2012 - The Dolomites
Late start but comfortable return, Sunday 30 Sept & Friday 5 Oct 2012
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Work commitments during the summer of 2012 for both of us meant that this year’s tour was much later in the year than previous tours. A bit of a risk, we just about got away with it although the daylight time on each day was obviously reduced.
An easy and smooth ride to Maidstone. Both of us arrived early at around 20:00 so we had time for a coffee and chat before heading to Folkestone. We decided to head for the Dolomites despite a better weather forecast for the Pyrenees.
We arrived at Folkestone and unimpressed by the fact that the train was delayed until 22:00. The train was then slow and we didn't disembark in Calais until 23:50.
Met Pole on a Yamaha Thunderace. Looked uncomfortable and girlfriend looked unimpressed. He was heading back to Belgium, where he now lives, having spent the weekend in London.
After arrival in Calais we had an uneventful but increasingly cold ride to Reims. Originally we had planned to get to Metz but wisely decided against. As it was, we didn’t get to Reims until 03:00.
Chris tried to order a twin room and ended up getting two rooms - his French has not improved. Prior to that we had some fun trying to find first the F1 which was hidden and then full. We ended up in a Premier F1 style thing.
When we awoke it was very windy and wet, although the rain had largely stopped by the time we set off.
Our return journey was simple having made it all the way to Calais on the Thursday. Straight to the Tunnel and on the 08:50 to Folkestone, 2 hours earlier than planned.
An easy and smooth ride to Maidstone. Both of us arrived early at around 20:00 so we had time for a coffee and chat before heading to Folkestone. We decided to head for the Dolomites despite a better weather forecast for the Pyrenees.
We arrived at Folkestone and unimpressed by the fact that the train was delayed until 22:00. The train was then slow and we didn't disembark in Calais until 23:50.
Met Pole on a Yamaha Thunderace. Looked uncomfortable and girlfriend looked unimpressed. He was heading back to Belgium, where he now lives, having spent the weekend in London.
After arrival in Calais we had an uneventful but increasingly cold ride to Reims. Originally we had planned to get to Metz but wisely decided against. As it was, we didn’t get to Reims until 03:00.
Chris tried to order a twin room and ended up getting two rooms - his French has not improved. Prior to that we had some fun trying to find first the F1 which was hidden and then full. We ended up in a Premier F1 style thing.
When we awoke it was very windy and wet, although the rain had largely stopped by the time we set off.
Our return journey was simple having made it all the way to Calais on the Thursday. Straight to the Tunnel and on the 08:50 to Folkestone, 2 hours earlier than planned.
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Statistics
Start - 1900hrs BST Finish - 0300hrs CET Miles covered - 262 miles Tour distance 262 miles Passes bagged - 0 |
Countries
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Passes
None |
Day one, Monday 1 October 2012
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All too early start after such a late arrival; on the road by 8:45 and stopped for McDonald's breakfast. Poor selection by Nick of pancakes, poor because a Bacon and Egg McMuffin was an option and language barrier difficulties prevented it from being selected; Nick also end up with water instead of orange juice! On our way by 9:30 for the slog to Davos.
Further on, some Andy moments by Nick at the peage, no ticket appeared at the barrier despite pressing the button and then Nick discovered it had come out at lorry driver height! Nick had to get off the bike to reach up for the ticket and then ended up dropping it! The next peage didn't like Nick’s credit card, all too hard - why doesn't France have tax discs?! TwoTom moments from Chris, the first taking us 3 miles west when we wanted to go east and the second avoided by sharp navigation on Nick's part... despite having done this for a few years, we’re still not quite as slick as we’d like! This year we decided that investment in communications gear may pay off, that way we can discuss junctions, directions, stops, etc. Two stops and arrival at Basel, same entry point as previous 4 times and relieved of another €40 for a vignette - why don't the Swiss have tax discs?! Still, avoids pesky peages. "Lunch" stop at local petrol station at 15:30 before heading to Davos via Zurich and trying to avoid Chur (see 2011 tour…)!
Brief stop on the motorway for water and pee before heading on to Davos; a bit of a moment when approaching a major junction close by, Nick was struggling for attention (and to be honest, to stay awake) and almost managed to miss the turning, in fact he did and was lucky that there was a gap in the Armco allowing him to nip back in at the last minute. A major wake up call, in more ways than one.
