Trip Planning: North France

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Willopotomas · #1 Post by **Willopotomas** » Mon Sep 02, 2013 8:46 pm

Evnin peeps.

A few friends and me are looking to do a mini-tour of the French north coastal area next year. Does anyone here have an hints, tips and other info that may be relevant for us?

Basic route thus far is looking like Dover - Calais. Calais - St Malo. St Malo - Jersey. Jersey - Poole/Weymouth.

To take place over a bank holiday weekend, but which one hasn't been decided yet.

Just throwing ideas around at the moment..

Aladinsaneuk · #2 Post by **Aladinsaneuk** » Mon Sep 02, 2013 9:11 pm

do a long over night trip - that way you can ride to the port during the day, overnight on the ferry, arrive in france early in the morning....

consider the boat train - harwich to hook of holland then go down to calais....

#3 Post by **mangocrazy** » Tue Sep 03, 2013 9:22 am

Personally I'd go Portsmouth - Le Havre, Portsmouth - Caen or Portsmouth - St. Malo on the overnight boat on the way out (for the reasons Pete has mentioned) and then you're straight into excellent biking roads. The coastline around Calais is boring, industrialised and probably best avoided.

Next week we're travelling down through France in the van and I'm working during the day, driving down to Portsmouth after work, catching the 23:00 ferry and arriving in Le Havre at 08:00 French time, ready to drive South. Book early so you can get a cabin, and preferably one of the cheaper 'internal' (i.e. no sea view) cabins. Trying to kip on the floor or bar seats does nothing for your riding the next day. Get a full English brekkie on the boat before you leave and you'll be ready for anything...

Willopotomas · #4 Post by **Willopotomas** » Tue Sep 03, 2013 6:08 pm

I remember travelling through Callais some years ago on a trip to Boulogne (nice place). Callais was indeed, a hole..lol.

Le Havre.. This could well have potential. Cheers.

lazarus · #5 Post by **lazarus** » Tue Sep 03, 2013 8:51 pm

Watch yourself speed wise. Traps are unmarked, lots of them and if you go fast enough they will confiscate your licence on the spot. Whats more since they make on the spot fines some french plod are targetting foreigners, not giving receipts and pocketing the cash

#6 Post by **mangocrazy** » Tue Sep 03, 2013 9:23 pm

lazarus wrote:Watch yourself speed wise. Traps are unmarked, lots of them and if you go fast enough they will confiscate your licence on the spot. Whats more since they make on the spot fines some french plod are targetting foreigners, not giving receipts and pocketing the cash

My experience is different. For a start, French motorists coming in the opposite direction are very likely to warn you by flashing headlights etc. of the presence of a speed trap in the vicinity. I travel the length of France 2 or 3 times a year, as well as sundry excursions once in France and have seen very few speed traps.

I did get caught in one a few years back, and an on the spot fine was levied. But unless you are bending the law double (unlikely when on a Classic ride), you will not have your licence taken away. As for French plod targetting foreigners etc., unless you're heading to something like Le Mans for MotoGP or the 24 Hrs, this doesn't happen.

If you're away from major population centres and off the beaten track (as I suspect you will be) chances are you won't see any police action at all. Enjoy France - it's a great place for bikes.

flatlander · #7 Post by **flatlander** » Tue Sep 03, 2013 10:18 pm

I am with Mango on the speeding thing I have allegedly been doing 90 (kmh obviously) when encountering about 4 bike plods coming the othet way ... only the sergeant didn't wave back :)

brilliant place for bikes I would take the tunnel though its brilliant and better than having your bike mauled by some oik who doesn't follow the rules on a boat! Speaking of which when they strap your bike down we used to carry a tea towel under the tank bag to stop it scratching the paint and then put that or some gloves under the ratchet straps when they tied it down ... agan saves the paint

don't forget the breathylyser kit

#8 Post by **mangocrazy** » Tue Sep 03, 2013 10:24 pm

flatlander wrote:don't forget the breathylyser kit

That's been canned now, apparently. It was all a bit of a farce, and was never going to work. Agree about the strapping down bit. I always hang around until they've finished just to make sure. But if you've got a centre stand you'll be fine anyway. It's side stands that cause the main problems with strapping down on ferries.

