Mid September to late October is an ideal time as far as I’m concerened as the heat has dropped off and and there’ll be no tourist traffic. Usually the weather would be mild and settled around that time but obviously the higher you go the cooler it will be in the mornings/evenings. For the most part I’d say youd be needing a base layer over a t-shirt in the morning and just the tee under your bike jacket in the afternoon. When the trees start turning red at that time of year it’s a stunning place to be.

But don’t hold me to that forecast, the weather is nuts these days and you could easily still see 25C+ on the lower Spanish Pyrenees or hail/snow on the upper french pyrenees so while it’s likely to be ideal you still need to be prepaired for bad weather. All mountain regions are unpredictible by nature.

The Pyrenees is full of smugglers routes but I’ll take a guess and say your looking for the Port de Cabús route, here is a Google Map of the route https://goo.gl/maps/b6DcPXbRFmm
Hope this helps,
Denis

We are planning on a trip through the Pyrenees to Andorra starting 24th September. Do you think we will get away with the weather or are these dates a bit late in the year?

Have you ever ridden the Smugglers Route into Andorra and if so do you have any way points that will help me to locate it.

Again thanks for all the help you give.

Derek

However, much depends on what time or the year your shooting off at, what your experience is, are you riding in a group or with a pillion, what bike you’re riding and what French port your entering/leaving from? I could spend all day firing options at you but probably easier and quicker if you give me a skype call at some stage. Do a skype contact search for Denis Smyth / RoadTrooper.com and ye’ll find me. Alternatively write back with more details to give me a better idea of the options that might suit you best..

Cheers,
Denis

It’s great to hear you are enjoying the site and that it’s inspiring you. The F650GS is a great bike for getting around the back roads and boreens where big heavy bikes become a pain. Especially if you are riding one-up on naggery little roads where 3 figure horsepowers become redundant. I love all types of motorcycles for many differing reasons. But when I choose to buy a bike I force myself to view a bike as a tool to do a job using my head and not the heart so to speak. And sometimes you really are better off with a simple hand screwdriver over a power tool.

It’s true in many ways that riding the WAW from south to north is better. I’m just back from another trip along the WAW working out new routes running parallel to the WAW but inland a bit. The WAW is a fantastic route and Bord Failte has done a brilliant job of marketing it and upgrading the roads to cater for mainstream tourist traffic, camper vans, coaches etc. But from my point of view as a biker the posted WAW coastal route is only half the story! I can’t help thinking Bord Failte have not copt on to a motorbikes ability to travel along the one track back roads and boreens that are off limits to larger vehicles.

So, if a biker tells me he’s has ridden the full 2,500km WAW route I’ll tell him he’s only halfway there Take the Ring of Kerry and Skellig drive for example, it’s a great road for sure, but there are incredible roads and passes all through the Cork/Kerry mountains, – the Black Valley, Priests Leap Pass, Ballaghisheen Pass, Ballaghbema Gap and POI’s like the Loher Ring Fort which is next to impossible to get to in anything larger than an old Mini Cooper, and the list goes on.

Over the winter I’ll be uploading more routes allowing fellow bikers to ride the WAW south to north via the official WAW route then return south through the mountain passes of Donegal, the Burren, Kerry/Cork mountain etc. So hopefully I’ll inspire you to ride back over to this side again to explore a little further what the west has to offer, and your F650GS is most assuredly a perfect tool for boreen busting

As for getting the GoPro set up properly the only thing I can say to you is keep at it, trial & error is simply a learning curve. If you check out my earliest vids on YT you’ll see they were crap and if my vids are getting better it’s only through persistence and practice. The learning curve with making the vids can be frustrating, but also very rewarding and fun.

If you have any questions or want to pick my brains on vids or gear I’d be happy to help over a skype call or whatever, there’s no problem there so feel free.

As for 1 week trips over the winter that’s a tough one. Supposedly we are going to get a bad winter here, although each winter always seems to be worse than the last. ‘ll ride in almost any weather for example, but if there is likely to be ice or snow on the roads I’ll keep the bike in the garage as the high risk of an off too high. If ye were to get a trip in before Xmas I’d say the south west (Cork/Kerry) could keep you entertained as it’s usually late jan/feb before the roads get dicey. I’ll be down here in Killarney most of the winter, if ye decide to come down for a few days give me a shout and I’ll meet up with you for some rideouts. if there is no ice or snow I’m good to go..

