Hello guys ... here is my plan ... next summer i plan on doing a nice long trip togheter with my girlfriend... we are gonna be doing tha trip on a R1200R... I am new to trip planing or touring and consider myself a perfectionist when it comes to detail... i am starting this thread in hope that i can learn from you guys ho have allready been doing this and to gather some usefull information...Advice and opinions are highly appreciated...here is the roadtrip plan ...: We start the journey in Germany...Town: Berchtesgaden( 20 km away from Salzburg)....I used google maps for my route and have no idea of any other programm... I tried to divide the amount of riding in such way so that we can also enjoy some time in every location that we want to visit ... START: 1st Day : Berchtesgaden -----> Brescia : 502 km ( 312 miles ) mostly highway... estimated time : 5,30 min. 2nd Day : Brescia -----> Genoa :233 km ( 145 miles ) highway... time: 2.30 min Genoa -----> Ventimiglia : 162 km ( 100 miles ) Normal Road along the Coast ... time: 4 h 3th Day : Ventimiglia -----> Lunel : 451 km ( 281 miles ) Normal Road along the Coast ... time : 9,32 min 4th Day : Lunel -----> Barcelona : 407 km ( 253 miles ) Normal Road ... time : 8 h 5th Day : Barcelona -----> Valencia : 382 km ( 238 miles ) Normal Road .... time : 7.34 min As you can see i didn't wann use highways mainly because i think the scenary on the Coat de Azur and the Coast of Spain must be beautifull and we don't wanna miss that and see only cars...lol... In Valencia we are gonna be staying at my cousin for couple of days and then start the trip again...wich goes like this... START: 1st Day : Valencia -----> Perpignan : 534 km ( 332 miles ) highway ... time : 5 h 2nd Day : Perpignan -----> Geneva : 570 km ( 355 miles ) highway ... time : 6 h 3th Day : Geneva -----> Zurich : 315 km ( 196 miles ) mountain roads true Alps ...time : 6,30 min Zurich ----->Liechtenstein 128 km ( 80 miles ) normal roads ... time : 2,20 min 4th Day : Liechtenstein -----> Berchtesgaden : 335 km ( 208 miles ) mountain roads ... time : 6 h The Road trip should bring us true following countryies: Germany , Austria , Italy , Monaco , France , Spain, Switzerland , Liechtenstein.... As i said this is my first road trip and planning .... We are gonna stay at hotels and motels along the road ... probably gonna make some reservations so it can be easier. I was thinking that it is better to find hotels in smaller towns ( lower price? ) maybe i'm wrong i have no experience ....i was really hoping that times estimated by google maps are a bit off and i can make the amount of km in less time ... I have alocated for every day a budget of 100e euros for bouth of us for sleeping acomodations and food... hope its enough ... About Road Taxes... i'm gonna do my research and see how much it will cost for the hole trip... I am still deciding if i'm getting a Naviation System or just use Road Maps...wich seem fine with me... but then in towns i guess i'll need the Navi ... Ok guys what do you think about my planning... Any advice , information or opinion is highly appreciated... Thanks Sasha
Sounds like you have THE PLAN. Best plans include keeping the bike at its best & ready for what it was made for. Try not be to strict on yourselves, you might find a spot you both fall in love w/ & want another day there. Have fun.
I kinda made the route... now i have to figger outif i should reserve rooms before we start the trip or leave that open so we can decide on the way where we wanna stay over night... its nice that we can be flexible that way... For the bike i was thikning to prepare her before the trip with a nice service ... check allot 2 or 3 times before leaving...I still have to know from you guys wich roads are better to take in Italy, France ...and Spain..wich are recomended from other riders and wich ones should i awoyd... dangerous ... etc... I am trying to get as many miles on normal roads not highway so we can check out the scenary and also have fun riding... Any advice from people ho have traveled that rout or similar ones is very welcome...
No one has some detailed information about my route...? riders ho have don north italy , and so on...come on guys chime in...
The more you plan, the more anal the trip becomes. Set loose goals and learn to enjoy the trip. Strict plannning is for dorks.
I tend to overplan everything that is true... i am trying to find out if there are any routes that i should awoid during the trip and some advice from people ho have made similar routes like mine and can bring in some advice... Thanks for the advice... i'll try not to overplan and keep the roud trip very flexibile..
