Euro trip - camping vs hotels and bike choice

I test rode an MT09 last year at the Yamaha MT tour, and it was OK, but felt like a bike you had to be 'on it' to ride properly, it was like a slightly ADHD puppy :p

I reckon the MT-10 will be all about the engine and not much else - after all it's the new crossplane R1 engine... if I had an IL4 it would that. I'm still tempted sometimes by a 2009 or later R1 :D Brilliant sound. Now stick it in a proper premium tourer to take on the S1000XR Yamaha!!
 
Sagalout said:
Yeah, but get a good campsite and nice weather, and that feeling of pitching up and cracking open a beer under a nice dusk can't be beaten!
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One of the best feeling on the planet I love rallies every one is in the same boat great feeling away from normality.
 
I seriously need to do something about the seat on my NC700, I fancy a nice long journey but I get bum ache after an hour or so let alone a whole day's riding.

That aside hotels for me, I don't fancy camping much.
 
I did 14 weeks around Europe and prior to leaving I was all about 'yeah, I'll camp everywhere... save money... just me, the bike and a tent, camping in a field - simple living, yeah, doing it proper'...

I got as far as the Netherlands about 10 days in when I realised I was sick of it. The campsites were full of families and not fellow 'young people' or bikers to have a beer with and it was a lonely experience. Not that I met many people in hotels but they'd tend to be closer to town so it was easier to go out in the evenings and what not.

Every now and again I'd stay in a hostel, it's there that you meet people to hang out and explore the town with.

I went to various metal festivals and camped at those but that aside, beds all the way!

Of course your experience could differ but... I'd avoid camping where possible.
 
To be honest I'd imagine around the routes you'd be planning on using there'll be plenty of little b+b's and things rather than actual full on hotels which will be cheaper and probably cater well to bikers.
 
Daftbrown said:
I did 14 weeks around Europe and prior to leaving I was all about 'yeah, I'll camp everywhere... save money... just me, the bike and a tent, camping in a field - simple living, yeah, doing it proper'...

I got as far as the Netherlands about 10 days in when I realised I was sick of it. The campsites were full of families and not fellow 'young people' or bikers to have a beer with and it was a lonely experience. Not that I met many people in hotels but they'd tend to be closer to town so it was easier to go out in the evenings and what not.

Every now and again I'd stay in a hostel, it's there that you meet people to hang out and explore the town with.

I went to various metal festivals and camped at those but that aside, beds all the way!

Of course your experience could differ but... I'd avoid camping where possible.
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14 weeks?! :eek: Yeah camping for that long would get annoying! But I'm talking about 10-12 days max, with a day or 2 in a hotel at some point, so probably a max of 7 or 8 days straight camping.
 
I've no opinion on the bike tbh, that's personal. However, last three years I've done three tours of eruope:

2013 (12 days) - Germany/Austria/Switzerland/top of Italy for a day (late August). We camped for first 3 nights then I lost the will to live... was raining for the first 3 days off and on and nothing worse than lugging camping gear around and putting it up. So I basically said to the other 3 guys, I'm in hotels, join/don't join I don't care but I'll see you after a nice hour snooze for tea and beers lmfao. We were averaging around the 280-300 miles per day nice and relaxed with some tanking it...

2014 (12 days) - SPAIN - This was just epic... me and one mate just had the best holiday ever... tried camping again lasted 2 nights then threw all my camping gear in the bin and we both went hotels. Averaged around $40 euros per night for twin rooms so 20 euro's each... nice warm bathrooms/showers and comfy beds... just what you need when you're doing around 340 miles per day... 8-9 hours of stunning riding.

2015 (10 days) SPAIN - Went with another mate, with new routes/old routes, but he came off in France on the way back towards Lourdes... so that was end of trip (he was fine but had to stay in hospital 8 days!!! with a lot of injuries). Was great but didn't bother with camping gear, just hotels and used booking.com every day to find somewhere.

So, for me, I'm off to Portugal this September for 1 week, and it'll be hotels everyday. I'll also use my one big yellow bag and tank bag and will have everything I need!!! This is how the bike stacked up for 12 days of riding:

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I'll be going the camping route, with the occasional hotel if I need some comfort or if it's raining.

I've bought a 3 man tent (coleman aravis 3) and a quality sleeping bag (vango latitude 300), both of which fit in my kriega us30 along with my brukit (jetboil) stove, I'll whack 2x us20's on the sides and that'll take my clothes, a self inflating camping mat and everything else along with a decently large tank bag.
 
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