Alternatively have a chat with Derek at Overlanders (http://www.overlanders.ie) and see about joining one of his guided tours in southern Europe. He runs tours over the winter, there’s a tour of Morocco in mid Oct lined up where he will ship your bike down while you fly, he’ll have your bike waiting for you at the hotel/airport. I’ve no idea what’s he has planned for after Xmas though. You could also fly to Nice and have Overlanders ship your bike down to the South of France for a week exploring Provence, I’ve got at least 20 routes on the download page that you could ride in the winter. Derek runs a great service, I’ve used him myself when weather or time is against me, he’s a busy lad though so you’d want to take to him sooner rather than later as tour places and space on his trucks get filled up quickly.

You could also sign up for a bit of a light off-roading course down in southern Spain which I’d highly recommend. Getting some off road skills will without doubt make you a better and more confident road rider and help you get the most out of your explorations of Ireland or maybe the Alps & Pyrenees in the future.

There’s a crowd in the UK called Adventure-Spec where I source a lot of my parts and gear, but they also run http://www.adventureridercentre.co.uk which is an off-road skills training center in Malaga. They run a really good show and I think you might really enjoy a few days down there even if you have no real interest in off-roading on your own bike. Spain is possibly the best country for light trail riding, certainly in the winter. I’ll be down there myself at some stage over the winter for a bit of trail riding and sangria.

The winter in Ireland might limit us all a bit in terms of a 1 week type bike tour here, but there are plenty of opportunities if you don’t mind pushing your horizons a bit further out. Then again we could get a mild winter, a bit too early to tell so I’m a bit hesitant to suggest a route for a week riding here..

Denis

Wonderful site. Truly. It inspired me to buy a F650GS (I am 5’6″ and fed up of heavy bikes) and to do the WAW the first two weeks of August. I went North South, a mistake – wrong side of the road! Weather was as one would expect – very mixed. Had the best holiday of my life though. I am a convert. Cannot tell you how much I enjoyed it.

I recorded/mapped the trip on MotionX GPS (an amazing app), my iphone camera, GpPro and a daily log, inspired by your beautiful videos. Got the positioning of the GoPro wrong on the bike which was a pain. (Now got wireless control on the iphone and the wireless control unit both mounted on the handlebars and put the camera on my helmet). Did 200 Km per day easy riding.

I am going to buy new gear though. The stuff I have was a pain in the ass on the trip. Will follow your advice on choice. I’ll let you know how I get on.

I want to do a few trips this winter – one week trips. I am based in Dublin. Any suggestions?

Best
Padraig (Berry)

Good luck in your venture next year – I’ll be sure to tell any friends interested in Ireland to have a look at your site and service.

I’m sure we’ll be back to Ireland in the future, but our next trip will probably be Scotland. When we start planning that, I’ll check in with you to see what you might have on offer.

Cheers,
-Keith

Sounds like you have a great trip lined up. There are only two ways when dealing with Irish road signs, get a SatNav or a good regional/county map that has (L – Link) roads listed. These tend to be either narrow and well surfaced roads between villages or boreens, sometimes unpaved rougher single track rural roads, many of the most interesting/sceenic places can be found on these roads and a motorbike is the best way to explore them. But the sign posts can be either confusing or non existant so a county map or SatNav is essential.

As for the police/garda I’d not be worried, I’d be surprised if you met or even saw any. Ireland is one of the few countries left in Europe with a low and friendly police presence. If you do meet them all you have to do is be curtious, they will be as friendly as you are unless you are acting like a knob. There are however plenty of speed traps found mostly near towns on N roads. Stick to the speed limits and you’ll not have any problems, it’s that simple. There are only two types of weather in Ireland, it will either be raining, or about to rain with temperatures ranging from 10 to 18 degrees C. So you’ll certainly need good rain gear, a fleese and a light base layer.

Traffic will start getting heavy in June with coaches and RV’s/motorhomes etc so roads like the Ring of Kerry can become a pain in the arse. But large vehicles, expecially the coaches can’t manage the boreens and in some roads like on the Dingle Peninsula coaches are not allowed, so use the motorbike to your advantage and explore the back roads. The 1200GS is a perfect tool for exploring any road Ireland has to offer.

You can find plenty of more info in my Bikers Guide to the Wild Atlantic Way

If you ever fancy a return to Ireland I’ll be running guided tours of Irelands south west and west coast from May of next year specialising on the mountains and back roads/boreens. I’m currently setting up a base in Killarney and will be providing BMW bike rentals.

Have a great trip and stay safe..

Denis

I just read your Virgin’s Guide – thank you for that, it’s quite informative, as is the rest of your site. I watched a few of your videos, too – just awesome!

I was wondering if you have any words of advice for a Yank touring Ireland on an R1200GS with his lovely wife riding pillion? We’ll be taking day-trips around the Ring of Kerry, Beara Peninsula, Dingle – using Killarney as our base, then riding up into the midlands for a couple of days (no firm plans there, we’ll just wing it).

