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Do’s & Dont’s of touring


Ross
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Morning fellow bikers,


I want to do a tour this year on my bike to europe. Basically it will be my first time so just looking for advice in general, what to to what not to do. Is it best to just rock up and look for a place to stay for to pre book hotels in advance etc..


Many thanks,


Ross

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There are a few things that might change in the event of Britain leaving the European Union without an exit deal, driving permits, insurance green cards, and some are saying we may need a visa. You might want to hold off making plans for a month until it's all over.

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Good shout, i heard in the news this morning its going to get postponed for another two months 😡.

 

Well,it's one possibility.


The only certainty as we sit 32 days and 12 hours from our expected exit date is this:


Anyone - politicians, business people, your mates, anyone on a forum, pundits, journalists, professors, economists, someone ranting on social media - who tells you they know what the situation will be in 33 days time is lying.


Which is totally and absolutely crazy, but there we are.

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I wont be going until after march anyway, ill have to see what the outcome is.


Just not sure weather to book the feery and go and worry about where to stay when im there or pre book were to stay. Also what i need to take with me.


Maybe im worring too much. Just gotta get on my bike and go i suppose 😕

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First off. Don't worry about brexit.until it happens. I would be wary of doing anything, planning anything until after April. Leave it till the summer or better still until the end of the summer, if you can get the time off, if it's ok. Then maybe think about going either before the school holidays begin, or after they end. The biggest plus with this is that it's far easier to find free rooms in hotels or B&Bs out of season.. One less thing to worry about.


Using the tunnel to get to France, it costs a bit more but is far more convenient.


Depending on where you live... Then it might be worthwhile breaking your journey with an overnight stay close to the tunnel.


Decide where you want to go, based on how much time you have. Do you have anywhere particular in you want to go? There are some great places an easy days ride from Calai.

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First off. Don't worry about brexit.until it happens. I would be wary of doing anything, planning anything until after April. Leave it till the summer or better still until the end of the summer, if you can get the time off, if it's ok. Then maybe think about going either before the school holidays begin, or after they end. The biggest plus with this is that it's far easier to find free rooms in hotels or B&Bs out of season.. One less thing to worry about.


Using the tunnel to get to France, it costs a bit more but is far more convenient.


Depending on where you live... Then it might be worthwhile breaking your journey with an overnight stay close to the tunnel.


Decide where you want to go, based on how much time you have. Do you have anywhere particular in you want to go? There are some great places an easy days ride from Calai.

 

What places would you recommend an easy days ride from Calais?

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First off. Don't worry about brexit.until it happens. I would be wary of doing anything, planning anything until after April. Leave it till the summer or better still until the end of the summer, if you can get the time off, if it's ok. Then maybe think about going either before the school holidays begin, or after they end. The biggest plus with this is that it's far easier to find free rooms in hotels or B&Bs out of season.. One less thing to worry about.


Using the tunnel to get to France, it costs a bit more but is far more convenient.


Depending on where you live... Then it might be worthwhile breaking your journey with an overnight stay close to the tunnel.


Decide where you want to go, based on how much time you have. Do you have anywhere particular in you want to go? There are some great places an easy days ride from Calai.

 

What places would you recommend an easy days ride from Calais?

 

As you know, I tend to ride mostly with a mixed ability group. And like to make it easy on everyone, so for us the aim is to ride.. On the journey out, no more than 300 miles. But, if you're on your own you can quite easily ride 400 and still arrive in good time. Particularly if you have already arranged your first nights stay. And I think that's important. The first day is always the worst and it's best, I think, to have a bed already arranged waiting for you. After that, then much easier days.. Maybe 200 or thereabouts.


So, within 400 miles of the tunnel. You have Brittany, The massiv central mountains in France, the Vosges Mountains of eastern France and just across the Rhine, The Black Forest. A little north and east, Luxembourg and the Eifel mountains. And a lot more in between. From the Black Forest... It's a very easy ride to the start of the Alps in Switzerland or southern Bavaria and Austria.


