Quick Alps Tour
Discussion
Hi, if all goes well I'll be picking up an R1200rt on Monday.
It's near Exeter (I'm in C. Scotland)
I'm flying down for it, and can't help notice there are ferries from Plymouth/Portsmouth to France.
I've got a slack week, so how feasible is it to get over into the Alps for a few days from there? I don't need to be home till the Sunday! Not into going fast or anything, just really fancy seeing the Alps, and the weather forecast looks great!
Seems a shame not to do it when I'm so far south to start with.
Any thoughts or tips appreciated
(I was thinking of coming home on the Amsterdam/Newcastle boat as I've used it before and it saves a fair drive)
Go on, pick it apart 😄
It's near Exeter (I'm in C. Scotland)
I'm flying down for it, and can't help notice there are ferries from Plymouth/Portsmouth to France.
I've got a slack week, so how feasible is it to get over into the Alps for a few days from there? I don't need to be home till the Sunday! Not into going fast or anything, just really fancy seeing the Alps, and the weather forecast looks great!
Seems a shame not to do it when I'm so far south to start with.
Any thoughts or tips appreciated
(I was thinking of coming home on the Amsterdam/Newcastle boat as I've used it before and it saves a fair drive)
Go on, pick it apart 😄
Hi!
Firstly thanks for all the ideas (esp Andybow and Cappo for the kind offers - the guy who is selling me the bike is collecting me at the airport, but much appreciated)
Loving the enthusiasm for getting on with it. I did think about the boat south, but I'd be a long, long way from home at the end up...
Deffo thinking Alps and home via the Dutch boat.
Would I be better off driving to Portsmouth and getting a ferry to maybe Caen or somewhere there, or is Roscoff just as good? And the Italy idea, where should I aim for then?
Any way thanks all, and watch this space
M
Firstly thanks for all the ideas (esp Andybow and Cappo for the kind offers - the guy who is selling me the bike is collecting me at the airport, but much appreciated)
Loving the enthusiasm for getting on with it. I did think about the boat south, but I'd be a long, long way from home at the end up...
Deffo thinking Alps and home via the Dutch boat.
Would I be better off driving to Portsmouth and getting a ferry to maybe Caen or somewhere there, or is Roscoff just as good? And the Italy idea, where should I aim for then?
Any way thanks all, and watch this space
M
Edited by fridgedoctor on Sunday 21st May 10:26
Steep indeed. Bloody phone 🤦🏻♂️
In case anyone is interested, I got the bike Monday just after lunch, and thought I'd be as well nipping over the water as I was so far down.
I drove it from Camelford (looks like it's near lands end to me) to Newhaven, and got the night boat for 80 quid with a cabin!
It gets in early though, so I drove round to the D Day bits, then back for brekkie in Honfleur (lovely)
The two bridges you go over are SHOCKING HIGH !!!
Then I phoned in to tell my wife what I was up to (I hadn't mentioned buying it or going to France - that changed when I could only transfer 5k per day, so had to ring and get her to transfer the rest. Bless her, she played along)
She told me about the terrible Manchester thing, and I just wanted to drive away forever. Selfish.
So I fecked off to Geneva. It's pretty far, and the sat nav that came with the bike shows your altitude. Loads of France is really high, but it was roasting. I saw 29c more than once.
I couldn't see any digs I fancied in Geneva, so I got booking on the phone and found Domaine de la Sapiniere, which was lovely, and spotless.
Next morning Chamonix! Gorgeous. Then up the Grand St Bernard as two bikers in a petrol station checked their phones and reckoned it was open. It wasn't :-(
Turned back and started heading North. Swiss motorways cost €40 for a vignette and had nothing but traffic. The nav spat me off for 'severe traffic' and I pissed about through endless dullsvilles, often behind a bumpkin in a s
tty old tractor, and they won't pull over for the massive queue to pass.
On ward into Germany, with traffic jams at ten at night in the motorway. No space on the Amsterdam ferry cos I'm a tosser and hadn't booked it, so turn first thing in morning turn left and aim for Calais. Mobbed as well. Then up the road with a night stop just after london cos I was shagged oot.
