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European Trip, How far is too far?

S

Stelvio Obsessed

Just got it firing!
Joined
Mar 10, 2009
Messages
11
Hi all,

I have a rather large trip around Europe planned for the end of July. The problem is I've only done a road trip before in a car (where the experience was more about destination than journey) and I'm slightly concerned that the trip is just too many hours driving forcing it to be regimented when I like a bit of freedom. We will be 2 up.

The trip plan: Departs 23 July 09

23rd Saint Malo(France) to Paris
24th Day in Paris
25th Paris to Millau Aqueduct to Monaco(LONG day)
26th Monaco via Pisa to Rome
27th Day in Rome
28th Rome to Venice
29th Day in Venice
30th Venice to Vienna(Family in Vienna)
31st Day in Vienna
1st Vienna to Prague
2nd Prague to Berlin
3rd Berlin to Haderslev(Family in Denmark)
4th Day in Haderslev
5th Haderslev to Amsterdam
6th Day in Amsterdam
7th Amsterdam via Nurgburgring to Brussels
8th Brussels to Saint Malo
9th Day Spare

1. Is this unrealistic?
2. Has anyone done something similar and what was the best bit/problems?
3. As you can see half the experience is about the destinations so will we have time to appreciate them?
4. Suggested alternate route. Must leave from Saint Malo, Must visit Vienna.

Sorry for the long post and thanks for any advice.
 
Surely your itinerary is missing a couple of essential destinations.....Mandelo & the Stelvio Pass !

More seriously.....I think you might be setting yourself too tighter schedule & not be allowing yourself enough leeway. I'd cut the route a bit shorter and make it a more leisurely trip. Personally I have no problem with one or two long days riding but I'd throw in a few shorter days to take things easy. You never know when or where along the route you might find something/somewhere that seduces you & you want to spend more time....... & it would be a pity to have to get back on the bike & ride on just to keep to schedule.
 
Immpressive trip. I think your trying to get a lot into a small time frame though.
For instance, I too am going to the Milau bridge this year. I want to go over it both ways..........then under it and side to side.
You see all the pic's in the glossy's of this amazing bridge, but just passing through on a tight itinery will be like riding just another motorway.
I've done it myself before, so many things to see that the motorway services are the only thing you got in the camera when you get home.
Personally I'd cut your trip into 2 halves and spend the same time on each half, and hit the "avoid motorway" button on the satnav.
Good luck and enjoy.
 
You are looking at some serious mileage here. I agree with Gary and Will, it is pushing it. One downside will be that you have to ride on motorways with a schedule like this. And by doing so you will miss a lot of beautiful scenery. In Germany, for instance, it is no fun to ride the motorways. People drive like idiots, you get a lot of truck traffic and you will probably be stressed out at the end of the day. Personally I would do something like Venice - Vienna in at least two days. Three and a detour through the Alps would be better. Some fine riding there...

Good luck
Hank
 
Just to add a little more, the Stelvio is well capable of the intended trip. I have two trips to Sweden this year. As in previous years I ride 11 hours from Rotterdam to Malmo, Sweden, which is around 720 miles. No problem for me or the bike. I see 4 or 5 service areas on that trip.
As Hank says the German auto routes are pretty scarey, you gotta drive like you just stole the bike, watch out for the big Mercs and Audi's , they run at full throttle over there.
Luckily on my return trips, I head home and take in some country side for 3-4 days, One of the the joy's of being self employed lol.
 
I think your day on the 26th is just about undoable. I was just in Europe for business. I flew into Rome - spent the day. Traveled to Verona for the night. Then up through the Brenner Pass into Germany all the way to Ulm. The next day from Ulm to Switzerland to see the new Aluminum Manufacturing plant near Sion. The final day I had to race back to the airport in Rome from Sion. (this is your Monaco to Rome route). It nearly killed me. Traffic can be murder on the Autostrada - especially in late July when alot of folks are getting a jump on their August vacation (Italy and Germany shut down in August).And don't forget - some boarder crossing can still take time. I had an Italian Boarder Officer (coming in from Switzerland) ask me "Tourist or Terrorist?". I had to scream past the exits that lead to Lake Como :( I would honestly give yourself a little "cush" for that 26th date. Other than that... I think your mileage is okay the rest of the trip.
Have a great time - and post us some pictures!
Murphy
 
The Stelvio is an ideal sofa for the trip! I do a long European tour every year and I personally would not have such a detailed itinerary.
On some days you will get stuck in traffic, get lost or maybe a puncture, then you are having to ride beyond your comfortable limits playing catch up to get back on schedule. On other days, you may have a fantastic journey and fancy carrying on another 150 miles, or not like your planned stopping point, so want to move on a bit.

