Me and my Kawasaki VN800A
Over the years landscape photography has become close to an obsession that will regularly see me abandoning a perfectly good bed at 4am to climb some mountain in the hope of getting a good dawn shot.
This works well with my other passion, motorbikes! Over the last 20 years I’ve toured all over Europe, the Alpine roads being the best place on earth for a biker/photographer…
I now suffer from terminal alpinitus, a very serious condition which leaves me no choice but to ride my bike into the hills without notice.
I cant believe I’m still married !!! 
I am loving the blog / site and posts on IBF.
And the pics.
Best wishes.
Tazzzie
Cheers Taz, it’s great to hear some good feedback,,,
Plenty more to come in time for the 2011 biking season..
Denis
O – cannot believe your still married too, specially with that ‘tash
Cheers Denis.
Brian
Nice reports and pictures. We are planning a trip in the Maritime Alps in Eastern 2012. Looks like it the southernmost part that is open ?
Jens (Dykkeren) Norway
Hi Jens,
In early April all the tourist passes will be closed (blocked with barriers), only the main roads will be kept open for commertial traffic to the coastal regions. In France the lower passes (1000/1500m) will start opening in the middle of May, the Italian passes are usually a week or two later. In April the temperatures around Briancon, Guillestre and Barcelonnette can remain -10 degrees C, it’s still the sking season and not for motorbikes! Last year the northern passes, Col de Telegraphe and Galibier did not open until mid June which is common. Valberg, a ski resort just a 2 hour journey from Nice would still be busy if it’s a harsh winter!
April is a bad time to plan any kind of bike tour in the Alps, it’s too early! For example from Nice on the French coast the Alp Maritime will rise to 1000 meters within 40km! If you visit Nice in early April expect to see the mountains surrounding the coast covered in snow. The main roads leading to the larger towns and ski resorts will be kept clear and the small roads would be passable for cars, but would be highly dangerous for motorbikes. Melt water during the day in the Alp Maritime would freeze at night leaving very icy roads until midday, from midday until till 3/4pm small avalanches may again temporally block roads. These roads may officially be closed for motorbikes and only open for cars, in some cases the passes may be closed between 6pm and 10am to all traffic.
If it’s a very mild and short winter you may be lucky passing the main roads on motorbike, but the French and Italian road authorities will still not open the tourist passes (the best biking roads) until mid May, they will then start to close again around the end of October (Barcelonnette north), and November for the southern passes (Barcelonnette south).
The only time you can be sure to ride in the high alpine passes is from mid June and the Alp Maritime and southern passes from mid May.
Check these websites for info on pass status;
France
http://www.bison-fute.equipement.gouv.fr/en/article.php3?id_article=10
http://www.infotrafic.com/route.php?region=FRANC&link=cols.php?ALPN
Switzerland
http://www.swissinfo.ch/ger/infos_zur_schweiz/verkehrsinfo/index.html?cid=7766200#pass
All Passes (in German)
http://www.oeamtc.at/bergstrassen/
More info on all passes
http://www.alpineroads.com/passes.php
Hope this helps,
Denis
Hi, I see my husboand did not thank you for your very thorough reply … Thank you a lot!!!! It is very, very useful and we are now making other plans for easter based on your info
What about Kroatia in easter?
Have you biked a lot in Norway ? (we are norwegians)
Hanne-Eva
Hi Hanne-Eva,
Unfortunatly I have never been to Norway, I hope maybe to organise a motorbike trip next year as I have a few Norwegian friends who have invited me to visit and tour the fjords.
Kroatia has some fantastic biking roads, and every biker I know that has been there has really enjoyed it. Easter is a good time to visit as it would be warm but not too hot and of course there would be less tourists and traffic.
Another option, if you have the time is to ride down through France to Lyon, from Lyon you have a few options depending on the weather. If it’s a mild winter you might, if your lucky, be able to ride up to Briancon and ride to the coast over the southern Alps. If this is not an option you would be able to ride the “Route de Napoleon” which is a fantastic road through the lower western Alps and is always open. It starts in Grenoble and ends in Antibes and I cant recommend it enough. In the summer it’s really busy with tourist traffic, but in Easter it would be perfect.
