Successful Motorcycle Touring
One of the joys of motorcycling is the freedom of the road, exploring new
places and adventuring - but expeditions like this can go wrong, resulting
in unforeseen problems. Here is a guide to help you avoid pitfalls and to
minimise the dangers and problems, and to help you plan and carry out a successful
bike touring holiday.
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The Ride - Getting There The ride is what these trips are all about. We all want to get to places, but it's easy to plan a trip which is too many miles. This puts pressure on you to complete the journey, and can force you to ride faster for longer than you should. What Tom considers to be a day's ride is just down the road for Dick and a three day adventure, with overnight stops, for Harry. I advise that for a beginner, unused to the greater distances of European roads, an average of 150 or 200 miles a day is a sensible figure and even this can be beyond reach if you want to dawdle at some particularly interesting location. On an eight or nine day tour, anything more than a total of 2,000 miles means long hours in the saddle and a great deal of highly dull motorway work. We have done as much as 2,700 miles in nine days, but we saw far too much tarmac and not enough of our boots through the bottom of a beer glass. This is the Gorge road between El Run and Seira, Spain, twelve miles of stunning riding. It took longer than you might think because the scenery was so amazing that we kept having to stop and take photographs! May 2008; the bike is my 1981 CX500. |
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European roads are wide, scenic and empty, with picturesque villages and countryside where - believe me - ambling along at 55 mph in top gear with the engine running at a gentle purr gives you time to relax in the saddle and and just soak up the scenery, and is a sheer delight. Almost
every village will have its bar / café, invariably a friendly
place where locals meet up to pass the time. What
mileage you plan to clock up depends on your personal preferences.
I warn you that to wake up on Thursday morning in Left
the Millau Viaduct,
France, the most astonishing man-made object I have ever seen (May
2008). |
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Opposite
the Kehlsteinhaus or "Eagle's Nest" at Obersalzburg, Bavaria,
Germany (May 2010). |
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If you want a tarmac holiday, I won't argue with you but take it from me you will see lots of places where you will say afterwards - "I wish we'd stayed a while at St-Wherever-Sur-Mer 'cos it looked like a nice place to stop over." So plan a rest day into your timetable, and be prepared to sacrifice one or more of your destinations if time goes against you. A puncture can swallow half a day. Left Neuschwanstein Castle near Fussen in Bavaria, Germany (May 2012). This castle was the inspiration for Walt Disney's fairy-tale castle logo. You can see Julia Bradbury explore this area on the 'German Wanderlust' series on Youtube, here and here. It was this programme which inspired our visit. |
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If you are feeling thirsty, you are already dehydrated. We
constantly prompt each other to drink liquids and we always
drink at fuel stops - not fizzy drinks - we've found that bottled
chilled tea is the best, being widely available at fuel stops. Always
use the toilet at fuel stops, even if you don't think that you need
to go.
This
all happened in ten minutes. I managed to dive down a side
road and just got the stand down before I more or less collapsed and
managed to get my bike clothes off just in time, but it was a close
call and I almost fainted. It was the best part of an hour before
I had cooled down enough to continue riding. |
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Preparing yourself - Costing your Holiday For the last few years
I've been doing this on a spreadsheet, which has proved to be remarkably
accurate. Once you have agreed your dates and general timetable,
set up a spreadsheet document like this:- You can see that every day's actual or anticipated mileage is noted, with provision for calculating costs based on your particular bike's fuel consumption, plus any extra costs you need to include. (The example above also catered for my travelling companions, who were coming from County Sligo, Ireland, incurring additional expenses.) By completing the necessary sections such as €-to-£ exchange rate, ferry/tunnel tickets and personal pocket money, you can budget for your trip. |
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Preparing your motorcycle Engine Size You can tour successfully on any powered two wheeler which is legal in the countries through which you intend to travel, but the distances you can cover are really governed by the engine size of your bike. I am sure than there are those who have bumbled their way from the UK down to southern Spain on a moped, taking a fortnight to get there, but in real terms anything less than a 250 is going to be uncomfortable for the necessary long hours in the saddle. Also consider the amount of kit you need to take, and how you will carry it. In practical terms I'd say that the minimum engine size needed for anything more than a long weekend would be a 400, with a 500 or 650 far better for holding up on long European motorways. More importantly, are you the rider up to long trips? Is your bike capable of carrying a top box, tank bag, hard or soft panniers, a pillion-seat strap-on ditty bag? You'll need all or at least some of these accessories to make your trip feasible. Tank Bags Tank bags are excellent and a very useful accessory, well worth buying. They're very handy places to put kit that you want readily to hand - paperwork (maps, ferry tickets, copies of insurance etc), ready cash for road or bridge tolls, camera, visor cleaner, phone and satnav etc. Most tank bags have padded 'ears' containing magnets, which hang down against the tank's side. With a safety or retaining strap around the bike's headstock they are quite secure. Their topmost section is usually a clear-view sleeve for maps or satnav. When removed from the bike, a tank bag can double as a backpack. However one disadvantage of using the standard magnetic-pad tank bags is that it's very easy to scratch the paintwork of your bike whist removing the bag, typically for refuelling, especially if the magnets happen to pick up any metal fragments - or even your keys! (Don't ask! I once spent hours looking for my lost keys, only to find them attached to the tank bag's magnets.) If you use the magnetic-type tank bag, I advise laying a thin cotton shaped piece between the bag's underside and the tank, to protect the paintwork. For 2012 I bought myself a 'Bagster' leather colour-matched and shaped petrol tank cover for my Deauville. There are versions of the Bagster for just about every bike. Apart from looking neat and protecting the tank's paintwork, the Bagster's tank bag doesn't have magnetic pads - it fixes to the tank cover with two snap connectors at the rear and two quick-release rings at the front. Thus it is easily hinged clear to refuel, and the tank cover has a shaped cutaway for the filler cap. This was an expensive purchase but a one-off one, and I'll probably leave the tank cover on permanently. The bag also doubles as a backpack.
