Two week tour, but where?

Alrighty, after my week round the Alps last summer, and previous weekend trips to the Vosges I'm thinking about this years trip, early september, probably 10 days of euro riding before taking in the Spa GP weekend and heading back to Blighty.

So now I'm looking for suggestions on where to head.
Eastern Europe?
Portugal/Spain?
Pyrenees?
Alps again and do the passes I didn't do last time?
Croatia, and further east (as was my plan last year before my holiday got cut by work ?

Any ideas happily received. I'd like nice scenery, twisties and ok surfaces. on long trips I tend to ride 300 miles a day twisties and up to 600 miles a day auto routes etc, bit of a sado in the saddle really. I won't be taking a tent mind, hotels/b&bs, Pensions etc for my weary body at the end of the day.

Well here's our itinerary:

Originally Posted by Jelster in an email to his touring buddies..

Depart: Friday August 31st
Return: Saturday September 8th.

Friday - Calais, to get train to Nice

Saturday - Barcalonette: Depart Nice about lunch time and make our way
through the "Maritime Alps" to Bacarlonette where we check into the
hotel. We may have enough time to get in a short ride later that
afternoon.

Sunday - Barcalonette: Choice of 2 routes. Either South to explore
more of the Maritime Alps or North into Italy up via Mont Cenis and
back down to the Hotel

Monday - Barcalonette: The 2nd of the 2 routes above

Tuesday - Chamonix: We depart from the Hotel and head North for
Chamonix taking in some of the local roads on the way.

Wednesday - Chamonix: I've favoured a repeat of the Grand St Bernard
Pass as we did in '05

Thursday - Turkheim, Colmar: We get on our bikes and depart the Alps
for a trip through Switzerland, via St Crois (more video time) then
back on the D437 (the road with the crazy French Tuono rider) and onto
Turkheim, a small village just outside of Colmar.

Friday - Turkheim, Colmar: We spend the day riding the tight twisty
roads of the Voges. If you have never been there it's not to be
missed.

Saturday - Home: An early departure (about 08:00) to see us make our
way back to Calais. We will experience a couple of interesting roads
before we hit the motorway at Reims.

.

Tim, was thinking the same lines as you too. At this stage I'm leaning to a return to the same places as last time - only because it was an awesome route - prob cut out the Dolomites and maybe take in somewhere else though. From memory it was very close to your route you did.

I also thought about Croatia last year, but I get down there with work a fair bit and although the coastal road is really nice its not a fast route and has loads of traffic - very pretty though. There is a fair bit to see on the islands - but this isnt a bike trip. The inland has some nice moutain scenery but I wouldnt swap it for the alps as its not technical riding like the Vosges - so for me hard to justify for the distance involved riding from the UK. I've heard there are some nice passes on the Slovenian border between Austria/Italy which may be worthy so am considering this as an alternative to the Dolomites.

I havent done Sthn France or Spain yet so I need to do some more research on this before making some decisions - but there is always next year.

I have to say that personally I love the Vosges. It's a beautiful place, only a day's ride away and the roads are fantastic (except those cobbled hairpins every now & then...).

Food is great, so is the local wine and the people are very nice too. Best place to do a long weekend from the UK.

Grant - maybe "The org does the Voges" next year ??

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Yep the Vosges are good, been there twice before but fancy getting away further with more time to spend, may look into heading out Slovenia way, via the Alps.

GMonsta - Sailed round the Dalamatian coast before and it is amazing, but happy to miss it out on the bike if roads are busy etc.

Originally Posted by Jelster

I have to say that personally I love the Vosges. It's a beautiful place, only a day's ride away and the roads are fantastic (except those cobbled hairpins every now & then...).

Food is great, so is the local wine and the people are very nice too. Best place to do a long weekend from the UK.

Grant - maybe "The org does the Voges" next year ??
.

Unsuprisingly I mentioned the area to the guys last weekend saying its one I would love to go back and do again. Depending on work and If I can get some time in later in the season I will - but earlier next year would be a nice season starter!

Originally Posted by Tim in Belgium

Yep the Vosges are good, been there twice before but fancy getting away further with more time to spend, may look into heading out Slovenia way, via the Alps.

GMonsta - Sailed round the Dalamatian coast before and it is amazing, but happy to miss it out on the bike if roads are busy etc.

Thats what I do for work - fill boats down there full of young travellers

We had a 32 footer between my dad, my sister and I, a pretty nice week sailing about, even motored up a river to a nice waterfall, can't remeber the name now but it was pretty impressive.

Probably vaguely more civilized than being jammed full of young travellers but only just!

Originally Posted by Tim in Belgium

We had a 32 footer between my dad, my sister and I, a pretty nice week sailing about, even motored up a river to a nice waterfall, can't remeber the name now but it was pretty impressive.

Probably vaguely more civilized than being jammed full of young travellers but only just!

Just a little bit .

Falls sound like a national park called Krka.

krka - That's the one

Tim, do you go touring every year? If so I am planning to go next summer to Prague and than do some of the local roads up North. Fantastic riding on deserted twisty roads. Maybe we can team up as I have never done such a distance before on my own.