From the French coast, again depending on the weather and how you feel you can go east through Italy into Croatia or explore southern France and the back country of Provence which has plenty of fantastic roads, Gorges de Verdon, Mont Ventoux and the Ardeche to name a few great locations. Again, April/May is the perfect time for touring this area on motorbike as there’s less heat, less tourist traffic and accommodation is cheaper. It’s also only a day’s ride to the eastern Pyrenees which clear of snow around that time.
In 3 weeks I’m going on my 2011 European Tour which will entail an aprox 6,500km tour through the French, Swiss, Italian Alps down as far as Gorges du Daluis where I’ll run along Gorge du Verdon, Gorges de Nesque, Mont Ventoux and the Dents du Midi (the Southern Teeth) mountain range. From there it’s the Ardeche before crossing over to the west coast to ride along the highest passes of Route des cols Pyrenees winding in and out of France, Spain and Andorra before heading further south into Alicante and Murcia. Weather willing I’ll be crossing at least 45 high Alpine/Pyrenean passes between 900 and 2,700 meters.
As usual I’ll post descriptions of all the best roads along with photos, this year I’ll also have 2 sport video cameras mounted on the motorbike. From late November I’ll be uploading all the photos/videos etc so hopefully it will help you with your touring plans.
Let me know what you decide to do, if you need any more help or information on France or Italy let me know.
Denis
Dear Denis,
I am new to your site. I cannot download the .gpx files to my iPad.
If the file is attached to an email, I can receive.
Please advise.
Thanks,
Rick Andrew
Tacoma, WA USA
Hi Rick,
I don’t have an iPad so I have not tested the site for iPad’s but I’m guessing it’s something to do with the functionality of the download page. Normally for PC you need to right click the .GPX file and “save link as” to get the popup “download file” box. Is there a function on your iPad to replicate the right click action?
Denis
Dear Denis,
Really great blog you have, am very impressed with the quality work you have invested.
And like you, I enjoy riding my bike (current: KTM 990 Adventure) through mountain ranges.
Took the liberty to view & download some of your gdb files. Am going to see if one or the other can be integrated into my 2012 tour.
It goes from Munich (home) through Austria, Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, and Switzerland and then back home. Am planning about 6-7 weeks to complete this one.
Do you have any recommendations for overnight accommodations (Ibis, Hotel 1, etc.) with safe parking in France & Spain?
Cheers,
Mike Carpenter
Munich, Germany
Hi Mike,
Sounds like you got one fantastic trip lined up for yourself, I’m seriously jealous. As for hotels with safe parking the best advice dont stay in big towns and cities, I’ve always found over the years that the more out of the way a hotel is the safer your bike is likely to be in any country. Motels on or near the autoroutes are even worse, stay away from them if ye have a bike worth stealing. In France, Spain, Italy etc the safest place to rest over night without having to worry about your bike is to stay in country B&B’s, Auberges, Chambre D’Hotes as they usually all have at least a driveway if not a garage and thieves or their spotters don’t hangout in such places.
A couple of really good places I’ve stayed in recently are
Auberge Mont Prorel, this is in Briancon (the highest town in Europe) on the French/Italian boarder and the half way point of Route des Grandes Alps. It’s run by an English couple and has a proper English/Irish style bar, pool table and good food. Ibis Briancon is also good if Mont Prorel is full but as with all the Ibis hotels it’s a bit sole-less. Mont Prorel has off street parking, park your bike in front of the entrance doors if staying in Ibis and it will be fine. If you haven’t been in Briancon before plan to stay at least 2 or 3 nights as it has some fantastic high Alpine roads surrounding it.
http://www.hotelmontprorel.com/
Auberge l’Arpelin on the Col D’Izoard about 25km south of Briancon is another good place to consider, not much chance of getting your bike nicked there!!! The owner speaks good English, but the food is typically French/Alpine and magic if your adventurous.
http://www.auberge-larpelin.com/
If your visiting the Matterhorn across the Italian boarder in the Aosta valley there is a great little hotel run by an exuberant Italian lady with little English, some French, but her rather stunning looking daughter speaks perfect English.