Bagster tank cover - and with the tank bag in 'low' mode. The white rings are just cable ties I added to made unzipping the bag easier. The black straps are where the tank cover attaches to the tank's edges, hidden behind the Deauville's bodywork. Another strap at the front of the bag goes around the headstock or the front frame.
Front and rear attachment points. For refuelling the rear clips are released and the bag hinges forward.
Bag in fully extended "high" mode, and the rider's eye view with the fully extended bag. Plenty of room here to see the clocks, or the satnav on its mid-handlebar mounting bracket. Panniers Some touring style bikes like the Deauville, Pan European and one or two others come with integral lockable panniers and it's usually possible to buy the larger "fat" lids to give improved carrying capacity. Other bikes like BMWs come with integral attachment points for their own detachable panniers. For some bikes you can buy bolt-on rails and "hard" or lockable and detachable panniers to give extra carrying space and security. If your bike doesn't have "hard" panniers, you are advised to invest in a pair of "soft" or "throwover" panniers - rather like old-fashioned saddlebags - which sit either side of the pillion area, although they don't interfere with carrying a passenger. This type of pannier will generally be the zip-expandable sort with detachable waterproof covers. They are retained in place by their own straps, often passed under the saddle and assisted by standard bungee straps to make semi-permanent luggage. Whether fixed "hard", or throwover "soft", any kind of panniers are a great help in managing your luggage. You can buy waterproof 'ditty bags' which strap to your pillion seat if you don't like the idea of soft panniers, or just need extra carrying capacity. Legalities Insurance is of course compulsory everywhere you go. But note that it is mandatory in many European countries to ride with the bike headlight on all the time. Personally I think that this is a daft idea, because all drivers can see then is a blazing headlight with little idea about how far away it is, and I've wired an off switch into my low beam circuit, relying more on the white LED chin lights (see my main Deauville page for photos) to make myself more visible. We also wear high visibility waistcoats. Such are starting to become mandatory in Europe, although legislation (and how rigidly such is enforced!) differ between countries. Pierre Grogan says "It is mandatory in France for a motorcyclist to ride with his main lights on. So much so that all French sold bikes have the headlamps hardwired into the start, it is impossible for me to turn them off short of cutting the wires. This then brings me to the next point for bikers in France. It is mandatory for the helmets to have a reflective patch front, back and both sides, this patch to be about the size of the first thumb joint of a man. This latter gets 3 points on the licence if caught without , this is European legislation but only France has implemented it fully!!" He goes on to say (May 2012) "Just a quick update on some law changes for vehicles. GPS’s may not now show fixed camera positions, they can only show zones of danger (most GPs companies have made the change for France). Also the prefectures are removing the camera signs (if they feel like it) and replacing them sometimes with a forward electronic speed readout which tells you how fast you are going and then a camera may be seen within a couple of kilometres. However be aware these electronic forward signs are not always accurate and some 15% under read by about 20khp on 110 so just because a machine gives you a speed double check it against your speedo. Not all cameras however have forward signs and they have now introduced 2 more shapes. There is one new one in Limoges on the A20 southbound which is just a tall round column about 4 metres tall and which has no warning whatsoever!! The others are smaller versions of the old big square dustbins."
With effect from 1 July 2012 all motorists must carry a breathalyser (blow in the bag type) inc motorcyclists, they are cheaper in France being 1€ each in the supermarkets. The plan to force all motorcyclists to wear Hi Viz vests has been dropped. !! I asked at a motorcycle shop in Abbeville if this reflective sticker law was generally enforced. They said "Only to pass the driving test." So all this sounds to me like an easy way for the French to make money out of unsuspecting tourists !! |
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Preventative Maintenance Take every possible precaution to prevent mechanical breakdowns. First of all ensure that you have recovery insurance cover so that you can summon help if needs be. This may simply be a breakdown van which can get a punctured tyre to a bike dealer, or it may be a complete trailer recovery to where you live. Many insurers provide this cover with their normal policy but it's worth double checking that the cover extends to whichever countries you intend to visit or pass through. You can buy add-on insurance if your policy doesn't cover Europe, or doesn't cover breakdown at all. If you set out without breakdown / recovery insurance you must be completely bonkers. Next, treat your bike to a full and complete service immediately before departure; lubricants, filters, and so on. Whether you do this yourself or have it done at a dealer's is up to you, but many DiY servicing tasks are covered by my Deauville Web Resource. |
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Take particular
note of your tyre tread depth because this should still be legal when
you arrive home. Wear rates depend enormously on so many factors,
but for a rear tyre, if you allow 1mm of wear for every 1,000 miles
of your planned journey you can't go much wrong. Let's say that you
have 4mm tread before departure and you plan a 2,000 miles tour, you'll
still be OK when you get back. But if you have just 2mm of tread before
you leave then you are going to have to replace that tyre half way
round your trip. This aspect of preparation is easy to overlook.