BikerGran · #9 Post by **BikerGran** » Wed Sep 04, 2013 12:18 pm

Been to France a few times when still on 2 wheels - we found that as long as you went on a French boat (Brittany Ferries) they were brilliant with the bikes, had big sponges to put under the ropes etc. If going on a british one you need to do it yourself! Take a bungy to use on the brake lever.

My experience is only of Normandy and Brittany, we never had any problems with police but it was a long time ago, everyone loves bikes, you can park almost anywhere. You don't say whether you're camping or using hotels, I've heard that campsites right on the coast are not very secure particularly for bikes, we never had any probs inland a bit.

Willopotomas · #10 Post by **Willopotomas** » Wed Sep 04, 2013 5:16 pm

Thanks for the info peeps. It will go some way towards our trip planning.

The ferry from Poole to Jersey every year is quite good with Condor Ferries. Although I have strapped my bike down before now as I wasn't happy with how they did it. They also have a few front wheel clamps which you just ride up on.. Very handy.

Probably be camping. If sites aren't secure, we'll see if we can get away with roughing it. Most of us are hardened rally goers, so the outdoor bogs will be better to start with. haha.

I noticed a boat from Newhaven to Dieppe.. Any of you done this one? Portsmouth/Poole - Cherbourg has also been suggested.

DavShill · #11 Post by **DavShill** » Thu Sep 05, 2013 11:20 am

I did a France trip in July - posted a thread with some pics when we got back. The coast road to Boulogne (D940) is brilliant, trouble is it then gets very slow with many small villages and is not much fun if you want some miles under your belt at the same time.
Our first stop was Rouen and I ended dropping onto the motorway for the last hour, just to make better progress. The advantage of course is that the Chunnel is really cheap £29 each way and only a 35min journey time - ride on, no need to strap the bike down, have chat then ride off in France.

BikerGran · #12 Post by **BikerGran** » Thu Sep 05, 2013 11:36 am

Not done Newhaven - Dieppe but it would put you in position for a good ride along the north coast, and I think it's DFDS who are a lot cheaper than Brittany Ferries. No idea what their ships are like but most ferry companies have online photos you can check out.

We've mostly done Poole-Cherbourg as we live not far from Poole so it makes sense. If it matters to you, we always feel our holiday has started as soon as we board the 'Barfleur' as it's a lovely ship with great food etc. On the other hand, the Condor fast ferry is horrible, rather like being on a rather nasty bus,with 'everything with chips' food that's not very good but very expensive (take your own) but it is FAST!

I love France, the place and the people - wish I was going again.

Willopotomas · #13 Post by **Willopotomas** » Thu Sep 05, 2013 5:58 pm

Yeh, the Condor buses are a bit naff, but like you say, fast. 4 hours to StHelier from Poole.. Which isn't too bad. Duty-free booze is worth it though..lol.

Willopotomas · #14 Post by **Willopotomas** » Sun Apr 20, 2014 1:36 pm

Slight change of plan. A couple of us are heading to Le Mans to witness the 24 hour racing thingy which happens down there.. Some of you may have heard of it.. However, it's not going to be as simple as that..

Being the centenary of the outbreak of The Great War, and being close to some WW2 landmarks, the stops are planned to be a little like this..

Coventry - Dover - Calais - Dunkirk - Yrpes - Antwerp - Heerlen (overnight) - Cologne - Bonn - Maastricht - Heerlen (overnight) - Le Mans

Return from Le Mans will be to Heerlen for another overnight stop, then to Calais early doors.

If anyone has any suggestions of other places to see on route, please shout up. We're only away from the 12th June to 16th June, so not much time to experience everything. Trying to cram as much in as possible.

randomsquid · #15 Post by **randomsquid** » Mon Apr 21, 2014 12:16 pm

Willopotomas wrote: Although I have strapped my bike down before now as I wasn't happy with how they did it. They also have a few front wheel clamps which you just ride up on.. Very handy.

Only bike I've had on a ferry was my old Guzzi. They helpfully handed me a strap and buggered off. I just stuck it in first and leaned it up the side of the boat, wasn't going anywhere. That said it wasn't like a few more scratches or dents would have shown anyway.