Planning a summer ride to europe.

Metalface Mark · 28 Mar 2012 at 11:54

Just wondering who's ridden on the continent before, we are sitting down this weekend to work out a route to see where we plan to go and for how long.

Are there any specific bike rules from France, Germany, Holland and Belgium? (I guess we wont get any further than these places).

At the moment the plan is to get the ferry to Amsterdam from Newcastle and then work out a route from there, we should have around 7 days of riding so im open to suggestion on what to do and see, but any good bike routes from Amsterdam would be good so we can incorporate them.

Help is appreciated!

arctine · 28 Mar 2012 at 13:33

Would really love to do something like this so any information you get that can be shared here would great.

Make sure you do a thread after the trip with loads of pictures too!

Metalface Mark · 28 Mar 2012 at 14:06

I shall do, we are doing a 3 day trip in the next few weeks as a trial up to Uist as my mate has a cottage up there, providing that goes well then we will book up the foreign trip.

Appelhanns · 28 Mar 2012 at 15:14

I've only done a little in France so can't give many specifics, the biggest thing for me on my first trip however was underestimating toll charges.

dsb · 28 Mar 2012 at 16:21

I get the Ferry from Santander in Sept ride over to Girona, in a villa for a week then ride back for the Ferry, not a cheep bike holiday but i cant wait. All in 13 days.

Danm54 · 28 Mar 2012 at 17:18

Yea, its not cheap by any means!

I went alone last year and covered went to the south of France, followed The Alps into Switzerland, touched a little of Italy then across into Austria for a few days, and finally back up through Germany and Belgium.

I spent 2 weeks doing that and got to the south of France in one day and spent 2 days getting back from Austria so in your 7 day time frame, you're not going to get far at all!

Toll roads down France are boring and expensive so avoid these. If you're heading down through Germany then try and pick up the Romantic Road, also the route down to the Black Forest is supposed to be nice but ive never ridden it.

Id guess if you're coming from Amsterdam these will probably be the wrong way for you to travel but they're worth a look anyway.