Tour suggestions

Hello all.

I have just put a deposit down on a daytona 650, and im trying to get organised for next years season..

I have had it in my head to do a short europe trip and would welcome some suggestions. I live in the north west, and did not really fancy a ride down to the south coast ( then back up again ) so i had wondered about a ferry from newcastle to holland then down through france ending in a ride north through the uk. 

What do you think? sound any good? im open to any suggestions or ideas, especially if you have done similar

My preference is always for France, although I'm not particularly keen on the Pas de Calais / Picardy region. Neither do I like the south east of England to get to Dover / Chunnel.

From where you are, once you're past the Lancs / W Yorks conurbation, there are nice routes down to the Western Channel ports (Portsmouth, Poole etc)  which put you into Normandy, which is lovely in its own right but also gives easy access to the Massif Central or even the Pyrenees / Cevennes if you want to go a bit further.

 I've been touring in France since the early 90s and always find something new.

So do you think it is feasable to do just a short tour...say three or four days.....?

Is it not worth bothering with the holland leg?

<<So do you think it is feasable to do just a short tour...say three or four days.....?>>

Yes indeed

<<Is it not worth bothering with the holland leg?>>

Depends what you like. I've not ridden there but have driven, and the bit I was in was fairly uninteresting. But it depends how adventurous you are.  The plus point for some people about Holland is that virtually everyone speaks English.

RidersRest Bikers only B&B in the beautiful Central Massif - France

Touring France Touring routes - Central Massif on a motorcycle...

Why not hop on a ferry and go to ireland???

 They almost speak the same language, have good roads and great pubs!

 As long as you have waterproofs, it will be a good laugh.

I had wondered about ireland. Have you been?

Will i get kneecapped for doing a bad irish impression?.........it always comes out after beer when i talk to an irelandish person.  Same with welsh. boyo.

One of the reasons i thought of france was the likelyhood of good weather. In my head Ireland rains more than lancashire!

Rain in northern ireland for sure, after all the saying goes if can't see across belfast loch, it's cos it's raining, if you can see across, it's about to start raining.

Southern ireland is the place to go, they don't mind you having a poke at the accent as much either.

If you are going to France for three day's or more great ... Camping will be your best bet ... Try this place for your first night just out side Dover ...

51.180580, 1.400714 Google map's

Then you can pack up and get an early crossing ...It's only five pound a nigh pitch ... Then when you are in France just go south and get the better weather ... Never any good riding in the rain ...

John933

If you wait for the right weather Scotland and Wales are great.

If you're only going for 3 or 4 days and are flexible on dates then you can easily find a time when it won't rain. Also in Scotland you can camp wild easily enough.

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If you want to go abroad and find some interesting roads, the nearest great biking area is the Eifel region of Germany. A pleasant days trot, or four hours if you tuck in a bit, it's most famous attraction is the Nurburgring. But you don't need to ride the circuit to get your kicks, all the roads around the area are awesome for biking. It's not a densely populated area, although there are plenty of hotels, but it's best to book in advance cos many of them shut out of season.

Holland's full of very lovely people, but the roads are boring as buggery, and I've never found anything of interest in Belgium. France is cool, but the interesting roads are a long way south. Worth it once you get there, though, the Languedoc area is biking nirvana, and anywhere in the south will be warm and picturesque. Hotels just about everywhere, and little need to book. Or you can use the network of Formule 1 or Campanile hotels (among others), these are generally on the outskirts of large towns and are cheap (starting from 30 euros per room, so if there's 2 or 3 of you it's as cheap as camping).

There are some interesting roads in northern France, but they're well off the beaten track. Program your satnav to avoid motorways, stick it on landscape view, and head for anywhere where the road looks wiggly. I went on a 2500-mile, 7-day tour of France last year without touching a single motorway, and we had fun all the way. The south of France is do-able in a day, but it's a long old slog. It's a big country is France. 

Switzerland is full of great roads, but you have to pay a 40 euro vignette to use their motorways, and they're a cheerless bunch of bastards. They'll take all your euros and give you the change back in swiss francs, the gits. Italy is Great, but I just can't get on with the people, just a personal preference you understand. And Spain has all the space and roads you crave, but again it's a long old slog to get there. Worth the effort if you've got the time.

You could tour round Britain, but you will get wet, and you will get stuck in traffic. So hit the chunnel and find out what touring by bike is all about; open, perfectly surfaced twisty roads, great scenery, great food, great people, great weather. The further south you go, the better all of the above gets. And you've got the perfect bike for the job. Have fun!