Europe for first time - would appreciate advice

I'm about to go to France, Switzerland and Italy on a 2 week trip around the Alps and Dolomites - i would appreciate any advice on the following -

How to tie your bike down on the ferry? I have some handlebar tie-down ratchet straps - will this suffice?

Displaying GB tab - do bikes have to do this - if so, where?

Good roads thru France to Switzerland? Also, any advice on good roads to drive...

Anything else i should know about going on a trip to Europe?

Any advice much appreciated

Ben

Use cloths if you want to stop the ropes/tie downs rubbing on the bike anywhere. Don't use your own, if something happens during the crossing and you've used your own you may find it tough to get reimbursed. Bikes do topple The guys on the ferry secure the bikes day in day out, they know what they're doing (apparently) .

I don't think anyone on a bike uses a GB sticker or anyone has had any aggro so I wouldn't bother. We're obvious from our obscenely big number plates anyway.

www.alpineroads.com
http://photos.yahoo.com/adam16v

Make sure you have a functional CREDIT card. You'll need it for some cheap hotels when enough is enough for one day and also for petrol as a lot of petrol stations are 24h but only "automatique".

Also , get AA five star euro breakdown ( £44.50 ) or similar.

Have a great trip; I only got back end of may and am planning another to the alps/cote d'azur the roads and scenery are fantastic!

Jelster will be along in a bit He's the man

Make sure you take out 'proper' travel insurance to cover you on a bike - most of the cheap online insurance polices don't cover the use of motorbikes

try www.ncionline.co.uk

have a great trip

Originally Posted by adam

I don't think anyone on a bike uses a GB sticker or anyone has had any aggro so I wouldn't bother. We're obvious from our obscenely big number plates anyway.

www.alpineroads.com
http://photos.yahoo.com/adam16v

Make sure you have a functional CREDIT card. You'll need it for some cheap hotels when enough is enough for one day and also for petrol as a lot of petrol stations are 24h but only "automatique".

Also , get AA five star euro breakdown ( £44.50 ) or similar.

Jelster will be along in a bit He's the man

Thank you Adam

Most of what Adam says actually... I would suggest you do visit www.alpineroads.com, it's so informative. Get some of the Michelin "Regional" maps (the orange ones), they're great for working out routes. Come away from the port area via the motorways as the areas are largely industrial anyway. Watch your speed on the major routes, you'll have loads of great roads to enjoy yourself on, but just in case make sure you have a couple of hundred Euros in cash for on the spot fines.

Pick a road and a place at the end and follow it, navigate by towns rather than roads (unless you have a GPS). If you're doing Italy, make sure you do the St Bernard Pass in the Aosta Valley, and in France the Col du Vars, and the Col du Galibier are a must, if possible.

Take a decent camera, travel as light as possible and fill up whenever you can. Most importantly:

1) Post your pictures here
2) Have fun !!!

Have a good time and ride safe.

.

Take the Suzuki inter-europe dealer network book that came with your bike... that way you'll have a good chance of finding a helpful Suzi garage if anything goes wrong with the bike!

Don't worry about the ferry and taking yer own ropes, they're fine and have plenty. Pack as light as possible, you could be riding for 10hrs a day so 'other'clothes can be sparse. Stop frequently for food/water/fuel esp. on sunday as the whole of France seems to close. Speed cameras are fwe and far between but where theres a camera sign (pour votre securite..or something) there is always a camera or gendarme. D roads can be anything from single tracks to open fast UK type A roads, difficult to tell which from the map. Finding accomodation was really easy, I won't book any ahead next time for flexibility. Set a target town and stick to it, aim to be stopping at 5pm unlike us who ended up running on 'cos we felt alright a the time...
Enjoy your trip and beware of the UK blues when u return

Thanks for the advice - really helpful - can't wait to get out there.
Will post photos on return

Thanks

Ben

[TSM]

Can anyone recomend travel insurance companies that cover you riding large motorcycles.

I have found some that will but seem a bit confused about it and others that say it does not matter as long as i hold a full licence for the bikes capacity in the uk and others that say no.

What have peopled used in the past?

Originally Posted by TSM

Can anyone recomend travel insurance companies that cover you riding large motorcycles.

I have found some that will but seem a bit confused about it and others that say it does not matter as long as i hold a full licence for the bikes capacity in the uk and others that say no.

What have peopled used in the past?

See above

Originally Posted by Mr Toad

Make sure you take out 'proper' travel insurance to cover you on a bike - most of the cheap online insurance polices don't cover the use of motorbikes

try www.ncionline.co.uk

have a great trip

.