Nice plans

PS: As far as I'm aware (haven't looked into it for a long time), Luxembourg are the only country that are tied up with France in terms of DVLA type exchange of information. I've been flashed by cameras scores of times in France and never had a letter drop through the post, it's radar traps that are my worry.

[STRAMASHER]

Originally Posted by Ed

Summer hols dreaming...

Can someone who has done the journey please advise how long it will take from Calais to Nice/Monaco/Menton. Am thinking of 2 days, 8.30am ish train from Folkestone, A26 towards Reims, overnighting someplace near Troyes, and getting to Nice mid - late afternoon the following day.

Reasonable? Realistic? Yes I know it's slogging it down the autoroute but the idea is to get there quick and then a more interesting ride home.

Thanks

Edski

Easily do-able Ed. I usually get as far as Dijon (but then cut east to the mountains!) Thats cruising at 80-90mph with brief spells of top whack naughtiness on massive empty straights.....just cos I can.
The only time I have seen cop speed traps on the Autoroute is Dunkirk/Calais and before big service stations.

Had the pleasure of staying in Menton for a week a coupla years ago. Beautiful. But not as beautiful as the roads up to and around Sospel. Also take a short but twisty trip up to StAgnes in the hills. Eh..beautiful again..and old fortifications from the start of the Maginot line.

Menton


Saint Agnes




Gnarly roads and drops


God whit a great part of the world.

[dyzio]

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

Soon after Sarkozy got in, which was about 4-5 years ago. Most French folk pretty much stick to 130kph now, whereas 160kph used to be the norm, and I spent much of that particular journey south in a queue of traffic travelling at 180+

It's not just enforcement that's stepped up, it's punishment too. A second offence of being more than 30mph above the limit, has a maximum sentence of 3-4000 euros fine and 3 months in jail!!

There are about 10 static cameras between Lyon and Reims and radar traps are pretty common too.

We were sitting at 90ish mph most of the way from Millau to Paris, seemed like we were at similar speed to most other people.

Speed traps seemed to be similar to here, we did try to slow down but missed a few, but as you say, never got anything through the door.

Although, mate got blitzed with a radar gun and fined on the spot 80 euros for 135 kph on a 90. Scary thing was, he was told another 5-10kph would result in a 1k euro fine But the rest of the trip went fine.

Originally Posted by dyzio

We were sitting at 90ish mph most of the way from Millau to Paris, seemed like we were at similar speed to most other people

he was told another 5-10kph would result in a 1k euro fine

Yep, there are serious punishments for speeding in France now. www.controleradar.org is a good website for info and if I remember correctly it sets out all the thresholds and punishments that apply.

When measuring your speed against surrounding traffic, don't forget that bike speedos tend to overread much more than cars. 90 mph on my Daytona is more like 84 mph in my car, and my SV was the same. The limit in France is about 82, so 90 on your bike speedo is probably only a couple of mph over the limit.

The other thing is that the average person living in Britain may drive through France once in a year at most, then not every year at that, and on those particular trips they may be lucky. I drive in France about 4 times a year, every year.

On holiday you also tend to pass through a particular area once on the way to where you are going, and perhaps once on the way back. You don't 'commute' up and down the same section of road regularly and see what it is really like. I've just come back from Scotland, and I saw no police and no camera vans on the M74, so as a holiday visitor, I could have been left with the impression that the M74 was this big empty motorway where I could do 100mph with impunity, but because Scotland is not a holiday destination for me, I know that isn't the case.

[dyzio]

I get where you're coming from, it's just that over the past 2 years we were (probably) lucky with the police abroad, and when I'm reading about people (I'm not talking about you here) saying that there is plenty of police about, I spend more time looking for a police car hiding by the road than on enjoying myself (I was sh!ting myself when going through Switzerland).
Last year was more relaxed, and we ended up beeing chased by an undercover beemer

Ed,
You taking the Daytona? Gotta test ride one of them

Terrific advice on here, thank you to EVERYONE!!!!!

Yes Dyz I'll take the 'tona, unless I've got a Sprint by then. Incidentally I thought that post was you. TBH the 'tona is not ideal for this trip, it's just too small physically for such a long way. Sure it will do it no probs, but I know my knees won't be too impressed. And getting camping stuff on it - well er no.

The idea of stopping every hour is really good!

I was looking at the roads north of Menton on Google maps, they're just insane!!!!!! Every bit as good as the Alps... Menton to Breil-sur-Roya - OMFG!!!

Ed, if you are going to Menton I can highly recomend staying in the little town Sospel, about 20km away, as someone mentioned here. I stayed at a municipal campsite this summer there for 2 night and it was a couple of minutes walk into the town centre which at night was a fantastic little place for a meal and a beer. Best thing about Sospel is that to get to it from any direction you must go over one of 4 passes (I think) including the col de turini (from the monte carlo rally). The riding round there is awesome and the roads were fairly quiet when I went.

A lovely little town with incredibly friendly locals. On one of the nights I went to the town centre and sat outside one of the bars getting slowly lashed till the early hours of the morning whilst all the locals were partying and dancing up and down the streets. They certainly made you feel welcome - even though I can't speak the lingo! I'll be back there soon...

[dyzio]

Originally Posted by Ed

Incidentally I thought that post was you.

Yes... can't get the bugger out of my head... Did you know you can get a nice Ventura rack/pack for the Triumph?

Originally Posted by dyzio

Yes... can't get the bugger out of my head... Did you know you can get a nice Ventura rack/pack for the Triumph?

No I didn't... if I still have the bike then that would be well worth the £££ as there is nowhere to carry things, last time I had a tail pack for clothes and a tank bag for camera, passport and stuff. I was away 10 - 11 days and with only a tailpack I still brought back stuff I hadn't worn, that Surf wash fluid is brilliant, shows how few clothes and general stuff you really need.

One possibility of course is to buy cheapo tent and kip bag there - and leave it there......

Will stop over in Folkestone, no I'm not leaving Shrews at 2am!!!!

Learning from all this is yes it is possible in two days, hammer the A-route in hour stints, watch out for cameras and radar traps, get as far south as poss on day one, which reallistically means Beaune (600km/375m) or Macon (680km/420m), and stay in Sospel. An excellent idea that, some initial research shows that Menton town ain't cheap.

I keep perving over Stramasher's pix Oh I can't wait!!! The only prob is that I've already filled up 3 weeks and I don't have that long. Fukkit