http://www.jouretnuit.it/en/
If visiting the Gorges du Verdon (and ye would be mad not to) it’s main town of Castellane can be hard to get accommodation and none with what I’d call safe parking. But if you head up the road to Saint-André-Les-Alpes you will find a great little hotel called Hotel Bel Air run by a mad French lad and his wife, both great fun, good restaurant, good bar, safe parking and well used by French bikers visiting the area.
http://en.hotel-belair-verdon.com/
If your heading towards the Pyrenees and Spain I’d stay off the French coast and cut across the Rhone valley via the great Mont Ventoux which is a must to ride. Coming down the west side of Mt Ventoux you will run into the great Cote du Rhone wine country, all the villages around here offer great food and wine, the tourist towns are expensive though. But there is a non touristy town near Châteaux Neuf du Pape called Sainte-Cécile-Les-Vignes with a surprisingly wonderful hotel called La Farigoule, at 50 Euro a night its seriously cheap for what you get. The food in it’s restaurant might look expensive however, but the chef is a genius and his food is stunning, I spent many years as a professional chef and I don’t give out this type of praise lightly. This hotel does not have parking but the owner has a big secure garage just across the road, just ask and she will be happy to keep your bike there if your worried, but it’s a quiet safe town. This town is also in easy reach of Gorges du Nesque and the Gorges de l’Ardeche, the roads around Mt Ventoux are also well worth a ride. Its also under a days ride to Andorra.
http://www.lafarigoule.net/site-uk/hotel.htm
Last autumn I also found a great place called Chalet le Chapeau Bleu, just west of Andorra on the Spanish boarder near Luchon. It’s half way between the Med and Atlantic with access to some of the highest roads in the Pyrenees. A really fantastic area with some of the best biking roads in Europe. It’s run by and English couple, Ron and Carol, Ron’s a biker and can direct you towards some great roads and he’s is a dam good cook. This place is in the middle of nowhere however so opt for the evening meal, there’s no restaurants or pubs around, or bike thieves for that matter. I’ll be uploading routes and info on this area in a few weeks.
I find the following websites really helpful when looking and booking accommodations..
Ibis and F1 ye already know, but what I don’t find by accident I find here..
http://www.logishotels.com/en.html (Has downloadable GPS POI’s for every listing) Logis hotels are usually of a good standard and affordable, better than Ibis, easily better then the F1 chain.
http://www.tripadvisor.ie/ – This is a great site for getting reviews and accommodation
http://www.booking.com/ – Invaluable on route if ye have a smartphone..
Hope this helps..
Denis
Hi RT. Congratulations on a great blog – interesting, great pics and full of very helpful info.
Mid June I am planning on travelling from Annecy to Briancon and then from Briancon via Castellane to Nice. Do you reckon I could make the first leg in one day, and the second leg in around seven hours – excluding food/petrol stops? I would like to spend longer, but can’t unfortunately. What do you think? Cheers.
Hi Harlequin
From Annecy if you go down the A43 then take exit 29-Col-du-Galibier toward Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne and come over Telegraph/Galibier you’d easily get to Briancon in 4-5 hours and thats taking in stopping for lunch and photographs on Galiber. On a straight run you’d probably do it in 3-4hrs. You could also go via the Frejus tunnel, it’s quicker but not nearly as good a ride. Or even a longer route via Baufort, Bourg St Maurice, Val d’Isere and Lac Cenis to come into Briancon via Italy, about a 7hr ride, but well worth it as that a really great route.
Either way easily done in a day.
From Briancon to Nice the 3 quickest ways are:
1. Riding over La Bonette and down the D2205 and D6202 into Nice. This is easily done in about 4hrs30 to 5hrs30 with a nice stop to take in the views on La Bonette. If you’ve never ridden over La Bonette “the highest through road in Europe” I gota say it’s a must at least once in your life. From the bottom of the south ramp it’s an easy but fairly boring straight run into Nice on good fast roads with lite traffic until you close in on the coast. If your going in mid June La Bonette should easily be open by then, but check the pass status before you commit to your route.
http://www.bison-fute.equipement.gouv.fr/acces-aux-cols/index.do
2. From Briancon- Saint Andre les Alps -Nice, go via Embrun – Colmar – Saint Andre les Alps then just south of St Andre take a left and cut across on the N202 via Entrevaux which joins the D6202 straight into Nice, again about 5hrs30 or less, a bit more if you stop off in the motorbike museum Entrevaux, it’s about 1hr 20mins into Nice from here. Watch out for mobile speed traps on the N202 & D6202, this is main route to the coast from Gorge du Verdon and the cops are on it. It’s a long smooth straight road and real easy to let your speed creep up, but trust me the cops are regularly all over this road looking to take your money.
