Next Road Trip - Suggestions?

There's been so many responses perhaps a little off-topic, I have pretty much forgotten the OP question. However I recall it stirred some feeling of the familiar, ie the trip we are about to embark upon seemed to be relevant...

No of people:4
Duration: A 'stretched' week,
Thursday evening from Hull to Rotterdam, easy 60 miles for 18:30h check-in

Friday:Rotterdam to Baden Baden, 377 miles, poss some motorways to cover the miles

Saturday: Baden to Thun, Switzerland, 230miles onto the twisties

Sunday: Thun to Landry, Loop round lake before heading SW, 242 miles, twisties, staying in Landry due to lack of suitable Hotels in Bourg Saint Maurice, trying to keep to RDGA

Monday: Landry to Jausier, short 170 miles, playing on as many Cols as are open
Tuesday: Jausier to Monaco, short 165 mile, as above, arriving in good time to relax!
Wednesday: Rest Day
Thursday: Monaco to Grenoble, 214 miles, roughly following Route Napoleon
Friday:-Grenoble to Belfort, 251 miles, skirting Switzerland
Saturday:- Belfort to North Luxembourg, 235 miles, poss. more with a few detours (poss Bitburg)
Sunday: Luxembourg to Rotterdam, easy 201 miles with time to meander before ferry check-in
Back in Uk, Hull Monday am

Routing originally planned using Kurviger the tx'd to basecamp (awful process) as tracks then using Basecamp to create route from the track. Tracks converted using gpxshaping.de to create .itn for the bod with a tomtom...:confused:

I don't know if this is ideal, I know we will miss out on some 'must do' roads but we have come to accept that this will always be the case and hope there is always the following year

Most days are estimated 6-8hrs duration. The short duration is due to time constraints for a couple in the group, ideally we would add a couple of days, one to spread travel and an additional rest day on the south coast.
 
No it doesn't, what this thread highlights is that when someone makes a perfectly reasonable request for trip ideas a large number of people managed to respond with great suggestions without feeling the need to try and sound all knowing and superior about it.

If there was insufficient information in the OPs request for your liking why did you then spend time replying in such detail, the OP did not ask you for that.

This thread was doing fine without you.

Hi MikeS, I don’t believe we’ve met.

You’ll have maybe missed that I didn’t bother to make any suggestions until the answers were given to my questions in post #10 (subsequently followed up on thirteen third party posts later in post #23) not least as it was difficult (if not impossible) to put forward any possibly working ideas until we at least knew if we were looking at a week or a fortnight or more or less. In making my subsequent suggestions, I have tried to give realistic (ie. workable) ideas backing them up with clear examples, along with suggestions as to how the fellow might (should he be so inclined) hunt out some more for himself.

It’s a common enough problem on these pages, bods forgetting to tell other bods:

A. When their trip is.

B. How long they have available. Or, if they do give a period, forgetting that they might well lose a day or more at either end, simply making their journey from home to their port of arrival and back again, with the inevitable reduction of the time available in the middle.

C. Not giving any clear idea of the sort of daily mileages, whether they want days off en-route or at their destination or whether they will even countenance the notion of touching a motorway.

It took some time to find out from the opening poster the answers:

A. May 2023

B. Seven days, apparently door-to-door.

C. 200 miles, preferably no motorways, reasonably sensible start, reasonably sensible time to finish, just riding A to B each day in a ‘non-tourist’ way.

Those simple enough responses probably ruled out the Nord Cap, amongst several other well intentioned ideas put forward, before the answers were asked and kindly answered.

Now, we have the information, feel free to make workable suggestions of your own. Something along the excellent reply in post #41, would be great.

Richard
 
Hi MikeS, I don’t believe we’ve met.

You’ll have maybe missed that I didn’t bother to make any suggestions until the answers were given to my questions in post #10, not least as it was difficult (if not impossible) to put forward any possibly working ideas until we at least knew if we were looking at a week or a fortnight or more or less. In making my subsequent suggestions, I have tried to give realistic (ie. workable) ideas backing them up with clear examples, along with suggestions as to how the fellow might (should he be so inclined) hunt out some more for himself.

It’s a common enough problem on these pages, bods forgetting to tell other bods:

A. When their trip is.

B. How long they have available. Or, if they do give a period, forgetting that they might well lose a day or more at either end, simply making their journey from home to their port of arrival and back again, with the inevitable reduction of the time available in the middle.