If you plan a seriously long trip you may even have to make an oil and oil filter change - are you going to carry a spare filter? You can almost certainly get the oil at a service station but are you going to do a roadside change, or find a dealer and put the bike in, with the associated delay to your itinerary? Have you the tools necessary to do a roadside job? In terms of spare parts I would carry anything which constitutes a roadside repair. Anything more than this is either a workshop or recovery job. John's CX500 (left) wept coolant from the radiator during our 2008 touring holiday, and he spent a considerable amount of time underneath it, trying to stop the leak. Here is what I would normally carry: new clutch cable / new throttle cables / front brake lever / clutch lever / a full set of all electric bulbs / fuses / electric insulating tape / tyre sealant aerosol / long tie wraps / a box of assorted nuts, bolts, and washers. Plus a toolkit comprehensive enough to fix anything that isn't a workshop job |
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Crossing the Channel (Dover-Calais) -
Ferry or Tunnel? If
you are in a hurry and you don't mind the extra expense, use the Tunnel.
A more bland way to travel has yet to be invented, but it's logistically
easy and it's quick - less than an hour. We've never had any seasickness
on a simple Channel Ferry crossing, but there are those who won't
travel by boat and in such cases the Tunnel is the only alternative.
Like all such journeys they are booked most economically well in advance. It
is fair comment to say that if you've had a long ride to Once directed by the staff, you ride your bike down onto the platform and directly into the train carriage, park diagonally across the carriage and wait until you arrive. There is nowhere to sit and nothing to see; it can get very hot aboard but there are simple onboard toilets located under the staircase to the upper carriage level. There is a YouTube sequence here of our bikes descending the ramp and entering the train carriage. You
can book Tunnel journeys here - remember the
prices are EACH WAY not RETURN.
Such
costs vary a lot but for a bike and rider, £70 for the Tunnel and
£55 (May 2012 prices) for the ferry on a 10 day return, would be a
good guide. As a sailing day approaches, the ferry companies raise
the prices if the vessel gets full. Conversely they lower the prices
if the vessel is emptyish. I have heard rumours that you can troll
up on a bike on spec and get on a crossing for a tenner or less -
if you can substantiate this, let me know! We prefer to book our crossings
to ensure that our timetable isn't disrupted. |
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A Dover-Calais ferry crossing takes 90 minutes plus embarkation and disembarkation. In practice, the total transit time is between 2½ and 3 hours. Bikes are generally directed to the front of the boarding queue lanes and loaded first, being marshalled either into side bays or to the extreme front or rear section of the vessel. The ferry crew no longer strap your bike down, although they do provide kit and advise you on how to use it. The
securing kit is a strong adjustable strap with hooks at each end which
engage in deck loops. In the middle of the strap's length is a thick
rubber cushion. You park on the centre stand with the legs of your
stand just forward of the line between two deck loops and with the
cushion directly on the saddle, fasten the strap, pulling the click-action
lever to thoroughly tighten the strap so that it holds your bike hard
onto the rear wheel, with the front wheel off the deck. So mounted,
it can't roll forwards and topple off the stand. We've never seen
a bike fall off its stand but we haven't been across in anything more
than a gentle swell. If your bike falls over it's your responsibility,
not the crew's. Remove tank bag and all non-secured luggage and carry these with you into the passenger area as you won't be allowed onto the vehicle decks during the voyage. You have at least 90 minutes for the crossing so there is no need to rush to join the long meal queues. First grab a comfortable seat, and then rest while the mad herd of those who can't wait get their food; the toilets will be quiet now and busy later. |
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Should
you be travelling eastwards after arrival in This
is a good ferry booking site for ALL UK-Europe
destinations. Your travel insurance should cover you for switching
to the Tunnel if your Ferry crossing can't be made due to weather
or the blasted French fishermen throwing their teddies out of the
pram again. In such a case, get a signed chit from the ferry company,
and stop buying French wine. Personally I take the view that in the event of a disaster I stand more chance of surviving a ferry sinking than a tunnel fire or rail crash. But more importantly we feel that a ferry crossing is a psychological start and finish to our adventure, rather than a soulless Tunnel trip. You
pays your money and you takes your choice. |
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Riding / driving in Europe This
can feel scary - don't worry, that's a normal reaction. Abroad, in
a right-hand-drive car your vision and general awareness of other
traffic is substantially reduced, and that's why it's a good idea
to have an experienced pair of eyes in the left hand seat, to help
you slot in at junctions and slip roads. On a motorcycle, you'll find
that being on 'the wrong side of the road' comes very much more naturally.
In general terms you follow the bloke in front and do what he does
- believe me you'll soon lose that scared feeling. But, there are
three dangerous situations I should warn you about. Throughout
In
a group situation, riders new to foreign roads should at first be
following the more experienced types - let the grizzled veterans show
you how it's done. |
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OK,
the reasonably easy one first. Roundabouts. I've seen
I'll
assume a dual-carriageway approach. For a first exit - right turn
- approach in the right hand lane, indicating right, stay anticlockwise
in the right hand lane, and exit. Very easy. For 2nd exit - straight
on - approach in the right hand lane, anticlockwise, and indicate
right after the previous exit. Another easy one. The
third exit - left turn - is where the 'mirror effect' happens. It's
rare to find lane markings on the island itself, so mentally divide
the island into lanes. Approach in the left hand lane, indicating
left and go anticlockwise around the innermost lane of the island.
