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Route Planning Where to go, when, what are the interesting places to see
Photo by Brad-Houghton, of Parque Nacional Eduardo Avaroa, Bolivia

Destination ANYWHERE...
Adventure EVERYWHERE!


Photo by Brad-Houghton,
The Stone Tree,
Reserva Nacional de
Fauna Andina Eduardo Avaroa
(Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna
National Reserve)
Bolivia



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  #1  
Old 22 Feb 2011
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Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Mottram, Cheshire UK
Posts: 10
UK/France/Spain
Hi,

I am doing my first trip ( first of many i hope ) in May 2011, I am travelling with my son ( im 49 hes 23 ) on the follwoing route.
Day one - Manchester to Dover - overnight stay in Dover
Day two - Dover to Calais ferry ( early morning ) then ride to Clermont Ferrand. - overnight stay in Ferrand
Day three - Clemont Ferrand to Playa d Aro in spain.
We will camp for three nights in Playa d Aro and then complete in reverse.
We are both very experienced and have covered lots of miles on UK trips.
Has anybody done this route and has anybody any tips that may help, also any places on interest along the way.
Cheers

Tony
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  #2  
Old 22 Feb 2011
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Newcastle upon Tyne UK
Posts: 252
Hi
I did a trip in Oct last year, UK thru France and then a week in Spain.

The thing I didnt consider was the cost of toll roads. You can take the back roads but its slow going.

Also the campsites in Spain seemed expensive compared to the UK ones.

Heres a link to a ride report i did for our club website

Spain and Portugal 2010


Cheers
Geordie
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  #3  
Old 22 Feb 2011
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Location: Mottram, Cheshire UK
Posts: 10
Hi,
Thanks for that, I appreciate the comments on your report for your club, we aim to try and come off the motorways a couple of times to break things up a little, are the tolls really expensive ?
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  #4  
Old 22 Feb 2011
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Location: Newcastle upon Tyne UK
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Hi just had to dig out my little old notebook cause I keep a rough record of miles and costs for my trips.

My normal costs in Europe is around 50 euros a day. 30 fuel, 10 camp, 10 for food.

however my first few days saw me spending almost a 100 euros a day, the fuel on the french motorways was very expensive and my average daily toll fees were around 30 euros a day.
Also with it being cold and wet in France i opted for a formula 1 hotel at around 28 euros a night.

It worked out cheaper to get the ferry from Santander to home, that cost me £163.

hope this helps

Cheers
Geordie
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  #5  
Old 22 Feb 2011
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Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Penela, Portugal
Posts: 73
Was there last year
Hi

I did Clermont Ferrand last year, the toll roads aren't particularly expensive but if you're planning on coming off them for a while bear in mind you've set yourself almost 450 miles that's going to take a fair bit of time if you're off the toll roads and it will be your first day riding abroad, which might be setting yourself a bit much for the first day. Another idea would be ride from Manchester get the ferry straight to Calais and just do 30 miles or so that evening , that way the next day won't seem so daunting as you already got over your first day abroad.
One other thing Clermont is in the Auvergne area of France, we had a week in this area at Chambon sur lac and believe me it 's biking heaven.... winding twisty roads ,stunning scenery and hardly a car on the roads.... would be a shame to miss having a play !!!!

Hope this helps

Neil
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  #6  
Old 22 Feb 2011
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What Neil said. Big day including negotiating Paris. Be very careful if you take the boulevard Peripherique; it's crazy and remember that in Paris you must give way to the right meaning even you're on a major road like the BP, you must give way to traffic joining. You must also give way on a roundabout to traffic joining. 1,800 accidents a year due to people who didn't know. Of course, the fun starts deciding where Paris starts and ends.
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  #7  
Old 28 Feb 2011
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Location: Derbyshire
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England / France / Spain
Hi Tony

I have travelled this route several times. A lot depends how long you have, will it all be camping and your budget.
To save money why not use Tesco coupons and travel for "free" on the Euro tunnel" as I have done for years now. Forget the French motorways unless you are in a desperate hurry.
You may have a good reason for going to the home of Michelin (Clermont Fer) but personally I would go that bit further to Le Puy en Velay.
You are more than welcome to have a look at my detailed maps and discuss further if you want. I live just over the hill from you in New Mills.
Regards
Dave Gilligan
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tony Cooper View Post
Hi,

I am doing my first trip ( first of many i hope ) in May 2011, I am travelling with my son ( im 49 hes 23 ) on the follwoing route.
Day one - Manchester to Dover - overnight stay in Dover
Day two - Dover to Calais ferry ( early morning ) then ride to Clermont Ferrand. - overnight stay in Ferrand
Day three - Clemont Ferrand to Playa d Aro in spain.
We will camp for three nights in Playa d Aro and then complete in reverse.
We are both very experienced and have covered lots of miles on UK trips.
Has anybody done this route and has anybody any tips that may help, also any places on interest along the way.
Cheers

Tony
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  #8  
Old 26 Apr 2011
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Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: UK
Posts: 4,343
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tony Cooper View Post
Hi,

I am doing my first trip ( first of many i hope ) in May 2011, I am travelling with my son ( im 49 hes 23 ) on the follwoing route.
Day one - Manchester to Dover - overnight stay in Dover
Day two - Dover to Calais ferry ( early morning ) then ride to Clermont Ferrand. - overnight stay in Ferrand
Day three - Clemont Ferrand to Playa d Aro in spain.
We will camp for three nights in Playa d Aro and then complete in reverse.
We are both very experienced and have covered lots of miles on UK trips.
Has anybody done this route and has anybody any tips that may help, also any places on interest along the way.
Cheers

Tony
Puy de Dome in the Massif Central; you won't want to go on to Spain!!
Only bikes and shuttle buses are allowed to ride to the top - all others have to park at the bottom and take the bus to the top.
It is near to Clermont and you can ride all day around that area; last time I was there I got onto a public road that was marked out for a hill climb, complete with count-down distance markers to the bends; they were very useful.
You could easily spend 3 days in that area and forget about Spain in that time frame.
France is seriously bigger than it looks on a map by the way.
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  #9  
Old 28 Apr 2011
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Location: Sunderland. North East England
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When we go off to the Alps we usually set off early doors from NE England, get a lunchtime ferry to Calais and stay at a F1 / etap, just outside of North Reims (off the main motorway's).. Dead handy and easily do-able, and there's a nice Chineese buffet restaraunt just round the corner..

We think its much better than paying rip off britain prices for a night at Dover, plus you have a couple of hrs head start the next day, so you can use more of the back roads and still get to your destination easily enough.
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