Yet another successful tour (from our point of view anyway...). Everyone seemed to have a great time, even those unfortunate enough to break down and miss some of the fun managed to catch up with us once the necessary repairs had been carried out. A couple of very wet days on the French motorways failed to dampen spirits and we were rewarded with lots of sunshine, blue skies and superb roads for most of the tour. We rode the two highest surfaced roads in Europe and had a grand time on the lovely twisty roads of the Vercors Massif, experiencing some awsome gorge roads in the process.
Total mileage from start to finish in Ireland, and inluding all the ride-outs was 2699 (GPS). Add or subtract as necessary depending on where you met us, how many of the days out you did and whether you rode the additional 600 miles return trip from Cork... Dave... You get the cuddly toy for the highest mileage of the tour by a substantial margin.
Travelling from Belfast to Scotland then to Hull for an overnight ferry to Zeebrugge.
We will travel south from Zeebrugge stopping off to visit the War Memorial at Thiepval, in memory of the 36th Ulster Division that fought in the Battle of the Somme. Our first nights hotel is in the Champagne region of France.
From there we travel south through Burgundy to the Jura Alps area before hitting the high passes and arriving in the fortified citadel town of Brancon in southern France. It proclaims to be both the sunniest town and also the highest town in France, this will be our base for the next few days.
From here we will be able to explore the High Alps, riding to the highest surfaced roads in Europe as well as along some beautiful river gorges. Other options include visiting the historical settlement at Mont Dauphin, White Water Rafting or just exploring the historic town and surrounding area on your own.
After spending time in Briancon we move west to the Grenoble area and the Vercors Massif, a mountainous limestone area towering above the surrounding countryside with some excellent gorge roads and passes to ride. We will spend two nights in the same hotel before beginning our journey back towards Belgium and the ferries home.
The tour price includes return ferry crossings from Ireland to Britain and from Britain to European mainland, two nights in cabins on the ferry (you will need to buy your own breakfast on the ferry). Nine nights hotel accommodation, nine continental breakfasts, six evening meals (4 in Briancon, 2 in Vercors). Daily itinerary with route description and the sevices of an experienced motorcyclist/tour leader.
Some touring experience is essential for this tour as we will be covering something in the region of 2500 miles.
£950 Rider and pillion, per person sharing twin/double room £1060 Solo rider, per person sharing twin/double room £1225 Solo rider, single room
If you wish to join this tour but will not be travelling from Ireland please get in touch to discuss the options. We will be travelling via Hull so customers from Great Britain could meet up with us there.
These prices are current as of October 2009, The ferry component may increase as the date of travel draws nearer so an adjustment may be necessary at some stage should this happen. The best advice is to book early to avoid additional expense.
