Trip of a life time !! Pyrenees AND Alps !

[911-32]

I am now checking that we have the N152 section of the N260 in our route next week. Sounds amazing.

[will_]

911-32 said:

I am now checking that we have the N152 section of the N260 in our route next week. Sounds amazing.

Did it this morning - it is!

There are two standout sections - heading east from Sort, and the N152/N260 heading east from Puigcerda. No traffic, so many bends, no police that I saw. Knocks the Alps for six in my view.

[Allyc85]

Think I've just sorted where I'm going on holiday at the end of September

[akadk]

Long day today
Up at 0630 with a stinking hangover
Flight to Barca
Drive to Nice via D952 and Route Napoleon

At Nice now

Tomorrow up early to try to do Bonnette in the dry before the rain comes in

[Allyc85]

Hope you had a good days driving!

So if someone was going to spend a couple days in the Pyrenees, what are the must do roads, starting off in Barcelona? Google maps etc would be good

[akadk]

got home yesterday/this morning at 4am

left Nice at 0630, did the Route des Grande Alps until Galibier ... from there the route turned east and home was west !!

Had a great day none the less ... had climbed Bonnette by 9am !!

Weather was fantastic, all day actually

I enjoyed Vars

Galibeir was pretty scary actually, it felt much higher than the others for some reason, and a complete lack of barriers was very off putting, also there was LOTS of snow !

anyway, set off on the autoroute

then, came off at Dijon and did the D996 !!

at first, I was really disappointed with how bumpy the road was ... after 10 minutes it smoothed out a little, and then I could enjoy what an epic road that is !! fantastic

I was intending to stay at Reims ... but by the time I got close, it was before 9pm, I felt good ... so thought I'll crack on to Coquelles and stay there and get a crack of dawn train

still felt ok, bit of back ache, but thought, feck it, Im going straight home !

got a 0120 eurotunnel, then the dreaded 3hr drive the other side

all done

loads of photo's and vids to sift through which I'll post

Car did 2,800 miles in the end. didn't miss a beat, and best of all 28.4 MPG in a 5.0 V8 !!!

[akadk]

https://youtu.be/i8LshJLUB40

[akadk]

Allyc85 said:

Hope you had a good days driving!

So if someone was going to spend a couple days in the Pyrenees, what are the must do roads, starting off in Barcelona? Google maps etc would be good

N260

full stop

[don logan]

akadk said:

got home yesterday/this morning at 4am

left Nice at 0630, did the Route des Grande Alps until Galibier ... from there the route turned east and home was west !!

Had a great day none the less ... had climbed Bonnette by 9am !!

Weather was fantastic, all day actually

I enjoyed Vars

Galibeir was pretty scary actually, it felt much higher than the others for some reason, and a complete lack of barriers was very off putting, also there was LOTS of snow !

anyway, set off on the autoroute

then, came off at Dijon and did the D996 !!

at first, I was really disappointed with how bumpy the road was ... after 10 minutes it smoothed out a little, and then I could enjoy what an epic road that is !! fantastic

I was intending to stay at Reims ... but by the time I got close, it was before 9pm, I felt good ... so thought I'll crack on to Coquelles and stay there and get a crack of dawn train

still felt ok, bit of back ache, but thought, feck it, Im going straight home !

got a 0120 eurotunnel, then the dreaded 3hr drive the other side

all done

loads of photo's and vids to sift through which I'll post

Car did 2,800 miles in the end. didn't miss a beat, and best of all 28.4 MPG in a 5.0 V8 !!!

Galibier is a harsh environment isn't it, Iseran's lack of barriers can be spooky in places too when all you can see is quite a narrow strip of tarmac and the sky!

[AdiT]

don logan said:

Galibier is a harsh environment isn't it, Iseran's lack of barriers can be spooky in places too when all you can see is quite a narrow strip of tarmac and the sky!

Iseran and the Galibier are the only roads where I've felt the exposure.

[Allyc85]

Well inspired by this thread I booked my flight to Barcelona for a rental blast around the Pyrenees. Just 110 days to go!

[Zed 44]

9 days for mine.

[Wozy68]

akadk said:

Allyc85 said:

Hope you had a good days driving!

So if someone was going to spend a couple days in the Pyrenees, what are the must do roads, starting off in Barcelona? Google maps etc would be good

N260

full stop

Hmmmm N260 is a great great road and never driven before, quite amazing, but I'd use it to get to fantastic roads, which are (IMO) roads with less traffic than the N260 even better and less known.

For example

C13 south of Tremp till it meets the C26 ............. epic epic epic.
C1412B Pedra Negra to Isona
L511 Isona to Coll De Nargo
L401 Coll De Nargo to Berga
C1311 Tremp to Puente De Montanana
A1605 south off the N260 near Castarne

You'll notice from the few above, most are minor or very minor rated roads ...... yet they are all fab. The L401 is slow, twisty and quite stunning. Well actually, all are quite stunning.

The very best advice I could give you is to basically map out your route carefully (spend hours on it before heading abroad) and get a decent map that shows ALL roads not just major ones, the minor ones can be car free for mile after mile after mile with some stunning views and/or tarmac.

Enjoy

Edited by Wozy68 on Thursday 9th June 12:37

[Zed 44]

Wozy68 said:

Hmmmm N260 is a great great road and never driven before, quite amazing, but I'd use it to get to fantastic roads, which are (IMO) roads with less traffic than the N260 even better and less known.

