Lee's route is 1,400 kms, which equates to 880 miles.
At your preferred daily mileage of 200 to 250 miles, it will take between 4.5 and 3.5 days to complete. It fits with your plans, whilst hopefully demonstrating how large France is.
Routes required, Caen to Cannes, along with the usual...
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Lee's route is 1,400 kms, which equates to 880 miles.
At your preferred daily mileage of 200 to 250 miles, it will take between 4.5 and 3.5 days to complete. It fits with your plans, whilst hopefully demonstrating how large France is.
Ok,
I'm up early as g/f on an early shift !
Just had quick look at this for you.
Let's assume you route down through the Auvergne,Vercors,Route Napoleon and then back over the RDGA if it's open,which most of it will be by end of May.
Here's a very rough route for you southbound.
Day 1
Blat from Caen to La Soutteraine by fastest means then stay at Maison Numero Neuf
Day 2
Continue on route and meander through the Auvergne and find somewhere to stay at end of day.
Day 3
Continue on route over Combe Laval,Col de Rousset and Clue de Barles then Route Napoleon and stay here in Castellane for 2 nights.
Things to see
Day 4
Day off bike or ride round Gorge Du Verdon
Day 5 Make your way to the top of the Col de Turini and stay at the Trois Vallees.Have lunch in Antibes ?
Day 6
Col de Turini to Valloire.
Here but won't show correctly as some of the cols are shut at the mo.
Stay at the De la Poste
Day 7
Valloire to Morzine
Numerous hotels in Morzine.
Day 8/9
Stay on D roads making your way back to Caen and stay somewhere half way.
I have stayed in all of the hotels mentioned.
As you say,forget to pack the tent.
All of the above was done in about 20 minutes so WILL need refining/YOUR input but gives you an idea.
It's a start.
I'm up early as g/f on an early shift !
Just had quick look at this for you.
Let's assume you route down through the Auvergne,Vercors,Route Napoleon and then back over the RDGA if it's open,which most of it will be by end of May.
Here's a very rough route for you southbound.
Day 1
Blat from Caen to La Soutteraine by fastest means then stay at Maison Numero Neuf
Day 2
Continue on route and meander through the Auvergne and find somewhere to stay at end of day.
Day 3
Continue on route over Combe Laval,Col de Rousset and Clue de Barles then Route Napoleon and stay here in Castellane for 2 nights.
Things to see
Day 4
Day off bike or ride round Gorge Du Verdon
Day 5 Make your way to the top of the Col de Turini and stay at the Trois Vallees.Have lunch in Antibes ?
Day 6
Col de Turini to Valloire.
Here but won't show correctly as some of the cols are shut at the mo.
Stay at the De la Poste
Day 7
Valloire to Morzine
Numerous hotels in Morzine.
Day 8/9
Stay on D roads making your way back to Caen and stay somewhere half way.
I have stayed in all of the hotels mentioned.
As you say,forget to pack the tent.
All of the above was done in about 20 minutes so WILL need refining/YOUR input but gives you an idea.
It's a start.
From the same map. For your return, have a looking at going roughly:
Valance, Roanne, Nevers, Orleans, Dreux, Caen.
There is a really good Michelin map, which I cannot recommend highly enough. It is 726, here's an example:
http://www.themapcentre.com/michelin-route-planning-france-2017-6955-p.asp
It's designed specifically for help in planning routes such as yours across a big country. It has all the motorways, which you don't have to take. More importantly, it has all the main roads and the suggested 'holiday' Bis routes coloured green on the map - you can see a short segment in the picture below, running west from Dreux in the bottom left hand corner - (which have their own distinctive road signs, too) but without all the clutter of some very detailed maps. Similarly, any town with a green box around it not only appears in Michelin's excellent green guides but will at some point appear on all local road signs, too. Use it to get a good feel for the direction, roads to take and fill in any fine detail with other Michelin maps. The useful thing about the other maps from Michelin is that they can be found in the same scale, so France always appears at a uniform size. Maps are cheap, last a good number of years and unlike your GPS will not let you down. Buy and use with confidence.
Are all the Bis tourist roads, great roads? No, of course not. Neither are all Michelin's yellow D roads with a green border 'great roads' either. What the Bis roads are, are suggested (local knowledge) roads to get someone from A to B within a reasonable timeframe, such as you need but avoiding motorways and many truly main roads, though these are shown. The yellow D roads with green borders, which bods bang on about, are simply roads that Michelin have designated (local knowledge, again) as scenic. Yes, they very probably are but scenic can sometimes mean pretty village after pretty village after pretty village. Great if you want to meander along but possibly next to useless if you want to get to your hotel before closing time.
