Biking holiday recommendations…

The Older Gentleman was seen penning the following ode to ... whatever:

Not to mention the good and cheap food.

 

Dunno. Presumably they cart you off for questioning, search your
luggage for any proof you are who you say you are, demand custody of
your first-born then find the nearest set of steps.

 

No, if you have a stiff upper lip they let you through.
Otherwise they give you a flat, a new car and an allowance.

 

They check you're a Brit, and if you can convince them they wave you in.

I've done it with YTC himself when he managed to forget his passport.

 

Bear emerged from their own little world to say

Especially as the EU expansion means that your insurance will automaticaly
cover you to go further east. Slovenia is my recommendation. Alps in the
north west, Adriatic in the south west, nice capital less infested with
tourists than Prague, friendly people. It's probably the most westernised
of the former communist countries[1]. Go now before the place becomes
overyl commercialised and full of ex pats like France & Spain.

[1] As it borders Italy & Austria: Milosovic left them alone and their
culture is

 

Then do it! As TOG says, guided tours are much more expensive than
making your own arrangements (I've done one or two direct comparisons
and reckon on at least a 50% more), but it does mean you'll have
company.

Our first two tours were with the Suzuki Owners Club, first to
Scotland then the following year to the Ardennes, but thereafter we've
just done our own thing. Bikers seem to get a good reception
everywhere. Couple of write-ups on my website if you're interested.
This summer we're going back to explore the western Pyrenees and
Languedoc coast in a bit more detail.

 

????

Non-existent?

 

The Older Gentleman emerged from their own little world to say

Nebulous would be better

 

Apologies for bad form - I meant the eastern Pyrenees and Roussillon
coast.

Thankfully Pat'll be navigating.

 

Pardon me for butting in - it is. Bled is probably the prettiest place
I've ever been to.

Roughly the same as southern France.

 

Bear emerged from their own little world to say

Autoroute says 832 miles Calais to Bled [1] via Metz, Augsburg &
Salzburg. That journey itself goes through some lovely scenery once you
get into Champagne. I'd probably blast down the Autoroute, cross the
Rhine and stop in Germany at say Baden Baden. Then take a more scenic
route across the Black Forest & Bavaria with an overnight stop to imbibe
some more German beer.

Alternatively, blag a night with Ace.

[1] Bled would be my first stop in Slovenia. It's in the Alps not far
from the Austrian border and has a lovely lake.

 

Only the ones who lost it on the ferry. The rest would be queued up at
Calais - God help them.

 

See other posting. With Bruce, it was just a matter of grinning and
saying "No passport!" to the Brit immigration guys on French soil.

They were more intrigued as to how we'd managed to get *out* of Britain
(ie: past the French immigration guys on UK soil), and we had to omit
certain crucial details there. :-/

But absolutely no problem.

 

Bear emerged from their own little world to say

Nope. Slovenia is a member of the EU now.

 

I drove (VW Microbus with 5 others en route to Katmandu). We didn't
find the natives on the coast particularly friendly (this was a few
decades ago!), but otherwise well worth a visit.

Pat and I are heading back to the Pyrenees this year, but we've
actually got the Dolomites and western Alps (so Switzerland, Austria,
Italy and Slovenia) pencilled in for next summer's bike tour - a few
days out, a week there and a few days back.

 

No, any credit card will do.

Slovenia is now in the EU, so all you need is passport to travel over
the border. By 2007 they should have sorted out compliance with the
Schengen agreement and you'll be able to cross their borders even more
freely.

 

I'll make sure 'my mate' knows that for next time - the daft plonker.

Ah, the old hiding in the anal cavity trick.

 

[slovenia]

why? - they are a member of the EU and thus there is free unhindered
travel between member states.

 

Paul Corfield says...

I really wish Malta hadn't joined the EU. It now means any old scumbag
can freely enter.

 

M. J. Freeman emerged from their own little world to say

http://www.hctravel.co.uk/usarentloc.htm can provide other makes of bike.
Still expensive though, once all the insurance is added. A 1150 BMW costs
about 600 quid a week.