3. Briancon- Castellane – Nice, this is not so easily done in 7hrs as this route will bring you into Nice from the west on the D6065 “part of Route Napoleon” which means going through Grasse/Mougins or through Valbonne. The problem here is the traffic (from Castellane all the way to Nice via Grasse) all along this route which is fecken nuts even when its not tourist season. In the last 5/10 years or so the whole Grasse/Mougins area has become seriously over populated, it’s a melting pot of small roads overloaded with traffic, add in 250,000 seasonal visitors and it becomes hell to navigate even on a moped.
If you roll in on this route in mid June it’s going to be back to back camper vans etc. If you also happen to be doing it during rush hour 4:30pm-7:30pm then God help you. Even on a bike you will be 2hrs in hot, smelly aggressive traffic. The French cops are not too keen on bikes filtering either, especially ones with panniers so you have to be a bit careful with that also. If you absolutely have to go to Castellane do so, but I’d definitely back up to the N202 and drop down into Nice from the north, it might seem longer, but it’s usually quicker as you will almost certainly miss a whole lot of traffic and get into Nice a lot more relaxed.
With the aprox time’s I’ve given that would be how long it would take me in good weather in lite traffic, on a big RT and I’m not a very fast rider. If your a quick rider on a lighter sportier bike it would be quicker. But dont forget that in the Alps, even in summer the weather can turn shite quickly and slow you down so just be prepared for that.
Hope this helps..
Have a safe trip mate, enjoy..
Denis
Hi Dennis,
This is really great advice, in fact, the best I’ve had by a mile. Thanks very much. cheers, Kevin
Hi Dennis, enjoyed your site, I’ve downloaded a few gpx files. I’m off to France/Spain on Tuesday for a couple of weeks so hopefully they’ll be put to good use!
What helmet cam are you using?
JC
Hi JC
I’m using the Drift HD170 Stealth, it’s a very handy little cam and worth the money in my book. The GoPro is another great camera but it looks a bit bad if you plant it on the top of your lid.
Watch out for the Guardia Civil on the Spanish side of the Pyrenees, the sneaky buggers have hidden speed cameras even in the remotest areas and check points on border crossings and rural roundabouts as far south as Barcelona.
Have a safe trip, you are probably going at the best time of the year..
Denis
Hi Denis,
Just to let you know that I spent a couple of nights at the Mont Prorel in Briancon on your advice.
Marvellous!
Know what you mean about the fireplace though!
My lad and I followed your suggested routes from Albertville ((nice little campsite called Lac de Carouge) through to Briancon – stunning for us first timers.
Dossed around on the Sat then followed route you published starting and ending at Briancon.
It was brilliant, Cols, passes, Alpine lakes the lot – so thanks very much for passing on your experiences
Planning to do something similar next year maybe head into Italy for a few
Sent from sunny (I lie) Cornwall.
Bob and Jon
That’s really great to hear Bob, thanks a lot for that.
I’ll be uploading a load more routes, photos and videos over the winter as I have spent the summer exploring the Pyrenees which are very different from the Alps, but no less brilliant. I also found 2 of the most stunning roads I have ever ridden which wind in and out of Spain.
I also found some really excellent bike friendly places to stay, drink and eat so I hope you come back for more, I might just convince you to head to the Pyrenees next year instead
Cheers
Denis
Hi Denis
Thanks for putting in the time and effort on your site, you are doing a great job.
It may even inspire me to do a bit of touring. I live in west wales and so have some pretty good biking roads but it would be good to go futher a field.
I have just bought an F800r in orange so appologies if I draw up along side you at the lights! That is how I found your site, looking for reviews for the F800r.