Your guide touched on Spain, France, etc., but didn’t mention the Emerald Isle.

I know I’ll have the opposite problem of reminding myself to keep left as we drive on the right in the states. Any thoughts on dealing with signs, police, roads, weather? It’s our first trip to Ireland, and first motorbike tour outside of the U.S.

What can we expect for temps, wind and precipitation at the end of June? How bad will traffic be?

How well do you think a 1200GS with pillion can manage roads like the Gap of Dunloe?

Any insight you can share will be much appreciated.

Cheers,
-Keith

I always pack activated charcoal tablets which are available in any chemist. I take them if I suspect the food is off or immediatly after I start feeling sick which will greatly limit the effects of food or toxin poisoning. Ginger tablets or even sucking raw ginger root will also stop the effects of nauesa and vomiting.. It’s also great for the ferry crossings in rough weather, many sea sickness tablets are based on ginger properties. Both ginger and charcoal tablets take up almost no packing space so I’d never do a trip without them. Good to know for your next trip

As for SatNavs lol, well the problem these days is not the SatNavs themselves as they are accurate to within 5 meters, usually 3m, it’s the POI’s (hotels etc) on the maps which are the problem as they are not updated or inserted properly anymore. If I create a route in Garmin BaseCamp to a destination I now always open the created route in Google Earth (In BaseCamp – Menu, View – Google Earth) and drag the yellow man to the destination point (street view) to make sure the POI is located correctly then correct the .gdb route if needed. I do this especially if I need to carefully plan fuel stops into the satnav route in remote/rural areas. When planning my routes Google Earth and Google Maps street view is an essential part of the process to double check the route before I upload the route to the SatNav.

As for action cams I always carry two, one on the fairing for great road action shots, and one on my helmet for the view shots. All of this I’ve learned by trial and error etc, I’ve no doubt you’ll take the lessons learned on this trip to good use on your next trip. I hope you all enjoyed it enough to do it again. To ride the high Alpine passes late June and early September is always best. But don’t forget the Pyrenees, that will be an increadible experience too, it’s also a lot cheaper if you stay/eat/drink on the Spanish side..

All the best,
Denis

We used the A26 toll motorway stopping for night in Troyes, onto Grenoble for another night, we then met up with friends on bmw gs bikes and rode the Route Napoleon to Gap…. what a road!

We then went through the Gorges Du Verdun and camped at said camping site next to river. Next day was the Col de Allos, Calloye and Gorges du dalius, all very good, and onto Cannes.
I definitely agree with you about Cannes, we had to go there for the experience but were glad to leave, overcrowded and overpriced as you said!

Our holiday was cut short due to my mate getting Salmonella from uncooked egg, so we had to make a dash for home, Cannes to Dijon, then Dijon to home which was 630 miles in a day.

The sports bikes hammering round the Route Napoleon were amazing to see, everyone friendly, lack of Gendarme which surprised us!
We did find the Cols strange, the cars/bikes would not stop on way down
which was strange as it is normal to have right of way on way up!

Things i’ve learnt, don’t rely on sat nav alone, Go Pro was mounted on fairing which was great for lean angle but not for scenery, my wife felt dizzy after 5 mins of watching!
I took a Garmin Zumo 550 with latest mapping and it was generally good, but it didn’t navigate to Hotels in Troyes and Dijon, maybe a smartphone with offline mapping might be the answer next time.

I am so glad I found your website long before going on trip, your help, advice and videos are invaluable to people like myself planning a trip abroad.

Many thanks again Denis,
Regards, Simon.

Sorry for the delay in replying, I’m out in Spain at the moment with a flat battery on my 800GS, never a dull moment eh?. Anway, you have plenty of options. If you go to the download page and click the shortcut for France/Provence you’ll find 26 routes in the Nice area you can do which would keep you very busy, none are off road. And you can certainly do the Route des Alpes as an out and return trip taking in most of the best roads. If you choose an out and return and have a satnav I’ll send you a .gpx file as a guideline to work with. Just drop me a mail to denis.smyth@roadtrooper.com and I’ll send it to you..

Cheers
Denis

Dean

Sorry for the late reply, I’m on the road in Spain at the moment. If you’ve only got 3 days to travel from Lux to Cannes you don’t have much time so your options for the route to Cannes are limited. Once you get into the Alps you’re only going to be able to manage 400km per day max but 300km is more realistic for those not used to riding in the Alps, especially if you want to do it safely. At any time of the year I never plan to ride more than 300-350km per 8hr riding day in the alps. Any more than that and things can become dangerous, the constant attention required to ride those roads plus the altitude will wear you out very quckly. Also, if you let yourself become dehydrated you’re easily going to get into trouble.

