on my way to france by bike any advice
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Took my old Blade down through France and into Switzerland back in '97
Just watch the last few miles before the tolls because the police tend to pull you over there when you have to stop anyway.
As for roads - probably not much use to you but the Petit (?) St Bernard pass was one of my faves, my mate and I spent most of the day hooning it up and down the hairpin bends - great fun !! :smthumbup
Just watch the last few miles before the tolls because the police tend to pull you over there when you have to stop anyway.
As for roads - probably not much use to you but the Petit (?) St Bernard pass was one of my faves, my mate and I spent most of the day hooning it up and down the hairpin bends - great fun !! :smthumbup
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dont use that stuff that repairs your tyres if they puncture its pish! ok at first then your wheels will go seriously out of balance. get stopped for speeding then just bribe them apparently, and DO NOT use any gps or radar detectors over there as they are seriously frowned upon.
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:blah: motorways - necessary evil though if you've got a fair distance to cover, unless you've got a load of time on your hands.
We just went absolutely flat out all the way down on autoroutes, got them out of the way and then enjoyed all the twisties for the rest of the week
Enjoy :coolsm:
We just went absolutely flat out all the way down on autoroutes, got them out of the way and then enjoyed all the twisties for the rest of the week
Enjoy :coolsm:
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Don't offer it as a bribe though for gods sake!y2kfireblade said:
Just ask if you can pay the fine now in cash, which is pretty much the norm over there anyway and not really a bribe, I am sure the odd fine goes into the pocket of the odd copper, but they do things differently on the continent, and don't presume that because they do not do the same as an British copper would, that they are bent.
just got back, and what a bad first day. we were driving for around 2 hours and got pulled for 217kph in a 90. 750 euro fine and lost my licence in france.
does anyone know if the ban follows me to the uk. the paperwork says it doesnt but im not sure.
does anyone know if the ban follows me to the uk. the paperwork says it doesnt but im not sure.
If you're heading towards Barcelona, do the trip through the main roads.... As you get to the South of France, roads get a lot better.
Riding through those long French avenues is great. Lots of visibility and long open (if not a little bumpy) straights.
The French like bikes a lot too.
I did a trip to Greece & Back some 12 years ago with a friend on another bike, was a lot of fun!
We didn't use Motorways at all and made it to the South of France on the first day, in 14 hours, from Dieppe.
The best road I can remember was an aptly named "D911".
Fully of chicanes and hairpins with perfectly tarmac'd roads.
We never got stopped by the Police once.
I guess you don't really cross the Alps going that way, but there's some fantasic roads there too.
If you are camping in mountainous areas, the best advice I can give, is to climb as high as you can every night, using a good road map to guide you. Pitch the tent on the side of the road (There's no cars if you get high enough) in a forest, or empty field.
You'll wake up to some of the most spectacular views you might ever see... !
It's cold up there though, so take enough warm clothing for riding especially at night. It'll be close to zero up in the colder parts.
The trip we did was one of the best and most memorable road trips I've ever been on. Definitely try to avoid Motorways unless you need to make up time. They're boring for bikes - and the scenery is much less enchanting.
Riding through those long French avenues is great. Lots of visibility and long open (if not a little bumpy) straights.
The French like bikes a lot too.
I did a trip to Greece & Back some 12 years ago with a friend on another bike, was a lot of fun!
We didn't use Motorways at all and made it to the South of France on the first day, in 14 hours, from Dieppe.
The best road I can remember was an aptly named "D911".
Fully of chicanes and hairpins with perfectly tarmac'd roads.
We never got stopped by the Police once.
I guess you don't really cross the Alps going that way, but there's some fantasic roads there too.
If you are camping in mountainous areas, the best advice I can give, is to climb as high as you can every night, using a good road map to guide you. Pitch the tent on the side of the road (There's no cars if you get high enough) in a forest, or empty field.
You'll wake up to some of the most spectacular views you might ever see... !
It's cold up there though, so take enough warm clothing for riding especially at night. It'll be close to zero up in the colder parts.
The trip we did was one of the best and most memorable road trips I've ever been on. Definitely try to avoid Motorways unless you need to make up time. They're boring for bikes - and the scenery is much less enchanting.
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