Leaving the motorway at the Davos turnoff, over the new bridge and onto the Wolfgang pass - pleasant enough to start with and a good intro to what we hope will come, but very misty, wet, cold and dark towards the end. With this in mind, we decided to stay in Davos rather than head on to Zernez. A slight challenge at the first hotel when we arrived to be told that most hotels in Davos are closed until winter! The Central Sport Hotel was open and a room was available at CHF 220, very expensive, but feeling very tired and cold, seemed like a bargain! Prior to heading out to dinner, a slightly amusing moment when Chris realised he'd not brought any trousers! Nick's turn to be envious though; Chris is the perfect off the peg shape and his Hein Gericke Master V bike trousers fit perfectly and apart from being a little more high viz than you'd want for going out to dinner, look fine. Plenty of knee and hip protection if you have too much to drink and fall over too. Off the peg bike clothing has never properly fitted Nick, either the right size and too short or long enough and too baggy...time to seriously think about custom made leathers.
Dinner at Restaurant Getiano, best described as a Swiss restaurant where Chris indulged in the saturated fat disaster that is a cheese fondue!
As a place to come Davos is no doubt a lovely location; stating the obvious, it is clearly well designed and ready to cope with a significant influx of skiers and winter sports enthusiasts each year. It is also well set up to relieve them of significant chunks of cash; it says it all that there are two Rolex watch dealers almost next to each other in the high street! Many of the hotels are 5 star. In some ways, Davos reminds us of Monte Carlo, concrete architecture and ever so slightly tacky. We’re sure it's lovely in winter, we’re also sure there are more picturesque places to go.
Further on, some Andy moments by Nick at the peage, no ticket appeared at the barrier despite pressing the button and then Nick discovered it had come out at lorry driver height! Nick had to get off the bike to reach up for the ticket and then ended up dropping it! The next peage didn't like Nick’s credit card, all too hard - why doesn't France have tax discs?! TwoTom moments from Chris, the first taking us 3 miles west when we wanted to go east and the second avoided by sharp navigation on Nick's part... despite having done this for a few years, we’re still not quite as slick as we’d like! This year we decided that investment in communications gear may pay off, that way we can discuss junctions, directions, stops, etc. Two stops and arrival at Basel, same entry point as previous 4 times and relieved of another €40 for a vignette - why don't the Swiss have tax discs?! Still, avoids pesky peages. "Lunch" stop at local petrol station at 15:30 before heading to Davos via Zurich and trying to avoid Chur (see 2011 tour…)!
Brief stop on the motorway for water and pee before heading on to Davos; a bit of a moment when approaching a major junction close by, Nick was struggling for attention (and to be honest, to stay awake) and almost managed to miss the turning, in fact he did and was lucky that there was a gap in the Armco allowing him to nip back in at the last minute. A major wake up call, in more ways than one.
Leaving the motorway at the Davos turnoff, over the new bridge and onto the Wolfgang pass - pleasant enough to start with and a good intro to what we hope will come, but very misty, wet, cold and dark towards the end. With this in mind, we decided to stay in Davos rather than head on to Zernez. A slight challenge at the first hotel when we arrived to be told that most hotels in Davos are closed until winter! The Central Sport Hotel was open and a room was available at CHF 220, very expensive, but feeling very tired and cold, seemed like a bargain! Prior to heading out to dinner, a slightly amusing moment when Chris realised he'd not brought any trousers! Nick's turn to be envious though; Chris is the perfect off the peg shape and his Hein Gericke Master V bike trousers fit perfectly and apart from being a little more high viz than you'd want for going out to dinner, look fine. Plenty of knee and hip protection if you have too much to drink and fall over too. Off the peg bike clothing has never properly fitted Nick, either the right size and too short or long enough and too baggy...time to seriously think about custom made leathers.
Dinner at Restaurant Getiano, best described as a Swiss restaurant where Chris indulged in the saturated fat disaster that is a cheese fondue!
As a place to come Davos is no doubt a lovely location; stating the obvious, it is clearly well designed and ready to cope with a significant influx of skiers and winter sports enthusiasts each year. It is also well set up to relieve them of significant chunks of cash; it says it all that there are two Rolex watch dealers almost next to each other in the high street! Many of the hotels are 5 star. In some ways, Davos reminds us of Monte Carlo, concrete architecture and ever so slightly tacky. We’re sure it's lovely in winter, we’re also sure there are more picturesque places to go.
