Hello All:

Well, I finally did it - booked passage on a boat for myself and my ST1100. Will be arriving in Southampton, UK May 17, 2002 and leaving as soon as possible to Southern France or Italy to catch a ferry to Tunisia. From there through Libya before it gets really hot.

Would enjoy hearing from anyone who will be riding along the same route at that time, or anyone who lives along the way.

Naturally, any and all advice would be appreciated. I am familiar with motorcycle touring in Europe, but have not toured North Africa before.

Just an idea: take the nighttrain from Brussels (Belgium) to South France (Narbonne, Perpignan, Avignon,...). Your motorbike comes with you. Saves me and my transalp 2 days of boring cruising along black tarmac just trying to get to the beginning of my trip (Marocco).

Two way ticket, bed and breakfast included and a annulation insurance costed me 340 Euro. Wich I find reasonable considering all the advances (time saving, tire / gear saving, arriving fit in the sunny south,...)

Only downside, the train only leaves from Belgium on Friday evening and returns on saturday evening.
Mayby you should check with the French railroads. I am sure there are simular connections within France that might suit you better.

Anyway, I'll be in Narbonne the morning of the 27th of April riding to South Spain and on to Marocco.

Fireboomer:

How long will you be down there? I don't arrive until May 17th but will probably be in the south of France May 18th.

Hmmm, riding South the 27, 28 and 29 of April. Going from Narbonne to Almeria Spain. In Almeria I am taking the nightboat the evening of the 29th.

Riding North 24 and 25th of May. Going from Almeria back to Narbonne where I hop on the train the evening of the 25th.

All the time inbetween I'll be in Marocco.

Paneuropean: What route will you take to get to the South of France and from were will you fly back? I have friends living in France (Perigord) where you can stay if needed and if you pass through Belgium I can offer you a place to stay.

Hi Fireboomer:

I'm not entirely sure of what my route will be yet. I suspect I will go direct from Southampton to Zurich (to get the motorcycle serviced there - there is a Honda shop in Zurich that is so good it's worth a 1,000 km detour), then likely back to Geneva, then south along the French - Italian border. I'm going to take the ferry from Palermo to Tunis. If you are going north through Spain or France on the 25th, we could probably arrange to meet up somewhere, Insh Allah - that would be fun. I don't mind doing a detour to do that. Where is Perigord? Is that the same as Perigueux? Regarding Belgium, I will certainly come to Belgium again, after Libya, likely in July. I spent some time there last summer (Flanders area, and also in the south near Bastogne) - it is a beautiful country, with very hospitable people.

Hey Pan,

If needed I have a Honda dealer in Belgium wich has a very good reputation. He's helping me out with my Transalp for Marocco. The guy has finished Paris Dakar twice on a sidecar. (outside the competition classement, but hey, he did finish it!) I can surely arrange you a service for you pan. Just let me know when. And in the meanwhile I can get you a place to stay nearby. (Just don't expect a fancy hotel.)
A side-remark on the dealer in Zurich... That's in Switserland wich is about the most expensive country of Europe. I know Honda parts aren't cheap, so you if costprice matters you might consider getting you pan serviced in Belgium.

Also I have famely living nearby Basel, wich isn't that far from Zurich. I am sure you could find a place to stay with them. They live in a tiny village in the Vosges.

The Perigord is a region in central France, just above the Dordogne. Perigeux is the capital of this region. I like this area because it is not that develloped for tourists.

In Belgium around July? GREAT! Let me know when you pass by. If you want I can take you on a tour through the Ardennes via all the best curvy roads and great scenery. Also, as I mentioned in the beginning, if you need a place to stay no problem! I live in Leuven, wich is about 15 miles East of Brussels.

Meeting up in Spain when I ride North should be possible. But I will be riding on a time schedule since I need t get my train in Narbonne. Options are:
* the morning of the 24/5 in Almeria Spain when I get of the boat.
* the evening of the 24/5 somewhere half way Almeria - Narbonne, depending on were I will sleep. If you have any idea's.

Hope you find some usefull info here.


CU on the road next summer!


Pieter.
'Fireboomer'

PS: Since you'll be riding around Spain too I know a nice camping in the Spanish Pyrennee's. And if you're not afraid of a day hike you can end up in some real nice canyons!

PSS: if anybody else is interested in any of the info mentioned above feel free to contact me off course!!!

In Belgium around July? GREAT! Let me know when you pass by. If you want I can take you on a tour through the Ardennes via all the best curvy roads and great scenery.

Give me a ring when this happens... I'll see if I can join you two... Should be great fun!

Maarten

__________________
maartensworld.com
beyond-anywhere.com

Hi All,

We should be in southern England around May 18 or so after our shakedown ride to Scotland, then will be looping through belgium, Holland, Germany, France, for the next month or so... Would enjoy meeting up for a , ride, news, etc...
Cheers, Cameron

Maarten, Fireboomer:

I think I will be moving pretty rapidly from Southampton down to Tunisia and Libya when I arrive, because I want to get my African touring (the major reason for my trip) done before the temperatures become really unbearable down in the south. Since you folks are based up in Benelux, perhaps it would be easiest to plan on a get-together and a ride towards the end of June or early July when I swing back up north.

Cameron:

How long do you plan to be in Europe? I arrive Southampton on the 19th, Insh Allah, via Cunard's boat the QE II. I have not yet determined how I'll get from the UK to the continent. I note that you are planning a 'shakedown' trip up through the northern parts of the UK. My experience last year was that the UK in general is horribly expensive, and was less fun than, for example, Belgium or France. I also found it to be very cold up in Scotland last year, and that was in August. Scotland is nice enough, but outside of a line drawn between Glasgow and Edinburgh, it has the same population density as Northern BC - and the same climate. So unless you have a very specific reason for touring the UK, my advice would be to depart for the continent via direct once you arrive. Cheaper, better food, better riding, better weather.


[This message has been edited by PanEuropean (edited 24 March 2002).]

The more whe are the more fun!
Ideally would be: from the 5th till the 9th of July. That would give us 5 days. I can work out a route throught the Belgian and French Ardennes, into the French Vosges.
Who likes this idea? And onybody else who wants to join in?


[This message has been edited by fireboomer (edited 25 March 2002).]

Hi guys,

Just to let you know, planning to travel to Maroc in Mid April via Spain, looking at being there about 2 weeks.

If your about drop me a line.

julio

Whoops, Julio, I already send you a mail but only now I see that we will be crossing eachother. I'll be heading down when you are climbing up to the UK.
But I have read some posts earlier of folks going down there exaclty the same period. I would suggest you check some other topics, sure you'll find people going the same way around the same time.

[This message has been edited by fireboomer (edited 29 March 2002).]

Well, got here, at least, to Southampton anyway - arrived May 18th, got to Zurich on May 21.

Here's a picture of another rider unloading his bike from the Cunard 'ferry' - there were two motorcycles on board, the other rider was from only 60 km's away from me, in Guelph, Canada. So now you know there were two of us with leathers in one pannier and tuxedos in the other...




[This message has been edited by PanEuropean (edited 27 May 2002).]

I didn't make it to North Africa on the first half of my trip, due to work scheduling. I posted a trip report in the Europe forum. Will try to get back and finish up the Tunisia and Libya portion of the tour in August & September.