Many of the road up there are slow going and in May many of the passes might still be closed so you’ll need to factor in extra time for possible lengthy detours. To be honest I’d say trying to get from Lux to Cannes via the Route des Grande Alpes in May in 3 days is ambitious or very unlikely, and certainly risky unless you know exactly what you’re doing. I’d advise going by the route Napoleon, it’s far faster and May is an ideal time for this route as it will have low tourist traffic. So, Lux to Cannes in 3 long days via Napoleon is certainly do-able.

Once in Cannes you have plenty of excellent options to ride up into the pre-alps/alp maritime region. Almost all the passes between to coast and Barcelonnette should be open with the exception of La Bonnette and 2 or 3 others.

Check out my GPS Download page and click the shortcut at the top of the page for “France, Provence” where you’ll find 26 1-2 day routes you can choose from in the Cannes, Provence, lower alp area. May is an ideal time for doing almost all of them. I’d recommend working your way back via the Ardeche and the Gorge du Tarn areas, you’ll find these routes on the download page too. Of the 26 routes in the “France, Provence” section there are also a few routes you could work in for your route south if you want to venture off the Napoleon route.

Hope this helps, have a great time and send us a photo of the trip

Denis

Will be back on the Wild Atlantic Way again in Sept, cant wait for it..

Den

Alex

OK, I’ve managed to pick myself up off the floor now lol… Roscoff to CF is the guts of 500 mile or 800km, thats certainly do-able on the 800GS, buts it’s a hell of a long day, especially if you have to start it rolling off a ferry. I’ve done that route a few times in one go, but I was on my R1150RT which made 500 mile days easy and enjoyable. On the 800GS however I’d not be overly enthusiastic of that long a day.

There are 2 routes you can take, Rennes – Nantes – Poitiers – CF or Rennes – Le Mans – Bourges – CF. Neither route is particularly straight forward, lots of messing around bypassing towns etc and if the roads are busy or you hit roadworks/bad weather either route could easily take more than 12hrs. I can only speak for myself here as I know how far I’d want to ride in a day, and at what average speed I get on the 800GS. So for myself I’d schedule myself 12hrs to make that run, and I also know I’d not enjoy it. I’d also want to ideally be rolling out of Roscoff by 8am to be sure of getting to a hotel in time to have a shower and find a restaurant. I’d also know that at around 700km or 400 miles in I’d be getting tired and entering the potential danger zone, i.e. fatigue = lowered reaction time, waining attention leading to stupid mistakes. Everyone has their own limits, but even by the end of any September where my bike fitness levels are at their peak I’d still not push much more than 700km/400mile in a day simply because my first priority is to always return home to my wife in one piece. My motorway limit on the 800GS is 700km or 9hrs, my limit on the 800GSA is 800km or 10hrs, on the RT it’s 1200km or 12hrs. Anything over those distances or times and I know my riding ability rapidly becomes dangerous.

Under ideal conditions, great weather, low traffic etc and you start your day on the ferry you will likely by awake at 7am for a docking time of 10am, then a 11-12hr ride. That means you’ll be on the go for 15hrs at a minimum by the time you get to CF at around 9-10pm. I’d have had no problem doing that 15 years ago, but to be honest you’d not likely convince me to do it these days as I prefer to enjoy my riding and leave the endurance stuff for the lads with youth on their side

So if I’d have no choice but to ride that far in one go on the 800GS I’d carefully plan my pit stops and make damn sure I was drinking plenty and regularly eating high energy/carb foods along the way. Better to eat small amounts regularly instead of a big lunch and steer clear of caffeine. I’d hope to make the run in 10hrs, but I’d plan for a more likely 12hrs and be sure to fit my airhawk seat as the 800GS saddle was never intended for long rides.. Ideally though I’d plan 2 days to do it, take in some nice leisurely roads through the Brenne National Park (just west of Poitiers and a bit like the lake district) and thoroughly enjoy the 2 days.

Can’t help you on a safe place to store the bike in CF I’m afraid, you might get lucky on one of the bike forums though, plenty of expats with bikes living around there who might accommodate you.

All the bbest

Den

Thought it may be worth a shout to an old hack of the continent such as your good self!

