[Regyboy62]

Hi all,
Always owned a bike bar an odd year here and there but never got round to doing a euro road trip mainly down to a 5 star wife. Well the wife has finally gone and i find myself in a position to actually go and do it on my beloved 05 bird.
Only problem is i dont really have a clue how to plan and execute said trip.
All i know is i have a very nice bike, two weeks and limited funds.
So im thinking, south of france, spend a few days there then back. Get some camping gear and go for it.
Anybody got any ideas on best routes and stopovers, can anyone recommend any campsites or even wild camping spots on the way?
The web is a mine of information but sometimes too much info for my small brain to decipher out!!

 

[CarlCox]

I normally trailer my bikes down to where I'm staying, so not really much use for planning, sorry. Two things I would say though, the péage toll roads used to be great for mile munching and still are but now there are less manned booths you end up being charged the car rate. Secondly, if you want to do the South of France I always prefer the crossing to St Malo or Caen as it gets you slightly further south and you can have a few beers and chill out on the ferry and you could overnight in Bordeaux one night and Toulouse another. My Dad lives near Perpignan, the campsite in Tautavel is great for exploring the Pyrenees and Cathar Castles.

Bilbao/St Malo is also a great option, work your way east to the Med along the Pyrenees in Spain or Frannce and then head back.

 

[Regyboy62]

Thanks Carl, appreciated

 

[TheDuck]

So im thinking, south of france, spend a few days there then back.

Personally I take a different approach when touring in/through France.
Northern France is rather boring and can be very wet.
For me day 1 is spent on the Motorway and it is easy to get down to the Geneva area.
Then you can spend the whole break on really good roads.
How about a few days in the Alps and then across to the Massif Central where the roads are just as good.
Can recommend Riders Rest in the Massive Central, we have stayed there several times.

less manned booths you end up being charged the car rate

Not if you go to the ones (usually on the right) that work on vehicle weight (look for lorry sign or one that doesn't just have a car sign above) and you can get a motorcycle rate.

 

[CarlCox]

I agree about the Grenoble area. Vaujany is a class spot and cheaper than most of the ski resorts.

 

[Toomanytoys]

We are heading over for another road trip early August, we live in Aus and have an 89 CBR1000F that hasbeen residing with a friend in Somerset since our last trip in 2019, planning from here can be a little challenging but doable.
We tend to go airbnb, our camping in tents days with a bike are long past, but it can get quite expensive, look for Camping Municipal these are generally good and inexpensive campsites run by the local government.
Like the Duck we tend to hit the autoroutes hard the first day to get south and the better weather, this time we are going from the tunnel in Calais to Annecy as our first stop, then near Alpe d’Huez for a night before scooting through the Gorges du Verdon area to Monaco, after that Sarlat in the Dordoigne , then Paris before heading back to the UK all over about 3 weeks.
Annecy and Sarlat are stunningly beautiful and both worth a visit, both areas provide good access to some great roads. We also try and base ourselves somewhere for at least 3 days between long rides and ride out locally from there, we found if you do one night stops you spend all the time hammering from one stop to the next, its good to stop and smell the roses sometimes….
I use Google maps to plan my routes, if you use the directions function you can get a rough estimate of distances and traveltimes, also you can set it to avoid motorways and tolls if you want to ride more scenic roads although a lot will just follow the autoroute anyway.
Apart from tolls the french like the UK love extracting money from you for speeding, cameras everywhere.
Hope you have a great time and hope this helps, also make sure you have some form of recovery assistance insurance, Adrian Flux are who we use.

 

[TheDuck]

and have an 89 CBR1000F that hasbeen residing with a friend in Somerset

Strewth, that must be close to me since I'm in Somerset.

then Paris

I presume you know about the Paris clean air zone. I have never researched the Paris one but I do know that the others in France are not friendly to my 99 Bird! Paris - Low Emission Zone - Green Zone France (environmentalbadge.com)

 

[Toomanytoys]

Hi Duck
Yeah been reading up on the crit air stickers, obviously the Hurricane doesn’t comply with any level, I have read that the restrictions only apply Mon-Fri 8:00am to 8:00pm, we arrive on a Thursday so are planning to arrive after 8:00pm, if not we will take a chance to get to the hotel, we are not planning on using the bike at all until we leave on Saturday so hopefully all good.
Annecy has restrictions depending on air quality but we have booked accomodation just outside the zone as we want to be able get out into the twisties.
The bike is in Taunton which is my home town prior to emigrating in 99, currently its at GV Bikes for a good check over, service and MOT.
Where abouts are you?

 

[Mallow1]

August in France tends to be when the whole country goes on vacation so lots of local shops and other facilities along your route will be closed. Best to book camp sites in advance as simply rocking up may be impossible.

As well as clean air zones and speed cameras think of other legal requirements (headlight stickers, "UK" licence plate sticker (not "GB" anymore), spare bulbs, triangle, hi viz vest, first aid pack etc).

SatNav mount with phone/ satnav Bluetooth'd to helmet. USB to power such. Check with your phone service provider whether your contract allows use in France at no extra charge or whether you need it unlocking first or a module bought. Careful if using phone while on a ferry. Once out of coastal water it is deemed international so that can cause huge roaming charges.

As well as satnav/ google maps use, I use an app called Morecast. It has a weather along route function showing info along your route at the point in time you are due there at that point. Great for travelling ahead or behind a storm, not trapped under it!

Puncture repair kit (I use the silicon mushroom type), tyre weld (helps seals small holes but can corrode wheel rims if prolonged exposure) or slime/ goop is a very good pretreatment option (I use hoop). I carry a small rechargeable tyre air compressor. Great re inflating post puncture repair or top up re slow leaks. Consider a TPMS (tyre pressure monitoring system). Great to spot slow punctures before handling and fuel efficiency are affected.

Insurance: check with your supplier wheyher overseas cover us included or whether you need upgraded cover/ green card.

Same too re any Breakdown cover or Travel insurance.

Check covid requirements into Francec and upon return. France us currentlyvhaving a surge. I use Reuters Covid tracker (website) to monitor developments. Ensure you get/ carry your EHIC card (NHS cover while abroad) or whatever it's now evolved into.

French highway code… well worth looking at english version online as there's some major differences so best review signagevand rules.

Don't forget to take Euros with you but also check with card suppliers whether tgey charge extra each time you use your card abroad. It can be a hidden extra cist which builds up esp if on tight budget.

Hope some of that helps.

Rgds Mallow1

 

[super11xx]

Hi all,
Always owned a bike bar an odd year here and there but never got round to doing a euro road trip mainly down to a 5 star wife. Well the wife has finally gone and i find myself in a position to actually go and do it on my beloved 05 bird.
Only problem is i dont really have a clue how to plan and execute said trip.
All i know is i have a very nice bike, two weeks and limited funds.
So im thinking, south of france, spend a few days there then back. Get some camping gear and go for it.
Anybody got any ideas on best routes and stopovers, can anyone recommend any campsites or even wild camping spots on the way?
The web is a mine of information but sometimes too much info for my small brain to decipher out!!

Have a look on this fellow biker. Before my tour to Scotland last week, I spend some time watching the adventures of Steve Clark - How to plan a Motorcycle Tour, Trip or Route with Garmin Basecamp & Google Earth Pro & Other Sources