South West Bikers | Motorcycle Forum

Right, next summer I'm planning to go touring in Europe. Never done it, haven't got a clue what to expect, but I want to spend up to a month travelling. Which is all well and good, but probably boring on my own! Just looking to see if anyone would be interested in coming along? Obviously it's all preliminary at the mo, nothing is definate, but the idea is planted and the urge for warm sunny days are calling!

Hey, currently looking into a tour over to Spain at the moment! Won't be for a month though, only 7-10 days. Went to Ireland for a week back in May/June and camped for the majority of it. Being the first time we'd gone toured we packed more than we probably needed too, but weather you can never know what to expect weather wise in Ireland!!

When you thinking of going and where?

I'm planning to go end of July, for the majority of August (the joys of workng in a school!). Nothing it definate, but I want to get in France, the Black Forest, Austria, Budapest, the Alps,Italy and back to England. It's an entirely flexible trip, so I can just change my mind when I'm there if I want =)

That sounds cool. Used to work in a school myself until October, but had to work during the holidays!

(Apologies for my previous post! After reading it again I realised some parts of it didn't make alot of sense - muddling up my words!)

MattGreaves wrote:I realised some parts of it didn't make alot of sense

Nothing new there then!!

Depends what your budget is like and how much ground you want to travel, last year we had a week booked in the Algarve, just booked accomodation for 1 night on the way down via Laterooms and took one day to travel though Spain. We took our time coming back through Portugal, either just turned up & asked for a deal or use the hotel computer and used Laterooms again for the following night.

Mean't no excessive luggage or time spent putting tent up/down loading/unloading plus you had a bit more security for your gear on and off of the bike.

I would imagine a group of 6 or so could rent a villa/house somewhere in Southern France/Spain etc quite cheaply and use it as a base to go exploring - can always do another over-night stay away from the place you're renting, means you're not travelling all the time with the bike loaded up/not able to leave bike with gear etc on it.

Wherever you go you will have a great time...

I have done a lot of touring over the years so if you want some tips wtc i don;t mind posting them ;)

some pics and ideas of where to go www.whereistonynow.co.uk also www.motomassif.info

Flip wrote:Right, next summer I'm planning to go touring in Europe. Never done it, haven't got a clue what to expect, but I want to spend up to a month travelling. Which is all well and good, but probably boring on my own! Just looking to see if anyone would be interested in coming along? Obviously it's all preliminary at the mo, nothing is definate, but the idea is planted and the urge for warm sunny days are calling!

I am sure you will enjoy yourself

Not sure about the going for a month if you have never been before..why not pop across for a long weekend or try Easter next year as with the Wedding it could be good time to travel

Most years I go away for three weeks although in 2008 I went down to Greece for a 6000 mile wander that took 5 weeks and enjoyed it all..Did 14 countries including Romania and Bulgaria

Good luck

Flip, I can recommend staying at Nomads place!! Roads around their B&B are just awesome

Thanks for all the advice guys! I figured that by going for a month (besides having the time to spare) would mean I'd do less miles per day and 'sight see' a bit more, so that I didn't push myself too far being a first timer. Cheers for the websites Nomad- very useful! So does everyone reckon B&B's are better than camping?

Flip wrote:Thanks for all the advice guys! I figured that by going for a month (besides having the time to spare) would mean I'd do less miles per day and 'sight see' a bit more, so that I didn't push myself too far being a first timer. Cheers for the websites Nomad- very useful! So does everyone reckon B&B's are better than camping?

I reckon a combination is the answer...I always plan to camp but take the B&B's when I feel like a change or when the area is cheap

Peter

If you have a whole month I would consider a mixture of both...

The problem I see with camping is securing your gear each time you rideout if you are using the campsite as a base but for day to day traveling ie a new location each night it has it's merrits.

nomad wrote:If you have a whole month I would consider a mixture of both...

The problem I see with camping is securing your gear each time you rideout if you are using the campsite as a base but for day to day traveling ie a new location each night it has it's merrits.

I understand what you mean Tony, but to be honest in what must be thirty years or more of camping, including places like the Bol d'Or and Le Mans, we've never had any security problems camping ..... and nowadays when we go "family" camping you're talking a fair bit of (relatively) expensive kit left on site

We've always tended to use chambre d'hote, 1* or 2* hotels or formula1/etap's whilst travelling or moving day-to-day, then used campsites when staying put for two or more nights. A month is a long time to go if you're gonna be moving a lot - we went for three weeks once, down the west coast of france, into Spain and the Picos D'Europas, along the Pyrenees, around the med, up through the french and Italian alps, across Switzerland and into the Vosges, then across Northern France and back home, travelling most days, and that's the only time we've been away when we felt we actually needed to get home