Cheers Bob Calver – Cornwall

Les Alpes à moto : Europe (Michelin Roadbook) http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/2067181491/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3QPJDPVIENC4L&coliid=I19JUJ6K8HRWMY

100 virées à moto en France : Le guide Michelin pour les motards http://www.amazon.co.uk/100-vir%C3%A9es-moto-France-Michelin/dp/2067181483/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_y

Another great sourch for ideas is bestbikingroads.com http://www.bestbikingroads.com/motorcycle-roads/motorbike-rides-in-france-/provence-alpes-cote-d-azur–___5494.html

Here is a link you should find really useful, from here you can download 20 top class routes in the Provence-Alpes/Cote d’Azure region. I’ve ridden most of ‘em and they are all very good or fantastic with early May or late Sept being the best time to ride many of these.. http://www.mototourismepaca.fr/en/itineraires-moto-balade-en-provence-alpes-cote-dazur

Like I said, there is absolutely no reason for you to get bored. Besides, the high Alps are not going anywhere, they will still be there next time you get around to a trip lol… If ye have any questions fell free to fire away, but these links should give you plenty to chose from.. Enjoy..
Denis

The 9th of May is very early, many of the ski stations may well still be in full swing. It would be very unlikely for any of the tourist routes north of Briancon to be open. Col du Galibier often does not open until the 1st or 2nd week in June, but honestly it’s far too early to guess as this is in the hands of Mother Nature and you might be lucky, but my money would be on them being closed. Even if they do open they might immediately close again if the weather turns bad which often happens, or they might close for repairs. Mid May is when they usually start opening with the high passes and those north of Briancon being the last to open. But the French are very good at opening them as soon as it’s safe to do so. The Italians not so much, so while a col might be open on the french side it can still be blocked somewhere along the Italian side, so at that time of the year never assume you’ll get fuel on the Italian side. I’ve met a fair few lads having to wheelie and push their bikes back into France because of this..

Your best option is to reschedule to the 23rd if you can. Galibier and La Bonnette will likely still be closed but the majority should be open, especially south of Briancon. The mountains south of Briancon are governed by the Alp-Maritime Mediterranean climate zone and warms up quickly. The Mts north of Briancon are governed by an Alpine and central continental climate and can obviously stay frigid far longer. Unfortunately you won’t really be able to tell what’s likely to happen until late April, early May or even later. The French authorities won’t open the passes until they are 95% sure it won’t snow again and there is no risk of avalanches. Even then the passes may only open or be safe from 11am to 6pm due to the risk of meltwater refreezing on the road over night. A rapid thaw will also increase the risk of flooding like in 2013 when there was a late thaw and heavy rain which caused flooding chaos across the Alps and Pyrenees.

But don’t let any of that put you off, as long as you keep the potential problems and dangers in mind it all becomes part of the adventure. And it really is hard to beat riding in the Alps when they are still covered in snow, it’s mind blowing riding a road with snow banked up 2 meters on either side. If it was me planning the trip I’d leave it until mid to late May however. In my experience the last 2 weeks of May and 1st week of June, and the 1st 2 weeks of Sept are the ideal time for riding the Alps as the weather is usually ideal and it’s before/after the heavy tourist traffic. But the weather will always make it a hit and miss afair and ye just have to roll with it..

That said early May is definitely not the end of the world. You can happily spend 3 weeks or more exploring the tons of brilliant roads in the Pre-Alps up as far as the snow will allow. Most people completely ignore Provence’s backcountry which is a gem, not to mention the many clifftop villages which will be almost tourist free at that time. I’d seriously recommend a week exploring the hundreds of great roads through high meadows, low passes and gorges between Nice, Verdon and Brianconnet (which sadly few bother to do) before heading north again and jumping over to Route Napoleon when you hit the closed passes. Let me know if you need any good route ideas for the Provencal backroads as there is no reason to get bored in that neck of the woods..

D

First a thank you to Denis and I wish him and all readers a happy new year. With his help so far we have done two trips to Spain and Portugal and in September 2014 we rode through France, Switzerland and onto Italy going via the Stelvio pass. What a fantastic tour this turned out to be. Denis provided the route which was great.

Now looking forward to April when we again tackle Spain and Portugal paying attention to the roads around Sierra Nevada.

thanks

Derek

Many thanks.

Chris C

I don’t have any immediate plans of doing another trip in the Eastern Pyrenees, twice was enough for me. My last time riding the eastern side was 5 years ago as a tour of the Cathar country, being a big history fan I love old castles and that type of thing. However, outside of the castles I don’t find the Eastern Pyrenees overly interesting as it’s a bit too busy, built up and touristy for my liking. Being close to the Mediterranean it’s become over populated by folks wanting to live near Carcassonne, Narbonne and Barcelona. Andorra is now the same, I’ve ridden through it plenty of times over the last 14 years and now I avoid it like the plague. It’s all motorway or major roads, heavy commercial and tourist traffic, customs police, Guardia Civil etc… The worst part though is the amount of multinational drivers, especially in summer all driving slightly different ways making up their own interpretations or the rules of the road. For example the Spanish are taught to use round-a-bouts very differently than Irish/UK drivers, this makes round-a-bouts and junctions an often life threatening experience unless you have your wits about you. Long story short, unless I got an idea to revisit the historical side of the Mediterranean Pyrenees I will continue to avoid it for the most part.

