Luckypant's Trip July 2007.

[Luckypants]

Hi All

I'm planning a trip round France and would welcome some suggestions. I plan to take in a stage of the Tour de France with my brother and meet my son who is working in the Ardeche. I also want to ride some of the spectacular bridges the French have. Here is a rough itinery


Drive through France to Grenoble
Find Pont D'Oxford in Grenoble
Bourg D'Oisons to meet brother.
Watch the tour on the Gallibier
Cross the Alps and head to the Gorges Verdun (see this month's Bike)
Pont D'Avignon (on foot)
Motor down to the Ardeche
Couple of days with son.
Millau Viaduct
Head North
Brotonne Bridge
Pont D'Normandie
HomeAny advise on roads in those general directions?
Any advise on which maps to buy?
Any recommanded camp sites / camp site guides?

[Jelster]

Mike,

Have a look at www.alpineroads.com for some decent rods in the Alps and the Alsace region.

Other than that, do what I do, get a copy of MS Autoroute and study it, look for some "decent" looking roads and then google them, see what come up.

Fine part of France but I don't really know it well enough to give you anything reliable. There is a forum on Alpine Roads so somebody there may be able to help you.

.

[STRAMASHER]

If you get sick of the autoroute before you reach Grenoble, consider getting off it at Dijon( I always do as it gets you on the interesting stuff early!) and head to get on the N5 and head for Nyon in Switzerland. Over a small mountain range and as you head down to Nyon you see Lake Geneva ahead with the Swiss Alps in the background, stunning.Then head south to Annecy (gorgeous) Chambery,Grenoble.

Col du Galibier is a cracker. Had been beautifully resurfaced in 2004. We were there 3rd week in june and there was huge amounts of snow. The road had be cut out of the snow and but was not treacherous.

For Gorge Du Verdon, leave as early as you can in the morning to do the loop. Avoids a lot of the Dutch campeervans and tourist coaches. Take a spare set of footpegs as yours will be worn out!:p It really is something special, road and views.

Last year we made the mistake of crossing the Millau bridge south to north. WRONG! Dilluted the experience somewhat as you basically come round a corner and ,bang, you are on it. N-South and you can see it approaching for miles.

Orange Michelin maps are best. Show you all the twisties/viewpoints.

Have a good 'un and mind and post some pics.

[Lissa]

Hi Luckypants,

We've done Bourg D'Oisans/Alpe de Huez/Col de Galibier and the Gorge De Verdun in the last couple of years. Will happily bore you stupid about them during the Wales weekend:D

[Luckypants]

Hi Luckypants,

We've done Bourg D'Oisans/Alpe de Huez/Col de Galibier and the Gorge De Verdun in the last couple of years. Will happily bore you stupid about them during the Wales weekend:D

Cool! Will look forward to that.

[Tomcat]

Luckypants, what dates are you planning, as we are going to Switzerland, doing dover to calais Sunday July 8th morning and then having a week over there

[Luckypants]

Going out on 12th or 13th (not booked yet), I have booked those days off work so might even try blasting to Hull to catch overnight ferry to Ostend on Wednesday (11th) night to get early start on 12th. Then might take Stramasher's advice and take the Swiss route down to Bourg D'Oisons.

[Jelster]

I can recommend the D902 (Route de Galbier). Last time I did it though it was cold, windy & raining, which fun (NOT). Cracking road.

[Luckypants]

Hmmm Been thinking of using the train to get from Toulouse or Brive, but it is soooo expensive. Website prices are for cars, £290 for the day I'm thinking. Anyone used this for bikes? (Jelster) what are the prices for bikes like? It might save me some petrol and a night or two camping, but seems to be pricey.

[Tomcat]

Luckypants, how did you get on with the ferry from Hull. We opted for ride to Dover, the Hull ferry seemed very expensive, now wondering if we have done the right thing!

[Luckypants]

Yeah the Hull ferry is very expensive this year. Looks like I'll have to bite the bullet and ride south, stay at my daughter's b/f house then early ferry. Looks like my tyres will be earning the touring part of thier sport touring rating!

[Tomcat]

Yeah the Hull ferry is very expensive this year. Looks like I'll have to bite the bullet and ride south, stay at my daughter's b/f house then early ferry. Looks like my tyres will be earning the touring part of thier sport touring rating!

Thats our plan also. We are going the weekend before though, might pass you on our way home!!

[Jelster]

Hmmm Been thinking of using the train to get from Toulouse or Brive, but it is soooo expensive. Website prices are for cars, £290 for the day I'm thinking. Anyone used this for bikes? (Jelster) what are the prices for bikes like? It might save me some petrol and a night or two camping, but seems to be pricey.

We've used the train. Bikes are normally half the car price, but you need to check.

.

