Road Trip to Bilbao - Route Help
Discussion
In May this year, I’ve got a wedding in Bilbao, for which I’ve somehow convinced the other half to fly with my luggage and let me ride the GSXR down.
I’ll be leaving first thing Wednesday morning and need to be in Bilbao by Friday evening.
I’m starting in Hertfordshire, but I’ll ignore the Herts to Le Shuttle, as I’ll take primarily boring motorways and A roads to cover this section of the journey, in the interest of time.
From Calais to Bilbao is where I’m hoping for some help - I’ve never ridden in France and want to make the most of the time I have to get down to Spain, using as little motorway as possible.
Initial basic route consideration is whether to go coastal or via Le Mans & Limoges. I guess I could always go via Le Mans, then turn West at any point to join the coast.
Have any of you taken similar journeys and have any advice on picking a route?
I’ll be leaving first thing Wednesday morning and need to be in Bilbao by Friday evening.
I’m starting in Hertfordshire, but I’ll ignore the Herts to Le Shuttle, as I’ll take primarily boring motorways and A roads to cover this section of the journey, in the interest of time.
From Calais to Bilbao is where I’m hoping for some help - I’ve never ridden in France and want to make the most of the time I have to get down to Spain, using as little motorway as possible.
Initial basic route consideration is whether to go coastal or via Le Mans & Limoges. I guess I could always go via Le Mans, then turn West at any point to join the coast.
Have any of you taken similar journeys and have any advice on picking a route?
I’ve done similar runs and would avoid the French motorways as much as possible—they’re fast but dull. The Le Mans → Limoges route is a great spine: quiet D-roads, good surfaces, and proper riding country. From Limoges you can either continue south via the Dordogne / Lot (excellent roads) or cut west toward the Atlantic if you want coastal scenery. Coast is nice but slower and busier; central France is more flowing and better on a GSXR. Either way, two relaxed riding days is very doable.
From a quick look on Google it's a little tight to have fun all the way down, but strategic autoroute use will help. The roads from Limoges towards Bergerac are fab, I really enjoy the Perigord for travelling in, but I'd be tempted to head for La Rochelle and make use of the Royan ferry. Avoid Bordeaux, even on a bike it's a PITA to get around. Whichever route you go, make sure you put the coastal road from San Sebastian to Bermeo in.
AmmarHarris said:
I ve done similar runs and would avoid the French motorways as much as possible they re fast but dull. The Le Mans ? Limoges route is a great spine: quiet D-roads, good surfaces, and proper riding country. From Limoges you can either continue south via the Dordogne / Lot (excellent roads) or cut west toward the Atlantic if you want coastal scenery. Coast is nice but slower and busier; central France is more flowing and better on a GSXR. Either way, two relaxed riding days is very doable.
Calais to Bilbao is 750 miles and 12 hours if you use toll roads.. It's 780 miles and 16.5 hours if you avoid tolls and 740 miles, 19.5 hours if you avoid motorways. There is no way that's "two relaxed riding days is very doable"Northern France is pretty mediocre road wise and probably best traversed using the toll roads. That'll be most of a day assuming the Tunnel gets you to France mid to late morning. Once south of Paris the roads improved but if avoiding motorways it's still 14 hours of riding to Bilbao so a further 2 hard days or 3 relaxed days.
Edited by black-k1 on Tuesday 20th January 09:53
The key question here is what do you consider to be a hard days riding?
Getting from any of the Northern France ports to Bilbao is a minimum of 2 hard days riding by toll roads. If you actually want to stay off motorways then it's 3 hard days riding. In both cases, a hard days riding is 6 hours plus in the saddle, so not including lunch, coffee fuel and toilet breaks. If you mix toll roads and non-motorway routes then three days (Wednesday, Thursday and Friday) is doable. Personally, I'd recommend a long first day on toll roads getting to somewhere around Poitiers then 2 days of nice roads to Bilbao but be willing to do the occasional motorway stretch where the local roads are not brilliant or fatigue sets in and just want to cover some miles.