From Andorra west to the Basque Pyrenees is far more interesting, traffic free, stunning roads, unmapped and adventurous roads, jaw dropping and ever changing scenery, value for money, it’s got it all.. It’s west of Andorra that you will also find the highest roads well above the tree line unlike the eastern side where it’s lower and more forested. There are of course some wonderful twisty roads, but most could not be called majestic. Huge areas of both the French and Spanish Pyrenees west of Andorra are completely unspoilt by any form of man made development other than roads and the odd ski resort, most of this area is taken up by highly protected national parks where most of the towns and villages predate the Moorish invasion at the very least. The contrast between the landscapes of the French/Spanish Basque Pyrenees, The Pyrenees Atlantique, Midi-Pyrenees, Huesca, Navarra is really amazing to see.

On top of that you have differing cultures, traditions and at least 6 different languages in the central and western Pyrenees, the most interesting being Basque and the regional dialects based on the ancient Occitan language group like that spoken in the Val d’Aran. By contrast a commonly heard language these days on the eastern side is as likely to be Russian as it is to be English, French or Catalan. The Basque area is also famous for it’s world renowned chef’s specialising in fusion food. And to top it all off the whole area is very motorbike friendly with plenty of accommodations catering for bikers.

If your planning a trip to the Pyrenees and you only have a week then your best bet to insure a great trip would be to seriously consider taking the ferry to Santander or Bilbao and head east along the French Pyrenees then back along the Spanish Pyrenees to the ferry via Huesca, Navarra and the Basque lands. In a week you will only get to see a fraction of it as there are simply too many amazing roads, Cols, Ports, gorges, and border crossings to choose from. Don’t plan on being able to ride more than 300km or 200 miles in a day, 250km/150 miles max is more likely what you will cover at best in the Pyrenees, possibly less with a pillion so keep this in mind when planning a route..

I’ll be uploading more routes, maps and videos of the French side over the winter so I hope I’ll keep spurring you on;)

All the best,
Denis

2 years ago, at age 45, I was new to biking and thru my mid-life crisis decided to do my motorbike licence and buy a Suzuki Bandit 1200GSF. Completed a complete tour of Ireland in July, my 1st tour trip outside of N.Wales. Read an article ages ago in MS&L ref a Pyrenees trip and decided would do soon. My 12 yr old son loves on the back of the bike, wife doesn’t (her loss), and after finding your site have decided to do it. My goal is for do as many of the mountain passes as possible in 1 week, hopping across the border. Your site and footage is fantastic and has really inspired me to plan a trip for next summer. I especially love the music you use and would not have found Thomas Bergersen if not for you. Have you any plans to do a trip to the east Pyrenees, Andorra, etc? I would welcome some info and footage on that.

Thanks for all your effort so far and really look forward to more in the future.

Chris C

P.S. I recently left the RAF after 27 years and am really getting into touring, a lot has been spurred on by your site.

That is fantastic just what we needed.

Many thanks

Derek

I’ve not been around Lake Garda in many years, it’s a beautiful ride around the lake, but what I remember most is the endless traffic which did my blood pressure no favours. I had been planning to stay there for two days but I got fed up with the traffic and posing tossers so I pulled out early, but that was near the end of August and probably the worst time to be there anyway. What it’s like in Sept I honestly don’t know. Lake Garda is not too far from the Stelvio Pass which is absolutely unmissable, so if you’re heading towards Lake Garda defo plan to ride over the Stelvio Pass.

I don’t know how many days you have for this trip but if you want to take in Lake Garda and some of the Alps I’d probably start working out my route along the lines of the following Google Map https://goo.gl/maps/sjI9x
as it takes in many of the big passes, Stelvio, Lombard, La Bonette, Galibier, Val-d’Isère, Roseland with an optional run up Le Petit St Bernard Pass as you pass through Bourg St Maurice.

Hope this helps..
Den

We have decided to travel early September hoping for better weather. We intend to catch the ferry to Dieppe and the ride to Lake Garda in Italy and the back to Le Harve. Can you possible help with a few way points so we can cross the alps on some decent biking roads. I thought we could ride around Lake Garda for a days biking and it would be great if you have done that region to hear if that is worth doing and would make up a days ridding.

Many thanks for your great web site and help.

Derek

Many thanks again for your help.

