their steps :nenau
Click to expand...

Sir ... sir ... me sir ....

I asked sir ... (well I 'assumed' actually sir ... )

Sir, may I have a copy of a Michelin map and some tissues sir ...


:D
 
Giles said:
..... A trip we did a few years ago (on the way back from Mugello and to make a change from our Swiss journey there..) was to take the coastal motorway - the E80 - from La Spezzia to Monaco.

That's a really good motorway! Lots of interest (for a motorway! - very scenic coastal route..) and covers ground quickly to the start of the Routes Des Grandes Alpes.

Then take a couple of days on the Route des grandes alps, and wind your way to Annecy for an overnight stop.

That would be my route of choice (assuming of course you've had a play in the swiss alps on the way there ..)

:thumb2
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Tempted with this. Thanx for posting. It would mean an 8 & a half hour ride for us from Firenze to Geneve but it's something I'll put to my mate. We'll play it by ear, so to speak.
 
It's interesting, but there are much more memorable sections of roads and vistas that beat it hands down. Worth going if you're in the area, but I wouldn't take mre than a 50 mile detour to visit it. The ride over it is yawn inducing, the best view is from a distance imho.
 
Timaloy said:
Tempted with this. Thanx for posting. It would mean an 8 & a half hour ride for us from Firenze to Geneve but it's something I'll put to my mate. We'll play it by ear, so to speak.
Click to expand...

Florence ... E80 to Menton ... RDGA to Annecy.

Do it .. !! :thumb

 
Was in Florence last year and did E80 and RdGA - absolutely amazing ride. You may be pushed for time so you can cut off top third of RdGA without missing the best bits. :thumb
 
V4 TRV said:
After the Ital Moto GP my brother and I will be making our way back to Calais from Bologna. We have roughly two days to make our ferry from Calais to Dover so any recommendations would be welcome.

I had thought of passing by Milau bridge but wasnt sure if it was worth it. Anyone have any other recommedations?

Thanks

Trev
Click to expand...

I have been there a few times, over the bridge and under it and I haven't tired of it yet, so it's a :thumb2 from me.
 
Agree with some comments above, more time in the Alps, less Time on Motorways, a bit of sightseeing in a nice town, all beat a load of extra motorway bashing just to look at a bridge.

Better yet, plan another trip that takes you nearer the bridge another time:thumb
 
Smythson said:
Was in Florence last year and did E80 and RdGA - absolutely amazing ride. You may be pushed for time so you can cut off top third of RdGA without missing the best bits. :thumb
Click to expand...


Forgive my ignorance. RdGA? Struggling to find that on the maps.
 
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