In The Mood For An Adventure.

We were in the French and the spanish Pyrenees a couple of years ago. Our trip was all road based but I noticed quite a bit of the trans euro trail popping up here and there.
https://transeurotrail.org


If you're road based then you could do a lot worse than riding in the French pyranees.... We had a stellar week blasting up and down the mountains.

We were based in the perpignan area in the South of France, on the border with Spain.... with the French, spanish and Andorra mountains all within reach.


We've done a fair but in Tuscany too.... Brilliant roads with the appenines on the doorstep. Can't say about off road but Italy is the best I've experienced for riding abroad.

 

Corsica or Sardinia? It's well worth the extra ferry. Of the two Corsica would get my vote. Wait until September though as it's hot in August.

 

Wales....been in a couple of times now....up through usk, went to the skirrid inn, closed (pandemic) but 7 miles across into Hereford was a lovely pub...will be trying again this weekend as saturday looks like a hot'un....just to get you started....

 

+1 for Corsica and definitely go in September not July or August.

 

Thanks chaps. Confirmation that I've done the right thing. All booked up for Portsmouth > Normandy and Sth France > Corsica. Mid to late September. Camping in France and an seaside apartment booked near Ajaccio for my time on the island. Missing the school holidays so it's cheaper and less crowded too.

Of course there is the possibility that this could all be thrown into a cocked hat by Coronavirus... However, having something to look forward to is a good thing, just praying that I don't get disappointed.

 

If you want any routes for Corsica I can send ours to you...

 

Thanks, I've already planned enough for the time I'm there. Sourced from various sources on-line and adapted to suit where I'm staying and also my requirements on distance and places I'd like to go. However, I would appreciate a look at yours for the sake of comparison, might make me adjust mine... I'll drop you a PM with my email address.

 

Ajaccio would be a good base, the west coast is more interesting than the east coast. My wife and I did a 10 day tour back of Corsica back in 2016, it's a magic place to ride a bike however I remember the sat nav trip times were a gross under estimate given the twisty roads and stopping to take in the views. I'd really love to go back and do some more of the mountain roads.

Hope your tour goes according to your plans and you stay well.

 

Iceland ring road, with a bit of off-roading (only where permitted as they're understandably pretty strict but there are good off-roady routes). You'd have to do it before the weather closes in, or wait til next summer.

 

Hi Bumkin, what are you planning to do now, still go? Cancel ? Or wait until the last minute to decide?
Me and the wife have had a trip planned since xmas, eurotunnel to France, 1st 3 nights in Germany then next Austria, Italy and Switzerland, I've been optimistic and adamant I'm going regardless as long as I can get across even the 2 weeks Self Iso hasn't put me off. My only concern is inbetween Countries but surely not every boarder crossing will be manned

 

For any UK-based peeps coming to France; assuming you have all heard that dear Boris has decided that if you holiday in or around France, when you return to UK you will have to go into a 14 day quarantine. I'm assuming this means self-isolation but checking the Foreign Office website should clarify that.

 

Holding fire until I hopefully hear about my house completion next week. My vendor is wanting to complete as early as possible too, so it could work out OK with a move in first week of September. Ideally need a week between that and my departure mid month. However, I have heard rumours, contrary to what I heard a day or two ago, that the French are intending to respond in a tit-for-tat manner insisting with anyone from the UK needing to quarantine in France for 14 days too. Not sure if our brethren on the ground over there have heard about this or is it our rampant press going for the click-bait again? If it's like their previous quarantine measure it will be voluntary... got to love the French.

This morning I've checked with my main accommodation on Corsica, I can cancel that with full refund up until early September. The ferries (channel and med) are not apparently refundable but, according to a notice on their website, Brittany Ferries should be contacting me soon. They've already moved the sailing once on me and offered a full refund then, I guess if they change they're obliged to do that. Corsica Ferries I think I can change dates but by how much I don't know. If I have to I'll postpone until September next year, hope ferry companies will allow that. Only loss if they do will be one night in a hotel in Corsica and I might be able to convince them, under the circumstances, to keep my payment and move my booking into next year. It's only £65 so no great loss if they wont but I'll stay somewhere else when I do go if they say 'non'.

My travel insurance, I'm pretty sure (will need to study policy), will be invalid if travelling against advice from the Foreign Office. Though I'm told that there are other insurers out there that will provide cover, would just buy a single trip policy.

The main stumbling block with me having to quarantine on return to the UK isn't me being confined to my house for 14 days but the fact that I won't be able to leave the house to walk my dogs. My dog walker here in Ledbury charges me £9 to walk both of them. Have made enquiries in Cheltenham and they want £28, twice a day that'll be £56! Guess my fault for moving to a posher town...

Yes, it's a full 14 day confined to your house and garden quarantine. They say that you're likely to be checked on... someone I spoke to yesterday confirmed that a friend who returned from Spain did have a knock on the door by an official making sure that they were complying.