104 RIDE readers’ European trips
RIDE readers recommend their favourite long-distance trips across Europe and beyond
SOUTH OF FRANCE Loopy in the Gorges du Loup
Phil Miners, Yamaha XJR1300 Miles 2900 Days 14 Cost £1500 What makes it great My wife, Paula, on her VFR1200 and I rode the Route Napoleon and didn’t fancy getting stuck in Nice’s rush hour. So we turned off, got lost and ended up on the Gorges-du-loup road. And it was absolutely amazing. We rode 40 miles through the gorges and the only other road users were a couple of Porsches. It’s insane that nobody uses it. The main roads around it are good, so people tend to forget about this abandoned and beautiful stretch. The road flies you up and through the gorges with 1000-foot drops on one side and sheer cliffs on the other. The technical route is full of switchbacks and climbs. Must see There’s a famous chapel cut into the mountainside but you’ll be too busy with the roads for that. Best road The entire fast, switchback gorge route is one of the best roads I’ve ever ridden.
PYRENEES Spanish Heaven
Michael Heaton, Ducati Multistrada Miles 1500 Days 9 Cost £1500 What makes it great This was the first European motorbike trip I’ve ever been on and it blew me away. My dad, a mate and I took RIDE’S advice and used Bike Shuttle to get our bikes to the Pyrenees, saving us from a full day of boring motorways. And once we arrived, I couldn’t believe it, it was like nothing I’ve seen before. We reached the top of a mountain and saw all these corners unfold in front of us, I thought ‘sod it — I’m going for it’. It was up and down, left and right and I don’t think I left second gear! The Col d’aubisque,
Col du Tourmalet and Col de Tentes were amazing. We had 37°C the whole way, 1500 miles of mountain roads, ate delicious food and met such friendly people. Riding with family and friends on beautiful roads with incredible scenery is what makes trips like this so special.
Must see We were supposed to visit the fortified city of Carcassonne but got too distracted by the roads.
Best road The C38 and D115 are just like racetracks.
NORWAY, DENMARK, FINLAND, SWEDEN, RUSSIA Nordkapp uproar
Mike Taylor, Honda Africa Twin Miles 5500 Days 25 Cost £2000 What makes it great Riding to the Arctic Circle and then Nordkapp is nuts. Everything about it is insane. We went in the summer and it never got dark — there are no sunsets or sunrises — it’s vast, filled with reindeer, fishing cabins and snow. Once we arrived at Nordkapp, that was it, the end of the road. There was nothing in front of us but sea leading to the ice caps. What a feeling! Norway has the best roads: we followed mountains, rode over passes and into unbelievable fjords. It has everything you want for a great biking road. And then we pushed on to Russia and that felt even further from home and like a real accomplishment. Must see Lofoten archipelago — it’s crazy how dramatic the scenery is. Best road The road to Geirangerfjord is great fun and everything you could possibly want on a bike trip.
WEST IRELAND Wild Atlantic coast
Noel Cairns, Honda CBF600 Miles 1500 Days 7 Cost £700 What makes it great I love the west side of Ireland because it’s so peaceful and the Atlantic Coast Road scenery just takes my breath away. The road was built specifically for touring and is any motorcyclist’s dream. It has stunning stops peppered all the way along the road, which actually makes the route quite hard to ride, because I’m stopping every five minutes to admire the beautiful views. Don’t expect to do many miles in a day thanks to the views and twists! The weather is the only catch as it can rain a lot, so it’s best to visit between May and June to catch the sun. Must see You can’t miss Killarney and the Gap of Dunloe, you’ll know why when you see it. Best road The Ring of Kerry is a thing of Irish beauty.