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EuroTour An area to discuss potential European trips, and to ask advice about long distance touring.

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Old 02-01-08, 09:55 AM   #1
Biker_Billy
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Default Riding to Limoges, France

Mornin' all...

To try to keep on top of the post Christmas blues, I'm looking at going to Europe in June. The family are renting a villa in Limoges, and I'm thinking of riding down to meet them there, rather than getting the flight.

I live in Plymouth, and have been looking at the following routes:

1- Ferry from Plymouth to Roscoff, cost £160 return, duration 6 hours. Benefits are that I wouldnt have to trek to Dover, and I'm already on the Western side of France. Total 424 miles.

2 - Ferry/Tunnel from Dover / Folkestone, cost £50 return (ferry) and £60 return (Tunnel). Total 719 miles.

At the mo am thinking of leaving home early in the morning, catching a ferry to be in France by mid afternoon. This leaves a couple of hours riding before settling into a B&B for the night. Then carry on in the morning to Limoges.

Just wondering if anyone has any thoughts on this? Which route would you do? Also, Autoroute is sending me via Paris if I get the ferry from Dover. Has anyone any experience of good biking routes from Northern France to Limoges area?, as well as suiable B&B's / hotels with parking for a bike?

Thanks in advance,

Billy.
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Old 02-01-08, 03:54 PM   #2
ejohnh
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Default Re: Riding to Limoges, France

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Originally Posted by Biker_Billy View Post
Mornin' all...

To try to keep on top of the post Christmas blues, I'm looking at going to Europe in June. The family are renting a villa in Limoges, and I'm thinking of riding down to meet them there, rather than getting the flight.

I live in Plymouth, and have been looking at the following routes:

1- Ferry from Plymouth to Roscoff, cost £160 return, duration 6 hours. Benefits are that I wouldnt have to trek to Dover, and I'm already on the Western side of France. Total 424 miles.

2 - Ferry/Tunnel from Dover / Folkestone, cost £50 return (ferry) and £60 return (Tunnel). Total 719 miles.



At the mo am thinking of leaving home early in the morning, catching a ferry to be in France by mid afternoon. This leaves a couple of hours riding before settling into a B&B for the night. Then carry on in the morning to Limoges.

Just wondering if anyone has any thoughts on this? Which route would you do? Also, Autoroute is sending me via Paris if I get the ferry from Dover. Has anyone any experience of good biking routes from Northern France to Limoges area?, as well as suiable B&B's / hotels with parking for a bike?

Thanks in advance,

Billy.

Check out the Portsmouth/Caen ferry. Quite a lot closer to Limoges than Roscoff and Dover is just a pain in the butt - and Calais is MUCH further.. We did that last august - what a pain..

But you live near Plymouth?

The Roscoff area is nice though Driven from that ferry a few times down to the west coast.

John
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Old 02-01-08, 04:05 PM   #3
Biker_Billy
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Default Re: Riding to Limoges, France

Thanks for the reply...

To be honest, I'm leaning towards the Plymouth Roscoff ferry - even though the cost is higher, its offset by the cost of petrol to get to Dover or Portsmouth. I only live about 40 mins from Plymouth - they also do a night crossing which arrives at Roscoff at 0800 - meaning that I might be able to make Limoges in a day, but might end up taking a scenic route along the coast and stretching it out to 2 days.

Anyone know any places to stay about halfway which have storage for bikes?

Ta muchly...
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Old 02-01-08, 08:03 PM   #4
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Default Re: Riding to Limoges, France

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Thanks for the reply...

To be honest, I'm leaning towards the Plymouth Roscoff ferry - even though the cost is higher, its offset by the cost of petrol to get to Dover or Portsmouth. I only live about 40 mins from Plymouth - they also do a night crossing which arrives at Roscoff at 0800 - meaning that I might be able to make Limoges in a day, but might end up taking a scenic route along the coast and stretching it out to 2 days.

Anyone know any places to stay about halfway which have storage for bikes?

Ta muchly...
we did a day crossing from Dover to Calais, then rode 440 miles to Bussiere Poitevine in pssing rain. Roscoff to Limoges in a day? A doddle..

If you wanna do a wussie stop there are loads of formule 1 motels in France.. But really, you need to get down Limoges way as quick as you can.. Roads down there are fabulous!!
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Old 02-01-08, 08:34 PM   #5
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Default Re: Riding to Limoges, France

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we did a day crossing from Dover to Calais, then rode 440 miles to Bussiere Poitevine in pssing rain. Roscoff to Limoges in a day? A doddle..