[Luckypants]

Ohhh getting excited now! Packing panniers tonight! :D

[amarko5]

Ohhh getting excited now! Packing panniers tonight! :D

Have a good and safe one mate :D

take plenty of pictures won't ya ;)

I am seriously thinking of a trip in early september maybe to the Hartz mountains (have been told that they are amazing) and relatively close :eek:

sublime surface and twisty for miles and miles up and down (and the police sit and wave you on at silly speeds )

:p

[Luckypants]

Just fitted Scottoiler loob-tube so I don't need to take oil to top up standard RMV. Ohhhh so excited! :rolleyes:

[stewie]

Have a good trip Mike, ride safe and all that. :D
Stew

[Jelster]

We do expect lots of pictures....

We're off on the 24th August......

[Luckypants]

hopefully my new XD card will arrive tomorrow to go with me new camera, esle it might be limited..... only got 200 odd shots on internal memory! :D

[dizzyblonde]

have a nice trip Mr Pants, i'm getting excited cause we're off to France next month, if both bikes behave by then( in fact i don't want to beat the black one with a big stick I want to take a hammer to the raptor)...apparently we're doing the Milau Bridge, I expect pics(to tempt me across it) I don't like heights

enjoy...I know you will

[Luckypants]

have a nice trip Mr Pants, i'm getting excited cause we're off to France next month, if both bikes behave by then( in fact i don't want to beat the black one with a big stick I want to take a hammer to the raptor)...apparently we're doing the Milau Bridge, I expect pics(to tempt me across it) I don't like heights

enjoy...I know you will
Am doing the Millau Viaduct too, awesome structure. Also look at doing the Pont De Normandie that crosses the Seine estuary, also awesome. If you don't want to cross the millau, detour around the village in the gorge below, very pretty, twisty roads and a helluva view of bridge..... (so I'm told)

[Jelster]

LP, I'd be interested in an honest assessment of how the VFR does while you're out there. I keep turning my head that way, if you know what I mean....

.

[Luckypants]

Bike loaded and ready to rock

See you in a couple of weeks

http://img457.imageshack.us/img457/1996/20070711biketrip0007smaae1.jpg

[Luckypants]

Back (on 23rd) - photos and stories later.

[Luckypants]

Ok I'm bored with work already! So here is the trip report.

Left here morning of the 12th and headed south, late ferry from Dover to Dunkirk. I stayed in a Formule1 cheapy and got an early start the next day. Went south on the motorways to Dole and leapt off there with the intention of riding the N5 to Nyon (thanks Stramasher). Was knackered TBH so stayed in a great hotel (Hotel de Paris) in Poligny.

Rode over the N5, was awesome! Check out the view (photos) that just appeared round a bend. Lots of hairpins kept me on my toes as the bike was 300KGs loaded (without me!). Went to Geneva for photo and then on to Annecy. Every road was blocked off for the Tour de France! Every route I tried I was turned around, in the end I went down a little road thinking I could sneak down the course..... but there was a Gendarme and all the locals out with thier BBQs, so I stopped and joined the party. Watched the Tour go past and then carried on - only cost me 3 hours!

Stopped in Annecy for a couple of nights, camping. It is a lovely place, but absolutely packed! Not my cup of tea really. Visited the lovely Chateau du Menthon (see pic) and the Col De Facluse. Campsite manageress was a babe... :D

Went over the Col Du Glandon and many minor cols covering back roads to meet my brother in Bourg D'Oisons and here the recurring theme of my trip started - I got lost!! Was all good, just ended up covering an extra 60Kms or so! If anyone wants to ride the Col Du Glandon, I would recommend going up from Bourg D'Oisons rather N6 side as the road is much better. Also go over the Croix de Fer to stay on the good road, then go back over towards the Bourg D'Oisons start via the Col Du Galibier. Met my brother in bourg d'Oisons after an epic descent dodging mad cyclists....

I left my bruv early to meet my son, so never watched the tour climb the Galibier. The ride from Bourg D'Oisons towards Grenoble then N85 to Gap and then D994 to Pont St. Esprit (despite another minor 'lost' incident!) was fan-bloody-tastic! I finally clicked with the Viffer, we were as one and flew down the twisties. The Gorge des Eygues was twisty, well surfaced and too hot for any Gendarmes to be about! Bloody brilliant.

Met my lad and spent two days canoeing down the Ardeche gorge (grade 2 max), camping overnight. The French don't do wilderness, so there was full mobile phone coverage and the 'bivouac' had showers and toilets! The number of tourists paddling the gorge was astoundng and really detracted from the experience. Would recommend it in low season though. Also the nudists with thier wrinkly suits and dodgy haircuts (if you get my drift) also put me off my lunch....