Derek

I’d say you will probably be fine if the good weather runs well into Sept and you’re riding in full winter kit. But the higher passes (2000 meters+) usually start closing around that time or will will have limited closure, i.e. only open from 10-11am to 5-6pm due the ice, but they may also be closed completely for motorbikes. To be safe plan your route to run south of Briancon and stick to the main traffic passes as the tourist routes may be closed. In late Oct anything above 2000 meters will be bitterly cold. To give you an idea I rode over Col du Galibier just north of Briancon in mid September in 2013 and it was -3C at 3pm-ish, the same time on that pass a few years back saw me enjoying 18+C.

Choose a route through the southern most Alps and you may be fine but have a backup plan like riding the Route de Napoleon and cut into Italy via Monty Carlo if the weather happens to be really cold. I gave up guessing what the weather may hold after last May’s trip fiasco but this year hopefully we will have a later Autumn which can easily make it possible. But if it was me planning it I’d plan my route definetly south of Briancon, preferably south of Barcelonnette where the Mediterranean climate comes into effect and “should” keep the low to mid hight passes open until late Oct. Keep a very close eye on the weather and temperatures closer to you departure date and if winter comes early just take the brilliant Route de Napoleon which would be blissfully free of campers and caravans etc at that time. But remember even this route could be bitterly cold on the higher parts, so wooly knickers and waterproofs are an absolute must.

I’m hoping to get over to the Picos in Oct/Nov so I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed for a late Autumn myself..

Hope this helps,

Denis

Recently returned from a fantastic ride through Portugal and Spain taking in the Picos de Europa. Covered 3,000 miles in eight days.

Wanting now to ride from the UK Portsmouth ,I expect, to Venice going through the Alps. Do you knbow if this is possible if we leave 18th October and schedule 8 days for the round trip?

Is the weather likely to be passable with little skill?

Many thanks for your help.

Derek

I’ve emailed you directly the info, check your junk mail if you don’t see it..

Cheers
Denis

Many thanks for info, if you could send details of club that would be great.

Many thanks
Martin

You have 2 to choose from, there is Belmoto in Murcia, they service all the BMW cop bikes and only about a 35 min ride from you, but they do not speak any English and they are not cheap. http://www.belmoto.com

The guys I use (Moto Center Levante) are up in Alicante just off the motorway, it’s a bit of a hike but they all speak perfect English. They are also the main Touratech dealers and have a big shop full of goodies and worth a visit for that alone. More to the point you can borrow/rent a bike if needed. The shop is also open all day so none of the siesta pain. The best lad to talk to there is Didier, his email address is didier.cardenoso@motocenterlevante.com although he is notorious for not replying quickly as they are a very busy shop so best to drop out. Here’s a Google Map link of the route to their shop. https://goo.gl/maps/bafVq
http://www.motocenterlevante.com

There is also a good bike club very near you, they meet up near Punta Prima and go for rideouts every Thursday and Sunday, all are welcome and would be a great way to get to know many of the great roads in the area as well as a wealth of knowledge of bike shops, mechanics etc. There’s a great mix of bikes and nationalities, I’ll give you the details if interested..?

Cheers
Denis

I have a place in Spain just down from you, San Cayetano, thinking of spending a few months there this year with K1600, where is the local BMW service place to us.

Regards.

Martin

Jeff

That’s a very good price I’d say, it certainly works out cheaper than riding through France. 2000 miles in 8 days, nice one, that’s one heck of a trip you have planned and the best of luck with it. It’s a good time of the year too before it heats up too much.

I’ll be back in Torrejieja myself around the 26th of April and will be riding around the Sierra Nevada and the mountains around Guadalest so you never know, I might see you up there. I’m also planning a trip the Picos myself and part of the Camino de Compostella although I’m not sure of my dates yet. I’m also riding the 2,500km Wild Atlantic Way, the world longest coastal route from Belfast to Kinsale in September so it’s shaping up to be a busy summer lol..

As for the SatNav. For the last 10 years I’ve been using the BMW Navigator 3 which has now gone into retirement, it was a frightening cost at the time but for me it was worth every penny. Just this week I got the new BMW Navigator 5, it’s not cheap but it is a lovely bit of kit and the software (BaseCamp) is excellent for creating routes. However, as it’s pricey I’m not sure it’s worth the cost if you are only going to need it just for 1 or 2 Euro trips a year. For ease of use and everyday short trips I just use my smartphone with google maps as a SatNav which is what most people do. If you are worried about roaming charges while in spain just install the Garmin or TomTom app to your phone. Alternativly you can also buy a pe-paid Spanish simm chip in the UK before you go if using google maps.

Safe riding Derek, and keep an eye out for a grey/black F800GS around Murcia/Alicante while your there, wave me down and we’ll have a pint..

Denis

Tour all sorted this end and we got such a great deal on the ferry from Poole to Gijon in Spain. £160 return including the cabin. £80 each way is a bargain I think. From Gijon we are riding through Portugal to Gibraltar and then along the East Cost of Spain as far as Guadalest and then across to the Picos de Europa. About 2,000 miles in eight days of riding. Certainly beats getting old.