For example

C13 south of Tremp till it meets the C26 ............. epic epic epic.
C1412B Pedra Negra to Isona
L511 Isona to Coll De Nargo
L401 Coll De Nargo to Berga
C1311 Tremp to Puente De Montanana
A1605 south off the N260 near Castarne

You'll notice from the few above, most are minor or very minor rated roads ...... yet they are all fab. The L401 is slow, twisty and quite stunning. Well actually, all are quite stunning.

The very best advice I could give you is to basically map out your route carefully (spend hours on it before heading abroad) and get a decent map that shows ALL roads not just major ones, the minor ones can be car free for mile after mile after mile with some stunning views and/or tarmac.

Enjoy

Edited by Wozy68 on Thursday 9th June 12:37

Oh no. Please don't. It'll soon be like the Stelvio, Route de Napoleon, the French Alps and scotland. One big summer traffic jam.

[Wozy68]

Zed 44 said:

Wozy68 said:

Hmmmm N260 is a great great road and never driven before, quite amazing, but I'd use it to get to fantastic roads, which are (IMO) roads with less traffic than the N260 even better and less known.

For example

C13 south of Tremp till it meets the C26 ............. epic epic epic.
C1412B Pedra Negra to Isona
L511 Isona to Coll De Nargo
L401 Coll De Nargo to Berga
C1311 Tremp to Puente De Montanana
A1605 south off the N260 near Castarne

You'll notice from the few above, most are minor or very minor rated roads ...... yet they are all fab. The L401 is slow, twisty and quite stunning. Well actually, all are quite stunning.

The very best advice I could give you is to basically map out your route carefully (spend hours on it before heading abroad) and get a decent map that shows ALL roads not just major ones, the minor ones can be car free for mile after mile after mile with some stunning views and/or tarmac.

Enjoy

Edited by Wozy68 on Thursday 9th June 12:37

Oh no. Please don't. It'll soon be like the Stelvio, Route de Napoleon, the French Alps and scotland. One big summer traffic jam.

We can't have it just all to ourselves Jack.

Ther's plenty more we will keep on the QT

[will_]

don logan said:

akadk said:

got home yesterday/this morning at 4am

left Nice at 0630, did the Route des Grande Alps until Galibier ... from there the route turned east and home was west !!

Had a great day none the less ... had climbed Bonnette by 9am !!

Weather was fantastic, all day actually

I enjoyed Vars

Galibeir was pretty scary actually, it felt much higher than the others for some reason, and a complete lack of barriers was very off putting, also there was LOTS of snow !

anyway, set off on the autoroute

then, came off at Dijon and did the D996 !!

at first, I was really disappointed with how bumpy the road was ... after 10 minutes it smoothed out a little, and then I could enjoy what an epic road that is !! fantastic

I was intending to stay at Reims ... but by the time I got close, it was before 9pm, I felt good ... so thought I'll crack on to Coquelles and stay there and get a crack of dawn train

still felt ok, bit of back ache, but thought, feck it, Im going straight home !

got a 0120 eurotunnel, then the dreaded 3hr drive the other side

all done

loads of photo's and vids to sift through which I'll post

Car did 2,800 miles in the end. didn't miss a beat, and best of all 28.4 MPG in a 5.0 V8 !!!

Galibier is a harsh environment isn't it, Iseran's lack of barriers can be spooky in places too when all you can see is quite a narrow strip of tarmac and the sky!

At least on the Iseran you can follow the marker posts of the red ski-run you're driving down!

[will_]

Wozy68 said:

Zed 44 said:

Wozy68 said:

Hmmmm N260 is a great great road and never driven before, quite amazing, but I'd use it to get to fantastic roads, which are (IMO) roads with less traffic than the N260 even better and less known.

For example

C13 south of Tremp till it meets the C26 ............. epic epic epic.
C1412B Pedra Negra to Isona
L511 Isona to Coll De Nargo
L401 Coll De Nargo to Berga
C1311 Tremp to Puente De Montanana
A1605 south off the N260 near Castarne

You'll notice from the few above, most are minor or very minor rated roads ...... yet they are all fab. The L401 is slow, twisty and quite stunning. Well actually, all are quite stunning.

The very best advice I could give you is to basically map out your route carefully (spend hours on it before heading abroad) and get a decent map that shows ALL roads not just major ones, the minor ones can be car free for mile after mile after mile with some stunning views and/or tarmac.

Enjoy

Edited by Wozy68 on Thursday 9th June 12:37

Oh no. Please don't. It'll soon be like the Stelvio, Route de Napoleon, the French Alps and scotland. One big summer traffic jam.

We can't have it just all to ourselves Jack.

Ther's plenty more we will keep on the QT

I doubt it, as it is that much further from the UK. Have already pencilled in a return trip as I doubt I even scratched the surface this year (and what I did do was fairly epic).

[akadk]

Im back in Lyon now for euro2016

Did the D996 today but in a 3 tonne Discovery!!! Totally not suited to any corners, and the mpg is worse than my V8 F-TYPE!!

[akadk]

Been a while, but here is a vid of the Alps

https://youtu.be/f8xOpZKsTlU

[s70rmp]

Just watched your video on YouTube with a Sunday morning bacon and egg muffin

Excellent video and a great way to start my Sunday off

Cheers for the video