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Statistics
Start - 0930hrs Finish - 1830hrs Miles covered - 458 miles Tour distance 721 miles Passes bagged - 1 |
Countries
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Passes
Wolfgang |
Day two, Tuesday 2 October 2012
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Earlyish start once Chris had sorted himself out with new trousers from Timberland - electric blue really?! We departed Davos and headed to Zernez on the Fluela Pass; awesome as always, well surfaced and low down, beautiful wide sweeping bends. A timely reminder though that the roads are tight and the consequences of getting it wrong are serious when we came across a bike in the ditch surrounded by riders and a lorry. No-one appeared hurt but the bike was a mess! It was also clear that with a cold and damp road surface, plus a light front wheel due to the weight of the top box and luggage, extra care is required - a front wheel slide just up the road from the binned bike could have seen Nick in the same place... The top of the pass was misty and cold but the sun was starting to peer through.
On from Fluela to Zernez and past last year's hotel. The sun was shining and a beautiful day beckoned. Past Zernez and up to Offenpass (Pass del Fuorn) which feels a bit like a warm up for the main event to come and then to Santa Maria val Mustair for the 90 degree right turn onto the Umbrail Pass. Over the top of Umbrail at the Swiss/Italian border and customs post, deserted on both sides as always and then immediately the turning onto SS 38 Passo dello Stelvio which from Umbrail is only 10 or so turns, tight and well made before the summit beckons, a busy and vibrant collection of cafes, hotels and bikers, what's not to like? For the second year running we rode up from the top of Stelvio pass to the Tibet cafe, this time for bite to eat as well as the obligatory cappuccino. The road up to the Tibet is unmade which does require a little care! Today, the weather was perfect, bright blue sky and sunshine, perfect conditions for sitting outside and admiring one of the most stunning views which makes you feel as though you are on top of the world.
This section of the day - from Davos to Stelvio - is described by Top Gear as one of the best roads in the world. We certainly think it’s one of the best in the Alps. Do you agree? Let us know...
After lunch, down the other side of Passo Dello Stelvio; very tight turns. Stacked one after the other and with less than impressive road surfaces...makes for an interesting decent, and not a surprise that the last time we rode this particular part of the pass, 2007, the brakes on Nick's Yamaha Fazer 1000 faded so badly that the lever went to the bar and provided no stopping power at all, not a good way to enjoy the pass! To be honest, Passo Dello Stelvio on the way down towards Merano is ok, the road surface is awful and all it really proves is that your brakes work; the bends are so tight and the gaps between them so short that it's not really a great ride. At the bottom of the pass, it's a slow drag through the liaison at the bottom of the valley to the next pass on our list. We took the SS38 towards Merano, past huge numbers of orchards, at this time of year in harvest, with a large number of small tractors holding up the traffic! Merano is a reasonably sized town, beautiful architecture but lots of traffic, and with a surprisingly warm day, very hot! Once through Merano, we turned north on the SS44 heading for San Leonardo in Passiria. San Leonardo is just a way point, from here we turned left onto the SS44 which goes all the way to Austria, the pass in question is Timmelsjoch / Passo Romba. Once at the top, we turned around and retraced our steps back into Italy and headed all the way back to San Leonardo in Passiria, rejoining the SS48.
Here, we turned left, heading north again. We had planned to go all the way to Cortina, but with the evening drawing in, we stopped at Calice, not before experiencing the Jaufenpass/Passo Giovo (2094m) on the way. Another great road, technical in parts, fantastic sweeping bends, and just long enough for Nick to put 30 seconds between Chris and him!
A great day's riding, about 175 miles, with lots of photo opportunities. Shortly after Jaufenpass, we happened on the Hotel Kalchahof by the side of the road at Calice and decided to stop for the night. We also ate at the hotel…
On from Fluela to Zernez and past last year's hotel. The sun was shining and a beautiful day beckoned. Past Zernez and up to Offenpass (Pass del Fuorn) which feels a bit like a warm up for the main event to come and then to Santa Maria val Mustair for the 90 degree right turn onto the Umbrail Pass. Over the top of Umbrail at the Swiss/Italian border and customs post, deserted on both sides as always and then immediately the turning onto SS 38 Passo dello Stelvio which from Umbrail is only 10 or so turns, tight and well made before the summit beckons, a busy and vibrant collection of cafes, hotels and bikers, what's not to like? For the second year running we rode up from the top of Stelvio pass to the Tibet cafe, this time for bite to eat as well as the obligatory cappuccino. The road up to the Tibet is unmade which does require a little care! Today, the weather was perfect, bright blue sky and sunshine, perfect conditions for sitting outside and admiring one of the most stunning views which makes you feel as though you are on top of the world.
