Pyrenees

I've done large chunks of the Alps a few times and reckon it might be
time to try something new. I'd like to stick nearish to France in the
main so the obvious thing is to stick the bikes on the Ferry and go to
the Pyrenees, starting and Bairitz and going to Andora and back.

Some questions:

Are the Pyrenees going to compare favorably with the Alps?

What's the spanish side like? The french provide decent food, good
campsites, good road surfaces and loads of petrol stations, do the
Spanish?

We will be forced to go in August. What's the typical weather? I'm
guessing plenty of rain on the northern slopes & sod all on the souther
slopes? Will it be way too hot? (The alps are plenty high enough to
cool down, how about the Pyrenees)

TIA.

 

It's Biarritz & Andorra.

Don't like the food meself & haven't camped there, but the roads beat
the Alps imo. The road surface tends to be better on the Spanish side
thanks to huge EU grants, & they're generally faster - i.e. not so many
hairpins. If you get far enough south, the N260 from Biescas to Sarvisé
is right up there with the best roads in the world. Utterly fantastic.

Dunno about rain, but it'll certainly be hot. I never find it a problem
whilst moving though. Just avoid the big towns.


--
Krusty.

http://www.muddystuff.co.uk
http://www.muddystuff.us
Off-road classifieds

'02 MV Senna '03 Tiger (FOYRNB) '96 Tiger '79 Fantic 250

 

I've not ridden in the Alps, but I do like the Pyrenees.

Where I ride/drive, the roads in Spain are much better than on the
French side. You can tell the difference, the instant you cross the
border. The roads are better maintained, more sweeping, bendy and wider
(mostly dual carriageways). Much better views too. The French side can
be narrow country style lanes and sometimes it's too difficult to get a
good ride, due to the amount of traffic [1].

Mind you, Spanish Plod is more present. What with the fact that they
have to go searching for limbs [2] of bikers that don't understand how
to ride properly, probably has an influence.

Oh, FYI, if you're being chased by Plod from one country to the other,
they _will_ continue to follow you when you cross the border. They're
allowed to do this, see.

There are a fair few camping sites on the French side but I don't know
about the Spanish side. Petrol is a tad cheaper in Spain.

Generally. I find it's generally damper on the French side with fog
occasionally and slightly colder. I've never been disappointed on the
Spanish side, but it's "Hot. With added hotness."

[1] Generally caused by Artics and Coaches slowly navigating their way
on said narrow roads.
[2] The latest story I have from my BiL, was that he had to climb down
a fairly steep slope to retrieve the foot of an English biker that
decided to have an argument with a crash barrier. The crash barrier
didn't like the idea, so whipped off the foot of said biker. This was
the second time he's had to do this.

 

I don't know the western side at all - but the med side is also excellent as
Krusty and Cab have already said - especially those nice EU finded roads in
Spain. If you need new biking gear Andorra is a must visit.

 

Thanks everyone. All comments printed off to go in my Michelin Road
Atlas's.

Anyone know a cheap source of Autorail or Ferry tickets? Coming up at
£700 - £1200 for two bikes. Seems a bit steep.

 

Why not ride down - if the Mediterranean side interests you can I recommend
the A71 straight down the middle of France past Clermont Ferrand - a great
road over the Auvergne and the Millau Bridge. Turn right at the Med and hang
a right after Perpignan. I did it in a longish day before the bridge
pened - should be easily doable now.

 

When I did Biarritz I got the overnight ferry to Cherbourg, which
docked at around 7.30am IIRC. That left plenty of time to ride down to
Biarritz with a leisurely lunch stop on the way. It was only around 500
miles I think.

--
Krusty.

http://www.muddystuff.co.uk
http://www.muddystuff.us
Off-road classifieds

'02 MV Senna '03 Tiger (FOYRNB) '96 Tiger '79 Fantic 250

 

Autorail has always seemed insanely expensive so yeah, riding it is

 

Hmm nice, £19 bike and rider

 

Used them at the weekend [1] - they have a special bike area and all bikes
appeared to be properly tied down.

Thoroughly recommended - the downside is they only have one boat, so if it
goes wrong . . . . .

[1] Le Mans Classic - and very good it was to

 

You might find a bit of this useful - write up of a trip we made.

http://www.colinandpat.co.uk/France04/France04.htm

 

The bikes didn't appear to be tied down at all, when I was on them, the
other week....

If you want a comfy seat, you won't find one, unless you pay for premier
class - or whatever they call it....
--

Cheers!
Fr Jack

B12S POTENTIAL LICENCE SHREDDER - AT GRIN FACTOR 10!

FRJACKUKRM AT GMAIL DOT COM

 

Didn't like Biaritz, too "busy"

We did this back in 2001
http://www.ytc.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Pyrenee_2001/2001-tour.html

Dunno, off to see the Alpes in oooo 4 days

Spanish side is dryer and less green but has some campsites and lakes.
Better road network French side.
Cheaper petrol in Spain, good food in Spain

 

Better IMHO.

I have always stuck to the French side for camping and gone into Spain
for the day. [1]

I can recommend the area just down a bit from Andorra towards the med
(Bourg Madame, Font Romeu atc.). The Cerdagne is so high it always
cools down at night but has a wonderful plateau which is v. sunny (e.g.
solar furnace installation at ?? ).

[1] speaka da lingo un peut and I think the French camp sites are more
numerous and better value

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
You reckon? I've never been impressed.

That, I agree with.

 

Network, not surface. When faced with needing a quick blast from Perpignon
(sp?) to Sab Sebastian there were more direct roads on the French side
(IMO).... mind ewe, it was wetter :-(

 

If you expect a replica of the Alps, no. If you expect to discover some
different sort of mountain, yes.

My experience says that at the same price, better food/drink in Spain.

You can find extremely crap road surface in the French side and
orgasmatronic surfaces in the Spanish side. And the opposite applies as
well.

A bit warmer in the south, and expect that in the evenings there might
be quick storms. The heat raises clouds and then tehy discharge.

 

Tamango from es.charla.moteros had a similar argument losing both legs
several years ago :-( In the meantime, most crash barriers supports
have been protected to prevent such fatalities.