Getting from any of the Northern France ports to Bilbao is a minimum of 2 hard days riding by toll roads. If you actually want to stay off motorways then it's 3 hard days riding. In both cases, a hard days riding is 6 hours plus in the saddle, so not including lunch, coffee fuel and toilet breaks. If you mix toll roads and non-motorway routes then three days (Wednesday, Thursday and Friday) is doable. Personally, I'd recommend a long first day on toll roads getting to somewhere around Poitiers then 2 days of nice roads to Bilbao but be willing to do the occasional motorway stretch where the local roads are not brilliant or fatigue sets in and just want to cover some miles.
I'd personally avoid the tunnel to Calais and instead go from Poole to Caen on the overnight ferry. Northern France, is dull and well missed. This will save you 150 miles of boredom. Your start point in Hertfordshire is much the same to Poole as it is to Dover and you'll have a good nights kip ready to go first thing in the morning. Head down the coast, ferry over the Gironde, lovely!
Stevemtb said:
I'd personally avoid the tunnel to Calais and instead go from Poole to Caen on the overnight ferry. Northern France, is dull and well missed. This will save you 150 miles of boredom. Your start point in Hertfordshire is much the same to Poole as it is to Dover and you'll have a good nights kip ready to go first thing in the morning. Head down the coast, ferry over the Gironde, lovely!
I concur. I've said it several times on here - when heading to the South-West of France (or Spain, in this case), why would you start at the most North-Easterly part of France?Have a look at Poole/Portsmouth ferries to St. Malo, Cherbourg or Caen and chop a great big boring lump out of the trip!
black-k1 said:
The key question here is what do you consider to be a hard days riding?
Getting from any of the Northern France ports to Bilbao is a minimum of 2 hard days riding by toll roads. If you actually want to stay off motorways then it's 3 hard days riding. In both cases, a hard days riding is 6 hours plus in the saddle, so not including lunch, coffee fuel and toilet breaks. If you mix toll roads and non-motorway routes then three days (Wednesday, Thursday and Friday) is doable. Personally, I'd recommend a long first day on toll roads getting to somewhere around Poitiers then 2 days of nice roads to Bilbao but be willing to do the occasional motorway stretch where the local roads are not brilliant or fatigue sets in and just want to cover some miles.
Getting from any of the Northern France ports to Bilbao is a minimum of 2 hard days riding by toll roads. If you actually want to stay off motorways then it's 3 hard days riding. In both cases, a hard days riding is 6 hours plus in the saddle, so not including lunch, coffee fuel and toilet breaks. If you mix toll roads and non-motorway routes then three days (Wednesday, Thursday and Friday) is doable. Personally, I'd recommend a long first day on toll roads getting to somewhere around Poitiers then 2 days of nice roads to Bilbao but be willing to do the occasional motorway stretch where the local roads are not brilliant or fatigue sets in and just want to cover some miles.
as you said it depends on your defintion of "hard days" riding obvs for you it is, but may be not for others
Portsmouth/Caen overnight no overnight service from Poole
fill up with dinner at the ship and castle; ferry; Caen around 6.30 ish off you go – if the service is running i dont think its summer only
i didn't find the m'ways that hard or that boring
Once beyond the major population centres they are fairly empty
Millau bridge/Viaduct always worth a visit if you can detour
Mways/Toll if you do use them; up to you if you get a tag, can be a pain stopping, gloves off, getting card out, collecting and storing the ticket, card away, gloves back on etc
Anyway, have a great time whatever you decide
Metric Max said:
I like the non autoroute roads in France (in a car) but be aware that every village or hamet the speed limit is 5oKPH and outside those it's 80 or 90 KPH
depending on which department you are in.
And they have speed cameras, they must get a discound for bulk buying
It took me a a couple of days to work out what to look for... forward facing buggers (I was in a car) disguised in concrete for example.... depending on which department you are in.
And they have speed cameras, they must get a discound for bulk buying
I got caught by a couple back in September but haven't received anything in the post... yet.
