interesting topic as this year I am taking 7 other chaps on a tour of Europe, and often there is a big split in opinion over whether to plan or not to plan...some considering even looking at a map takes all the fun from it. Well I usually counter that Europe is a massive place and just hoping to stumble on best roads is as likely as finding petrol in a village in France on a sunday ! LOL
IMO some prep is vital. It can vary from planning every route to just deciding towns you want to head to.The disadvantage of no planning can mean having to use expensive hotels, ride on into the night searching for digs, even running out of fuel and sleeping in a ditch!. And yes while I didn't do that , it happened to someone I know.
If its your first trip I could write out an A4 on dos and donts, if you want more info, feel free to PM me.
On the plus side, france is close enuff to UK for it not to feel too different , but still remember it is a different country with its own laws, practices and customs, which are quite at odds with for example weekends over in UK .Seasoned tourers gloss over much which has to be learned, but remember they have gained that often through experiences which could have been avoided with better prep.
The goal is to enjoy the vacation, not spend it regretting what you could have done.
For me the moment I leave Calais, the holiday starts in earnest , but that feeling of freedom still has to be tempered by having done enuff prep so you can relax into it!