Thanks again
Jeff
Thanks Jeff, always good to hear the site is of use.
I was over in Wales a few years back and really enjoyed it, I hope to get back at some stage. Congrats on the getting the bike, the F800R should be perfect for those Welsh roads as it’s an underrated, brilliant, easy to ride, stress free, economical all-rounder.
If your looking to accessorise your F800 a bit I can really recomend the halogen lights from motobozzo – http://www.motobozzo.de/xtcatalog/product_info.php?language=en&info=p130_BMW-F-800-R-Halogen-Nebelleuchten.html
They look great but more importantly they will make the bike and you far more noticeable to cars as the F800′s headlight, like most bikes in my view, is not great. Since I put on the halogen side lights I’ve really seen first hand how cars now pull over to let me through when I come up behind them and are less likely to pull out on me at junctions. I still cant believe the difference they have made, especially as they only cost around £100 inc delivery, much better value then the Touratech ones. Well worth considering dude, but please dont pull up next to me at the lights lol…..
Stay safe
Denis
I have enjoyed your site since I happened onto it and subscribed. I am leaving you a comment to thank you for sharing your experiences and posting such great pictures of the most favourite places for me. I live in Atlantic Canada, and its great; but to me, the South of France and Northern Spain is absolutely the greatest. You are living my dream and sharing it with me !!! Great stuff, can’t thank you enough.
It’s really is great to hear that you are enjoying the site Cotetoi. Plenty more Pyrenees video and info to come so stay tuned
Cheers
Denis
Hi, love your site. i am a touring abroad virgin. i want to do a tour of france this year and would like to experience some of the alps/mountain passes. i have an st1100 pan european but have no idea of what route to take can you advise me please.i am thinking of getting the ferry to calais regards mick
Hi Mick,
The Route des Grande Alps is the best route in the western Alps and a great way to get into touring, it statrs off just south of Lac Leman on the French Swiss border and finishes up near Nice. There are loads of variations to the route, but for the most part it follows the epic D902. I prefer to finish up in Castellane at the edge of Gourge du Verdon which is un miss-able.
You have a great bike for the job which will chew up the motorway so you could shoot straight down the motorway on the 1st day and be ready to tackle the good stuff on your 2nd day. Go via Rheims and stear clear of Paris as the traffic around Paris is alway nuts and toll fees are more expensive. Some of the alpine roads are tough going, so if you are taking a pillion you will be lucky if you manage 200km in a day through those hills;)
Once you get into the Alps though dont plan on doing any more than 300km max in a day.
Copy and paste this Google Maps link into your internet browser – http://goo.gl/maps/gwLe3 This would be a really good route with many of the best passes to get the initial planning done.
But a lot depends on your dates. If you go too early the higher passes may be closed. The highest passes may not open until June! Make sure not to go during the Tour de France or you will face endless traffic jams and all the hotels etc will be booked out.
Also check out my 2010 and 2011 tours through this area, there is tons of info on alternative routes and links to places to stay and loads more which should answer many questions for you.
Make sure to get an up to date Michelin map and not an AA map as the Michelin maps are far better for France and match the French road sign colour codes. The AA maps have their own colour codes which make things more confusing if you get lost. I think I have a list of maps for this route and a guide to French road signs here http://www.roadtrooper.com/a-virgins-touring-guide/
Hope this helps to get you started, if you have any more questions just fire away..
Cheers
Denis
Great site full of useful information. I’d like to link to your site from ours – http://www.old-gits.org Are you OK with that? I’d especially like to mention your virgins touring guide and link directly to that. Again, is that OK with you?
Regards
David Mc
http://www.old-gits.org
Hi David. Sorry for the late reply but I’m just back from a very long and cold ride from the west coast of Ireland back to Dublin. Had a bout of winter cabin fever and had to blow the cobwebs off my bike as much as myself lol…
You guys have a really great site yourselves, I’d say I’d probably fit right in being a borderline old git myself
Absolutly feel free to link or reference to my virgins guide download page, the advice in it “for what it’s worth at least” is free. It’s probably a bit long winded but hopefully it helps those who have yet to get their bikes a little further afield.