Herr Sasha, remember Ende Gut, Alles Gut, or something like that. I have the same problem as you, an over planner, the good thing is I live in Mexico were planning is "a good intention" but not the way to go. I have not done the places you want to visit, and my travels in Europe have been by train and plane (just 1 or 2 countries by bus) How ever I want to had the following. A German friend had a navigation system he bough for day to day use in NYC and just bought the maps for Germany and said everything had work just fine. I am not that gadget dependent. I live paper maps, also I will go and see google maps for a long time and complement the paper maps I have, just to double check. The one flaw that google maps and paper maps that I have seen, they never tell you how the weather will be, if you are going to break down, not even if you want to stop for pictures, I am a big photography junkie, so I can take a long time for taking pictures. The times given should be listen to but not obey! remember I think the trip is about having a special time with the woman, right? or are you racing to get from point A to point B? What about weather? are you 2 comfortable at +30 C and -15C? When are you taking the trip? Winter? Summer? the weather will have a big impact of how you ride and how long. what about wind? how long can you BOTH be on the bike? I know that for me is like 10-14 hrs, for my wife 6, maybe! so guess how long we can ride together? yes 5 hours for a multi-day trip (if we want to have 2 days in a row) It is fine to draw a big map, but remember it is just a map, not an obligation. LIke I said, the most important part is to have a nice time, not fulfill an itinerary, don't be like many of us backpackers that if it is day 5 they must be in country #4 just my 2 cents Damasovi
Damasovi.... thanks for that reply... we have never tested how long we can bouth be on a bike ... i know that i can ride 12 -14 hours a day with a honda cbr 600 i did that.. so i think that the r1200r is more comfort and less stress because of the position ... i'm gonna be ok... but my girl i donno.. we will make some shorter trips before we adventure on this longer one... I am definatly gonna travel in summer.... wheater is a huge factor as you say it and i think that summer time is best option for this trip... -15 on a bike is not for us...:)... rain ...i think we are gonna be fine with our whaterproof equipment and all that... The plan i made is very tight on the time ... there are days in that plan were we have to spend 7 -8 hours on the bike because i planned a route with no highway and there are allot of mountain roads and the avverage speed is really low... as you also said i should add a day or two for the hole trip there and back also ...so we can enjoy and relax more and not race from A to B.... We want to enjoy the time we have on the bike and check out the scenarry , take some pictures and all that so i guess we will have to make it a longer trip or skip some of the routes on the back trip and use more highways ... we don't have more then 2 weeks for travel... we still have to work and all that... I guess you are so right about the fact that i over plan everything and have to be there at the point that i asteblished in my plan..trying not to do that on this trip is crucial i guess.. that's what the girl said...we start the trip and end the trip when we fell comfortable and not plan so much.... :))) I plan on going on a 1000km on one day to Romania... use only highways ...and we shell see how it goes for bouth of us... when we get there and we are still able to sit on chair and have a nice conversation ...i think thats gonna decide out longer trip to spain... One more thing i wanted to ask .... is it better to avoid big citties and travel true smaller ones ... we plan on using pensions and hotels for the night and i was thinking that it is better to sleep in smaller towns because of price....? Sasha
Sasha; First, stay in smaller cities or towns, I think it will be cheaper than bigger cities and you will get a better place for your money. Second, in 2007 I went to Canada as my first ever multi day trip, I had planned every day, 400-700 km per day, and all that, then the first day we departed 2 hrs late because I did not finish packing, then 1 border crossing that lasted 1 hr more than I planed and last but not least some wile fires up in the mountains that made traffic something close to 5 km/hr for 5 km!!! and the heat it was 45 C!!! all this on the first day, so I said FUCK THE PLAN, and I just ended enjoying the trip. Then 5 days latter I arrived at a camp site only to find out it was full, so I made a 180 turn and look for another that was just across the road and it was cheaper I just miss the lake that we visit on foot, so all is well. Next season as soon as you can, do a weekend trip the 2 of you, then you sill what works and how you like it. One last tip, if you make the tour and one day you GF does not feel like putting up with the bike, you could send her via train, bus or similar and then you drive up and pick her up at the other end. This is something that I always offer to mi wife when we travel more than 400 km in a day of over 6 hrs, so when we get back to Mexico from California we still have 100 km to go and I ask her if she wants to take the bus, still she has always decline, but I know one day she will say yes, and that way WE are both happier! Damasovi
I get what you are saying.. the plan from home does not always work on the road... and i think you're right... the thing about using an alternative way of travel for my gf ... is really goog ... never even crossed my mind..:).... Before we adventure on such a long trip we will definatly test our ddurability on the bike and see where we are...and then we can have an estimate on how long we can stay on the bike and we will eat up thouse km... I was thinking to get a GPS for this trip but i am an experiences driver in Europe and i like maps so much.... i think it would be better with a nice detailed map ... and maybe have a gps just for towns that are way to big ... like Barcelona , Valencia or whatever its in our way...how did you travel? with maps or GPS...wich one is better .. i mean isn't the Gps taking the hole adventure modus out of the trip ...?
