South of France here I come

[steveR]

bought some euros today too, £515 got me just 550euro Just a couple of years ago I am sure £500 got about 700euro. I think this is going to be an expensive trip - I blame Gordon.

Aye, I have been waiting for the french economy to implode as the economists (SPIT) told us would happen this Summer! As far as I can see, it gets worse here in Blighty, not the Eurozone. I have managed 3 trips this year ( a special year for me!!) and have found France getting more expensive every time.

But wait till you have to purchase fuel.... I went over budget by 60odd quid by underestimating fuel cost on my trip to Italy in August.

But have a great time, I am deeply envious of you as I was thinking only 30 mins ago about whether a run into Spain would be a good option this time of year Sis tells me Barca is chilly at present, but I guess that is all rather relative...!

[Austin]

Sis tells me Barca is chilly at present, but I guess that is all rather relative...!

that's what I am hoping.

Austin, if your down our neck of the woods give us a shout, kettle always on. We are 5 minutes off J55 on the A20, not far from Rocamadour, which is definatley worth a visit. If your comming our way let me know and I will send you my phone no etc
Rick

Rick, just looked at the map - I would say we will passing your way on Thursday. Our wednesday overnight is between Poitiers and Limoges so we look to be a couple to three hours from yours. I will PM me my mobile and let you on Thursday morning if we plan to call in.

Cheers

[sparklymarkly]

Have a great trip! We are hoping to do a similar trip early next year - camping for the first time.

and I have fashioned a new luggage mounting system to take the big bag on the rear carrier.

I'd be interested to see a picture of your rig when you get back. I'm hoping to make something for the massive bag I've just bought so ideas welcome.

Ride safe.

[kritichris]

I'll see you at Motobreaks Austin, I'm joining their ride to Pompone in Italy if I get my new chain and sprockets. I'm on the WeeStrom now, road it here on Sunday and it was a bit chilly first thing but weather supposed to improve.

[Paul-S]

Have a great trip you two

[jarl]

Sounds awesome, have fun

[Austin]

That's it then - I am back. Quick resume..... (photo's to follow when my wife has worked out her new camera)

left home at 3pm last Tuesday week. Arrived Plymouth 9pm for fish and chips in the Barbican and a cup of tea at Cap'n Jaspers. Arrived at ferry terminal at 10.30 and was one of the first on board. A couple of pints and a whisky chaser and early to bed. 330miles.

Wednesday - cold start with chill mists in the Brittany valleys, but warm at the tops. Soon cleared and by 11am it was sweltering. By 2pm jumpers had been replaced by tee shirts and shade was eagerly sought at any stops. The roads were very frustrating - busy and roadworks every 10km or so made progress slower than planned. Arrived at Motobreaks at about 6pm - hot and tired. 360miles (ish). A cold beer was in my hand in minutes and 5 minutes later the world was well again. Isn't beer brilliant. Motobreaks is an ace place and I would recommend it for either a stop off or as a base for touring - you can tell you are in teh right sort of place when the major item of furniture in the entrance hall is Fireblade. I think it has 9 rooms of various configurations, 2 bars - a summer bar and a winter bar, a bbq area and a spacious garage with tools and stuff. Currently beer/wine/spirits are f.o.c. and food was good and very reasonable.

Thursday - set off at 9am to allow the motobreaks guys to set off with some friends and Kitchris of this parish on a tour to Italy. Travelled 3 hours to meet Wobblemonster (rick) in the unbelieviably pretty village he lives in near Rocamadour. Got met by another Vara rider (name forgotten) just outside this village and was guided in by him. Then 2 other brits turned up - one on a nice FZR750 genesis. They all seem to have an enviable lifestyle and have settled in well with the locals it seems - you can tell when Rick told a french guy to F*** off for offering to shake his hand the 2nd time that day and it was laughs all round. Rick persuaded us Rocamadour was worth a visit - it is, so we changed plans and had a look there, then went to the Gorges du Tarn to camp and so I could have a look at the Millau viaduct the next day. About 300miles today.

Friday - Millau viaduct is stupendous - you have to see it to appreciate its size and the awesome job of building it. There is a rest area on the north side with excellent vistor centre etc. I would pay the toll of 3.90 just to see the bridge from here, let alone drive on it. After this we just blasted south down the motoway to Beziers and then down the coast to find a spot to camp. Most of this coast is overdeveloped resorts and not what we were looking for at all. It was also very very hot and we had to stop and cool down for a long time near a fountain in Argeles sur mer. The nearby tourist office gave us a list of campsites and I picked up on one called Criques de Porteils near Collioure to the south. So wearily we got on the bike again and did the last 15miles or so to this site - what a find!!!! Right on the coast - literally, terraced and secluded pitches, and we got a pitch directly looking over the cliffs and the sea. We decided to stay a while.

Saturday. More glorious weather - walked to Collioure - very pretty old town and totally unlike the rest of the languedoc coast to the North. In the afternoon we found a secluded rocky cove and decided a quick skinny dip was the order of the day. Man, those rocks are sharp and we both came out covered in cuts and scratches to hands, knees, shins and bottoms that very very quickly went septic. Serves us right and probably explains why no one else was around. Anyway all cuts now on the mend but only after extensive use of antispetic sprays and plasters.