Just so you know I’ll be writing in a few updates to it soon. As it’s now a year old it needs a little tweeking here and there to keep the info/links etc fresh.
Best regards
Denis
Hi Denis
Just found your site this evening, really pleased I did!
I’m heading to Bilbao mid August and plans are to head along the N260, up past the right of Andora and to Puivert in France where we have friends, then back up through France and home.
We were going to be doing it at the end of May, but the mate I’m going with works for the NHS and we got mucked around with his holiday availability. Mid August was the only time possible… Not ideal I know, and from reading bits on here I now know it even more! However I’m sure we’ll still have a great time, as long as we stay hydrated and avoid tiger mozzies, etc.
I might pick your brains, if I may, re routes sometime. I’ve got a fair bit of it planned already and having an experienced eye run over it might be a God send just in case.
Thanks again for putting this site up here.
Happy riding
Chaz
Hi Chaz,
Dont worry about going in August, you will have a blast what ever time you go.
Would be happy to advise/help or have a look over your route, just send me an email to denis.smyth@roadtrooper.com with a route google maps link, kml or gdb/gpx and I’ll have a look..
All the best..
Denis
Hi Denis
Just looking through your Pyrenees trip of 2012 & I am very tempted to give it a go.
I am intending sailing into Roscoff on 26th May & after a leisurely spin down through France hope to hit Pau after 3 or 4 days on non motorway roads.
I am wondering if you could roughly recommend a route for me coming from that direction. I have noted your routes & hope to try some of them, however I dont want any “brown trouser” moments so maybe you could advise me what cols to avoid. I hasten to add that I’m an “aul fart” now & could do without such moments but not afraid of moderate adventure but no scary stuff!!
I am also wondering why you always seem to base yourself on the French side of the border, I would have thought it would be cheaper on the Spanish side, but you probably have a very good reason for that.
I dont want to go booking places to stay in advance so I’m wondering if there’s any problems just “winging it” & finding B&B in the Pyrenees on each day just by turning up?
Hi Tom,
Sorry for the lat reply, it’s been a busy few days..
It’s hard to recommend a good route from Roscoff to Pau as there are too many
Central France is littered with great roads so you will run into them without trying. Travelling south I rarely take the same route twice unless I’m short of time in which case I’ll take the N roads and use the motorways to get around the bigger towns and cities without hassle. I would however seriously recommend you work in the Gorge du Tarn into either your route down or back, in many ways it’s better than Gorges du Verdon. It’s just 20km-ish north east of Millau and the Millau bridge which really is well worth a look too.
The easiest way to find great roads is to stay away from the touristy coast line, obviously stay off the motorway, and most importantly get yourself a Michelin map and look for the roads with the green lines along them. These are the scenic/tourist roads almost all of which are marvellous, try to follow the “D” regional roads which usually give you easy access both to fun roads and plenty of B&B’s/campsites etc. Also the Michelin maps have a “BIS” route indication, this is a very specific French road classification which roughly translates to “The Road Less Travelled”, these roads/routes are outstanding cultural, historical and scenic routes. If you come across a road sign with a “BIS” on it – follow it
As for “brown trouser” moments I wouldn’t worry, the Pyrenees roads are far less hairy than the Alps. The only pass that might get a little unnerving is Col du Tourmalet which is the highest pass. If you approach the Col from the west there is a very tight corner with a nasty gradient near the top, if approaching on the east ramp its got a “visually impressive” drop off cliff and a nasty hairpin turn. However, both those turns are only difficult if you’re riding a big, top heavy bike like my old RT, on your light and nimble Vstrom DL650X it’s easy. Also, if you have ridden in the Alps you are not going to find any pass nearly as challenging as many found in the Alps.
The roads on the Spanish side are for the most part better, almost all have a perfect smooth surface, and outside of July and August you will have them mostly all to yourself, apart from the odd cow wondering aimlessly across the road. In fact, on both sides of the border I’d consider the biggest hazard being the itinerant bovine menace which is about the only potential “brown trouser” moment you are likely to face. Simply stay alert for them and your speed in cheque and there won’t be any problems.
