Euro trip Suggestions for place to go on our intended route

[RemaL]

I am going away with 3 mates in may for a Euro trip. I did it on the blade in 2011 but this year taking the GT86.

We are going portsmouth to Caen on the Sunday night at the end of May then intend to go towards Switzerland possibly via Dijon, then Liechtenstein, up to Stuttgart, Luxenberg then into france to calais. Approx 1500 miles if we keep to this but will most probably take some other route

We always have a basic idea of what we want and this year it's to go to Switzerland. We don't book the channel tunnel until a day or so before so would not book this until we are making our way back.


Anyone know of any nice places to stay/areas etc.... So I have a heads up on where to look

Will be doing between 250 -500 miles a day but don't want to have to rush anywhere. normal day would be get up and going by 9Am. and get to our next place by 5pm. Enjoy our trip. Stay in hotels on the evening and go out for a few beers and meals on the night.

Can't wait myself and should be good to see the GT86 alongside a Lotus S2, Cayman and 1993 911 Turbo.

So any nice places on the route that you think might be worth staying or looking at diverting to on our way

[TwyRob]

Vianden in Luxembourg is nice. Big castle, nice places to eat/drink next to the river too.

[RemaL]

cheers for some feedback and I will have a google . Anyone else have any good suggestions on places to ass to our trip

[RemaL]

strange one. looking for roads and places to see on our trip in May and sees the as well.

I should have added this included nice roads to go to as well and why I originally put this into the road board. seems that was wrong

but if you have any idea on nice roads that are a must please post away. I may get more luck in here

[Freakuk]

Andermatt gives you great access to lots of great passes to explore

[irocfan]

Füssen is worth a visit to see 'mad' King Ludwig's castles (some lovely roads and countryside there too). If you're going to Switzerland try the Furka Pass and have a wander into a glacier whilst you're there (you can catch a car-train under the mountains for not a whole lot to get back if you don;t fancy the return trip over the pass)

[RemaL]

cheers for the replys. going to have look at the suggestions.

[magooagain]

So you arrive at Caen on the Sunday night are you staying there? Your first place to visit could be Le Man (motor museum etc).

Then onto Orleans then Dijon. Then this place is just down the road from Dijon http://reception-aviation.chateau-savigny.com/en/m... Well worth a visit.

[VTECMatt]

Highly probable snow on the high passes late May, when I went loads second week of June albeit only towards the top.

[RemaL]

magooagain said:

So you arrive at Caen on the Sunday night are you staying there? Your first place to visit could be Le Man (motor museum etc).

Then onto Orleans then Dijon. Then this place is just down the road from Dijon http://reception-aviation.chateau-savigny.com/en/m... Well worth a visit.

No Portsmouth to Caen over night so arrive in france nice a early on the Monday morning which we have done many times when going to our le masn 24 hour trips we have done over the past 10 years

So the Museum has been done a few time but Dijon is a destination we want to head to on the Monday

cheers for the links I'm passing this on so we can have a running idea of what to look at when we go

[gtidriver]

A little out of your way but lake Como in Italy is a lovely place to go,its great to see the seaplanes taking off. My wife and i spent a couple of hours sat next to the plane shed eating chips and drinking beer watching the planes. Id recommend a drive around the lake as well, after that head for Brig then its on to the Furkapass. Good luck with your trip...

[Zed 44]

RemaL said:

Will be doing between 250 -500 miles a day but don't want to have to rush anywhere. normal day would be get up and going by 9Am. and get to our next place by 5pm. Enjoy our trip.

It always amuses me when people assume they can achieve these sorts of mileages per day. I have just checked a Googlemaps for the Andermatt loop that we did last September. Over a distance of 199kms, it suggested 3.6 hours which if you work that out is an average of 55kmph (5kph over the speed limit). Assuming that you will go over the speed limits on the straights, I seriously doubt you would come close to averaging 50kph with the bends, cyclists, other motorists, etc. to contend with. Then you might want to stop for coffees or lunch or petrol or a pee, or photographs, or you may even get lost.

Going from memory on the Andermatt loop, we started at Ritzingen and finished at Altdorf and did 4 passes with two stops, one for photographs and one of coffee and that was a full day.

As for 500 miles a day, on an autobahn and depending on your speed, probably with minimum stops; on an autoroute, with 1 fuel stop and a quick pee perhaps.

I would suggest 240 miles a day of ordinary RN roads in France, 130 to 150 miles a day in the mountains depending on the contours, and maybe 400 for the motorways is much more realistic.

[eyebeebe]

I can't remember the last time that the Swiss passes were open in May. The PH Swiss chapter aims to do their annual run from mid-June onwards - Yes a couple of weeks makes all the difference.

Can't say where the exchange rate will be in May, but Switzerland is currently eye-wateringly expensive for foreigners. If you stayed in Altdorf, which is pretty much at the entry to the passes, a Burger King (one of the few drive throughs we have in Switzerland) will cost you about £12 for a Whopper meal. If you are able to get a pint down there for less than £4-4.50 I'd be amazed and in civilisation expect it to be more like £5.50-6.50. A room around there (and it's a relatively cheap part of the country) is going to set you back £100 a night for something basic.

