Touring Planning next years euro trip anyone ?

Thanks .. I did the WW1 tour last year by coach (with my Dad) so went by coach.. saw a lot of bikers with Brit plates so decided there and then that this was next on the list.. really looking forward to it now..

 

Brilliant.. thanks for the advice .. As mentioned I was looking at ferries so thanks for the heads up.. I'll get my mate started on it !

 

Here's a link : http://www.ldline.co.uk/

 

I'm aiming to take my new Speed to northern France for a long w/e at the beginning of July. Going with my son and a good mate.
Have done Normandy a couple of times, so thinking of taking in some WW1 sites, possibly Albert, Vimy Ridge etc.
Going for 4 days so need other places to go, good roads to ride etc.

 

I am off to the Pyrenees last week in June for two woks plus Andorra, taking the ferry from Portsmouth to Bilbao returning via Santander will probably spend the last day with a ride to Potes in the Picos for lunch before catching the evening boat back to Portsmouth. Only downside of the trip is the boring motorway from Scotland both ways!! Hey ho you can't have everything? Remember (life's to short to grow up) regards to all and safe riding Lou

 

So as I'm all booked up, ferries sorted and the bike on the way back from the menders (don't ask ... embarrassing story !) Iv'e started thinking about luggage options... I've read on a few bike forums (not just Triumph) that loading the side panniers and especially the top box affects the handling.. I don't intend taking a massive amount of clothing with me, just a few t-shirts, grots and socks, wash bag, pair of jeans for the evening and a lightweight jacket ... Can't really see me filling up the panniers and back box with all that so I'm thinking of soft luggage... looking at 20ltr Kreiga sack which can be doubled up as a shoulder bag when we pull into the hotel of a night time... so, the question is... what do you lot prefer ? Stick with the pannier/top box mix or go for the soft option ?

Anybody throw any light on the 12V socket thats in the back box as well ? Mine doesn't even look as though its connected... ??

As an aside, how easy is it to remove the back box ? I've had a quick look but always just left it on there. The panniers I've removed as I don't really need them for day to day riding.

Cheers !

 

Meeting my daughter and her boyfriend in Cannes on 27 June so I thought I'd set off 5 days earlier and zigzag my way down through France, Switzerland & Italy and see what I see. Got overnight sleeps already booked in Saint Omer, La Petite-Pierre, Pontarlier, Bourg-Saint-Maurice & Barcelonnette, I'm going to try and stick as close as poss to The Route des Grande Alpes on the way. A few days pottering about the Med with the family before returning back up Route Napoleon then a shed load of motorway miles to home. Eurotunnel both ways this year (to save time) instead of the Newcastle - Amsterdam ferry. Saves about £100 too which is always good for my tight-ass Scottish pockets

 

Well,all my plans have gone out the window !
We've left it to late to book a ferry to Spain,there either full or rubbish times,and the price has gone through the roof.
Switzerland is looking to expensive.
So we'll just have to console ourselves with a 10 day bimble round Southern France

 

10 day bimble round Southern France sounds good to me, new year resolution for next year..book ferry now!

 

It will be great,I've wanted to go back since we passed through a couple of years ago.
Will book ferry extra early next year was looking forward to the Picos as well

 

That might be an option for us but we've only got a week in September. The Portsmouth to St Malo crossing is my favorite,gets in at 08.30,breakfasted and with a full tank of fuel.

 

We did that last year,worked out very reasonable.My give it another try,thanks

 

Rocamadour is well worth an overnight stop.
Can recommend Broto as well.
I preferred the Picos over the Pyrenees,seemed a bit quieter and a lot cheaper.We booked Hotel del Oso through Brittany Ferry's.

Rocamadour

 

It's been a bit up and down but we've finally book the ferry's for France.Nothing concrete yet but rough plan is,Dordogne,Tarn Gourges,Ardeche then possible back through the Limousin.
Out to St Malo(my favorite crossing) back through Caen.
We joined the Brittany Ferrys Club Voyage,though it cost £140 to join but it's £70 a year after that.It saved us £112 on this crossing,so if we do another we'll have saved our money.
Free breakfast as well

 

OK! Now feeling a bit smug
Still sorting the details for our trip in June,bumped into a mate on Sunday and now we're off to the Black Forest in September as well
Not quite sure how I've managed it but.................result

 

I've done a loop from Bilbao halfway through Pyrenees, down through Rioja and back up to Santander via Picos.
The following year I went west from Bilbao, taking in Picos, the coast and central Galicia - a very quiet and underrated area.
The first trip was on a VFR which suited the bigger roads through Pyrenees and Rioja, the last trip I did on my speed triple which made me fall in love with that bike! Perfect tool for the fast tighter stuff with perfect surfaces and constant radius corners of Galicia- if that sounds like your bag coupled with really friendly locals and great cheap food and drink then try it you won't regret it
I'll see you there again this year where We're taking in Northern Portugal too

 

I did the Picos on a Speed Triple as well,it does suit the roads very well.
Just when you think everything is sorted it all goes tits up again.The Black Forest trip went from 7 people to 2(me and her) so the memsahib decided she wants to go to Spain again.No decent ferry's left so we're riding down,might try and make Portugal as well.
I suspect it will all change again. TBH I'm not that bothered where we go,in the words of the great George Thorogood "I don't care where I go as long as it 'aint here"