My partner and I are planning a ride and camping holiday across Europe this year and would like some advice. We hope to go for three months (longer if I get my way).

Although we currently live in Poland, we will be going to the UK in March and staying there until we start our trip in August. We plan to ride through Alsace and Burgundy in France, Switzerland, Austria, southern Hungary, maybe the former Yugoslavia, down to Bulgaria, up through Romania, northern Hungary, Slovenia, southern Poland, southern Germany and Belguim.

Would like any tips for great (biker friendly) campsites and places to see along the way, and of course anything we should watch out for.

Also puzzling which bikes to buy- we both want the same model cos of parts etc. Looked at Honda Hornets, Suzuki Bandits, considering old BMW R80/R100, or ......oh I don't know! Too much to choose from! Any recommendations from the 1000s of bikes about? And while I'm at it, can anyone tell me- are BMW parts (for the older models) extortionately priced in comparison to the Japanese bikes?

Cheers. Tracey

Hi,

Try the Vosges Mountains in E. France/ S.W. Germany - excellent roads & views.

Swiss are quite strict on speed limits & there is a "toll" to pay if using the motorway (£20 - £25.00?)

Austria: heard that you must display a GB sticker or equivalent, I assume that a GB numberplate is okay - heard that you can be fined for not complying?

If going to Austria, Vienna & Bratislava in Slovakia are only 40 miles max. apart?

Poland:avoid the mosquito ridden campsite in Breslau/Wroclaw town centre next to the river. We had a bike top box broken in to & stuff stolen. Site owners were not interested & certainly not keen on helping.

Germany: Thuringa Wald, next to the Czech border is beautiful, similar to Bavaria but a bit cheaper.

Bikes: BMW's prices for cables & filters etc are no more expensive than for Jap makes. There is also the added benefit of an extensive dealer network.

I would recommend a couple of early K100's. They go on forever, are relatively easy to service, very reliable, they don't suffer the surging problems that the oilheads suffer from & there are many to choose from in the UK. Another benefit is that a K series bike stands a good chance of coming equipped with panniers etc. This is something that you would have to buy (£££££)separately should you go the Hornet/Bandit route.

Steve

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The Vosges is a great area try Geradmer it is a ski resort but also nice in the summer, there is a lake you can swim in, a tabogan run. Colmar (petite Venice) Ribeauville,Obernai are also worth a visit.
We are coming to Poland in may/June my girlfriend is half Polish, we will be in Gdynia 31st May to see Janes Cousin then we go to Ostroda,Krakow, Zakopane, Slovakia, and back in to Poland.If you would like to meet for a few s get in touch
Regards Gary

[This message has been edited by garyfzs1000 (edited 26 January 2004).]