Comments on: The Motorcyclists Guide to Spanish Roundabouts http://www.roadtrooper.com/the-motorcyclists-guide-to-spanish-roundabouts/ Independent Motorbike Touring Magazine Thu, 11 Jul 2024 12:24:39 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Denis Smyth http://www.roadtrooper.com/the-motorcyclists-guide-to-spanish-roundabouts/#comment-843 Denis Smyth Tue, 09 Aug 2016 13:33:27 +0000 http://www.roadtrooper.com/?p=8401#comment-843 Hi John, Sounds like you got a good plan going on there, if you want to explore a region properly you're most often better off doing it alone. I'll not have a chance to get back there this year, I got too much going on on the West Coast of Ireland at the moment. But it's a fairly safe bet I'll be back in Pyrenees next year then possibly down through the Picos and Portugal to Faro, i.e. a proper west coast route, Donegal to Faro, that's a route you might want to think about doing sometime, I've ridden Donegal to Almeria a few times and it's an incredible experience. Give Angel (the Hotel Prada owner) my best, he's a biker himself and knows the area well, he can supply you with maps and more great roads in the area, he also gives a 10% dscount for booking online (<a href="http://www.hotelpradasordesa.com/index.php/es/habitaciones/booknow?user_language=es&date_in=2016-01-27&nn=N%C2%BA+Noches&promo_code" rel="nofollow">Hotel Prada Ordessa Online Booking</a>) Be sure to post the video/phonts of your trip somewhere and give me a shout when you get back, maybe we can arrange a few days riding here on the Atlantic coast.. Have a safe trip mate. Denis Hi John,

Sounds like you got a good plan going on there, if you want to explore a region properly you’re most often better off doing it alone. I’ll not have a chance to get back there this year, I got too much going on on the West Coast of Ireland at the moment. But it’s a fairly safe bet I’ll be back in Pyrenees next year then possibly down through the Picos and Portugal to Faro, i.e. a proper west coast route, Donegal to Faro, that’s a route you might want to think about doing sometime, I’ve ridden Donegal to Almeria a few times and it’s an incredible experience.

Give Angel (the Hotel Prada owner) my best, he’s a biker himself and knows the area well, he can supply you with maps and more great roads in the area, he also gives a 10% dscount for booking online (Hotel Prada Ordessa Online Booking)

Be sure to post the video/phonts of your trip somewhere and give me a shout when you get back, maybe we can arrange a few days riding here on the Atlantic coast..
Have a safe trip mate.
Denis

]]> By: Comberjohn http://www.roadtrooper.com/the-motorcyclists-guide-to-spanish-roundabouts/#comment-842 Comberjohn Sun, 07 Aug 2016 19:23:27 +0000 http://www.roadtrooper.com/?p=8401#comment-842 Hi Denis. Decided to leave the Dordogne this year and go back to the Pyrenees again. I didn't get to see as much as I wanted last year (one night!) due to my travelling companion getting a sudden bout of home sickness. Getting the ferry to Roscoff on the 7th of September, then taking a leisurely couple of days down to Broto where, on your recommendation, I've booked into the Hotel Pradas Ordesa for four nights. Then a couple of days back up to Cherbourg for the ferry home. Going to base myself in Broto and and do a bit of touring around some of the places on your videos with my camera. All on my own, bliss! Might take a right for the Picos next year. That'll be 20k miles on the GS this last 12 months. Going like a dream. I'll let you know how I get on. John. Hi Denis.
Decided to leave the Dordogne this year and go back to the Pyrenees again.
I didn’t get to see as much as I wanted last year (one night!) due to my travelling companion getting a sudden bout of home sickness.
Getting the ferry to Roscoff on the 7th of September, then taking a leisurely couple of days down to Broto where, on your recommendation, I’ve booked into the Hotel Pradas Ordesa for four nights. Then a couple of days back up to Cherbourg for the ferry home.
Going to base myself in Broto and and do a bit of touring around some of the places on your videos with my camera. All on my own, bliss!
Might take a right for the Picos next year.
That’ll be 20k miles on the GS this last 12 months. Going like a dream.
I’ll let you know how I get on.

John.

]]> By: Denis Smyth http://www.roadtrooper.com/the-motorcyclists-guide-to-spanish-roundabouts/#comment-840 Denis Smyth Wed, 03 Aug 2016 10:08:14 +0000 http://www.roadtrooper.com/?p=8401#comment-840 Thanks John, My wife is about to do her test for the driving licence, over the past year it's been interesting watching her learn how to deal with roundabouts in tourist areas where the rules are "anything goes". We live in a very touristy town so it's as much an issue here in Killarney as it was when we lived on the Spanish costas. You can teach or learn the rules as they are stated in the rule book, but the reality is sometimes a bit different. It's for this reason I won't be letting my wife relax after she gets her test, I'll be pushing her to do a few advanced driving skill days to fill in the gaps and hopefully make up for her lack of experience. I had a bit of a hard time writing this article as any advice I could give is very subjective the the attitudes of the local driving practices. For example, over the years I noticed (with the exception of Barcelona) the driving standards in northern Spain are generally very good, non agressive and road rage is almost non existant. This changes the further south you go and I could take my pick from a long list as for the reasons for that. Hope you enjoy your trip, both destinations are great but I know which one I'd choose - the Picos via the Dordogne, Pays de Basque, Navarra and Galacia ;) Thanks for writing in, Denis Thanks John,

My wife is about to do her test for the driving licence, over the past year it’s been interesting watching her learn how to deal with roundabouts in tourist areas where the rules are “anything goes”. We live in a very touristy town so it’s as much an issue here in Killarney as it was when we lived on the Spanish costas. You can teach or learn the rules as they are stated in the rule book, but the reality is sometimes a bit different. It’s for this reason I won’t be letting my wife relax after she gets her test, I’ll be pushing her to do a few advanced driving skill days to fill in the gaps and hopefully make up for her lack of experience.

I had a bit of a hard time writing this article as any advice I could give is very subjective the the attitudes of the local driving practices. For example, over the years I noticed (with the exception of Barcelona) the driving standards in northern Spain are generally very good, non agressive and road rage is almost non existant. This changes the further south you go and I could take my pick from a long list as for the reasons for that.

Hope you enjoy your trip, both destinations are great but I know which one I’d choose – the Picos via the Dordogne, Pays de Basque, Navarra and Galacia ;)

Thanks for writing in,
Denis

]]> By: Comberjohn http://www.roadtrooper.com/the-motorcyclists-guide-to-spanish-roundabouts/#comment-838 Comberjohn Tue, 19 Jul 2016 22:16:10 +0000 http://www.roadtrooper.com/?p=8401#comment-838 Very helpful article, Denis. Thanks. As a driving instructor I would agree that it does have a certain logic. But, as you say, only when other road users also follow the same rules. I find that roundabouts are the main thing that scares learners when teaching them. I think it's the feeling that they're entering into something that they have little control over and have to make decisions quickly. May be heading towards the Picos in September. Either that or the Dordogne, can't make up my mind. Very helpful article, Denis. Thanks.
As a driving instructor I would agree that it does have a certain logic. But, as you say, only when other road users also follow the same rules.
I find that roundabouts are the main thing that scares learners when teaching them. I think it’s the feeling that they’re entering into something that they have little control over and have to make decisions quickly.
May be heading towards the Picos in September. Either that or the Dordogne, can’t make up my mind.

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