Indicate right after the exit previous to yours, do your lifesaver
and then exit. This can shake you the first few times but where traffic
is present you can just follow the vehicle in front, doing what he
does. If there is no traffic you have to think a bit harder about
it. I suggest that you mentally practice this before you have to do
it for real. If you are still flustered, park up by a busy island
and watch the locals to get the flavour of how it works. |
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The
second danger area is one which will catch you out several times until
you get used to it. In So, at red lights, come to a halt half a bike length before the stop line, or otherwise in such a position where you can clearly see the lights. |
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The
third one is the most dangerous, it's so very easy to make, and can
be fatal. In the I'm
afraid there isn't an easy answer to this one, so you just have to
concentrate that much extra. Switch off the autopilot and think about
these left turns. Whilst you are still in the I
guarantee that as a newcomer to European roads, you'll make this mistake
at least once. Hopefully you'll either realise in time
and be able to stop, or there won't be any oncoming traffic. If not,
I hope you took out travel and medical insurance. One
of our party always puts a red stick-on stripe over his right mirror,
to constantly prompt him that he is on European roads. |
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On unrestricted German autobahns even a 650 can be well out of its depth as many cars will be travelling at over 100mph and it's not unusual to have German drivers passing at 140mph; we had one pass at what we estimated was 180mph, coming as close at it gets to killing one of us - it actually took the paint off his pannier. An approaching car which at first glance is nothing more than a dot in your mirror can be right on your number plate in three or four seconds. That's very scary indeed, and such roads are no place for anything less than a 500cc bike, as at less than 90 mph you'll simply be in the way of the predominantly faster traffic. In France most shops, cafes, restaurants and suchlike are usually closed on Mondays. Rural petrol stations will also probably be closed but mainstream and motorway petrol stations will be open, even if they are the unmanned credit-card type. Also in France the quality of road surface is often dreadful. Motorways and main trunk roads will generally be fine. However whilst transiting through small villages and communities, and on urban and suburban roads you will find the surfaces riddled with potholes, cracks, rifts and very badly repaired sections. These can be so bad that tyre damage results - this happened to one of the group in June 2012 when a deep pothole caused severe damage to a front tyre, which had to be replaced. I've also had my satnav unit jarred off its mounts by extremely poor road surfaces, so a safety lead is imperative for such devices. |
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DaveS comments that "Here in Southern Spain in the Costa del Sol area there such roundabouts, where once on the roundabout you have to give way to traffic exiting from a more major road. There will be a solid white line across the road but watch out as it may well have faded a lot. I also find in my area that Spanish drivers do not know how to use a roundabout that is two lanes wide. Many of them go round it all the way on the outside so if you are on the inside and wish to take an exit, watch you don't get cut up by the guy on the outside." This problem is starting to be widely experienced on UK roads, too, as ignorant or impatient drivers make "the Telford Turn" by going all the way round the outer lane of an island to turn right. Mike Hedger adds : "In France, don't make the mistake of entering the wrong lanes of the péage as some are designated for vehicles carrying a pass (something like an onboard radio sender unit, I guess) and are unable to accept a cash payment to lift the barrier. Very embarrassing and the easiest way to upset a whole bunch of following drivers when you try to get them to back up, to let you out the narrow page gates." Pierre Grogan adds "I have a couple of comments as a Brit living in France and having worked in Paris, you should note that the priority from the right rules in France still apply on all roundabouts in Paris ie those coming onto a roundabout have priority. And in many of the towns and some rural areas. Essentially, if the road on the right does not have any white line marking then it is priority from the right or should be treated as such (especially in the deep France vineyards etc where the local farmers will have been driving like that for years). If the road you are on has a yellow diamond then there is no priority from the right even in towns and villages." |
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Refuelling
It's very easy to overlook the fact that distances between locations in Europe are substantially greater than in the crowded UK. You must be familiar with your bike's mpg and range on a single tank. In a group situation, all riders should always fill their tanks at the same time, regardless of their possibly different fuel states. If you don't adopt this strategy, you'll be "leapfrog stopping" as Tom who didn't bother to tank when Dick and Harry did, runs low on fuel on the next leg of the trip.
It's a mistake to be arriving at a destination - which you might have to hunt around to find - late, flustered, tired, possibly in darkness, and low on fuel, so leave a generous margin in your tank for emergencies. For example if your intended stopover is not available, you may have to go on to the next town. Being low on fuel at this point is a worry you can do without. Likewise if you want an early start the filling stations may not be open. We like to fill the tanks 50 or so miles before our intended destination, which eliminates both problems.
!! Many non-motorway filling and petrol stations (especially the smaller ones) in France and Belgium are likely to be CLOSED on SUNDAYS and many will also be closed on MONDAYS, which is when France goes to sleep !!
You probably know your way round the UK map-wise but European distances are much greater. Calais to Paris is about the same as Birmingham to London, and Paris is just 1/4 of the way down France. John O'Groats to Land's End is about the same as Calais to the bottom left hand corner of France. Then about the same again to southern Spain.
