first euro trip

[ddtwelve]

Im hopefully if it dosent cost too much off to europe in may thinking riding down to dover but getting the ferry to dunkirk insteadof boring calais , problem id ive never been riding in eurozone and also will be camping any suggestions on where to go places to visit as i dont want to be in the saddle all the time racing the clock,  thinking of riding through holland then maybe a little bit of germany only got a week thou

[pitternator]

my advice is to start with a couple of things
1. how far do you wantto ride per day , coupled with how many hours you want in the saddle. Opinions vary a lot. The idea is to give an idea of daily mileage range. If you use a lot of motorway it covers ground quicker but is boring. An unplanned day on b roads can get you also get you almost going round in circles.
 
2. do you want some sort of itinereary or just hope you like what comes up.Many suggest just going where the road takes you , but in reality most have some sort of target area.Personally I like to do some research as best roads dont always just happen, I have experienced the worst biking day of my life when we just tried that !
 
A week does give some opportunities for even the alps / austria, as its possible to get to western austria with 1 overnight stop , doing around 350 miles a day. I like austria as its so set up for the biking tourist.I would still suggest wherever you go, try to google some ideas of where campsites are. Holland has apparently a good campsite network.
You can try the harz mountains in eastern germany as a circular trip, taking in the eiffel mountains ( near nurburgring) on the way back. Or you could try the vosges national park in eastern france.If you look at how guided tour companies set up their trips it gives you an idea of what you could do.Similarly you could ride to the pyrenees and back with a short stay in the pyrenees themselves.
If you have neer ridden on a tour before at home or abroad I suggest not to try to do too much at first. Hence something like the vosges could be ideal as you can get there in a day, or take a leisurely run with an overnight stop in between.
 
I still would advise doing some research into the area before you go, try and find the best bits to visit etc.
 
try looking at these sites for ideas  www.dragonmototours.co.uk  www.motorcycletours.co.uk  www.mcitours.com

[markbubble]

if your after riding in holland how about the harrwich/hook of holland ferry or the hull to rotterdam ferry?hull ferry not as cheap but you save a day each way riding down south and get a cabin for the overnight crossing!iv drove not ridden in holland and theres loads cheap travel lodge  type hotels(much cheaper than uk) so even if you do plan on camping maybe every other day or 2 stop at one of these for a decent wash/dry off if its raining etc!
camping is great when weather is good but when you been in saddle getting wet its not so much fun!
as for place to go that is purly a matter of taste i sometimes like to plan every thing but i find its more fun to just ride a bit,stop wen you see something you like and so on!

[sadlonelygit]

Apart from the legal stuff, docs, passport, copies of everything, just go and do it. Most people have differnet expectations for a trip.
What i would find a great trip might not float your boat, but here goes.
2 days in the dam, arhnem, spa francochamps, baden-baden then down the b500 to oppenau, over to the vosges, up to luxembourg/namur for a day, home

[manuel32]

Years ago we went over to Rotterdam then joined the river Rhine,we followed that right into Switzerland through Germany,the roads seem to stay close to it and there were loads of camp sites along the river.On entering Switzerland they made us buy 1 month road tax.


Billy

[sadlonelygit]

On entering Switzerland they made us buy 1 month road tax.


Billy

only if you go in on a motorway

[ChristoT]

Seeing as I live in France, and go home there, thought I'd pitch in!

If you're planning on going to Holland, be prepared for boring roads. I have family there, and it's all FLAT. Very little interesting scenery there. Some like it though... I personally am fonder of Brittany - but seeing as I live there, I'm biased! Beware in France though, "camping sauvage" is frowned upon (I believe it's technically illegal, not sure how hard it's enforced).

If going through France, the police insist you carry ALL documents at ALL times. So, drivers license on you, and V5, insurance, blah de blah, under the seat.

People seem to think that riding on the right will be as hard as driving a car on the right. I disagree, no passenger seat to confuse you! A few hours, and it seemed like second nature to me.

Stena Lines from Hoek Van Holland to Harwich are comfy, but expensive. Not sure how good they are with bikes, though. DFDS Seaways (Dover - Dunkirk) are cheap, don't know about bikes.

If you plan on heading further South, then LD Lines to le Havre are cheap, and I can recommend their bike care too. When I travelled with them on my 125 last July, there were 30 bikes on the boat, and we got a deck to ourselves! If you'd rather have a faster crossing, then Condor Ferries are GREAT. They are pricier, but they are good with bikes - they have custom mounts for them which locks the front wheel. Not bad on comfort, either. The furthest North they sail to is Cherbourg. Just to warn you though, there's no dual carriageway leading to Cherbourg, so it might take a bit longer getting on the bigger roads.

Hope that helps!

[BBROWN1664]

ChristoT

I would get the ferry from Portsmouth to Caen/Le Harve/Cherbourg and have a campsite/B&B booked in the Loire/Normandy area and just spend a few days going off in different directions. BigMac has a place in that area and have stayed there/near there many times over the years just going round in circles loving the roads knowing that you have somewhere to sleep that night and all your kit is not on the back of the bike.
My eldest passed his test a few months ago and the plan is to take him there in the spring so he can see what all the fuss is about!

[ChristoT]

Sounds very nice!! I'm trying to persuade a few biking friends from Uni to come over for a week next holiday. Don't know whether I'll succeed, but can only try!

I agree with everything you've said. Especially the sign:

ChristoT

 

[pitternator]

personally I use eurotunnel, its dearer but saves so much time, especially if you are say riding across france to say germany.The ferry takes a lot longer to load up, steam across and disgorge. I always book my ticket so theres no waiting, just get on after a short reception at ( unmanned) ticket booths. So easy to check in and out.