Moin. I've done a similar trip once, when attending a conference in southern Spain and saw other parts later, while circumnavigating the Iberian peninsula by bike ... As you said, 400+km daytrips two up can get long, especially when riding on secondary roads. You'll get a moving average of barely 60km/h, so when leaving the hotel at 10am and an hour lunch break you'll reach the next hotel just in time to check in and 'dress for dinner'. And that is without time for sightseeing or a bath in the Mediterranean. Booking in advance will then put you under pressure to keep your tight schedule. I propose to book the first 1-2 days for a start and see how you get along. Many hotels will provide a computer with web access which you can use to make reservations for the next night on the go. What you can do prior to the trip, is doing research on hotels and B&Bs along the road. Print a list of accommodations suitable for you, including pricing, phone numbers and addresses. That will make finding a bed for the night much easier and helps saving money. Regarding maps & GPS I prefer to use maps for planning, but bring a GPS. In the morning or during coffee breaks you can pick your route on the map and enter waypoints on the GPS. That way, you have all the freedom from planning with maps, without the hassle of stopping at each intersection and searching for directions. Alternatively, something like this could help to keep your girlfriend occupied. Looking at your route ... Unless you've seen it too many times before, I would minimize highways on your leg to Brescia. There are some stunning roads in the Alps. The French Alps Maritim as also the Pyrenees are even more famous for their small roads and could be worth a detour. Finally, the Spanish coast didn't impress me much. Along the coast I saw nothing but massive tourism complexes, separated by landfills. This, of course, could be due to unfortunate routing and will change, as soon as you leave the coast. Oh, and make sure to start on a fresh set of rubber (tires that is), you'll find better things to do than changing wheels. In case of problems, ADAC or BMW can have parts delivered to any point on your route within 48hrs. The same time should get you home, if you jump on the highways. Have fun!
I had both paper maps (2) and 1 gps and it was the wrong one to have, it did not say AT 400 METERS TuRN RIGHT, it was better as a topograpich and hiking gps than road travel, but it was what I had and did not wanted to pay for the extra GPS. If I did it again I would only bring paper maps. Damasovi
Did that in 07 moterway about 40 Euro in toll fees . Had to catch flight to NY after 07 Spanish GP 41/2hrs on Gs 650 at night . Rode through Spain /France no gps but paper maps . Google earth didn't have it but would use I-pad or Phone just as good now . Stick to B or C roads way more fun . The 1200 will do it easy and if you need to crank it up a gear 150 -190 klicks no drama
How are the coast roads between Valencia and Barcelona..is it worth the view and the road or its better to use highways on that part of the road?