Don't get me wrong, I love Switzerland and recommend coming here wholeheartedly. The scenery and roads are amazing, but a lot of people come and get a bitter taste because they aren't prepared for the cost.

[PositronicRay]

Zed 44 said:

RemaL said:

Will be doing between 250 -500 miles a day but don't want to have to rush anywhere. normal day would be get up and going by 9Am. and get to our next place by 5pm. Enjoy our trip.

It always amuses me when people assume they can achieve these sorts of mileages per day. I have just checked a Googlemaps for the Andermatt loop that we did last September. Over a distance of 199kms, it suggested 3.6 hours which if you work that out is an average of 55kmph (5kph over the speed limit). Assuming that you will go over the speed limits on the straights, I seriously doubt you would come close to averaging 50kph with the bends, cyclists, other motorists, etc. to contend with. Then you might want to stop for coffees or lunch or petrol or a pee, or photographs, or you may even get lost.

Going from memory on the Andermatt loop, we started at Ritzingen and finished at Altdorf and did 4 passes with two stops, one for photographs and one of coffee and that was a full day.

As for 500 miles a day, on an autobahn and depending on your speed, probably with minimum stops; on an autoroute, with 1 fuel stop and a quick pee perhaps.

I would suggest 240 miles a day of ordinary RN roads in France, 130 to 150 miles a day in the mountains depending on the contours, and maybe 400 for the motorways is much more realistic.

I'll go with this. When going on holiday I will do 1 maybe 2 days hard slog to get where I'm going. Then I'll drive in the morning, somewhere nice for lunch and a bit of an explore. Maybe another short drive PM and definitely have found my hotel and feet up with a beer by 4pm. It's a holiday after all not a competition.
Preferably a few "days off" just to chill and enjoy.

[Zed 44]

Yeah eyebeebe, you're right. Last year, we spent 186 chfs at the Weisshorn in Ritzengen and 232.50 chfs at the Hotel Hofli in Altdorf. That was for dinner, b&b for 2. Probably a lot worse now with the mucking around of the currency. And you're right about the timing. In 2013 when a group of us went, the Oberlap pass was the only one already open in mid June but the Furka opened the day after our arrival.

Quite agree with you, Ray. It's not a competition but a holiday with a little spirited driving thrown in now and again. I have just finished planning my 2 week tour of Spain in June with average driving time of around 5 hours each day. The longest is 6.5 hours. I think this will make each day on the road add up to about 8 to 9 hours. I have also planned in 3 rest days.

[kiethton]

Fussen just on the German side of the Swiss border - Neuschwanstein castle

[RemaL]

Zed 44 said:

RemaL said:

Will be doing between 250 -500 miles a day but don't want to have to rush anywhere. normal day would be get up and going by 9Am. and get to our next place by 5pm. Enjoy our trip.

It always amuses me when people assume they can achieve these sorts of mileages per day. I have just checked a Googlemaps for the Andermatt loop that we did last September. Over a distance of 199kms, it suggested 3.6 hours which if you work that out is an average of 55kmph (5kph over the speed limit). Assuming that you will go over the speed limits on the straights, I seriously doubt you would come close to averaging 50kph with the bends, cyclists, other motorists, etc. to contend with. Then you might want to stop for coffees or lunch or petrol or a pee, or photographs, or you may even get lost.

Going from memory on the Andermatt loop, we started at Ritzingen and finished at Altdorf and did 4 passes with two stops, one for photographs and one of coffee and that was a full day.

As for 500 miles a day, on an autobahn and depending on your speed, probably with minimum stops; on an autoroute, with 1 fuel stop and a quick pee perhaps.

I would suggest 240 miles a day of ordinary RN roads in France, 130 to 150 miles a day in the mountains depending on the contours, and maybe 400 for the motorways is much more realistic.

Agree some roads will mean we will not be able to cover lots of miles but at the moment it's only getting idea of what we want to do. I did a nice trip in 2011 and the least we did was 250 miles in a day and I was on my Fireblade. But went with mates in cars. 500 miles depending on the road is not hard in a day on the bike so hoping in the car it will be less tiring.

We never book hotels and plan only doing 250-500 miles a day just try and enjoy our time and get some nice ideas and what to see while we are away.

Re italy it would be nice but we are only away for a week and don't want to stretch it more.

[RemaL]

eyebeebe said:

I can't remember the last time that the Swiss passes were open in May. The PH Swiss chapter aims to do their annual run from mid-June onwards - Yes a couple of weeks makes all the difference.

One of the things I have heard and passed onto the group. No point going that direction if it's closed and impassable.

So just happy to get ideas at the moment. if Switzerland is a no go for us at this time of the year we may have to divert or go in another direction

[magooagain]

Presuming you are in Dijon. Easterly will put you at Basel maybe then north into Strasburg. Then you have a choice of Stuttgart east or Frankfurt north or Luxenbourg north west. Any higher after that is ok but the roads and traffic is not nice.

Spend a bit more time in the lower area of Basel i reckon. Still very nice in places.

[RemaL]

thanks for that.