Here are some sample road distances, in miles, using the fastest route and assuming crossing at Dover-Calais where necessary:- |
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From/To
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Edinb'h | London | Dover/Calais | Paris | Mar'lle | San'der | Andorra | Berlin | Zurich | Prague | Dresden | Rome | Am'dam | Hamburg | Vienna | Munich | Co'hgn | Go'burg |
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Edinburgh
|
397
|
467
|
649
|
1133
|
1277
|
1179
|
1044
|
980
|
1168
|
1094
|
1491
|
698
|
940
|
1279
|
1080
|
1129
|
1322
|
|
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London
|
397
|
78
|
261
|
748
|
890
|
792
|
657
|
587
|
781
|
707
|
1103
|
310
|
553
|
892
|
693
|
741
|
935
|
|
|
Dover/Calais
|
467
|
78
|
182
|
669
|
810
|
713
|
578
|
513
|
701
|
627
|
1024
|
231
|
473
|
813
|
613
|
662
|
855
|
|
|
Paris
|
649
|
261
|
182
|
479
|
630
|
534
|
650
|
412
|
656
|
656
|
877
|
313
|
558
|
768
|
517
|
747
|
940
|
|
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Marseilles
|
1133
|
748
|
669
|
479
|
582
|
303
|
957
|
467
|
880
|
879
|
559
|
768
|
927
|
845
|
628
|
1116
|
1309
|
|
|
Santander
|
1277
|
890
|
810
|
630
|
582
|
403
|
1278
|
893
|
1281
|
1280
|
1112
|
942
|
1187
|
1392
|
1081
|
1375
|
1569
|
|
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Andorra
|
1179
|
792
|
713
|
534
|
303
|
403
|
1148
|
846
|
1071
|
1071
|
833
|
846
|
1091
|
1114
|
846
|
1280
|
1473
|
|
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Berlin
|
1044
|
657
|
578
|
650
|
957
|
1278
|
1148
|
519
|
218
|
120
|
936
|
407
|
181
|
420
|
363
|
241
|
435
|
|
|
Zurich
|
980
|
587
|
513
|
412
|
467
|
893
|
846
|
519
|
443
|
442
|
541
|
505
|
543
|
459
|
191
|
732
|
925
|
|
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Prague
|
1168
|
781
|
701
|
656
|
880
|
1281
|
1071
|
218
|
443
|
93
|
816
|
539
|
392
|
202
|
244
|
469
|
663
|
|
|
Dresden
|
1094
|
707
|
627
|
656
|
879
|
1280
|
1071
|
120
|
442
|
93
|
853
|
456
|
309
|
295
|
286
|
371
|
564
|
|
|
Rome
|
1491
|
1103
|
1024
|
877
|
559
|
1112
|
833
|
936
|
541
|
816
|
853
|
1029
|
1055
|
692
|
571
|
1152
|
1345
|
|
|
Amsterdam
|
698
|
310
|
231
|
313
|
768
|
942
|
846
|
407
|
505
|
539
|
456
|
1029
|
291
|
713
|
514
|
479
|
673
|
|
|
Hamburg
|
940
|
553
|
473
|
558
|
927
|
1187
|
1091
|
181
|
543
|
392
|
309
|
1055
|
291
|
682
|
482
|
195
|
388
|
|
|
Vienna
|
1279
|
892
|
813
|
768
|
845
|
1392
|
1114
|
420
|
459
|
202
|
295
|
692
|
713
|
682
|
270
|
770
|
964
|
|
|
Munich
|
1080
|
693
|
613
|
517
|
628
|
1081
|
846
|
363
|
191
|
244
|
286
|
571
|
514
|
482
|
270
|
579
|
773
|
|
|
Copenhagen
|
1129
|
741
|
662
|
747
|
1116
|
1375
|
1280
|
241
|
732
|
469
|
371
|
1152
|
479
|
195
|
770
|
579
|
196
|
|
|
Gothenburg
|
1322
|
935
|
855
|
940
|
1309
|
1569
|
1473
|
435
|
925
|
663
|
564
|
1345
|
673
|
388
|
964
|
773
|
196
|
|
Throughout
Always
remove your helmet before entering a pay kiosk or shop. If language skills are not up to speaking the
pump numbers, smile and hold up so-many fingers. Should you be uncertain of the currency denominations,
tender banknote(s). Coins are
handy to have, as some service station toilets are payable, and you'll
need a coin to give the attendant or feed into the automatic barrier.
In We've
found that paying for fuel, oil and so on at services using a credit
card is the simplest way, and again these work like the PIN terminals
at home. Using a credit card saves finding and carrying
a lot of cash. Your UK debit
card probably won't work to buy fuel and so on, in Europe. The ATMs
also work like ours but they mostly have a language selection on the
introductory screen and you can choose the Union Jack icon to get
English. Many self-fill pumps with credit card slots also
have this feature.
At an attended filling station, ask for:-
In France, "le plein de sans-plomb" In Spain, "completo gasolina sin plomo"
= "fill up with unleaded." Perhaps a linguist would kindly let me know the equivalent in other languages? |
|
|
Mike
Hedger adds : "There are fewer fuel stops on the motorway
network in Europe compared to UK, so you may find it worthwhile dropping
onto the non-motorway roads when you're within 30 or so miles from
a necessary top-up. Cheaper fuel and more chance of finding interesting
scenery too."
|
|
|
Romo
adds "With regard to fuel in France. Some garages are unmanned
and have pumps which take credit cards only they seem to refuse British
credit cards, at least they wouldn't take mine. Also, one Sunday last
June, somewhere in rural France, I was desperate for petrol. I eventually
found a garage, but it was one of the unmanned variety and it would
not take my cards. Luckily, after half an hour another motorist arrived
and I managed to persuade him to use his card to buy my petrol. As
he claimed to have no change he profited very nicely on the deal.
