How did it go?

Regards BOND

It went pretty well although the extreme heat got to me as usual.

I caught the Dover-Calais ferry a day late owing to carelessness on my part and rode down to Rouen to try to find (for the second time) the old GP circuit at Rouen Les Essarts. It began to rain and although I followed direction found on the Net, I failed again. I headed on to Le Mans but the rain increased so gave that circuit a miss, but spent the night in Saumur in the Loire Valley.
Next day I left in rain but it slowly cleared and I headed on south to stay with neighbours in the Languedoc. After a couple of days rest, it was on the Barcelona to collect my wife at the airport. A smashing city but very busy with thousands of motorcycles and scooters.
After a couple of days we headed off north into the Pyrenees and aimed for Andorra (just to get an 'AND' sticker?)but the highlight was the impressive Col du Tourmallet, the highest mountain pass in the Spanish Pyrenees and finishing point of one of the Tour de France stages.
We later rode along the bustling, hectic north Spanish coast and stopped for a couple of days at Ondarroa before catching the luxury Bilbao-Portsmouth ferry home.
A smashing time but too damned hot for us. I'm now look at Joe Rocket ventilated jackets.
I will attempt a travelogue on the trip for this webite with more detail. Thanks for enquiring

Look at Hein Gericke jackets also. The Tourag GTX jacket has huge vents on the inside of both arms, one each side in front of your collar bone and another horizontal vent across the shoulders. All can be zipped up.

Steve

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Paul, SNAP!
I am on site tonight doing the same.
The answer is Plymouth-Santander 17hrs: Runs Sundays at 10pm arriving 3pm Monday. Expensive but get a cabin too. Much more relaxing and not much more cost that Ferry to North France +588 miles and an extra hotel/day. And those French Autoroutes ZZZZZZZ. North Spain and Portugal offer the best of roads and scenery, Mountains a bit scarce on hotel chains, but look out for many smaller hotels.
Coming home a bit more awkward. Sailing Thursdays or Mondays, messed up our two week hol dates a bit.
We 2 Wings and 4 peeps going July 18th
Have fun,......

Bluto,
I went LAST year. I wanted the long French ride as I intended to stop off at the old GP circuit at Rouen (which I failed to find for the second time in ten years), the circuit at Le Mans (but it was pouring with rain), Saumur (where as a family we'd camped some years ago) and at a friends place near Lot. We returned on the Bilbao-Portsmouth ferry, a bit more slower than the Plymouth-Santander one but a bit closer for us in Kent. Because of a lack of time plus the heatwave everyone experienced, we didn't see a lot of Spain, but we intend to return to North Spain in September to the 8th International Pan European Gathering at Noja when we hope to see some more of that great country. Thanks for your reply and good luck with your trip.

Try www.ferrysavers.com or 08704 44 14 73 they have always been very cheap for me
regards Gary

I will be going down to Spain (Bilbao) and traveling around the North from 21 June - 28 June does any one have any good ideas or are any of you around at the time? we intend to go to a bike friendly camp site South of Jaca for part of the time.

John

We stayed at a very strange hotel on Ondarroa. It was like a large block of flats overlooking the sea and the place was only staffed for part of the day. The Basque speaking staff couldn't speak English and therefore couldn't understand that we wanted to leave before 9am the next day to get to the ferry at Bilbao. When we came to leave, there was no one to pay. When we arrived back in the UK, there was a long and protracted phone call back to Spain before we put a cheque in the post for the estimated amount.

One place you MUST visit when in the Pyrenees and that is Col du Tourmalet (2114m, 6935ft) the highest pass on the French side of the Pyrenees. This is at the end of one of the stages of the Tour de France, and this will fill you with admiration for those brave cyclists.

Don,t miss the N260 from Pamplona to Andorra, we did it earlier this year on the way to the Catalunia GP.

This road is in the fictional I spy book of best motorcycle roads ever

Good info... thanx

I second the n260, also teh n240 abd the C15 all of which follow the border through the pyrenees,
There is a good caampsite at castlejon

Hello PAUL Im from Sevilla the south of Spain.

First , in spain the summer is very hot, the the first is choose a fesh jacket and trousers. I think the best month to visit spain is from march to April.

-The north coast have a lot of places; Santiago de Compostella (Galicia) the pillgrim city where Santiago apostol was.

-ride along the coast in Cantabria region, and "climb" to the fresh mountains in Picos de Europa.

The south where I live hot...but...cant lost.

Andalucia; Sevilla essential!! walk in narrows streets remind a muslim past, and enjoy cultural sites and good food.
(if you came Sevilla I can help you to find good places and we can share a !! hehe)

more places... Cordoba,Granada, Ronda,Cadiz,Cadiz mountains,Huelva beaches,Jerez,Osuna;Carmona, and more....

Portugal; the really nice Lisbon and sourrondings,Oporto, the lonely Alentejo region.....and more.

-Accord hotel company have the cheap..."ETAP" one kind of small touristics hotels.
Listado de concesionarios - Models & Accessories - KTM.com - Ready to Race=

I recommended you this books really good to find the best route in Spain.

Listado de concesionarios - Models & Accessories - KTM.com - Ready to Race=

ESPAÑA EN MOTO GUIA VIVA|: en su libreria Casa del Libro

(you can buy the set of 2 books)

Hope you have a good travel...all you need , send me private. to Spain.

I'm think that all the ferries to Spain take 35 hours going and 24 coming back the difference is due to tides etc

Plymouth-Santander 18 hours, nice new ship

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Pegaso Adv

I've just looked at this thread for the first time in a very long time and come across you post. I am returning to Spain this year, probably in August and heading for Granada as I want to visit Alhambra again. I may well take you up on your kind offer, and thank you for the advice.

Paul