And, obviously this is an extremely touristy area... Rooms free everywhere. "Biker welcom" signs a very frequent sight. Not that you need worry about being turned away. There is a very different attitude towards bikers on the continent.

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My brother and I are planning a trip to Sicily then a ferry to Dubrovnik and home through Croatia, Slovenia, Italy etc.


Planned to set off second week in May. We're going to have a planning meeting (over several pints of Guinness) to decide on details. My guess is we'll book the tunnel going and ferry from Ijmuiden to North Shields on the way back, plus the first night stop in France, then either wing it from there or book one night ahead via booking.com.


As for changes after March 29 ? Nobody knows what they will be, so they won't feature in our plans. Mind you, I think my International Driving Permit is still valid, so I might include that when packing my documents .....

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So I've always been the plan in advance, have the hotels booked months before etc etc.


However we did two weeks in France on the bikes and found that most campsites are fine with you rocking up and asking for a pitch. Some mornings we'd ring in advance for that night just to check they had room but was mostly fine! :D


Are you thinking of hotels mainly? Or taking camping gear too?


Main thing, have some waterproofing if you're wearing leathers. Putting on damp, cold leathers the morning after a down pour is, personally, horrible!

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First off. Don't worry about brexit.until it happens. I would be wary of doing anything, planning anything until after April. Leave it till the summer or better still until the end of the summer, if you can get the time off, if it's ok. Then maybe think about going either before the school holidays begin, or after they end. The biggest plus with this is that it's far easier to find free rooms in hotels or B&Bs out of season.. One less thing to worry about.


Using the tunnel to get to France, it costs a bit more but is far more convenient.


Depending on where you live... Then it might be worthwhile breaking your journey with an overnight stay close to the tunnel.


Decide where you want to go, based on how much time you have. Do you have anywhere particular in you want to go? There are some great places an easy days ride from Calai.

 


Im based in Ascot in Berkshire so its no hassle for me to reach the dover ferry port or euro tunnel. Euro tunnel is alot quicker but more expensive.


I was thinking to trying to reach sardinia but i think that may be a bit ambitious so maybe northen spain. But then may be worth while lookong at the ferry from portsmouth to santander or bilbao.

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So I've always been the plan in advance, have the hotels booked months before etc etc.


However we did two weeks in France on the bikes and found that most campsites are fine with you rocking up and asking for a pitch. Some mornings we'd ring in advance for that night just to check they had room but was mostly fine! :D


Are you thinking of hotels mainly? Or taking camping gear too? is, personally, horrible!

 

Most probably hotels im not sure the Missis will be too happy about camping. But then again if im the one riding she doesnt have much choice 😂. I personally wouldnt mind a bit of camping.


So i think book the first night stay that way i have somewhere to aim for and know i got a good nights sleep then maybe gonoff word of mouth and reccomendations for a few days see how i get on.


What things do i deffiantly HAVE to bring with me?

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😂😂😂😂... very good! Knowing me ill forget it. I already for got on sunday to check if i was on reserve fuel or not when i rode it for the first time this year... last year i ran out switched it over and forgot. Luckily i was only local when i konked out😂. My mother came to the rescue with a jerry can 😩. I hope my heads screwed tight or ill lose that too 😂

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There are a few things that might change in the event of Britain leaving the European Union without an exit deal, driving permits, insurance green cards, and some are saying we may need a visa. You might want to hold off making plans for a month until it's all over.

 

Did you use a comma where you should have used a semicolon?


The true degradation of the written word...

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There are a few things that might change in the event of Britain leaving the European Union without an exit deal, driving permits, insurance green cards, and some are saying we may need a visa. You might want to hold off making plans for a month until it's all over.

 

Did you use a comma where you should have used a semicolon?

 

That would be a no I think.

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There are a few things that might change in the event of Britain leaving the European Union without an exit deal, driving permits, insurance green cards, and some are saying we may need a visa. You might want to hold off making plans for a month until it's all over.

 

Did you use a comma where you should have used a semicolon?

 

That would be a no I think.

Hint: you should use them to separate independent clauses.

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