As for me, I was very grateful to him as rural France can be dead
on a Sunday evening and overnighting on a garage forecourt, is something
I would prefer not to do. Be warned."
|
Carlos the Jackal amplifies this by saying "I has a similar experience to Robo with the card operated pumps in rural France, where they took only French cards. This was confirmed by my uncle who was at the time a French resident as he'd had to apply for a French credit card specifically to get round this problem. A 40 minute wait for a local to arrive followed by the international mime for "My credit card doesn't work, please can you buy me some petrol Madame?" solved the problem for me. Although caution is advised if you approach a middle aged farmers wife waving a 20 euro note." |
|
Planning is all part
of the adventure Some
people can throw a few items of spare kit and a tent into panniers
and head off into the wild blue yonder with nothing more than a
vague plan and a credit card. It's a fine strategy for those with
a bottomless credit card which can dig them out of any problems,
but it doesn't work for me. Whether you are the type to fix a rock
solid itinerary or have nothing more definite than a start and finish
place, advance planning will pay off in spades once
your holiday is launched. Successful navigation over long distances is 100% about preparation. Whilst GPS devices are a massive aid - if only for telling you where you are - you cannot hope to manage on unknown roads without printed maps. Buy a road atlas, and either scan and print the parts you need, or just cut them out - road maps are cheap enough. Use a highlighter or black permanent marker pen to show your routes and then double-side and laminate the pages so it won't matter if they get wet. Finally trim or cut them to a size which easily fits into the clear panel of your tank bag, which is usually considerably less than A4 size. Where satnavs and road signs conflict, trust the road signs. I've had my satnav jarred off its mount by potholes, so ensure that your satnav unit has a safety strap attached to it and some nearby part of the bike (the power lead alone is not good enough for this), so that if it comes adrift, you don't lose it. Stu adds : "If you use a satnav, planning becomes easier by 1 million percent if you download and subscribe too a site called http://www.tyretotravel.com. The guy who runs it called Jan Boers , a Dutch fella, I've known him and the site since the start. It's reliable and cheap, download it then it allows you to plot very accurately a route going exactly where you want, once you're done you can upload it all to your Tomtom or Garmin, its really good." |
|
 |
Google Earth is a wonderful resource for planning routes,
stopover sites and visits. Use the Street View feature to familiarise
yourself with your destinations, and you can also print and laminate
the high-definition screens to give you additional maps. Microsoft's
Autoroute is cheap, easy to use and lets you plan your holiday
in easy legs or stages. |
|
Don't
even think about a trip of this sort without taking out travel
insurance to cover you for loss of kit, accident or medical
emergency. On our 2009 'Adventure' one of our party was hospitalised
in St Malo with a very severe bout of gastro bug. We had to leave
him behind and without travel insurance, his hospital and 'extras'
bill would have been steep. And ensure that your driving licence,
insurance, breakdown cover and other documentation is valid for
the countries you plan to visit or pass through. For EU countries
you need the NHS 'EHIC' health reciprocal coverage
card, available online from the NHS Direct web site. Whilst
touring I wear a military type metal
'dog tag' on a neck chain, showing name, address, blood
group and next of kin contact numbers. Just in case I am involved
in an accident and can't account for myself. If
language skills are low or non-existent, take photos on your mobile
phone of useful locations like petrol station, cash dispenser, toilet,
chemist, police, ambulance etc. Or, have a linguistic friend write
down useful phrases for you. It
can be extremely handy to be able to 'phone a friend' who is at
home and who has access to Internet resources, and can look up things
you need to know, on the fly as as you need them, book accommodation,
etc. Your most useful non-Internet source of If you are carrying a passenger then your logistics options are limited. You can do the camping scene but due to the amount of kit you need to carry (ie two sleeping bags) you are best advised to B&B. Yes, camping can be done two-up on a week away, but you'll need to buy new clothes every couple of days as your personal luggage will each be restricted to what would fit in a Tesco plastic shopping bag. Not easy. |
|
|
Inter-Bike Radio (PMR or Private/Personal
Mobile Radio) |
 |
 |
|
|
Inter-bike radio is a lifesaver in unfamiliar traffic zones, especially if one of the group becomes separated by red lights or other reason. Also it hugely simplifies navigation at junctions, as everyone can be informed as to which exit to take. Also anyone with a problem can easily let the others know. We've found the range in open country to be a couple of miles, and in urban areas about half a mile. This is fine for bike-to-bike or even on foot whilst you park up and go off exploring - it saves making possibly expensive mobile phone calls or sending texts. So even if you don't use PMRs for bike-to-bike they are useful to have in your kit. Battery life is excellent as our Cobras go into sleep mode when not active. |
|
|
Logistics - what to take with you Travelling
alone, you have to be self-sufficient. In a group, you don't and there
is no need to double up on kit, especially if people share a tent.
You can share devices like phone chargers and if there are several
bikes of the same type you need not all carry essential spare parts.
I will work on the basis that you have a top box, fixed hard or removable
'soft' panniers and a tank bag. Anything that won't go in here will
need to go in a waterproof 'ditty bag' strapped to the pillion seat.
Link here
to eBay throwover panniers and here
to tank bags. One
school of thought argues that if in a group, every rider is totally
self-sufficient, anyone can drop out via illness or mechanical problems,
without affecting the 'sharing' situation. There is some merit in
this argument but I still believe that intelligent co-operation between
members of the group can make the trip - especially if camping - more
comfortable. Bear
in mind that when visiting somewhere like a city centre you will have
to leave your bikes unattended unless you take it in turns to stand
guard, so you don't want to leave anything nickable on it. You'll
have to carry your tank bag as well as normal bike kit and believe
me it's no fun trudging round a city centre in a heat wave, wearing
leathers, bike boots and riding kit and carrying helmet and tank bag.
(Somewhere like a Museum will almost certainly let you leave tank
bag and helmet behind the We
carry personal vital documents and cash in a shoulder-holster type
bag, with the zip opening from the front. Nestling under your armpit,
this is not an easy item for a pickpocket to dip into. We advise against
bum-bags unless they lie across the belly and even these are not as
good as the underarm type. |
|
 |
In the aforementioned tank bag goes all your documentation - passport, insurance / MoT / V5 and travel insurance; maps; camera, satnav and its leads; PMR radio kit; sunglasses; visor cleaner and cloth; a little ready cash for any road or bridge tolls; spare glasses. When using it as a backpack ensure that the zip fastener is either secured closed, or faces upwards so that items can't fall out. In the tank bag, use a set of those opaque clip-top takeaway meal containers to secure phones, leads etc against damp or just to keep things tidy and manageable. I
put my phone and its bits in one and satnav and its bits in another.