I would be tempted to have a think about where you roughly want to go, where you roughly want to be at the halfway point, build in a couple of rest days, and apart from that make it up as you go along. As long as you leave reasonably early, you can do 300 miles and easily be where you planned to stop by 3pm, giving you plenty of time to find a nice place to stay- we never book accommodation in advance.

Apart from Vienna, do you really want to be stuck in urban traffic jams? Again we are all different, but I avoid cities like the plague, and much prefer riding in empty countryside and stopping in small towns and villages.

South Of France around Monaco can be traffic hell in summer, so personally I would stay clear.

Hope this helps!
 
At the very least, I would drop Rome (and Venice) off the list and spend a day (or more) riding in the mountains around Lake Como and the Dolomites.
 
Being a new tourer I might hazard a comment.
First of all you didn't actually list any mileages, daily or total, and frankly I can't be bothered to check the distances you plan.
I did a tour of Europe in last September, about 9000km in 16 days or so. That included a couple of 800+ km days (two in a row) and no "rest" days, but there were some days when I wished I could have ridden more.
I didn't have any set plan, just some places I thought I'd like to check out. I would plan the next day on the previous evening, often based at least partly on the weather (riding somewhere it wouldn't be likely to rain).

About the German autobahns. I think they are a good way for changing scenery fast when necessary as long as one avoids the rush hours and road works. My GSX650F (sorry no Guzzi yet) will comfortably cruise at around 160-170kph which is fast enough to ride mostly in the fast lane, occasionally dodging the 200+ kph Beamers, Audis and Mercs. One needs to keep checking the mirrors constantly.
In Germany riding on smaller roads can also be extremely irritating. The towns and villages have just a few kilometers of 100 kph road between them, and then one has to creep through the town at 30 kph. It gets old really fast! Especially with the natives constantly giving the foreign biker devil the evil eye.
My main mission was to look for fun roads to ride on so I kept mainly on the highways and roads.

I sort of suspect making a detailed, demanding plan and then trying to adhere to it might make for not the most fun road trip ever.

(Tour pix)
 
It all depends on how used you and your passenger are to long days in the saddle.
For instance, Paris to Marseilles is 800 km, so Paris to Monaco will be more, especially via Millau. So that will be about 10 hours in the saddle, are you both up to that? And other days will be more.
 
I can only agree. You're trying to cram too much places AND distance in too short a period. Especially if this is your first trip on a bike. If you're not accustomed to how people drive in Italy, Rome-Venice in a single days seems really too much, Monaco-Rome (even directly) too, and I wouldn't even think of doing Paris-Monaco in a single day.

Unless your pillion can ride too, so you can change? Remember, a 20 minute break every 2 hours at least ! ;)

Talking about being accustomed ... your profile doesn't mention where you're from. Are you used to driving on the right side of the road?
 
Oh, and where in Paris are you going? Have you ever been in the traffic there?
 
Hi all,

I'm from a little island called Guernsey just off the French coast. I have to admit that before I even sent the post I thought that it was too much riding/not enough time and what you've all said sort of confirms it so thanks to everyone who replied.

The problem is finding a healthy balance between my desire to find fantastic roads and beautiful scenery and my partners desire (read demands! lol) to visit historical cities and see the sites.

The plan is still to visit paris, millau bridge, monaco, pisa, rome, venice, mandello, stelvio pass and vienna(alot of family here to visit) but then to go back via switzerland etc with no set dates. This reduces the amount of riding by 21 hours to a manageable 3 hours average a day although we will have full rest days in all the big cities.

My only worries now are traffic especially outside Paris and Rome but we'll deal with it when we get there.

We may well be stopping by in your place nomad!

Thanks again for all the advice and in anyone wants to meet up along the way for a bit of riding, to admire a Stelvio from another view let me know.

:)
 
Was it you who sent me some information about Guernsey, about a year ago?

I know your dilemma, I'm in exactly the same situation (though I also like to visit historic things. However, given the distance you're still going to be covering, I think you'll be by-passing the most fantastic roads, because you'll have to take the superslab...

You're right ... traffic exists outside of Paris, but once you're in, it loses all coherence. I suspect Rome isn't any different :silly:
 
I agree it seems rushed and will confine my comments to your pillion.

Has he or she sat for hours on a bike? Day after day? On motorways? :dry:

Believe me, its one thing to do such trips when you're riding (at least you're alert) but you may very well kill off any inclination for them to go with you again...

take it easy, on backroads, & allow lots of flexibility in your plans.
 
Well;

I'd say that the plan would be just OK - if the purpose is to ride and no to socialize or waste time on molded bricks.
It's pretty much how I spend my trips.

But I'm alone in the saddle. So consider what Moz wrote.
 
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