Having now got a bit of a bug for travelling on the bike, myself and a friend are planning doing the Grande Alpes route next year.
We live in the North West of England, and as this will be our first continental tour, we've come up with a few questions. Hopefully someone will have previous experience and be able to help us out.
To actually get across the Channel, would people recommend riding down to Dover (a days ride realistically) and getting a ferry from there.
Or a few hours hop across to Hull for the overnight ferry down to Zeebrugge or Rotterdam?
Also, as the route starts in Geneva, is there an easy way to get down there? For example a motorail service, or do you just bite the bullet and ride down?
We are limited to about 16 days in total for the trip and obviously don't want to be spending large amounts of time on Motorways, mindlessly chomping off miles.
Also, as this route takes in part of Switzerland, would a carnet be required at any stage?
Any suggestions or comments gratefully received.
Thanks

I am in bristol so cant comment on Hull but here goes:

Chunnel not ferry from Dover - easier and quicker
Some great roads down to start of Route des Grandes Alps - i'd go Vosges (route des cretes), jura, then alps. Come back via route napoleon. Pm me and i'll send some routes if it helps
Carnet needed for all motorway and main roads in Switzerland - costs €40. Go via France unless you are playing in Switzerland proper (has some cracking roads)

Its a great trip!

Cheers
Andy


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Hi Andy
Thanks for the reply. I was just a little worried about the timescale that we had, if it was possible to to "take in scenery" on the way down to Geneva as well as doing the route......
I was told that the carnet may have been required as Switzerland isn't part of the EU so there could be issues with regard to taking the bikes in/out.
Were you referring to the toll sticker you get for the Swiss "A" roads and Motorways ?
As the planning gets a little more involved I may well be intouch for some routes.
Many thanks
Brian

Your right, the Swiss thing is called a vignette and it is valid for a calendar year (+ 1 month last time I bought one).

For the Route des G A you don't need to go into Switzerland too much, but if you do then the vignette is virtually essential - otherwise you can't make much progress because the country is pretty crowded with lots of towns near to each other and the attendant speed limits/traffic.

Switzerland has cut a lot of deals with the EU and it is easy to enter and leave nowadays - they used to check you out very closely at the border in the days when the border crossing highways were prepared for tank obstacles to be placed quickly. Now, a UK registration plate is basically waved through.

For Geneva itself, you can "get away" without having a vignette - it's surrounded by France basically.

Your timescale is very doable (I've driven northern Switzerland to Wiltshire in about 15 hours and Zeebrugge to the Jura in about 12 hours, the latter on a bike and by 4 wheels).

Personally, I prefer ferries - more "entertaining" than the boring train, by which I mean that it feels like part of the journey.

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Dave

Sorry, you are right, i was saying carnet and meaning vignette. Def no carnet needed - was there 2 weeks ago.

2 weeks fine - i've done RdGA twice in 9 days from Bristol. Had to bail out 1 day from end to get home in time so 16 days from NW no problem.


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Thanks Dave
The reason i mentioned the Hull ferry was that it would save us the drive down to the South East in the Uk, and after a nights sleep on the ferry you're up, breakfasted on board and ready to ride for the day....
Getting excited already

Also for those that have done the route, did you use hotels or camp?
Is there plentiful options for both on the route ?
Thanks

I'd use the Hull - Zeebrugge ferry as it'll be an hour (ish) south of Rotterdam, and you then miss the "delights" of the M6 / M1 / M25 including Birmingham and London. Once you've added the cost of the fuel / hotels / tyre wear then it becomes less expensive feeling.

I reckon in an easy two days on the Peage would get to you to the start of the route, aiming for around Beaune on the first night, then into the Alps the next day.

Two days down, two days back = 12 days to play, and then if I was you I'd do it in chunks, ie stop off for a couple of nights and ride some of the local roads, eg the Vercours , Gorges de Verdon, and repeat on the way back up.

If the idea of riding down isn't filling you with joy, then you could cheat and use flybikefly who do Nice as one of their destinations. No wet and miserable UK / northern France then. The purists will treat this idea with horror though

Camping: only in season - that is now ending, for France anyway.
French municipal camp sites are very good and every municipality has one.
Tourist info places in every town can point toward them, but often not needed - they tend to be well signed.

Hotels: masses of them. France has the Accor group + loads of others including the Logis "chain" and many other privately owned hotels, chambre dotes and gites.

You name it and France has them.

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Dave

If it were me, like John A, I'd blitz it down to Nice using the French autoroutes (two days from Calais/Zebrugge) and then take my time coming home doing the RdGA South to North. By doing that, I'd have time as I suspect you will, to better judge what else I might do on the way back. The other option would be to do the
Route Napoleon one way and the RdGA the other.

Didn't pick up when you intend to travel but the roads will be very busy in August. I usually book hotels one night ahead using Bookings.com, Logis de France or Accor.

Can't help with the ferry question as I live virtually next to the Eurotunnel.

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Paul "Every county of England, every country of Europe and every (part of every inhabited) continent of the Earth" 94% done! What's left? Central America, East, Central and West Africa, Australia & New Zealand

I've covered much of the Route De Grande Alps twice, once north to South, once South to North. I'm based in Norwich so use the Harwich to Hook of Holland ferry. This arrives early morning, allowing an early start after a good night's sleep. The top of the Alps is about 9hrs relatively easy riding on peages etc - over two days puts you in a good position to enter the Alps around Annecy, for example. From there to the Mediterranean is a steady four day ride. We stopped in hotels and b&b's each time, using booking.com to find hotels - this worked well, though not all hotels keep up to date with their emails which can cause the owners to be caught on the hop when, like us, you book an hour before arrival (3G/4G or wifi connection is available in many towns on the route). We stop regularly to admire views, drink coffee, eat lunch, picnic or otherwise not make forward progress, so the four day timescale is generous.

16 days is a generous length of time for your proposed trip - in 13 days we rode down to the Alps, completed the Route Des Grande Alps, rode across the South of France to
Ales and up to Florac. We then rode down the Gorge Du Tarn (recommended) to Millau and returned. This was my good lady's first tour so we took it very easy.

I'd be happy to provide more info' if you wish.

Route attached
Usual Caveats:
This file could be useful- but:
1- It could have been made by someone who doesn't understand their computer or their satnavs!
2- The software used may or may not be up to date or could be corrupted.
3- The sat nav unit which may have been used could be the latest state-of-the-art device or one made years ago which may have had a hard life and/or not be able to interpret satellite signals accurately, if at all.
4- The person who made this route may have been aboard a vehicle more or less capable than yours or may have been under the influence of something! Even if it was generous over-rich French food smoothed down by copious volumes of their grape lube! Or they could have just copied it from the internet?
5- Use at your peril!
Enjoy!

Thanks to everyone for their replies and the info/routes
Given me plenty to think about !
Thanks again
Spud

Hi you can take the page a26 to just south of reims, then the route national to the north of dijon where you pick-up the A39, to the south of Geneva where you then get onnthe A40, no need to enter Switzerland. The 39 is free as is the 40............ The 40 is a cracking dual carriageway lots of tunnels and bends
I have done this route often and it's simple and quick

Thanks Chris, I'll have a look at that one too