Right, all our hotels are booked, including the odd combination to accommodate Ian and his wife Bernie, who are travelling down independently of us and going home ahead of us.....
Friday 23: Ibis, St Omer - 7 singles
http://www.accorhotels.com/gb/hotel-0723-ibis-saint-omer-centre/index.shtml
Saturday 24: Dak hotel, Avallon - 7 singles
plus one double at Arcalod hotel, Doussard
http://www.dak-hotel.com/
Sunday 25 to Wednesday 28 inclusive: Arcalod hotel, Doussard - 7 singles / one double
http://www.hotelarcalod.fr/accueil_en.html
Thursday 29: Ibis, Dijon, central - 7 singles / one double
http://www.ibis.com/gb/hotel-0654-ibis-styles-dijon-central/index.shtml#
Friday 30 and Saturday 31 inclusive: Pelican hotel, Charleville-Mezieres - 7 singles
http://hotel-pelican-charleville.com/page_dynamique.asp?num_chapitre=285
So:
(a) That is one night in St Omer and Avallon, on the way down.
(b) Four nights in Doussard, near Annecy
(c) One night in Dijon, on the way back
(d) Two nights in Charleville-Mezieres, on the way back
Thoughts:
(a) The very rough Google mileages, avoiding payage are:
(i) Calais to St Omer: 25 miles
(ii) St Omer to Avallon: 300 miles, but we can motorway a chunk out to say Cambrai, if required
(iii) Avallon to Doussard: 200 miles
(iv) Doussard to Dijon: 150 miles
(v) Dijon to Charleville-Mezieres: 200 miles
(vi) Charleville-Mezieres to Calais: 170 miles
The balance is reasonably good, I think.
(b) Total rough town-to-town-to-town mileage: 1,045 miles. Add in whatever day out riding we could do over the four days where we are not travelling (say 200 each) and we'll be banging on the two thousand miles plus.
(b) There is some good riding to be had around Charleville-Mezieres (where we have a full day) and the route back from there to Calais is good, too.
(c) I have created a very simple Google maps version of the rough route, just to give everyone a feel for what it looks like.
https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?sadd...lais&gl=uk&dirflg=ht&doflg=ptm&mra=ls&t=m&z=6
(d) I will knock some Gramin friendly GPS routes together, too. But, really I am open to suggestions and / or bods are free to do their own thing on all or any of the days.
(e) I will tot-up the deposits I paid and divide them equally between everyone, according to the number of nights in each hotel.
(f) For coffees, snacks or whatever I suggest we have a kitty, to use as we go along.
(g) All of the hotels are B&B basis, except for our nights in Doussard, which is half-board. The hotel in Avallon doesn't have a restaurant, but we'll sort summat out. For travelling days, it often works out quite well just buying some rolls, stopping as fancy (and the weather) allows.
(h) I will at some time ping everyone my mobile number. If you can send yours back to me, that would be great. I then propose to circulate everyone with each other's numbers, so we can all stay in touch in different sized groups when on the road. Rather than bombard everyone with PM's I'll type them up into one sheet and hand them out in St Omer.
(i) What else? Just the usual stuff, please:
(a) Assuming we all leave St Omer together, let's have a full tank on setting out. It makes things much easier through the day.
Similarly, if we are setting off together from any of the other hotels, let's all try to have full tanks, for exactly the same reason. Those riding alone, or with others can do exactly as they please.
(b) Travel / breakdown insurance.... A very good idea, not least as it will help someone to help YOU (and / or ME) if it all goes pear-shaped.
Richard