Help for International Trips

[Jarvy]

As a Brit who has travelled widely in western Europe I can offer some tips.
We use logishotels.com, they have a good range of small hotels and have motorcycle friendly ones (logis de moto).
In France use the RNs, but don't expect to cover the ground as quick. In Italy the national roads really are hard work and really do take your average speed down, use the autostradas between regions you wish to visit then use the local roads once there. Be warned the Italians drive very fast (100 mph with a Merc just feet behind me!) They also brake hard when entering the many tunnels as they won't take off their designer shades!
For good value food look for where the truck drivers eat.
The summer holidays end the first week of September so plan to travel from the second week on to avoid the busy times. The weather should still be good then.
We have had snow in June in the Alps!
I could go on but I'm probably boring you by now.

 

[Dogdaze]

One more thing, make sure your phone is 3/4G enabled and you can get service, bring a spare phone that is unlocked and pick up a prepaid sim card so that calls can be made at low cost.

 

[Brick]

THIS IS FANTASTIC! None of you are boring me! I'm eating it all up and take each and every bit and go off and look into it so if I don't reply immediately... well I'm working on it!

I keep going back and forth on weather I can swing this trip or not! After reading what you all are posting I'm back to thinking this is possible again. Back to work!

Don't stop!
THANKS!! More! Please! ::015::

 

[Udjeni]

I'll echo dcstrom's opinion of checking out eastern Europe. We joined Adriatic Moto Tours on a guided tour in the Balkans (their Intriguing Southeast Europe tour) and thoroughly enjoyed it even though initially I thought I was going to be bored because of the relatively low mileage they do per day). We rented a WeeStrom and was very happy with the bike (OK, now and then in a mountain pass I could have done with a little more acceleration when trying to pass a car with not a whole lot of open space up ahead). They also offer self-guided tours. AMT is very professional and deliver excellent service. In fact we're doing another tour with them in September.

 

[Brick]

Udjeni,
If I had already ridden the Alps I would love to go for the eastern Alps but I'm not sure if I'll ever get to go again so this time I want see what is on the Adriatic Moto Tours Top of the Alps tour.
It's listed at $2690 euros which is $3,401.24 US dollars. Not bad but I'm wondering what I can do it for without the tour guide and just a bit of help from a friend over there?

 

[viewdvb]

Just a few comments on these posts...
1. It is definitely NOT legal to park on any footpath in the UK though you may get away with tucking the bike right out of the way - say under a road overpass - but no guarantees that you won't get a parking ticket. It is not strictly legal in many Euro countries but more widely tolerated.
2. The only two countries that I visit requiring vehicle tax vignettes are Switzerland and Austria. They are only for motorways and, in Austria, some main trunk roads (schnellwegs). If you enter the country on a side road and stay off the motorways, you don't need one. In Austria, they offer a month's vignette for a few euros so why not? In Switzerland, there is only an expensive annual vignette. These have nothing to do with insurance. They are just a permit to use the motorways. The commonest toll roads are the French Autoroutes (freeways) and they are a fairly expensive pay as you go system - no vignette involved.
3. I hate to contradict a local but Dogdaze's information about passes is misleading. I have seen most of the Alpine passes closed as early as late September so I wouldn't contemplate October. Early September seems reliable. I've also experienced them not re-opening at the published dates when they have been snowplowed then experienced another heavy snowfall. It seemed like they budget for one snow clearance after which they let nature take its course. They key point is that snowfall doesn't obey calendars.
4. Depends on the area but remember that most of France takes August as the summer holiday so accommodation can be difficult in Southern (sunny) areas. On the other hand, Paris empties in August so it can be a good time to visit.
5. While chipped credit cards are generally accepted, in many countries (like France) fuel is mostly sold in supermarket stations. These are unmanned on Sundays and some do not accept credit cards, only local bank cards (debit cards) so refuelling on a Sunday can be stressful. All AutoRoute (autobahn or whatever each country's freeway is called) stations are completely international and take most cards 24/7.
6. Lane splitting on German autobahns, while very common with the locals, is still illegal even in a jam. I have actually experienced car drivers opening their doors in front of me as their own personal enforcement ploy and I would have been to blame if I hit them.
7. When German autobahns are marked as no speed restriction, your speed is LEGALLY unrestricted BUT be aware that there is a recommended 130km limit and, if you have an accident while travelling over that speed, the presumption will be that you were to blame.
8. You will see alcohol served in every motorway restaurant and plenty of the locals partaking freely. Nevertheless, their drink drive permitted blood levels are low though so is their enforcement but don't be tempted. And remember that the guy you saw with his third Schnapps may be the one behaving strangely in front of you.
9. Though you would never think it the way the locals drive, there is a recent law in France that 30km/hr over the posted limit can mean licence confiscation on the spot and bike impounded. Just bear it in mind when making your own speed judgements as it could be a real holiday spoiler..

