What's this all about then ??

After much deliberation and a number of discussions with people that have either done this many times before or have visited the area (and a guy who works for me whose parents live there) I think the place to stay is Annecy (http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.c...+ANNECY,+74000).

Just a few Kms from the Alps, a nice little town on the edge of a lake. Torino and the South Coast are both in easy reach...

Jesus that's a long way! For the weekend that just might be further than I'm prepared to go.

Yours Nancy.


.

[BillyC]

Erm ,

Don't mean to **** on any flames, but Jonboy has a point. it's a lovely part of the world... but you are talking 500 miles from Calais! That's a good day's drive on the Autoroute, let alone a ride which would need more fuel stops.

Last year I drove from Lyon to Calais on the autoroute, and I realised I was late, and had to average 110mph, including fuel stops, to reach Calais in time for my Chunnel train. I left at 10am, drove at 130mph wherever I could , and just managed to catch my train with 30 minutes to spare for 3:30pm.

Good roads, but a long way!

Then you've got to drive back again! Great trip, great area... just probably worthy of more than a long weekend.

Billy

I know it's a long way, but with an early ferry (or even an overnight) and an early start it should be achievable. Mate of mine drove Calais to Marseille, left Dover at 6am, arrived at his hotel for 4pm local time. Agreed it's in a car, but if we book the hotel we have loads of time to get there.

And again, it waqs only a suggestion, but we covered over 400 miles on the first day last year. You'll soon forget it when you're in the Alps the following morning... But if we don't want to travel that far, then we can still camp at Colmar.....

[BillyC]

Sod it...

I love travelling, and by Road, France is one of the best places... wherever it's planned for, I think I'm pretty much still up for it! You're so right that once we got there the distance wouldn't be an issue as the location would more than make up for it!

Any idea on hotel and ferry costs yet?

Billy

why dont you do france, spain and portugal? spain is supposed to have lovely roads a mate of mine from london lived there for a few years and he said the tarmac was as smooth a race track

[BillyC]

Hello, me again,

I know Spain pretty well too, and he's right, the roads are excellent there as well, generally speaking. Most places have a few dodgy bits of road, and Spain is no exception.

The roads tend to be less that straight though, because they're always avoiding some bit of terrain. There'll always be some slow moving truck or old dear in front of you, just before a bend that you daren't overtake before or on.

Actually it sounds pretty good doesn't it?

Only trouble is that you're looking at 800-900 miles plus, just to get there, and then to portugal is obviously a bit more on top of that!

Billy

One of my friends tours spain every year, he get the ferry, and then the overnight train down to spain, put the bikes on at Calais train station, get ****ed, go to bed, wake up in Spain, breakfast and ride off...

Now a train may be a better bet, That way we could avoid the dull motorway ride down there

thoughts Steve?

Hmmm much to think about.

1) Touring France Spain & Portugal is not really practical if we have a large group, and the concensous of opinion was to make camp and "day trip" it on various routes. But I'm up for eaither.

2) Taking the train is a sound idea but one of the things I would like to control is cost, and it won't be that cheap.

3) The scenery, terrain and roads of the French/Swiss boarder are very good anyway (some German ones ain't that hot though...)

We can discuss over a coffee tonight, I will be making a list of those who are in and posting it up this weekend.

Right, as I've had a poets day, I might even clean the bike....

Originally Posted by Jelster

Raf (and for anybody else that may also be in his predicament)

I expect us to enter France, Germany Switzerland & Italy (well that's the target anyway)

For those interested, we may also do a "weekender" to Belgium France & Luxembourg at some stage too. Possibly either at Easter as a warm up to this or in September when we've all come back from the summer hols...

Right took the day off to do some research & Xmas shopping and I found the most bizzarre thing, I don't need a visa to enter the "Schengen space". However the swiss will still charge me 18 quid for right to set foot in their country. But hey, things are looking better already!