Headed off from there towards Millau on some twisty back roads through the Cevennes and planned to come down the Gorges Du Tarn to Millau. However I got SPECTACULARLY lost! At Florac I needed to take the D907 - which I did. What I really needed was the D907b, a totally different road! So I lost half a day wandering the Cevennes, having fun but losing my timetable. I arrived at Millau 5 hours late and had to camp there the night. No bad thing - another lovely town! As I arrived at the edge of the Tarn Gorge on the N9, I stopped at view point - just as I got off the bike this HUGE eagle flew by! At least 200 folks were fumbling for cameras and I swear the lady in front of me could have reached out and touched it's wing tip! Amazing! It's wingspan must have been 3m, it was huge. I think it was a 'Royal Eagle' as the French call them, but I do not know the real name (EDIT: It seems most likely this was a Golden Eagle or a Bonelli's Eagle). Took photos of the Viaduc du Millau with the bike and managed a play on some local roads about the Gorges du Tarn.

Next day had to be a motorway day :( to make up some lost time. Did 600Km that day, almost all on the Autoroute. Ended up in a lovely place called Chateaudun, near Le Mans. The municipal campsite is a gem and the view accross the Loire valley was stunning.

Next day I went north to Le Havre and rode over the Pont de Tancarville (no photo unfortunately) and Pont de Normandie - this was more impressive to ride than the Millau Viaduct as it was so steep and more dramatic to be on. Rode along the Channel coast back to Dunkirk. Those roads in northern France are so straight and boring. I clocked one straight to 10KM long!

Next day was blast up motorways to visit brother (other one) in Leicester and then home for tea and medals! (Well pizza, check out the high class VFR pizza delivery bike!)

2660 miles altogether and my viffer is ready for it's 4k service after 6 weeks.

Slideshows from photobucket....

First one (http://s174.photobucket.com/albums/w111/luckypants_photos/France%20Trip%202007/?action=view&current=754a8ed5.pbw)

Second one (http://s174.photobucket.com/albums/w111/luckypants_photos/France%20Trip%202007/?action=view&current=f2cf1d92.pbw)

Third one (http://s174.photobucket.com/albums/w111/luckypants_photos/France%20Trip%202007/?action=view&current=baf179c5.pbw)

Fourth one (http://s174.photobucket.com/albums/w111/luckypants_photos/France%20Trip%202007/?action=view&current=98e63ea0.pbw)

Final one (http://s174.photobucket.com/albums/w111/luckypants_photos/France%20Trip%202007/?action=view&current=e0e0179a.pbw)

Any criticisms of the photobucket slide show, please PM me - it's my first go and I'd rather not derail the thread.....

[Tim in Belgium]

A nice tale and some good pics there.

[Lissa]

Nice pics, Mike:D

Seeing the ones of Annecy and the Gorge d'Ardeche brought back happy memories:cool:

[dizzyblonde]

good pics. postcard perfect. hope the gendarmes are as friendly in 2 weeks when we go!!

[Luckypants]

good pics. postcard perfect. hope the gendarmes are as friendly in 2 weeks when we go!!Hope that gel seat is comfier than my Viffer's to! Damn, I had **** ache!

[dizzyblonde]

i hope so. bike been in pieces since AR. i've been in training....i've been eating more pies!!!!

[kwak zzr]

great pic's mike! and now i found the euro tour forum.

[plowsie]

Some really good pics there mate, thinking about doing it myself. I've done that with Pizza too :D

[stewie]

Nice pics mike, looks like you had a great time

[Luckypants]

For anyone interested it seems most likely it was a Golden Eagle or a Bonelli's Eagle I saw at millau.

[Essex of Essex]

Nice set of slide shows; it sounds like a great trip.

[Tomcat]

Lovely pics, looks like you had a really great time (tiring I'm sure!)

We did the pizza thing as well! I havent the patience to post the pics but it made us laugh at the time!

Glad you home safely and thanks for the pm :D

[Luckypants]

Glad you home safely and thanks for the pm :DYour Welcome :smt039

Was round your neck of the woods yesterday with Quiff and co from staffs. Broke my Cat and Fiddle duck and had a good time hooning about.

[Luckypants]

Sorry to drag this up after all this time, but on this trip I took this photo of Millau bridge..

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w111/luckypants_photos/France%20Trip%202007/2007_0723FranceTrip0003.jpg

And I discovered Google maps Streetview has all the roads around the bridge, here is the view from the same place

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=milau&sll=53.109027,-3.407566&sspn=0.008038,0.022724&ie=UTF8&ll=44.088325,3.029652&spn=0,359.818211&z=13&layer=c&cbll=44.088284,3.029475&panoid=EHf5z_mxBQy3nv80Q_KYYg&cbp=12,239.22,,0,1.61

I know Millau comes up in conversation a lot, so now folks can go and have a good look around on the net!

[Speedy Claire]

I was doing okay and felt quite calm until i dropped the little google man off the bridge!!!

[Ed]

BH it look scary - so high up...