This section of the day - from Davos to Stelvio - is described by Top Gear as one of the best roads in the world. We certainly think it’s one of the best in the Alps. Do you agree? Let us know...
After lunch, down the other side of Passo Dello Stelvio; very tight turns. Stacked one after the other and with less than impressive road surfaces...makes for an interesting decent, and not a surprise that the last time we rode this particular part of the pass, 2007, the brakes on Nick's Yamaha Fazer 1000 faded so badly that the lever went to the bar and provided no stopping power at all, not a good way to enjoy the pass! To be honest, Passo Dello Stelvio on the way down towards Merano is ok, the road surface is awful and all it really proves is that your brakes work; the bends are so tight and the gaps between them so short that it's not really a great ride. At the bottom of the pass, it's a slow drag through the liaison at the bottom of the valley to the next pass on our list. We took the SS38 towards Merano, past huge numbers of orchards, at this time of year in harvest, with a large number of small tractors holding up the traffic! Merano is a reasonably sized town, beautiful architecture but lots of traffic, and with a surprisingly warm day, very hot! Once through Merano, we turned north on the SS44 heading for San Leonardo in Passiria. San Leonardo is just a way point, from here we turned left onto the SS44 which goes all the way to Austria, the pass in question is Timmelsjoch / Passo Romba. Once at the top, we turned around and retraced our steps back into Italy and headed all the way back to San Leonardo in Passiria, rejoining the SS48.
Here, we turned left, heading north again. We had planned to go all the way to Cortina, but with the evening drawing in, we stopped at Calice, not before experiencing the Jaufenpass/Passo Giovo (2094m) on the way. Another great road, technical in parts, fantastic sweeping bends, and just long enough for Nick to put 30 seconds between Chris and him!
A great day's riding, about 175 miles, with lots of photo opportunities. Shortly after Jaufenpass, we happened on the Hotel Kalchahof by the side of the road at Calice and decided to stop for the night. We also ate at the hotel…
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Statistics
Start - 1000hrs Finish - 2200hrs Miles covered - 169 miles Tour distance 891 miles Passes bagged - 6 Tour passes - 7 |
Countries
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Passes
Fluelapass Pass dal Fuorn / Offenpass Umbrail Pass Passo dello Stelvio Passo Rombo (Timmelsjoch) Passo Giovo (Jaufenpass) |
Day three, Wednesday 3 October 2012
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An early start today, a beautiful autumn day, dry and with the prospect of sun. Breakfast in the hotel, and then heading west on the SS44 for some liaison activity! We arrived in Vipiteno shorty after setting off to join the A22 autostrada. A quick 15 mile blast south west and exit at St Ulrich to join the Passo Gardena. Heavy traffic initially, coupled with a poor road surface and tight bends very close to each other made for slow progress - not one of the best roads although towards the top, the road opens up to sweeping bends and a nice long straight just before the summit. At the top, lots of pensioners from coaches and the cafes were full to overflowing! The views from the top were also amazing, truly awe inspiring, especially with the cloud covering the lower part of the mountain but not the top. After a stop for a coffee at the top, we headed along the SP48 and onto the Passo Campolongo and then through Corvara and Arabba. Two beautiful ski villages although to be honest, the roads aren’t that great and the traffic was heavy. We then headed over Passo Pordoi, which we last visited in 2007 and continued along the SR48 to Canazei where we stopped for lunch at the Hotel Lauren. Here we decided that we’d had enough of the Italian Dolomite experience and would head into Austria.
Whilst the Dolomites are in many ways the most spectacular of the Alps and the Italian food and drink the best in Europe the roads are just not good enough for fast motorcycle touring. So out of Canazei south on SS641 to Passo Pedaia next to the Lago Artificiale di Fedaia and through the Marmolada ski resort. Here the road descends at an incredible angle, probably the steepest long stretch we have come across. Overall one of the better Dolomite passes that then becomes the SP641 and then SP653 which joins SR 48 and forms Passo Falzarego that goes all the way to Cortina. Again Falzarego is good for a Dolomite pass, tight hairpins but with long straights in between and a reasonable road surface.
