Well, i've done, it, arrived home yesterday, what a fantastic time. A tad under 2000, miles in 6 days. Set of on Wednesday 11th September, on Eurotunnel, bike was pristine, shod with new tyres, and ready to go. Arrived in Calais at about 9.30am. First stop was going to be Troyes, decided not to use the Auto Route, and let the sat nav pick out some decent roads.. Hit the French roads, at 10ish, and dry weather for the first hour or so. Mileage to Troyes was about 260, miles, taking the non autoroute, we covered just over 300 miles. Got to Troyes at about 4 pm, so a longish day, considering we had left home at 6am. Day 2...Troyes to Grenoble. Again wanted to use non toll roads, and found the D917, a brilliant road. Some fast sections, but as so often in France a new village every few miles, so speed down to 50kph, through the many villages, but was a good ride, and arrived in Grenoble, at about 5pm. Day 3...The main event....Grenoble to Grasse via the Route Napoleon. Woke up to blue skies and sunshine, after a quick breakfast we set off, mate left his phone at the hotel, so had to go back, after 45 mins, to collect it ! (it wasn't in the hotel ) he eventually found it in a pair of jeans he had worn the night before !..So after a delayed start we set out. Not sure where this was, but some interesting building control ! And then on to the R Nap proper 180 odd miles of fantastic roads, from what I can remember the scenery was spectacular, but to take your eyes off the road, could have ended in a big drop over the side of a mountain ! Being a Friday the road, was quiet. Brilliant road surfaces, we stopped in Castellane, for lunch, and I tried horse (it was ok), before setting out on the section to Gap/Grasse. I thought the 1st section was good, but section 2 was better, 2nd gear hairpins etc.... Stopped a few more times, before getting into Grasse at about 5ish, totally knackered, but within a short time, beer by the pool. A fantastic, day's ride, and best of all doing it again on Saturday. Saturday, left Grasse early, the Route was a little busier, with lots of Dutch registered Volvo's travelling at 20mph. But doing the route the other way, was totally different. Stopped a few times to admire the scenery, at one time we were 3000 meters high (i think the sign said that) Stopped in Castllane again for lunch [/URL] And again Set off for Grenoble, arrived in Grenoble, to stay at a shite hotel, with the smallest room ever But manger told us of a good chinese, and had a good chicken curry !! for 6 euro Sunday, we woke to more rain And a long ride back to Troyes, but after about 30 mins the rain stopped and we went off Auto route, did not realise everywhere in France, close's on a Sunday. It was somewhere in France, walked into a bar, Sidi boot slipped, on the floor, and I done an impression of a leather clad biker on Ice, the local's seemed to find it amusing ! Went on the D917 again back to Troyes, and checked into The Ibis Styles...wow, what a fantastic hotel. Meet a couple who were on a Pan European, supposed to be going to Toulouse, but took a wrong turning ! Part 2 to follow
Glad the trip lived up to expectations fella! Rembered my 1st trip down te RN... Was very special indeed and gave me the bug big time.. So where next year???
Am doing simlar nxt yr, prob on me own as me biker mates are all talk about going Europe Am not gonna book owt bar the tunnel / ferry, u fink id be ok just winging the hotels, turn up where ever i fancy n find a hotel??
Should be OK just to find a hotel and check in, depending on the time of year that you are going (French holiday July/Aug) But nice to have a hotel pre booked, at the end of each day's ride, just saves looking around...