Pip Muenster, Thanks for sharing you're experience's with me (us ) ... i was thinking the same thing... averaging 60 km/h ... that's kinda low...that means about 7 h a day riding and trying to check evrything arround you and still enjoying the scenarry...Now i have 2 solutions: either reduce km per day ... and keep it simple and spend as much time as i can on the bike and take pictures and sight seeing stuff....or i just stick to the plan and make it an early start every day... By leaving at 8 in the morning ....every day i should make it to the next destination untill 4 a clock in the afternoon and still have some time for this and that ... summer days are long and it only gets dark around 9ish... so i think thats a good plan...let me explain why we are so restricted with time... i cannot get more the 14 days of from work... so that means that i have to plan my route in such way that i make it back home in time and maybe have a day for resting... I can do something else to sacrifice some time out of the trip... i can plan the trip towards Valencia only on normal roads and stick of highways and take the fastest route home from there and be home in 2 days...instead of 4 ... and start a new trip to see the back route...Thats not amazing but if i have no other choice...then so be it... Now that being said... i picked up the gighway towards Brescia cause i was thinking to spend more time at Laggo di guarda ... i have heard some nice stuff about that place and was trying to save some time...i know the alps passes are amazing but me being so close to the Alps was thinking that i can make a weekend trip and enjoy the scenarry there so it was not such a big deal... Taking a GPS as you and some other riders have said ...is mandatorry... it can help me when i have my lazy days or just get me out os sh___t ... when i'm in ..:))... You mentioned that the Spanish Coast didn not imprees you... and i wanna find out more if you can tell me... that is a long way to Valencia and if its not worth taking side roads i can make the trip on the highway and save some time and spend more on the Coat de Azur...and Monaco .... About hotel booking ... i was thinking not to book anything in advaance exept the first stop at Lago di Garda.. cause its full season and they are busy... i was thinking to let the hotels open in case we find some nice places we wanna stay over night and can do that by being flexibile... just some ideas... but then chasing rooms is not fun either so i am a bit confused....:).... Thanks again for usefull advice ... hope that i can get some more..:) Gruss Dich Sasha
The important part is not to follow a fixed schedule and be flexible. Your planned distances are definitely possible - and if it's too much riding for your girlfriend, just shorten the trip a bit. People say even nicer things about the smaller lakes to the west of it, but riding those roades can be very time consuming. I had to get to a conference in Cartagena and followed the coastal road (not the highway) - that's were all the landfills bothered me. Since I hadn't put much planning into the trip, it's easily possible that there's some great scenery which I missed.That was 2004, and it's hard to remember ... Yes. That's why I proposed to prepare a list of hotels before you leave. Maybe that could save you some time and money. Gruss, Pip
Thanks for the usefull advice... so the next thing is to start looking for hotels arround my route and see what the hell they have to offer and at what prizes ... make an idea ...like you say it is important and can keep me relaxed while i am on the trip that i can find hotels that i allready looked on the internet... Trip starts with northern Italy ... but we tend to go quicker true this area because we plan on seing more from Monaco and Coat de Azur... and maybe plan another weekend trip for the northern italy in detail...since we are so close...thats why i was willing to sacrifice...the first leg of the trip and use the highway more...and just check out the lake ... About the part with Spain ... i'm still gonna ask some questions to my relatives that live there and find out more information... Testing on the trip to Romania will tell us how many miles/km we are capapble of doing on the bike...so that's gonna have a major impact on the big trip...... and in my opinion the good part of the Romania trip is that we are gonna use only highways and that's kinda borring and its gonna test our limits.. Anyway... thank's again for some usefull information... Gruss Sasha
I suppose it depends on time and what you want . The coastal roads are pretty but be warned if its a holiday or summer they will be a Bitch .. No room to overtake and shit loads of trucks . I did it shoulder season most resorts were closed or closing down .. Never booked Accomm just rocked up and found place more country than city but even then never had a problem finding any .. Note depends on budget as well .. I would have rough plan for pnext day and see where it takes you . My trip was based around Tour de France roads so East to west across the mountains between Spain France .
I was thinking that there is gonna be traffic... i have taken that into consideration thats why we plan on starting the trip on sunday ....the first leg... and then at least we are on the coast during the week... i know summer time is top season but we cannot go another time mainly becaause of wheather ...its to cold to go tru the Alps in November and travel 5000 km...just not in my eyes..:) Budget wise i have alocated ruffly 100 euros for acomodation and food for one day... thats what i consider to be enough without going in every fancy restaurant that you find...and avoiding eating or sleeping in Monaco or Coat de Azur...lol.. I have heard some nice prices in that area..lol...a cofee 40 euros..:))) Thanks for the information you have provided... maybe you can tell me you're averrage costs per day for acomodations...and i can make an idea about France..? Sasha