Night stops include Ribadeo Spain, Braganca Portugal, Marvao Portugal, Gibralta, Almeria nSpain, Gran Alacant Spain (My House), Calatayud Spain, Oviedo Spain.

Off on the 6th may and back on the 17th with 8 days ridding.

What Sat Nav do you recommend if any?

Derek

Tony

I dont need a screen extender as yet for my 800GSA, like you said I’m a bit shorter at 5 foot 9 and I’m using the lower seat option and so for every day use I dont need one. But I got a big trip coming in August/Sept where I’ll be doing a few long motorway days so I will be getting an extention. I find the screen extenders expensive but well worth the money as for me anyway, they make a big difference lowering wind noise making a long motorway day less tireing and more comfortable by far.

As you are taller than me I can only imagine one making an even bigger difference to you. The screen extender I’m currently using on my 2009 800GS is an old Wunderlich Universal Screen Extension which I got from Nippy Normans a few years back and it’s been worth every penny. I dont think this one will fit my 800GSA properly though due to the very different wind shield shape on the 800GSA so I will probably get this one before my big Sept trip on the 800GSA Wunderlich Ergo screen extension for 1200GSA/800GSA

Like I said, I find the screen extensions well worth the cost if I’m sitting straight up (GS/RT touring or sport touring type bike) and my lid is above the screen. For long days at motorway speeds I find them worth their weight in gold for wind noise reduction alone. I’d be surprised if you did not find one usefull yourself, and if not you could shift it easily enough on Ebay. Most are really easy to adjust or take off as needs dictate so they are easy to live with too..

As for the Picos, mid May to mid/late Oct would be perfect with the exception of August. Rain gear is still needed though as the Picos are very close to the Atlantic, and with the weather these days anything can happen. The Spanish generally take the whole month of August for their holidays with those in central Spain “Madrid” heading to the mountains or coast to excape the heat. As the Spanish drive like lunathics and of course the heat 30-45C I tend to stay clear of Spain in August. In saying that I have not been there for a few years so cant comment on a good hotel, I’ll be back there this year myself though as it’s an excellent biking area. The Picos area is not as big as say the Pyrenees, so basing yourself at two hotels, one at either end would be a good way to do it, this would be my plan this year also.

Hope this helps,

Denis

Congrats on the site. Can tell a lot of work goes into it.

I noticed you had a wind deflector on F800GS, which one and did you try any others ?

I have my 800GSA being delivered in March !! Do you find deflector necessary on the GSA ?

I did lengthy test ride on the GSA and did feel a fair bit if wind. I am taller than you at 6′ 2″. Any insight welcome.

I am trying to firm up a tour to Picos De Europa. Not been to Spain before on bike. Any suggestions as to best time of year to go ?
Do you have any hotel recommendations ? Seems to me it is a fairly compact area so being based at one or two hotels would be OK rather than moving on every day ? Comments ?

Regards Tony

I did love the F800R and for me trading it in for the Tiger 800 was a mistake. I would love another F800R but as I’ve just traded the Tiger in for a F800GSA I’m not looking for the moment. Thanks for the offer though, good luck.

Cheers Denis..

cheers

Jeff

another great bit information and advice. I, and I’m sure alot of other less experienced travellers than yourself, really appreciate this sort of help.

Enjoy your own travels this year, as I’m sure my wife & I will enjoy ours.

kind regards
Mick

The most unpredictable time of the year in the Pyrenees is probably May when it could be sunny and 25C as it was in 2012. However in May 2013, the same time as the year before I got hit with torrential rain, sleet, hail, snow and sub zero temps…

Sept is for me the best month, it’s still hot 20-25C and dry but the real heat has died off a bit so it makes for a nicer ride. It should not start cooling off until the very end of Sept or even early Oct.

However, that does not mean you should not be prepared for bad weather as its always unpredictable, especially these days and always in the mountains! In any mountain region, even in mid summer rain gear and 1st/2nd level base layers are absolutely essential. I’d leave my puncture repair kit at home before I’d leave waterproofs, base layers & spare gloves behind…

The Pyrenees-Atlantic is notorious for it’s wet weather all year round too due to it’s proximity to the mountains, the Atlantic and the warmer weather fronts of Spain so the chances of you getting wet if in that region are high. If you are on the French side and the weather sucks just pop over to the Spanish side where 9 times out of 10 the weather will be ideal, like I said, each side of the Pyrenees is very different. Even riding just 20km across the border the landscape and weather can change so much it’s hard to believe, it’s what makes the region so much fun..

Best of luck, stay safe…

D