Very handy things those containers, and ideally sized for tank bags
but you can use them everywhere to keep your kit in order. If
your camera uses disposable batteries, such are easily bought at fuel
stops. But if the camera is the built-in battery type, it's easy to
overlook the fact that you'll need the charger and mains
adapter. |
|
For
security, the long flexible cable lock scores high in the touring
situation, because it can be threaded through helmets, arms of bike
jackets and so on and still secure at least one bike as well. It
doesn't have to be super-heavy, just nylon-covered and flexible.
When leaving helmets unattended, always leave them secured in some
way and - important - the right way up. If left upside down, rain
or unmentionable animal deposits can easily get in. <Shudder> Personal
kit has to be kept at a minimum. In 2009 we adopted the policy of
taking old clothes and throwing them away after two or three days'
use. This didn't save much space, but it did save trouble in managing
used dirty clothes and keeping them separate from clean ones. We'll
do it this way again. You do need your toilet bag with whatever
toiletries you require. Fully charged razor, or disposables. I manage
with one medium sized towel and keep it in a Tesco bag. Drying it
after use is always a problem but given decent weather you can peg
it up over your bike and let the ambient temperature or engine heat
dry it. Any medication you expect to use, including painkillers,
sun cream, Band-Aids, Immodium, mosquito repellent or one of those
handy battery
operated buzzers - yes they do work. You can restock non-prescription
medication at any chemist. I take shower gel and use that as shampoo,
to save space. |
|
|
Take
a pair of comfortable soft shoes so you can park and then change out
of bike boots. To keep your feet dry on the bike and off it, use Tesco
bags inside your bike boots or soft shoes. At night in a tent I change
into tracksuit bottoms, an old shirt and a fleece if necessary, and
sleep on a camp
bed which dismantles into short metal pieces and is better
I think than a roll-up or inflatable mattress. This bed and a small
tripod camp stool are the only items I have to carry externally on
the You'll
each need a mobile phone which works in the destination country, make
sure everyone has shared all the mobile phone numbers with yourselves
and anyone back home. Text messages are ideal for exchanging
Remember that on many tariffs, incoming calls from home are expensive
for you to receive. Camping
kit : tent, sleeping bag, inflatable
pillow and a bed of some sort - collapsible, inflatable, foam,
it's up to you. Inflatable beds are a pain to deal with night and
morning, but you can take an electric pump, and a group of riders
could share one. Lots of Tesco bags to put clothes and wet things
in and keep everything easily carried about from bike to tent. Clothes
pegs to hang up wet clothes or towel. Mallet to drive in tent pegs.
Wind-up
torch and a head
lamp type LED torch, very useful for finding the ablutions
at night or for general illumination.
Riders
should each give a fellow in the group a spare set of keys for their
bike, especially if yours has the high-security chipped key. If you
lose yours, get taken ill or suffer an accident, the spare set will
be invaluable. We use lanyards to secure keys when they are not in
use. If you mislay your keys, look first on the magnets of your tank
bag. Don't ask me how I know this. Scan
your vital documents before departure and email them to yourself (or
a trusted friend), so in an emergency, they are still available. |
|
|
Camping If you are new to camping, a weekend away with a new or borrowed tent will pay dividends before you set out on a serious journey. First of all you'll find out if you like, or can tolerate, camping and you'll also find out whether or not your tent is (a) waterproof; (b) easily erected and dismantled; (c) big enough for you and your kit. Remember
that the "two man" bubble type tent in motorcycle terms
is really only big enough for you and all your bike kit. It certainly
isn't big enough for two people with full bike gear, especially
if you have soft panniers which need to be brought into the tent
at night. Whilst the two man type tent will fold down to a very
small size, if you are taller than 5'8" you are going to have
to sleep with your knees bent unless you buy a bigger tent. Here
is an eBay link to two
man tents.
|
|
|
The
photo here was taken at Rennes campsite in May 2009. Left to
right : 3 man tent (John Arundel on the silver Deauville), 2
man tent (me on the red Deauville), then small one-man tents (Andy
Parry on the red NTV650). |
|
|
My Deauville parked alongside my 2 man bubble tent illustrates its size. You can see that whilst it's fine for me and all my associated bike kit, it'd be very cramped for two people. |
|
|
With
a new tent, practice erecting and dismantling it on your lawn
at home, and after the first time you successfully erect it,
use coloured insulating tape to colour-code the places
where the elastic-linked tent rod ends mesh with the tent's base.
This will save much frustration later. Don't even consider one without a built in groundsheet, and the type which has a detachable inner lining is better than the single-skin ones because condensation will soak the inner face of the outer skin, and run down the fabric. Touch this and you're wet. The inner lining helps prevent - but does not completely solve - this problem. However these are bulkier than single-skin tents and can be more trouble to erect. Once fitted, the inner lining is best left attached to the tent outer. Modern tents are, however, waterproof. |
|
|
It's a bad idea to economise on a sleeping-bag. A hot day can turn cold at night, making sleep difficult or fitful, and if you are too hot you can just unzip the bag and use it as a duvet. All clothes and sleeping-bag are best stored in roll-up vacuum bags, which reduce the size of their contents by between 50 and 75 percent. These
bags are excellent for campers as they also keep your kit dry. Link
here
to see eBay sleeping bags. |
 |
|
If
you are camping there is usually no problem in finding accommodation.
