Advice & recommendations sought - riding on the continent

[Gary_M]

Thinking about venturing across the Channel later this year for a long weekend or up to a week. Never taken the bike over there and havn't really got a game plan.

So, can anyone recommend a route maybe through Northern France or Belgium where there might be something to see and some decent roads

Also any advice, do's, don'ts would be useful.

Thanks

[Stuarty]

Originally Posted by Paragon

Thinking about venturing across the Channel later this year for a long weekend or up to a week. Never taken the bike over there and havn't really got a game plan.

So, can anyone recommend a route maybe through Northern France or Belgium where there might be something to see and some decent roads

Also any advice, do's, don'ts would be useful.

Thanks

If you are travelling by ferry dont forget the tie-down straps!

[Hal]

If your going from Dover to Calais, then use the train from Folkestone. Only 30 minutes, simple, stay with your bike (nice and easy). P&O ferries good with strapping down your bike, about 90 minutes journey. If you want a breakfast get in the queue quickly, can get very busy.

[Cybertec™]

Camping or Hotelling it?

The obvious is touring some of the war sites - but not everyone's cup of tea and can leave you depressed.

Give us a bit more info about what you want to do

[logo]

Been through northern France a few times on the bike roads
are good, but anything interesting, if you go and find something let me
know because I never have. In Belgium Bruge maybe worth a visit but
stay away from Brussels nightmare traffic always raining and road signs
designed to make you disappear up your own arse.

And northern France tends to shut at 7pm and all day sunday no gas unless
on the motorway. Go south now thats magic

pete

[Gary_M]

Originally Posted by Cybertec

Camping or Hotelling it?

The obvious is touring some of the war sites - but not everyone's cup of tea and can leave you depressed.

Give us a bit more info about what you want to do

OK, I'm going to say hotel, a) because I need to travel light and don't want to have to take camping gear and b) because I like a bit of creature comfort. It doesn't have to be France but within 4 day round trip of a ferry port my options are, I geuss, limited.

[Gary_M]

Originally Posted by logo

Been through northern France a few times on the bike roads
are good, but anything interesting, if you go and find something let me
know because I never have. In Belgium Bruge maybe worth a visit but
stay away from Brussels nightmare traffic always raining and road signs
designed to make you disappear up your own arse.

And northern France tends to shut at 7pm and all day sunday no gas unless
on the motorway. Go south now thats magic

pete

This was what I feared, not much in the north. Is there a realistic destination or circular route taking in some scenery further south perhaps Remember I'm looking at 4 to 5 days max. What about Germany? is it too far from Calais and/ or is there nowt there either

[Gary_M]

Originally Posted by alankemp

If your going from Dover to Calais, then use the train from Folkestone. Only 30 minutes, simple, stay with your bike (nice and easy). P&O ferries good with strapping down your bike, about 90 minutes journey. If you want a breakfast get in the queue quickly, can get very busy.

I do like the idea of the train...and it's cheaper than the ferry too

[blackdragon]

Originally Posted by Paragon

OK, I'm going to say hotel, a) because I need to travel light and don't want to have to take camping gear and b) because I like a bit of creature comfort. It doesn't have to be France but within 4 day round trip of a ferry port my options are, I geuss, limited.

I've biked across to Belgium a few times. A hotel you might want to check out is the Motorcycle Loft Hotel, which is about 5 to 10 miles east of Ostend (http://www.grd.be/motorhotel/). It's VERY basic, but clean, reasonable, has good food and beer, has an excellent atmosphere and you park your bike inside, so its as safe as it possibly could be!! Its a good place to stay either as base for rides to Bruges (WELL worth a visit!!) Ypres etc, or as stopover before moving on elsewhere. I've stayed there 3 times over the past few years for long weekends. Its only about 60 - 70 miles from the Tunnel Terminal and Dover, and should only take you about an hour from there.

By the way, I recommend the Tunnel. Its quick and easy, with no tying the bike down or carrying your luggage/valuables with you.

Hope this is of some help!

Blackdragon.

[SalTheWop]

I've stayed in the Formule 1 hotels .Cant remember how much it costs now! About 35-45 euros a night per room .Very basic ,no toilet or shower in the room .But the couple that I stayed in where very clean.Both had secure parking .
I guess it depends on what level of comfort you want. For me, a hotel is somewhere you goto when you want to go to bed, then get up in the morning and leave.If you want bar / restaurant on site you will need to look elsewhere.

As for riding in France, the French seem to be very biker friendly.They will always give you room to get past ,some seeming going into the gutter to get out your way.At toll booths ,no problem with heading to to front of the queue.Have ridden through Belgium but I was on a CBR 600...I blinked ,and I was in Holland