After a quick photo stop outside Cortina, we by-passed the town and headed north towards Austria on the SS51. The day so far has been a bit if a disappointment and once in Austria, we stopped for a coffee and chat about where we would go next. The disappointment largely related to the quality of the passes experienced so far;
Gardena and Campolongo were poor; too tight in places to really enjoy, no opportunity to open up and not especially long. We decided that we would aim to complete one final pass for the day, the Grossglockner and hoped it would be worth it. We were not to be disappointed!
A liaison ride is required from Dobbiaco to Lienz where the Grossglockner effectively starts. You notice and immediate change in road design and completion in Austria, sweeping through the valley to Lienz, the road is wide, albeit single carriageway, beautifully smooth and with fantastic straight line ability through the sweeping bends. Unlike in Italy, overtaking is only restricted where it is clearly unsafe and the national speed limit of 100 km/h applies much of the time. Liaison roads in our experience have tended to be frustrating, traffic laden, hot and slow necessities between passes (see earlier experience on this tour to, through and after Merano for example); the Austrian experience is quite different and in fact the liaison ride is as much fun as the passes themselves, compared to some of the disappointing passes earlier in the day, perhaps even more fun!
We arrived in Lienz, a reasonable sized town and fueled up before heading to the Grossglockner pass. On the way up the pass there is a roundabout and we took the route to the top. Once at the top, there is nowhere else to go but back down the way we came, which initially did feel slightly disappointing until we remembered the roundabout...by now, it was 18:30hrs, the weather was closing in, and the light fading.
Back at the roundabout, straight over and the pass continues up the other side of the mountain in much the same way as the route up. Another great ride and two more summits (Hochtor and Fuschertorl) to stop at, albeit difficult to see as the night closed in. Due to the on coming gloom we didn’t go up to the highest bikers point at the Eidleweiss Spitz but continued on down the mountain in near total darkness and with the village of Fusch half a mile away, where we happened upon the Barenwirt hotel. Fantastic value at €37 per night, and for two rooms!
Although we had little time on the Grossglockner it made a real impression on us. We are determined to head back to Austria for a Passport Tour and explore the Grossglockner properly.
So, a number of Passport Tours firsts; a two lane, well almost, road up a mountain, a central reservation (if only for 50 yds!) and a roundabout, all above 2000m!
Whilst the Dolomites are in many ways the most spectacular of the Alps and the Italian food and drink the best in Europe the roads are just not good enough for fast motorcycle touring. So out of Canazei south on SS641 to Passo Pedaia next to the Lago Artificiale di Fedaia and through the Marmolada ski resort. Here the road descends at an incredible angle, probably the steepest long stretch we have come across. Overall one of the better Dolomite passes that then becomes the SP641 and then SP653 which joins SR 48 and forms Passo Falzarego that goes all the way to Cortina. Again Falzarego is good for a Dolomite pass, tight hairpins but with long straights in between and a reasonable road surface.
After a quick photo stop outside Cortina, we by-passed the town and headed north towards Austria on the SS51. The day so far has been a bit if a disappointment and once in Austria, we stopped for a coffee and chat about where we would go next. The disappointment largely related to the quality of the passes experienced so far;
Gardena and Campolongo were poor; too tight in places to really enjoy, no opportunity to open up and not especially long. We decided that we would aim to complete one final pass for the day, the Grossglockner and hoped it would be worth it. We were not to be disappointed!
A liaison ride is required from Dobbiaco to Lienz where the Grossglockner effectively starts. You notice and immediate change in road design and completion in Austria, sweeping through the valley to Lienz, the road is wide, albeit single carriageway, beautifully smooth and with fantastic straight line ability through the sweeping bends. Unlike in Italy, overtaking is only restricted where it is clearly unsafe and the national speed limit of 100 km/h applies much of the time. Liaison roads in our experience have tended to be frustrating, traffic laden, hot and slow necessities between passes (see earlier experience on this tour to, through and after Merano for example); the Austrian experience is quite different and in fact the liaison ride is as much fun as the passes themselves, compared to some of the disappointing passes earlier in the day, perhaps even more fun!
We arrived in Lienz, a reasonable sized town and fueled up before heading to the Grossglockner pass. On the way up the pass there is a roundabout and we took the route to the top. Once at the top, there is nowhere else to go but back down the way we came, which initially did feel slightly disappointing until we remembered the roundabout...by now, it was 18:30hrs, the weather was closing in, and the light fading.
