1000 miles in France
Hi, I and two mates did a thousand miles in France last year, via the grand massif where the volvic water comes from - WOW.
Next time I plan to have a GPS - not so much for the routing, but when you get lost or time disappears and you want to get to the hotel/gitte.
The network of roads is incredible - and it helps to make sure you have a large-enough scale map, that fits in a tank bag, to make sense of it. Personally I'm curious about planning a route and using a GPS, but half the fun is making a meandering route and re-calibrating manually over a coffee.
I expect your taking the Dover route? Personally I prefer Portsmouth/St Malo - catch the evening ferry, sleep in a not-expensive cabin and then you have by-passed the NE corner to make a start into the country nice and early in the morning. Bike slots can get booked up early though. Do book a cabin.
I got caught out needing oil on my way back! So yes a smidgen of French or a list of consumables written down might be a boon.
Factor in filtering time if you have paniers of course, I don't and a tail pack + small tank bag do me for 10+ days. It only takes one with wide panniers to slow the pack RIGHT down.
Not sure if you have been to France/toured before so more general comments:
French car/truck drivers all tend to warn of Police ahead - and rather fantastically, almost universally pull over to allow you past. Make sure you say thanks... via....
The roads genraly are incredibly well maintained - but we got caught out a lot by them adopting the technique of squirting tar & gravel to make temporary repairs - never seen it before in France and it's such a shame. Riding becomes lethal and 10 mph limited.
Do a search on the French biker's foot waggle - it's used as charming gesture of "hi" or "thanks"! ie stick yer foot and wave it as you over take a car or bike that has made way. And for bikes coming in the opposite direction - you can raise or lower your left hand to say "hi" - at last, a benefit of riding on the wrong side of the road.
Take a spare key/alarm fob and make sure you set the manual pin on the alarm if you have one and hat feature, & take instructions, so you can over ride the alarm if you loose the alarm fob. One plan is to carry your riding partner's spare key, to come to their rescue, or vice versa. But if you are alone I'd hide it away or down the trews! I once had my keys accidentally taken from the cash desk by a ditzy woman as I looked at sarnies, in Kent, on my way to Paris! - My fault for leaving them there, her's for picking up my key fob, and the RAC's great credit or getting me going. And the alarm's "ferry mode" is handy to know - I forget the sequence every time
As ever, take spare bungies/cargo net, bulbs, fuses and between you a small tool set/essentials for road-side care - compressed air, tyre weld, some cable ties etc. They have bike dealers of course, so how much you pack is down to personal paranoia and space. My mate with a brand new Sprint discovered his tank bag irritated the brake fluid reservoir after 2 days and the retaining bolt fell off! I always carry a mini set of jump leads abroad too - home made with small clips to fit stock factory batteries.
Garages have rather quaint air inflation devices. it would defy my literary skills to describe them.
Places close promptly & early for lunch - do not delay to keep pressing on, or you will end up in market squares, alone, wondering if you can get some bread from a supermarket! Stop at 12 and eat..
I fitted a euro registration plate but never saw anyone stopped for not displaying GB stickers or a euro-style plate. I forget the detail but you prob don't need to worry about the dip pattern - especially on a 1050 Sprint ;-)
Get your NHS card before you go -
http://www.e111.org.uk/apply.html and take V5, insurance etc or good colour copies - spread and hide them. Copy of main passport and driving license too.
I'm in the mood for touring now! Off to Devon for 10 days in May...
Enjoy the trip!