GSA_fattie said:
Mways/Toll if you do use them; up to you if you get a tag, can be a pain stopping, gloves off, getting card out, collecting and storing the ticket, card away, gloves back on etc
Anyway, have a great time whatever you decide
Get a tag. Makes life infinitely easier. For France: https://www.emovis-tag.co.uk/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwsp6pBh...Anyway, have a great time whatever you decide
WH16 said:
Nothingtoseehere said:
I got caught by a couple back in September but haven't received anything in the post... yet.
There is no mechanism for them to be forwarded to a UK address yet AIUI. Nothingtoseehere said:
WH16 said:
Nothingtoseehere said:
I got caught by a couple back in September but haven't received anything in the post... yet.
There is no mechanism for them to be forwarded to a UK address yet AIUI. I don't advocate speeding though as you will still be fined if caught by le plod in person.
Metric Max said:
I like the non autoroute roads in France (in a car) but be aware that every village or hamet the speed limit is 5oKPH and outside those it's 80 or 90 KPH
depending on which department you are in.
And they have speed cameras, they must get a discound for bulk buying
I drove a car through France and then Spain down to Huelva to get the boat to Tenerife last February.depending on which department you are in.
And they have speed cameras, they must get a discound for bulk buying
I echo the above as when the autoroute got boring (but fast) I came off and was dismayed to find speed limits and cameras everywhere and the locals religiously staying below the very low limits. No fun at all and worse on a motorbike.
(Such a shame as I have great memories of heading down to the South of France in the 80/90s on our motorbikes using mainly D roads and just rocking up at a village bar and asking if anyone was renting out a room for the night. Ah, the freedom.)
I went through France to save the £800 Portsmouth to Spain ferry cost but in the end, Le Shuttle, the cheap hotel for one night there and another back, petrol and tolls added up to.......
Yeah, you guessed it
£800.Get a ferry direct to Spain 2 days early and enjoy the roads there. They are amazing and don't appear to be heavily policed or covered in cameras.
We did St Malo to San Sebastian in a day a couple of years ago, wasn't fun and we'd planned a rest day after it. I like the Portsmouth to St Malo crossing, more time on the boat means a more relaxed evening than the Caen or Le Havre crossings and there's little congestion until Bordeaux.
Slightly off topic but as speeding tickets in France were mentioned... I got a ticket in a hire car so they can transfer those to the UK. On the ticket they tell you the speed limit, what they were issuing tickets for and what speed you were doing. I was sent a ticket for a 90kph where they were issuing tickets at 95kph and I was doing 97kph. So if you see the cameras/plod don't assume you've got 10% or something like you might do in the UK.
Newhaven-Dieppe was mentioned as a crossing earlier. Whilst you can get a cabin the people I know who have done it said it was a waste of time/money. As it is only a 4 hour crossing by the time you've boarded, got to your cabin, got to sleep etc. you don't get much sleep before it's time to be getting up. Newhaven is my closest port and I have friends that have tried the cabins, none of them have done it more than once.
Newhaven-Dieppe was mentioned as a crossing earlier. Whilst you can get a cabin the people I know who have done it said it was a waste of time/money. As it is only a 4 hour crossing by the time you've boarded, got to your cabin, got to sleep etc. you don't get much sleep before it's time to be getting up. Newhaven is my closest port and I have friends that have tried the cabins, none of them have done it more than once.
Another vote for doing the whole journey by ferry.
I've tried both: long schlep through France and direct ferry from Portsmouth to Santander or Bilbao. Overall cost of petrol, overnight accommodation, tolls, LeShuttle works out to roughly the same as the ferry, except you save some time, it's far more relaxed and you hit great riding roads the moment you arrive.
I've tried both: long schlep through France and direct ferry from Portsmouth to Santander or Bilbao. Overall cost of petrol, overnight accommodation, tolls, LeShuttle works out to roughly the same as the ferry, except you save some time, it's far more relaxed and you hit great riding roads the moment you arrive.
Taking into account the OP hasn't ridden in France then I'd go with Portsmouth to St Malo overnight and then aim for somewhere south of Bordeaux on day one, maybe between Arcachon and Biarritz. Leaving a nice coastal 200 mile run on day two. I'd also get the ferry back from Bilbao to Portsmouth but if he doesn't do France he'll never know what he's missed.
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