C. Not giving any clear idea of the sort of daily mileages, whether they want days off en-route or at their destination or whether they will even countenance the notion of touching a motorway.

It took some time to find out from the opening poster the answers:

A. May 2023

B. Seven days, apparently door-to-door.

C. 200 miles, preferably no motorways, reasonably sensible start, reasonably sensible time to finish, just riding A to B each day in a ‘non-tourist’ way.

Thos simple enough responses probably ruled out the Nord Cap, amongst several other well intentioned ideas put forward, before the answers were asked and kindly answered.

Now, we have the information, feel free to make workable suggestions of your own. Something along the excellent reply in post #41, would be great.

Richard

The OP wrote

"Just looking for some general feedback so I can start to research and plan"

It really couldn't be any clearer, he just wants a few ideas of places other people have been to that they would recommend so there was no need for all of the detail you are asking for.

He doesn't need you to plan his trip for him.
 
Thanks for the assistance. If you look at my original post, I was just looking for general suggestions. I’m more than capable of developing a tour, I’ve done it a few times and it’s been great. I did mention I’ve just come back, that we go early May, have about a week, travel location to location, etc. I do feel that the thread got lost a bit and became critical of lack of information provided by me. I just wanted General thoughts. I’ve not traveled by bike to Germany so the feedback looks like it’s a good option. Thanks. Vercors again and the Napoleon Route in interesting. Thanks again. Plus all the other ideas, thank you. That’s all I was after. The suggestion on Simons books was excellent and I’ve just received them. So I’ll start looking at the suggestions and get the seeds of an idea in place.
 
No problem.

I guess what threw me was the title, ‘Next road trip’ suggesting (to me at least) that, as you were back from your usual May jaunt, you were looking for something later in 2022. Once it was clear that it was for seven days in May 2023, things became clearer. Mix in the preferred daily 200 mile non-motorway mileage with the non-tourist’ style and everything is more straightforward.

I can’t recommend Germany enough, not least as it is (as Wessie confirms) generally cheaper * than France. Being a huge country, much of which is all but ignored by many Brits makes it at least ‘different’. Anyway, you’ve got some spiffing suggestions, though the Nordcap might be a rush.

Let us know what you settle on, please. We often see appeals for short (seven day’ish) jaunts, so it might well prove to be helpful to others. Similarly your other past May breaks will be helpful, I’m sure.

Richard :beerjug:

* If indeed that is even a consideration.
 
Well regardless of what has been said on this thread I for one would like to thank Mr Wapping for his impressive lists and links. That lot will keep me busy here for a while and there is nothing better than a tossers recommendation ... usually :)
 
UPDATE - we were unsure what to do this year as a group due to others having commitments that would impact a spring trip (convenient for me as I have a gap in work commitments late April into start of May). Good news is that 2 of us can make the time and ferry is booked: Portsmount - Santander returning Bilbao -Portsmounth. Now the outline planning commences for a trip around North West Spain, North Portugal and a brief run through Picos (been a few times). The desicion to head to Spain/Portugal is based on teh time of year and time available - generally better weather and even some heat from teh sun versus UK/Europe.

I've travelled through North West Spain before and we found it less busy, stunning views and great roads, very welcoming and friendly locals. Portugal looks interesting although we will have just a couple of days unless we skip some of teh Spanish regions??

Hope that helps as feedback - I will update again when all planned.

PS - friend toured Germany and Alps in early summer and feedback from this thread was very helpfull, so thanks
 
Done the Picos a few times, once together with the Pyrenees, one with Portugal, once just around the Picos in general.

Hit some dubious weather in the Pyrennes, thought the roads in Portugal were less good than Spain in general but generally good.

Enjoyed Spain more than Portugal, possibly because I can speak Spanish better than Portuguese.

Mind you each trip had characteristics that put each one firmly in the 'Epic' catagory.

I have a couple of weddings next year, one in Northern Italy and another in the Bordeaux region. (and before you say it, that's not 'Big of me!')

Considering riding to the Italian function, letting the wife fly(with the heavy luggage) meandering down through Lux, Germany, Austria on the way, then having a few days playing around before the return leg.

Either Hull Grotterdam or Dover Calais
 
Bordeaux coastline is nice heading north and crossing the estuary on the ferry. Then round the coast head north and go to La Rochelle, taking in the Ile d’Oleron and Ile de Re islands. Lovely areas
 


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