would anyone be interested in an SV.org euro trip?

I think Vosges would be awesome - top roads. Leave Fri, Ride there all of Sat & Sun - Back Mon. If anyone wants to carry on to the Alps its easy enough.

I would probably go with sometime in Late March/April/Early May as any earlier may still a bit snowy. Ideal for me would be first bank holiday in May but I am flexible - anyone got other dates in mind? Or to avoid?

Im up for a trip.First thing to think about though is where in Europe.North,south mountains etc.Been over there loads,but usualy in the box

if you head off in April then I'll allow you to join me for part of my Russia trip.

I'll be starting at my house then heading thru' Europe - always fancied going to Romania to look at Vlad's castle then onto Slovakia, Ukraine before hitting Russia.

Originally Posted by gid

Im up for a trip.First thing to think about though is where in Europe.

not the cold parts

Hi

I am so interested, but just worried as I've never gone that far, so we need dates etc and an idea as to how much.

But I am up for it

sandy

If I can add my twopence It appears that you have 2 types of people who want to come to europe , those who want to be abroad for a week or so and those who want a long weekend.
Now in fairness those who want just a long weekend are not really going to get to the really good roads, if you leave Dover on friday night your first stop will be near Reims for the sake of argument this will then give you saturday in the alps before returning to calais on the sunday, or you can ride around normandy/Brittany , all very beautiful with nice roads etc but your fun is being reduced by the fact that you have to go everywhere with tank bags and panniers full with clothing etc.
The best solution is to take a week or longer this way you can spend a day or two getting to the region you want to visit, then dump all the touring paraphernalia and ride the roads in day trips from you chosen center of operations, you can then take a couple of days returning to the Uk via a different route .
From my experience a group of up to 6 bikes is ok , any more and you tend to get two groups of riders , the slower and the faster and this immediately will stick in someones craw and upset someone as at least one is going to get dropped from the group. plus getting a b+b with more than 6 beds available can be tricky. I say B+B's because they are by and large a better alternative than hotels as most if not all have secure parking and good food whereas cheap hotels offer a clean bed but nothing else. You also have at many b+bs the possibility to fettle your bike if required.
Lastly I think that anyone who is proposing to tour in a group should make the effort to meet the rest of the group for a small ride out just to ensure that all are of a similar mind set there is nothing worse than booking a break with a group with whom you have had a great email relationship to find that they want to ride at 200 mph everywhere pull wheelies and party or go to a pub every evening and you are content to ride conservatively and enjoy local cuisine.
we at coupdecoeur.co.uk are always available to help plan holidays/routes or simply offer advice so dont be afraid to ask
regards
Nigel

nice little advert for you there nigel,
however the mans speaks the truth, i started this thread last year because i got extremely bored at work.. and i wanted something different.. i can now report to you chaps and chapesses... that absolutely nothing has changed and i still want to go ahead with this..
ive got my name down for the weekend in august, but thats not enough, who is up for a full week in europe? nothing planned yet because those who are interested can all plan together in terms of places we can meet up etc or go for a few other rides first.. whatever im easy anyway lol,
So come on time to commit.. who wants to tour europe for a week. and just go where the weather is good and the roads are smooth? we could camp or B&B, stuff it could even kip under the stars if its warm enough..

ive heard ostend is a good starting place?

I was pretty keen to do this a while back but now I've decided to save up my pennies, get a DL650 and get to Timbuktu next November. If anyone is interested so be it, but you do meet more people solo... Hell of a place to send postcards from.

You know, quite a few years ago I remember trying to do just this, get a small group of friends together for a ride through France or Italy and the more I wanted it it seemed the less my friends were interested no-one seemed to be able to go when I wanted or had the money so guess what ? I did it by myself !! the hard part was getting to the ferry after that I wondered what I had worried about, the bikers in france are like those in the uk very friendly and the car drivers much better and much more bike aware than one could ever hope possible in the uk. I am talking now back in the 70's being a lad with red blood i wanted to go to st tropez , to see if those topless and bottomless beaches that one saw in mags really existed.- - - They did! but the beauty of doing it by myself meant I had to please no-one but myself, get up as i pleased, ride as fast as i wanted, stop when I wanted, where i wanted, talk to whom I wanted and pretty well do what ever my heart desired without any mates clicking their tongues or wishing to do something different.
I visited the mountain passes and rode in my own envelope and stopped as and when the views pleased me.
I used to call these rides my magical mystery tour! i never planned where i was going just got up and rode where I wanted and at 4pm every afternoon started to look for somewhere to stay. No gps no mobile phones just a beaten up old map. Biking is like that , very personal like flying it is not at times a team sport. Here in our b+b the majority of visitors are single bikers "doing their own thing" to use a very old fashioned phrase but when you analyze biking that is really what it is.
My advice is book your holiday the way you want to do it and if someone wants to come along then so be it, its great also to enjoy it with someone else but if no-one wants to share your dream that is their loss and no reason not to still go ahead and do it solo because you will still love it and bore the hell out of your mates when you get home with the pics etc perhaps they may come next year ) but having done it solo once do you really care if they do??

etc

Originally Posted by lylej

nice little advert for you there nigel,
however the mans speaks the truth, i started this thread last year because i got extremely bored at work.. and i wanted something different.. i can now report to you chaps and chapesses... that absolutely nothing has changed and i still want to go ahead with this..
ive got my name down for the weekend in august, but thats not enough, who is up for a full week in europe? nothing planned yet because those who are interested can all plan together in terms of places we can meet up etc or go for a few other rides first.. whatever im easy anyway lol,
So come on time to commit.. who wants to tour europe for a week. and just go where the weather is good and the roads are smooth? we could camp or B&B, stuff it could even kip under the stars if its warm enough..

ive heard ostend is a good starting place?

Originally Posted by lylej

nice little advert for you there nigel,
however the mans speaks the truth, i started this thread last year because i got extremely bored at work.. and i wanted something different.. i can now report to you chaps and chapesses... that absolutely nothing has changed and i still want to go ahead with this..
ive got my name down for the weekend in august, but thats not enough, who is up for a full week in europe? nothing planned yet because those who are interested can all plan together in terms of places we can meet up etc or go for a few other rides first.. whatever im easy anyway lol,
So come on time to commit.. who wants to tour europe for a week. and just go where the weather is good and the roads are smooth? we could camp or B&B, stuff it could even kip under the stars if its warm enough..

ive heard ostend is a good starting place?

Ostend in Belgium? mm..

If you pick the right time of year it doesn't take all that much planning really. You just need to get people to commit the time and money, and lose the fear.

Four of us are doing a weekend touring the Normandy landing beaches in April.

I've 'organised' a 10 day tour from Caen to Santander in may/june, taking in the Gorges du Tarn and MIllau, Pyrenees and (hopefully) the Picos de Europa. Only the ferries are booked. I've toured France and Spain sometimes in the height of the summer with a wife and two kids - in a car. Just looking forward so much to doing it on a bike.. The tour that is..

I was going to do that tour whether anybody else came or not. Sometimes you just cannot wait for others - or you end up doing nothing, and regretting it so much.

For 2009 I am thinking of an all Spain tour. Take in the Monumental Cities. Cordoba, Seville, Granada etc, places of real history. I read the Laurie Lee book (about his travels to southern Spain) a while back. That is a bike trip I'd like to do. Next year hopefully. This year seems just about sorted.