Never mind all the above, I've covered hundreds of thousands of miles in Europe and enjoyed every minute so don't hesitate.

 

[Udjeni]

Udjeni,
If I had already ridden the Alps I would love to go for the eastern Alps but I'm not sure if I'll ever get to go again so this time I want see what is on the Adriatic Moto Tours Top of the Alps tour.
It's listed at $2690 euros which is $3,401.24 US dollars. Not bad but I'm wondering what I can do it for without the tour guide and just a bit of help from a friend over there?

I'm just a happy client from the southern tip of Africa, so know very little about local conditions in Europe However, towards the bottom of this page they indicate that a self-guided tour is about 20% off the guided tour price.

 

[TimLaw]

If you intend to ride to or cross Turkey please check this site.

http://turkeyridersupport.wordpress.com

Peace.

Get outside the major cities, and you'll have a great time with very friendly people. I would however not drive at night since most of the buses and trucks run at these times and routinely pass each other on a hill AND on a curve...at the same time. Other than that, watch out for the horse driven carts and it's a great place to ride.

And for the original post author, my bike's name is "Macera"...and I'm the Macera'ci"

 

[shrekonwheels]

I wrote this up for the new or inexperienced International Travel, hope it helps.

http://thoughtsoftheages.blogspot.com/2015/07/so-you-want-to-travel-abroad-how-to-get.html

 

[Brick]

As a follow up... I did it! I went and fulfilled my #1 bucket list item. I rode the Alps!
September 1st 2015 Chris, a friend and I flew into Munich from Western North Carolina, USA. We stayed one night in Munich and had a ball! Took the train to Landshut where a bike shop picked us up at the train station and to our rental bikes. We rented Yamaha MT09's (FJ09's here) which turned out to be the perfect bike! I had gotten both the European Garmin GPS maps (a chip from a friend) and I put the open source maps on Chris's 660 Garmin. For us rookies the Garmin maps were MUCH better.
I also found the best group of friends ever at www.alpineroads.com. Resources for everything! I made routes for the first week which ended up being damn good for never having been there before. We rode lots of passes!
The idea was south east in and out of Switzerland then back across Austria where we met a big group of the alpineroads Finnish riders. We joined with them on where to stay and even got in on the tour of the KTM factor. That was cool!
This was the 9th year the Finns has made the trip down to ride the Alps so they had this pretty well figured out. Their routs took us south into Slovenia then east across northern Italy and down to The Lake Guarda area. Fantastic as the showed us the beautiful small roads I call goat paths!
I had gotten the GPS routes that they had laid out for the trip which allowed us to travel the same routes as they did but at... shall we say a more reasonable speed! They passed everything all the time. They would pass as a car or truck was coming and told me, "it's ok they both move over for motorbikes!" I just couldn't get it out of my head... what if that car coming at me is being driven by an American who doesn't know he is supposed to move over. Besides this was my first trip over their and I also wanted to actually see some of the beauty!
From the Lake Guarda region we went up and stayed the last 3 or 4 nights in Livigno from which we had access to Stelvio and many other fantastic passes. Truly amazing!
From there the Finns headed home and Chris and I took 1 1/2 days to ride back up to Landshut to return the bikes.
The trip of a life time!!! 20 days on the bikes. One day of some lite rain. In the 20 days we rode 5,329 kilometers. My MT09 was new with like 58 kilometers on it when I rented it. Chris's bike started with 3,400K. So both new bikes. The rental guy Hermann said that was more miles than most put on in a year. (I felt sorry for them. )
Train to Munich one more hit night in Munich and flight home.
Fantastic! Sorry it took so long to reply. I would go again if I get the chance.


Let's Ride!
Brick

 

[Checkswrecks]

I wrote this up for the new or inexperienced International Travel, hope it helps.

http://thoughtsoftheages.blogspot.com/2015/07/so-you-want-to-travel-abroad-how-to-get.html

Nice write-up Shrek.


After a few times the world really does get to be normal and an expansion of what you consider to be the home neighborhood. I'm thinking that I'll pull the plug and retire in slightly under 2 years and probably will hit some of the destinations still on my bucket list while I can. Maybe get lost in the process for a while like Trevor/DCStrom. Haven't yet been to Tierra del Fuego or New Zealand, go back NW to see D2D, stay longer in Capetown, and sure would like to explore more of "New China."


"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” - Mark Twain

 

[shrekonwheels]

Congrats Brick!

Checks, my plan had been to retire by now (44) life throws us curve balls and instead I find myself looking for good solid work :-[ Otherwise I would be doing what you will be ::008:: sounds amazing make sure you go on with it. I always did consider a picket fence, house and all that crap failure, but seeing the world, all of it, now that is success!

I put this one down on experiences, I have found that people who are too set or unwilling to try new things never will.


http://thoughtsoftheages.blogspot.com/2016/07/why-you-need-to-try-everything-you-can.html