Back at the roundabout, straight over and the pass continues up the other side of the mountain in much the same way as the route up. Another great ride and two more summits (Hochtor and Fuschertorl) to stop at, albeit difficult to see as the night closed in. Due to the on coming gloom we didn’t go up to the highest bikers point at the Eidleweiss Spitz but continued on down the mountain in near total darkness and with the village of Fusch half a mile away, where we happened upon the Barenwirt hotel. Fantastic value at €37 per night, and for two rooms!
Although we had little time on the Grossglockner it made a real impression on us. We are determined to head back to Austria for a Passport Tour and explore the Grossglockner properly.
So, a number of Passport Tours firsts; a two lane, well almost, road up a mountain, a central reservation (if only for 50 yds!) and a roundabout, all above 2000m!
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Statistics
Start - 0900hrs Finish - 1930hrs Miles covered - 229 miles Tour distance 1,120 miles Passes bagged - 7 Tour passes - 14 |
Countries
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Passes
Passo di Gardena Passo di Campolongo Passo Pordoi The Marmolada (Passo Fedaia) Passo di Falzarego Grossglockner Hoch Tor Grossglockner Fuscher Tor |
Day four, Thursday 4 October 2012
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The hotel was great value, but didn’t take credit cards so firstly into Fusch for cash to pay! Then several liaison roads through beautiful ski villages and alpine pastures. Mittersill and Zee Am See and then on to Neukirchen (Newchurch) the home of Triumph Tridays. It was great to see Triumph posters and banners up outside hotels and on billboards so far away from the UK. Next visit we will perhaps stop and explore to get the Tridays feel although we are not sure we would want to be here for the weekend itself, almost certainly it would be completely crowded out. From here we rode on beautiful roads to the Gerlos road - another toll road by the same company who own the Grossglockner road. We viewed the Krimml waterfall, which was spectacular and climbed the pass (Parkplatz Filzsteinalpe (Gerlos Pass) 1628m) riding on to Gerlos. Before Gerlos we stopped at a cafe by a reservoir with a remarkable dam wall covered in grass.
Gerlos to Germany via Ackenkirch lake was a lovely combination of sweepers, passes, including Achen Pass 941m, and valley. Into Germany on B181, nice "coast line" of large lake with pretty little villages. Stopped in Bad Wiessee for pizza and petrol before autobahn to Munich and beyond. We followed the A8 to Stuggart and then turned right into France at Baden-Baden taking the A4 until after Reims, the A26 to Calais.
The German Autobahns are awesome, when moving, the A8 was undergoing major improvements and as a result, the traffic was very heavy in both directions, the weather was also very wet during part of the journey which made conditions particularly hazardous, especially so when the sun came out and blinded us! When the road clears however, the ability to race up to 100mph plus without any trouble or fear of being stopped is fantastic; the traffic in the main behaves itself at such speeds although like everywhere else there is the odd idiot tailgating at 3 figure speeds...and in the wet. The speed management and lane restriction (for lorries) works well as far as we could see.
We pressed on to Calais via Metz and Reims arriving at 01:50 and there being no Eurotunnel trains until 06:00, bailed out into the worst cheap hotel, the Ibis Budget, about 3miles from the Tunnel.
Gerlos to Germany via Ackenkirch lake was a lovely combination of sweepers, passes, including Achen Pass 941m, and valley. Into Germany on B181, nice "coast line" of large lake with pretty little villages. Stopped in Bad Wiessee for pizza and petrol before autobahn to Munich and beyond. We followed the A8 to Stuggart and then turned right into France at Baden-Baden taking the A4 until after Reims, the A26 to Calais.
The German Autobahns are awesome, when moving, the A8 was undergoing major improvements and as a result, the traffic was very heavy in both directions, the weather was also very wet during part of the journey which made conditions particularly hazardous, especially so when the sun came out and blinded us! When the road clears however, the ability to race up to 100mph plus without any trouble or fear of being stopped is fantastic; the traffic in the main behaves itself at such speeds although like everywhere else there is the odd idiot tailgating at 3 figure speeds...and in the wet. The speed management and lane restriction (for lorries) works well as far as we could see.
We pressed on to Calais via Metz and Reims arriving at 01:50 and there being no Eurotunnel trains until 06:00, bailed out into the worst cheap hotel, the Ibis Budget, about 3miles from the Tunnel.
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Statistics
Start - 0900hrs Finish - 0150hrs Miles covered - 766 miles Tour distance 1,886 miles Passes bagged - 2 Tour passes - 16 |
Countries
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Passes
Parkplatz Filzsteinalpe (Gerlos Pass) Achen Pass |