One last tip. Bods often show me routes that follow D roads for mile upon mile after mile, with umpteen left / right / left direction changes. Yes, they can be done and it's where GPS devices with properly pre-planned routes really do come into their own. But the same bods are then very surprised and often disappointed to find out that it takes them much longer than they thought. Keep it reasonably simple but push yourself a bit out of your comfort zone and you'll have a great time.
I thought i would leave it to you to offer up the return, and as if by magic you have. Valance, Roanne, Nevers, Orleans, Dreux, Caen.
Looks like between, you, Arsey, RiDE, Michelin maps, Google maps, Garmin and me the job's complete.
Let's await the trip report.
Let's await the trip report.
Thank you all, it has been certainly a pleasure and I shall spend time refine this route within google maps before transferring it to the Nav VI. I think covering 250-300 miles a day is possible get to our destination of choice down south, be off the bike for a day, then check out local areas on the bike or off the bike and take 3 days to get back to Caen. Stay the night close by to the port and then set sail home bound on Sunday morning.
Thank you all for your input. Please don't hold your breath on a ride report as I am rather useless at that sort of thing, and Swimbo will likely not let me sit in front of computer, while we are away. But odd thing or two will certainly be posted.
EV
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Most of all have a really great time whatever way you go.
It'd be a shame to miss out on the Cantal mountains and Puy Mary (where I had an impossibly big tranche of bilberry tart from the cafe) either coming or going. Lovely roads and scenery. Plenty of campings too,
I know I will, but I am bricking it really, thinking of going through passes, two up and loaded with luggage, I've not had much experience in these circumstances. Otherwise I'll be having a great time. I've done mountain passes last year for the very first time on my GS and was bricking it then, but came out with a grin on my face and in one piece. Two up is all together different thing, but I'm sure "fat cow" GSA will be fine.
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You will be fine and Love it i feel sure, dont know about fat cow gsa, but when touring with the big gal (my lady). When we are fully loaded with the bike us and luggage weigh in at about 440kg.
At the risk of teaching ones Granny how to suck eggs, set your own pace which is agreeable to you and your pillion and stick to it. Above all don't be suckered into a pace that doesn't suit you with other bikes which may be ridden by locals who will enjoy local knowledge. No-one will be having fun then.
Then it's easy.... don't do it. The routes recommended by Lee (outwards) and by me (return) will not take you up or across any passes of any significance, so use them.
The highest or even mid-height non-motorway passes will very probably still be shut in May, so unless you can turn your awesome steed into a snow chained four wheel drive or tracked snow plough, you won't be going up them anyway.
You are worried about weight, so drop the tent, cooking apparatus, chairs, sleeping bags, cutlery, roll mats, air beds, hammer to bang tent pegs in with and all the other paraphernalia that one or two nights camping will necessitate. Stop in a cheap or even expensive hotel, where even the most basic does not require you to build your room on arrival and take it down in the morning.
Keep things simple. You are going on a comparatively simple nine day trip across France in spring. Why make it more complicated than it has to be? Why start bricking yourself over something you don't have to do and, if you were to do it properly, cannot do at the time of year you have chosen and / or maybe not within the time frame you've allowed if you want to enjoy yourself with other things.
Great advice. I shall forget camping gear deliberately, apart from jetboil and a couple of mugs.
Two up with light luggage, we shall be able to do all the things we can.
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Great
You are are now cooking on gas, as they say.
PS If you really must take a couple of mugs with you, you'll find plenty to chose from on this site. That's for sure.
You are are now cooking on gas, as they say.
PS If you really must take a couple of mugs with you, you'll find plenty to chose from on this site. That's for sure.
Great
You are are now cooking on gas, as they say.
Hahaha
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Cant tell right now if I am cramming it in but I shall play it by ear. Swimbo suggested we camp odd night if weather is nice. if it is raining it is a non starter. I rather have a lighter luggage when two up, so may deliberately forget the tent at home
When I suggested taking a ten, My wife suggested leaving unnecessary weight that is of no use at home too..... so I am going to the Alps on my own
Sometimes, it's like living in a zoo.
that has to be one of the best located cafés for scenic views - went there last year as a day trip from La Bourboule. I only had coffee.
apart from jetboil and a couple of mugs.
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Are Bonnie Tyler and Bounce coming with you ?
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