I'm just curious to hear from all you seasoned touring guys/gals? what is your all time favourite road in Europe (excluding the UK) I know everyone will have different opinions on what makes a great road but it would be interesting to hear what you think PS If you can't name just one road, maybe your top 3
your best biking road is only the best til you tell someone about it and they tell you of one better!'
Not easy to answer that one Dougie as I generally like EVERYTHING outside of the UK... But I've thought about it and I reckon in reverse order - 3rd - Route Napoleon. I've done it when it's been busy and I've done it at the crack of dawn when I had it to myself (almost)... each time I've loved it, even in the rain. 2nd - Col de la Bonette 1st - Susten Pass I'll be on 2 & 3 again next Summer and 1 in 2018
I've got loads of favourites but the N260 in the Spanish Pyrenees takes some beating. Most of the big name mountain passes are over and done with in no time but the N260 just keeps giving. At it's empty best in late May/early June. Nobody knows how to build a bike road the way the Spanish do - highly recommended!
Stevio Pass - Alps; Transfaragason Roumania: https://www.google.fr/search?q=Tran...e..69i57j0.20673j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
This is all sounding great guys. I am a liittle embrassed to admit that I have never left our shores on a bike. It looks like I have plenty to look forward to as retirement gets ever closer. Hired a dodgy Yam 600 or something once in Cyprus for a few days.
Mick, go on google maps and check out the roads..that will whet your appetite for touring! Germany and Austria doesn't allow the wee google man in to look around but there's plenty of info on the web about the biking roads. I'll be checking out the roads mentioned above and hopefully manage to do them sometime
Thanks Dougie, I have been abroad many times and seen the brilliant roads and scenery to be had. In fact it was recent holidays in mid and Southern France where I made my mind up to get another bike. Problem is my wife will not go on bikes due to a family motorcycling fatality many years ago. My plan is in my retirement when I am not restricted to company holiday entitlement I will have the 'spare' time to venture into Europe on my bike without jeopardizing family holidays. So without wishing my life away, I am looking forward to the biking adventures in future years.
Generally Europe is far more pleasant than the UK (avoiding the obvious like busy capital cities). Bikers are more welcome, roads are quieter and usually better maintained (Belgium can be the exception to this though!). Just get over there and enjoy - use the Tunnel - you're in France within 35 minutes, Belgium in 20 after that and Germany within 3 hours.
N 621 from Potes to Riano then turn right onto the N 625 to Cangas de Onis. Or maybe the D17 from Aurillac to Pas de Peyrol Or maybe any road in the Southern Vosges,round the Grand Ballon. So many good roads in Europe. Hopefully off to the Alps in June so I might have to revise the list
Stayed a few times in Potes and the area is superb, N625 is very nice but with saying that most of the roads in the Potes area are good and the Riano lakes road is bliss, June 2017 we are off to Vosges so will give the area of Grand Ballon a look
+1 for Potes and Riano, coming back that way in May for ferry, then off to French Alps in July...Col de Bonnet is spectacular, to be honest any road with a mountain range is good. Teejay
Route Napolean for me the best to date although the Ronda in Spain also excellent, of for two weeks in the Pyrenees this summer my thoughts might change. remember (life's to short to grow up) ride safe everyone regards Lou
One of my all time favourites is Italy's most beautiful roundabout the Sella Ronda in the Dolomites. Four cracking passes and a scenery to blow your brains away to boot.
i must admit i do fancy the Dolomites stunning scenery, they look totally different from anything else in the Alps..one day
The Dolomites are quite simply different to everything else out there. And the further East you go the less traffic you get. Most of the pictures on my website were taken in the Dolomites quite simply because of the stunning scenery. I remember riding down South via the Felberntauern road approaching Cortina from the East via Monte Zoncolan, a small road comparable to a country lane, and skirting round via Passo Giao. It was a long day's ride from Munich, nearly 300 miles along small roads, so the beers in the evening were well earned Next day Passo Falzarego followed by the Sella Ronda and then back to Vipiteno via another bunch of tiny roads. Now that is a trip I would recommend to all and sundry. You get stunning passes, some relaxing bigger roads like the Felberntauern, small stuff where I'd pay you a beer if you saw another bike and one fantastic Alpine hut with decent nosh after the other.
N260 and Potes to Riano both different but both excellent. Going on from there I did Galicia area - very quiet, top quality stunning roads with perfect grippy surface and constant radius corners - absolutely perfect for a speed triple