3500Km 2 up in France

[steveindenmark]

We have just returned from our trip from Denmark, through Germany, Holland, Belgium and down to the Normandy coast. It was a total of 3500Km, mostly in gloroius sunshine but heavy rain going down through Belgium and Holland.

Things we learnt on the trip were:

Touring 2 up on the FZ6 is easy.
Take a GPS...we did.
400KM per day is enough.
900Km per day is a bit too much...we did it.
If you are going to ride 400km it will take you a lot longer than 4 hours. Petrol stops turn into toilet stops, coffee stops, stretch stops, sit and chat stops, look at bike stops...you get the idea.

This was our first night stop in Brugge, Belgium. It was not expensive because it is a hostel. Check out HOSTELWORLD:COM for hostels all over the world. We were the only 2 people staying here.

 

[steveindenmark]

Our second night we spent with a French couple we had never met before.
I got in touch with Chris and Phil through Couchsurfers.com. They offered us a bed and a meal for the night, it costs nothing so check it out.

They were great hosts and we laughed so much in English, french and Danish. Great people to stay with and a secure garage for the bike.

We rode the coast road D940 from Oostende and stopped in at several places including the cliffs at Etretat.

We of course stopped for the bikers lunch in the French countryside.

 

[steveindenmark]

The following day we arrived at the cottage we had rented out in the French Countryside.
Ours is the white cottage. Great area, lovely walks. Good twisty roads and fantastic weather.

 

[steveindenmark]

During the week we saw a lot of the Normadie famous sites.

Mont St Michel, the landing beaches, Honfleur, the US military cemetary at Colville.

The weather stayed kind to us and we met lots of nice people.

Our last night in France was in a cheap but very nice Bed and Breakfast near Honfleur, where again our bike was locked away safely.

 

[steveindenmark]

We covered a lot of a ground and places of interest over the few days we were in france.

Riding over Pegasus Bridge was a thrill.

 

[steveindenmark]

Our last night in france was near the lovely port of Honfleur where we stayed in a nice but cheap bed and breakfast...great French breakfast.

The following day was riding on the great French toll roads. Cheap, empty, great road conditions and spotless clean service stations.

Our last night was spent at a hostel in arnhem and then we raced for home.

I found that 120km per hour was fast enough. 110Km per hour was even more relaxed. This was touring and not racing.

It was a lovely holiday but the couple we met from Holland had the right idea. If your destination is more than a days ride away get a bike trailer and drive down and then ride when you get to where you are going. You can dump more gear in a car and if there are two bikes it will probably work out cheaper.

This may not be the "Bikers" way of touring but it is another way to think about.

 

[steveindenmark]

Covering an area the size of Normandy is a massive task and my advice would be if you want to tour, get to your destination and draw a circle of about 50 miles around it.

If you are there for a week discover that 50 mile circle. There will be lots of riding and lots too see.

If anyone has any questions, please feel free to ask. It may not be the correct answer or the answer you want to hear but it will be an informed answer and not just a guess from someone who has never toured.

 

[steveindenmark]

We are now back in Denmark and are packing the bike to go camping on the West coast for a few days. It is only 90 minutes away so it is a little trip this time.

Probably more beautiful than France.

I will post some pics when we return.

Steve

 

[Cloggy]

Nice Pics, thanks for sharing, maybe we can meet up another time when you're down this way. :thumbup:

 

[Gigot2000]

Nice post and pics. Looks like you've lived the ride and not simply ride. It's good to take the time to look around. I was skeptical about IH but, must say, you make it interesting (that first one is gorgeous).
Thanks again!

 

[mastakilla]

Hey Steve,

good to hear you had great time! Did you go for a dip in the sea near Cap Blanc Nez by the way?

I think you are right about putting the bikes on a trailer. I want to go check out the road between Davos and Stelvio (as seen in Top Gear), but that's like almost 1000 km away from here (over 600 miles), and I would rather start touring there all refreshed and relaxed. Plus you can pack more stuff in a car, and then ride without luggage.

Vive la France

 

[Jman]

France sure does look beautiful. I might get in an accident riding there from paying more attention to the scenery rather than driving! Thanks for sharing all the pictures - look like an absolute blast:Flash:

 

[mojan]

Steve,
Thanks for the great write-up and pics. Absolutely beautiful countryside. I'm curious what brand/type of hard cases you have, and how they are mounted to the bike. Thanks.

 

[Rusty]

hey steve glad you had a great time! sounds like you covered alot of miles. we are off to france in three weeks. thanks for all your tips you emailed me a few months back really usefull.could you tell me did you take a chain with you or did you feel bike was safe enough? Thanks in advance
Tom