Next Road Trip - Suggestions?

force4fun

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Just returned from most recent trip to euro land with friends. We’ve done the Picos, north western Spain, Pyrenees & Rhône alps. Plus England!

We normally have a week in early May for a trip. We like to ride location to location each day, enjoy the ride and see the views on the way. Rather than be tourists!

Thinking Portugal, Dolomites, Italy, or Alps would be a good option but any good suggestions? Are there Motorcycle carrying train routes to great locations that make it a good option?

Just looking for some general feedback so I can start to research and plan. Cheers
 
I did a trip 3 years ago that worked well, ferry to Santander, around middle Spain to Barcelona, ferry to Italy, up to Tuscanny via Elba, then Corsica then France then home. You could add in Sardinia (I didn't have time). Nice mix.
 
For May you need to keep the altitude fairly low. Ride down through the Ardennes, into the Vosges, cross the Rhine into the Black Forest, down to Lake Constance, across the Deutsche Alpenstrasse to Salzburg. You might need to head back north at this point, through central Germany. If you have time, wiggle around in Austria from east to west on the lower roads. Ride back to UK via Germany.
 
I'd go through the Ardennes to Germany then head SE to Passau before meandering north roughly following the border with the CZ Republic dipping in and out of each country wherever looks interesting. Somewhere around Dresden I'd start to go west towards the chosen place to cross back to the UK.

You'll avoid the high passes that might be problematic in May and once you get to the Bayerischerwald and the Bohemian Forest areas the roads become very twisty and the traffic isn't too bad. The hotels in that area are a lot cheaper than the tourist trap known as The Black Forest and you've more chance of avoiding unwanted police attention which makes a nice bonus :beerjug:
 
I'd go through the Ardennes to Germany then head SE to Passau before meandering north roughly following the border with the CZ Republic dipping in and out of each country wherever looks interesting. Somewhere around Dresden I'd start to go west towards the chosen place to cross back to the UK.

You'll avoid the high passes that might be problematic in May and once you get to the Bayerischerwald and the Bohemian Forest areas the roads become very twisty and the traffic isn't too bad. The hotels in that area are a lot cheaper than the tourist trap known as The Black Forest and you've more chance of avoiding unwanted police attention which makes a nice bonus :beerjug:

The Black Forest was a lot cheaper for accommodation than France & Belgium on my recent trip with Scraggy & SO

The Bayern national park that straddles the Czech/Bavaria border does look nice.

As for parts of Germany to pass through when going back west to the UK, the area sandwiched between Cologne, Kassel & Marburg is excellent. Lots of valleys and small spa towns. Sort of centred on Bad Berleburg.
 
I’ve lost count of the times I’ve caught a ferry, done an overnighter in Randersacker then been in the Bayerischerwald the next day and I’ve done Passau to Harwich in a day before so you don’t need to blow too much time getting there. Both the Eiffel and the Hartz regions make good stopping places and once you’re in that extended border region you just do what you want and drift aimlessly north.

Personally I’d have an overnighter in Dresden at the end of the trip then nail it back to the Channel but that’s just one point of view.
 
Anyone needing to ask and be told about what to do with their holiday time should have that time removed from them, and then be stabbed repeatedly for each day that was available to them.
 
Anyone needing to ask and be told about what to do with their holiday time should have that time removed from them, and then be stabbed repeatedly for each day that was available to them.

Cheers troll. I can share great advice based on my experience of the Pyrenees, picos, Spain, France, England, Wales. And it’s great to get others to share theirs. Feedback so far is great and gives me some areas to research. Thanks for your contribution. Ps don’t go to a travel agent when booking your dream holiday.
 
I’d recommend a blat over the Routes Des Grandes Alpes then stay a couple of nights in Castellane before riding up the Route Napoleon then break off and past Die over the Col du Rousset to ride the Vercors and stay in Rencurel ,
It’s a kind of Greatest Hits your and we’re doing all of the above in September.
But it won’t all be passable in May .
Bits can be added such as a ride out from Castellane around the Gorge du Verdon .
 
I’d recommend a blat over the Routes Des Grandes Alpes then stay a couple of nights in Castellane before riding up the Route Napoleon then break off and past Die over the Col du Rousset to ride the Vercors and stay in Rencurel ,
It’s a kind of Greatest Hits your and we’re doing all of the above in September.
But it won’t all be passable in May .
Bits can be added such as a ride out from Castellane around the Gorge du Verdon .

That’s actually a pretty good suggestion and oddly similar to a trip I’m planning for September.

Just goes to show there’s nothing new under the sun.
 
Great idea. We’ve just done Vercors, fog limited the view!! Gorge de La Bourne was excellent though. Looks like an interesting suggested ride with a good mix of locations.
 

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Have you thought of heading North ? If you have more time, which I know is the 99% definitive factor, but Finland .. Sweden ? I have a trip planned for early Sept and never been before so super excited. Just a thought if you are tired of heading south.
 
Why not have a look at the suggestions I have put up, dragged from the European magazines?

You seem to like to bimble:
We like to ride location to location each day, enjoy the ride and see the views on the way. Rather than be tourists!
You sound like a tourist to me.

To help you best:

A. When are you planning to make this jaunt?

B. How many days (door to door) do you have available?

C. Where do you intend to land in Europe / return from?

D. How many miles a day on average do you want to do?

E. Do you make a gentle start at around 11 and want to be in your hotel by 15:30?

F. Do you avoid motorways like the plague?

G. Anything else you think relevant, please.

Await your words.


In the meantime, how about this:

Home to Harwich > Overnight to the Hook of Holland > Hoon off into Germany > Return via the same route.

Or

Chunnel to Calais > Hoon to Belgium / Luxembourg > Germany and return via the same route.

PS There is a complete and up to date post and thread on the trains. Got a link, mate? Natch, mate: https://www.ukgser.com/forums/showt...ain-Dusseldorf-Innsbruck-and-other-car-trains
 
Just goes to show there’s nothing new under the sun.

That’s why I have been putting up as many ideas as I can find from the European magazines, in the hope that it might encourage bods not to go to the same old places again.

:beerjug:

Here’s a sample:

https://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php/544230-The-German-Motorcycle-route-GPX-files

https://www.ukgser.com/forums/showt...-Forest-and-Munich…-Oberschwaben-Upper-Swabia

https://www.ukgser.com/forums/showt...here-different-Vogtland-Thuringia-Frankenwald

https://www.ukgser.com/forums/showt...urg-60-km-NE-of-Frankfurt-Fulda-Alsfeld-Nidda

https://www.ukgser.com/forums/showt...-the-north-to-Heidelberg-in-the-south-1800-km

https://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php/557033-10-day-(4-000-km)-tour-of-Germany

https://www.ukgser.com/forums/showt...ore-you-get-to-the-Czech-Republic-and-Austria

Germany really is the neglected destination. It’s a big place and they probably have more motorcycles registered there than any other country in Europe.

Of course some of these won’t work in full, when we find out he’s only got five days available between when he lands and when he returns and / or anything over 100 miles a day is pushing it.
 
We normally go first week of May due to other commitments, Friday evening to Sunday week. 200 miles a day on the twisties, 9 am start, 6 finish, coffee cake and lunch stops. Motorways when required. Tunnel or ferry, Santander popular as warmer weather. We like to travel along rather than set up base and stay a few days in one town. Like the views, love the roads, not interested in being a tourist and looking at the lovely churches!

Spain is great. Weather, roads, culture, good value, etc so could easily explore new area or roads but don’t want to miss out exploring new places that offer just as much. Some of the suggestions above have certainly opened up my thinking.
 


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