Sunday - found a SANDY beach and stayed there. More or less the same Monday and Tuesday but only after exporing the roads to the south down to the Spansih border. AND what a road - smooth quality tarmac and corner after corner with stunning sea views leading to pretty villages like Portes Vertres, Banyuls and Cerbere. Its the D914 - look at it on Google Maps Google Maps

Wednesday. Time to leave. Picked on a place called St jean pied de port in the North Pyrenees just coz thats where the pin landed as an overnighter before the ferry. First third of the journey north was through the southern Pyrenees - yet more more awesome mountain scenery and roads; then a blast up the motorway to break the back of the journey; then some more mountain roads to St jean. Hotel tonight after about 400miles.

Thursday - SPanish border wasn't even marked by a sign or anything - I just noticed that the road signs changed so went back and the border was a non descript bridge over a small stream. Then a truly torturous mountain road with numerous tight and steep hairpin bends over a pass rising to 1300metres before crossing high mountain pastures towards Pamplona. Then it was Motorway to Santander. The motoway from Vitoria to Bilbao has a sign saying long descent, low gear now, 5%. This descent though lasts something like 20 miles. I was doing 80+mph with thethrottle barely open, and explains why I arived at Santander with 220miles on the trip and the fuel light still not on

Ferry at 3 along with about 40-50 other bikers.

Friday (today) - Plymouth to home. UK motorways are ****!!!

What did I learn this trip - I relearnt that France is big, very big and that 300-350miles a day is plenty especially if you intend to camp. When it gets hot your bike seat gets uncomfortable quickly and that no matter how much you believe in ATGATT in the heat you will ride (very carefully) in trainers, jeans and tee shirt.

I also learnt that France is generally very expensive now - I seemed to hand over a 10 or 20 euro note for every purchase. Meals out were all coming to 15 to 20 euro each and booze even in supermarkets is the same or more than UK. Petrol was 1.22 to 1.40 euros per litre in france, but in spain available for around 1 euro per litre.

One thing I did discover though was that it was cheaper to buy new t shirts than wash my (only) 2 wine and tomato sauce stained shirts . The campsite washer was 6 euros. Carrefor did 3 nice t shirts also for 6 euro. You can guess where my 6euro went

As I said, photos to follow soon

[veodoble]

Great, I'm glad you had a good experience. Congratulations, now I wait for the pics

cheers

[steveR]

What did I learn this trip - I relearnt that France is big, very big and that 300-350miles a day is plenty especially if you intend to camp. When it gets hot your bike seat gets uncomfortable quickly and that no matter how much you believe in ATGATT in the heat you will ride (very carefully) in trainers, jeans and tee shirt.

I also learnt that France is generally very expensive now - I seemed to hand over a 10 or 20 euro note for every purchase. Meals out were all coming to 15 to 20 euro each and booze even in supermarkets is the same or more than UK. Petrol was 1.22 to 1.40 euros per litre in france, but in spain available for around 1 euro per litre.


As I said, photos to follow soon

Excellent write up thanks Austin. Agree totally about both the distances that it is easy to misjudge and also about the horrid cost of travelling in France at the moment.

Fuel in Spain at €1/l will start to sway a few riders for next years travels.... How did you find the cost of living in Spain anyway, cheaper than France or about the same?

[Extremist]

I´m in Portugal right now, having spent the past month trundling about France and Spain. One thing I have found is that the Spanish can teach the French a thing or two about piracy, amazing though it may seem!

Put it this way, in France I was getting onto campsites, just me, the bike and my hammock & tarp, for around ten Euros max. One place even let me on the site for nowt simply because I was on my own, it was 10.30pm and I was shattered!!
Compare it to Spain where I was stopping at campsites where they wanted 27 Euros. 27 EUROS????? WTF??? I want to hump the site owner´s wife for that sort of money (and no, I´m not in the least fussy). There were some sites that were sensible, I stopped at 3 huge places side by side, they quoted 27 Euros, 17 Euros and the last one 8 Euros. Difference between the sites? Buggered if I know, they all looked the same to me, and I was only stopping overnight, it´s not like I care about whether there is Bingo or Karaoke on at night.

You remember that bit in Carry on Camping when Sid James turns up with Bernard Bresslaw at the campsite and the owner sees the wallet and proceeds to empty it? Well that's Spain for you too. It's only 5 Euros to camp! Oh yeah, then another 5 Euros for the motorbike. And another 5 Euros for the tent. And another 5 Euros if you want to charge your phone. Plus a couple of Euros for shower tokens. All the way down the coast to Gibraltar they were taking the piss with their prices, I am now fluent in saying "Go away" or words to that effect, in Spanish.

Fuel in France ranged from 1.04 ish at supermarkets to 1.27 ish on main roads. I stayed off the toll roads, but shudder to think. Spain it was around 1.02. Portugal, however, is a massive 1.30 per litre on the motorway, though 1.14 from supermarkets. Camping here is a more civilised 9 Euro average.

Doesn´t matter where you go, you will end up coming back skint, just make sure you are skint and happy!!!