Also around mid/late May there is a strong chance you will come across sheep farmers clogging up the roads moving their wool makers up to the high pastures. Unlike the Alpine roads the Pyrenees roads are far lower and thereforehave a far higher concentration of farmland, which means tractors, animals etc, all of which will be your main road hazards. As long as you keep that in mind you really have nothing to worry about.
As for mostly basing myself on the French side, well that’s just a personal preference as I’m very fond of French food, and even more fond of the regional cognac and especially the more rustic armagnac’s that can only really be found in the south west area of France. It’s just my very own guilty little pleasure
With that said though there is not really that much difference price wise between France and Spain anymore. Hotels, campsites and B&B’s are much the same price, even supermarket and fuel prices are starting to pair up and Spanish motorway tolls are some of the most expensive in Europe. A really good Spanish restaurant will also be summarily priced, but generally eating out, beer and wine is still much cheaper in Spain.
As for winging it with B&B’s you should be fine as you will be there very early in the season. The only thing is that you do need to start looking for a place to stay around 4pm, 5pm at the very latest. If you get stuck head for the nearest town with a tourist office who will help you find a place for the night. If you speak a little French the village post office, Tabac or Spar shops are also a great place to help find a local B&B as those guys know everyone in their district. If there is an unlisted B&B in the area they will know of it, but you will need to speak a little French.
I’ll actually be in the Pyrenees myself up until around the 30th, so you never know, I might just see you there
Hope this helps, happy travels..
Denis
Hi, not long found your site and what a great site it is, i have a question about the Pyrenees. What is the score with petrol stations? are they on the downloads and if I’m doing stuff that isnt on your list how do I go about finding them. Is it wise to carry a jerrycan full?
Hi Itchy, sorry for the late reply, I’m only just back from my 1st bike trip of the season.
On my downloadable gps routes there are petrol stations on the routes every 100-150km. The need to carry a jerry can depends on your bikes tank range. If your bike can manage a minimum of 300km/180miles before the warning light comes on then you should be fine, but I’d never go further than 200km/120miles without topping up as my F800GS will only manage 300km safely. DON’T wait for the bikes low fuel warning light to light up before looking for a fuel stop as you can easily get into trouble.
I consider a tank range of 300km/180miles the absolute bare minimum for touring in rural areas, Alps, Pyrenees included.
If your bikes tank range is lower than 300km then I’d seriously consider carrying extra fuel, especially if you intend to ride in rural areas or on a Sunday. Otherwise plan your route very carefully to be sure of finding fuel.
In the Pyrenees fuel stations are fairly abundant; especially on the Spanish side as long as you plan a route that will take you through at least medium sized villages or small towns. Beware however, on both sides of the border, and especially in Spain the stations in rural areas may close for lunch/siesta (2-4pm) and can be closed all day Sunday.
If you are planning your routes with SatNav software on your PC (e.g. Garmin MapSource) beware that some of the fuel stations listed in the software have gone out of business due to the recession. This is becoming an increasing problem in France where rural populations are packing up and heading to the big towns in search of work. Less people in rural areas = more petrol stations closing down and neither the Garmin nor TomTom SatNavs are being updated with these changes.
Unmanned fuel stations are also becoming more popular in France, so bring a major credit card (Visa/MasterCard – Do Not Use Lazer/Debit cards for buying fuel! Lazer/Debit work on a different system and the petrol station may initially charge you €100 or more (up to €400). This is a minimum balance holding request, the petrol station then charges your card at the end of their business week and cancels the minimum balance holding request. The holding request is to make sure you will have the funds in your account when they get around to charging you for the fuel you bought. The system is a pain in the arse!
Many lads using Lazer/Debit cards at French petrol stations have found their accounts frozen mid trip from balance holding requests, so buy with cash if at all possible or Credit Card for unmanned stations.
I’m heading off to France, the Pyrenees and Spain in 2 weeks, and as my F800GS will only manage 300km of spirited riding on a full tank I will be carrying an extra 5ltr jerry can with me as I plan to ride some of the mountain trails where fuel stations definitely don’t exist.
Hope this helps with the decision.
Denis
Thanks Denis, I’m on a fjr1300 so shouldnt need the can then, one less think to pack.