I'll disgrace myself by admitting even sat at 81 on the French Mways the bike returned 60.9 to the gallon (sorry), and that the audio system works well under 60, and I love it.
Sang like a loony the whole way.
And if I'm honest, lovely as the bike is, the quickshift/gearbox crunchy bks has me bemused on such a nice piece of kit.
I can change much nicer than the shifter thing, and to finally shame myself, I think it'd be fab on a DSG !
(I've never tried one on a bike, but I love auto cars)
Flame away...
In case anyone is interested, I got the bike Monday just after lunch, and thought I'd be as well nipping over the water as I was so far down.
I drove it from Camelford (looks like it's near lands end to me) to Newhaven, and got the night boat for 80 quid with a cabin!
It gets in early though, so I drove round to the D Day bits, then back for brekkie in Honfleur (lovely)
The two bridges you go over are SHOCKING HIGH !!!
Then I phoned in to tell my wife what I was up to (I hadn't mentioned buying it or going to France - that changed when I could only transfer 5k per day, so had to ring and get her to transfer the rest. Bless her, she played along)
She told me about the terrible Manchester thing, and I just wanted to drive away forever. Selfish.
So I fecked off to Geneva. It's pretty far, and the sat nav that came with the bike shows your altitude. Loads of France is really high, but it was roasting. I saw 29c more than once.
I couldn't see any digs I fancied in Geneva, so I got booking on the phone and found Domaine de la Sapiniere, which was lovely, and spotless.
Next morning Chamonix! Gorgeous. Then up the Grand St Bernard as two bikers in a petrol station checked their phones and reckoned it was open. It wasn't :-(
Turned back and started heading North. Swiss motorways cost €40 for a vignette and had nothing but traffic. The nav spat me off for 'severe traffic' and I pissed about through endless dullsvilles, often behind a bumpkin in a s
tty old tractor, and they won't pull over for the massive queue to pass. On ward into Germany, with traffic jams at ten at night in the motorway. No space on the Amsterdam ferry cos I'm a tosser and hadn't booked it, so turn first thing in morning turn left and aim for Calais. Mobbed as well. Then up the road with a night stop just after london cos I was shagged oot.
I'll disgrace myself by admitting even sat at 81 on the French Mways the bike returned 60.9 to the gallon (sorry), and that the audio system works well under 60, and I love it.
Sang like a loony the whole way.
And if I'm honest, lovely as the bike is, the quickshift/gearbox crunchy b
ks has me bemused on such a nice piece of kit.I can change much nicer than the shifter thing, and to finally shame myself, I think it'd be fab on a DSG !
(I've never tried one on a bike, but I love auto cars)
Flame away...
Cheers
Yeah it was ace actually. Could've done with more time off the bike. I never had one proper sit down evening meal or a beer till last night, in the UK, which was poor on my part.
That gearbox makes you look a plum at lights trying to get into first without the horrible crunch.
The Vespa is worse though, does the crunch / lurch AND has a box full of neutral with only 4 fggn gears!
Hard luggage is handy, but have u seen the money BMW want for the top box
I've had really good cars for less
Yeah it was ace actually. Could've done with more time off the bike. I never had one proper sit down evening meal or a beer till last night, in the UK, which was poor on my part.
That gearbox makes you look a plum at lights trying to get into first without the horrible crunch.
The Vespa is worse though, does the crunch / lurch AND has a box full of neutral with only 4 fggn gears!
Hard luggage is handy, but have u seen the money BMW want for the top box
I've had really good cars for less
Old Gits tours sound great then, I deffo need more time to enjoy the places I've actually arrived in.
And some pints when I get there!
Edit to add for Moose!
Followed your advice and scored an old shape top box from eBay for a fabby 62 great British quids.
What a complete bks I've made of painting it though.
And some pints when I get there!
Edited by fridgedoctor on Wednesday 31st January 22:08
Edit to add for Moose!
Followed your advice and scored an old shape top box from eBay for a fabby 62 great British quids.
What a complete b
ks I've made of painting it though.Edited by fridgedoctor on Wednesday 31st January 22:10
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