If you wanna do a wussie stop there are loads of formule 1 motels in France.. But really, you need to get down Limoges way as quick as you can.. Roads down there are fabulous!!
Lol...am sure I could do it in a day, but the thing is, when I get to Limoges, I'll be with the family - aunties, uncles, girlfriend...and you can bet your mortgage that I won't get chance to get out on the bike again till I leave - hence taking 2 days, to give me time to enjoy myself!!!
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Old 02-01-08, 11:18 PM   #6
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Default Re: Riding to Limoges, France

if your going through on the ferry from Dover, Limoges is in the next region on from where we went last year. you can get through AVOIDING paris altogether. Get out on the A16 for starters, something like A28 then A10. Its hard to describe the route on line in detail. If a Dizzyblonde can get all the way to St. Jean d'Angelay without getting lost with two blokes following I'm sure you can. We did it in a day. BUT it was tiring and very long way. If you need to book a biker friendly B+B half way down check out this link
http://www.bike-stay.net/france/index.html
we used one from here in Peuplingue( as from Halifax we weren't going nowhere without a kip)
you will probably be aiming on a mitchelin map, calais, abbeville, Rouen, le mans, Tours, Poitier and for you the end will be different. We followed this route on the Peages, first time trip would have been difficult on B roads- I'd have got lost. If you play around with the michelin route planner you'll get the general idea

Hope this helps in some way
p.s we did around 1600 mile round trip.....easy if it didn't rain for 500 of it on the way home!
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Old 03-01-08, 09:42 AM   #7
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Default Re: Riding to Limoges, France

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if your going through on the ferry from Dover, Limoges is in the next region on from where we went last year. you can get through AVOIDING paris altogether. Get out on the A16 for starters, something like A28 then A10. Its hard to describe the route on line in detail. If a Dizzyblonde can get all the way to St. Jean d'Angelay without getting lost with two blokes following I'm sure you can. We did it in a day. BUT it was tiring and very long way. If you need to book a biker friendly B+B half way down check out this link
http://www.bike-stay.net/france/index.html
we used one from here in Peuplingue( as from Halifax we weren't going nowhere without a kip)
you will probably be aiming on a mitchelin map, calais, abbeville, Rouen, le mans, Tours, Poitier and for you the end will be different. We followed this route on the Peages, first time trip would have been difficult on B roads- I'd have got lost. If you play around with the michelin route planner you'll get the general idea

Hope this helps in some way
p.s we did around 1600 mile round trip.....easy if it didn't rain for 500 of it on the way home!
Thanks Dizzy. Still not sure if I'm going to get the tunnel or ferry from Plymouth - but thanks for the link, I had been looking at Autoroute for hotels, then googleing them to see if they had parking for bikes - that link has made it a lot easier. Have you ridden on the West coast roads at all? Thats the route I'm thinking of taking...

Thanks for your help,

Billy.
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Old 03-01-08, 11:35 AM   #8
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Default Re: Riding to Limoges, France

not really. up to La Rochelle is as far to the coast as I've been. My best mate lives in Les Nouillers near Tonnay Boutonne. As we came through Dover we skirted away from the coast. We been up to Ile D'Oleron( fort Boyard) but as said we kept more to Rochefort, and round there. However if its any help, my best friends husband is a trucker and he planned our route for us, knowing the safest quickest direct route down there, so I could ask him for you. In and out of all ports in the Uk and France has a distinct advantage, and being an ex-motorcycle instructor, and badass biker, he'd be more than happy to help
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Old 04-01-08, 10:22 AM   #9
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Default Re: Riding to Limoges, France

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not really. up to La Rochelle is as far to the coast as I've been. My best mate lives in Les Nouillers near Tonnay Boutonne. As we came through Dover we skirted away from the coast. We been up to Ile D'Oleron( fort Boyard) but as said we kept more to Rochefort, and round there. However if its any help, my best friends husband is a trucker and he planned our route for us, knowing the safest quickest direct route down there, so I could ask him for you. In and out of all ports in the Uk and France has a distinct advantage, and being an ex-motorcycle instructor, and badass biker, he'd be more than happy to help
Thanks again Dizzy. Basically, all I'm looking to do it to take 2 days to get to Limoges from Plymouth. I think I can get the late night ferry which gets me to Roscoff at 0800. I was hoping to ride just over halfway and stop for the night (thanks for the link to bike-stay), which will leave me time to hoon about for the afternoon once I've dropped the luggage off at the B&B. I can then leave in the morning, and get to Limoges about lunchtime the next day. If you get chance, could you ask your friend if he knows of a decent biking route down the West side of France - doesnt have to be the coast - just want decent roads thats all...

Thanks a lot!

Billy.
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Old 04-01-08, 10:27 PM   #10
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Default Re: Riding to Limoges, France

Where you are from Billy I would say that PLym to Rosc is your best option. Ferries ands the chunnel up near Dover are complete Sh*te.. Been there, dun it - would never do it again!!

I could advise some routes from Caen but although I have caged from Roscoff,. never have I Biked from there.. Biking from Calais into south west France is pure Sh"t though (if you don't live in Kent )
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