Our policy is to start looking about 16:00. In On
arrival at If the site manager indicates a tent area and invites you to help yourselves, never settle for the first pitch you see. Take a walk round and choose the pitch that suits you most. Do you want to be away from a family, with maybe noisy children? Do you need to be near the ablutions, will human traffic to and from there pass by your pitch and disturb you? Which way is the prevailing wind, do you need a sheltered pitch? Is there hardstanding for bikes, is the ground hard enough for safe parking, and does the site look tidy, clean, peaceful and problem-free? Never park your bike where the stand might sink into soft ground - the bike could fall over and hit an adjacent tent or other obstruction. |
|
|
As a guide to suitability, inspect the ablutions - the toilets and shower block. These should be clean and well lit, with hot showers included in the pitch rate. It's best to carry your own kitchen roll, to double as both general mop-up and toilet paper. Most
sites will have perfectly normal pedestal toilets as well as the old-fashioned
squat type, but particularly in
Some sites have key or keypad entry to the ablutions. Sneaking your
female companion into your male shower stall won't raise any eyebrows
as long as you are both discreet (and quick) about it. Most
showers work on a timed button basis but you can press the button
as often as you want. Shaver points should be present but you'll need
the European
mains plug adapter. After a ride in foul weather, sleep in
dry clothes and put your damp ones on the next day, because drying
a sleeping bag is very difficult once it gets wet. Bear
in mind that finding a suitable campsite, registering, choosing a
pitch and erecting tent and so on can disappear a substantial part
of the evening, and again in reverse in the morning. If you work on
a two hour margin for finding and setting camp, and an hour for striking,
you won't go far wrong. But we found that to get away before 9 am
in the morning means having to hustle, which some in your party won't
want or be able to do. 10 am departure is more realistic. If you're
camping, every meal is in a cafe or bar so don't underestimate the
spending level on food - at 2012 prices, at least £35 a day. You
can take as much cooking and mess kit as you like; we've done this
in the past and never used it! In a group what I suggest is that whilst
you each have unbreakable plate, cup, knife and fork etc, just one
of you carries a stove capable of boiling water or soup, even if this
is a chuck-it-all-in hash as a scratch meal. Any more comprehensive
kit than this is difficult to manage. An all-fuel stove which can
run on petrol is a good idea as you can draw off a cupful of fuel
from anyone's tank. Certainly a hot drink after a long wet ride is
extremely welcome. Carry sachets of coffee, soup, sugar etc in those
opaque clip-top takeaway meal containers. |
|
|
Remember
that the managers are well used to foreigners with poor language skills
, but it would be sensible to have learned enough of the local language
to be able to ask for a pitch, and how much it is. And afterwards
to say thank you and goodbye.
|
|
|
B&B / Guest Housing Camping
has its fun aspects but in bad weather you can't beat a warm, comfortable
bed that you haven't had to erect yourself. Do you want to ride in
the rain, put up a tent in the rain, try and sleep through a rainstorm,
strike camp and then ride in the rain? No, I thought not. What I recommend
is camping where the weather is reasonable or good and B&B-ing
when it's foul.
Conventional
guest house type B&Bs are generally found just off the town
or city centre and within the outer and inner ring road zones, near
main roads and motorway feeder roads to and from the city centre.
Language skills permitting, you can ask any police officer to direct
you. But the most useful source is the good old Tourist Information
Office. Managers
will want to see ID (driving licence, passport) and will either photocopy
them or keep them until you book out. Don't expect a cooked breakfast
in Remember that the managers are well used to foreigners with poor language skills , but it would be sensible to have learned enough of the local language to be able to ask for a room, and how much it is. And afterwards to say thank you and goodbye. |
|
|
The "Base Camp" holiday Another
strategy is to choose a destination which has enough places of interest
within easy riding distance, which can fill your time. Let's say that
you decide on a location which is 500 road miles from There
are two other major benefits. Firstly, if the weather is really foul
you don't have to go anywhere at all, and a well chosen site will
have local places of interest to pass the time - much better than
lying in a tent all day waiting for the rain to stop. Secondly, when
you go on a day trip, you can carry comfortable clothes in otherwise
empty panniers and change out of heavy bike kit on arrival, leaving
your leathers and helmet securely locked away whilst you wander off
in shorts and a T-shirt. The disadvantage is that the location and nature of the base camp is of paramount importance, far more so than with a full-blown touring holiday. |
|
|
|
 |
|
Group Dynamics Whilst
you can quite successfully complete a solo trip on a long weekend's
excursion, for serious touring taking longer than that there is a
great deal of truth in the old saying "safety in numbers".
Being in a group of like-minded bikers is simply more fun than being
alone. In pure and simple terms, problems such as sudden illness and
mechanical failure are far more easily dealt with in a group situation.
Also it's pleasant to sit over a beer of an evening and talk over
the day and the trip, compare photos and so on. However
- and this is important - the very fact that a group exists creates
problems of its own. Can you share tents, or B&B accommodation?
Who smokes and who doesn't? Who snores? Who can spend a half day examining
a famous cathedral, and who prefers exploring semi-derelict wartime
bunkers? Who just wants to ride somewhere and sit in a bar or camping
site poolside, drinking beer? Who wants to blast down endless motorways,
and then sit and wait whilst more staid riders arrive an hour later?
Who's a good leader, unflustered on foreign roads, able to shepherd
the group through a busy city centre? Who
speaks French
/ German
/ Spanish
/ Dutch
/ Polish
/ Czech
? In
a group situation your most important aspect is SIMILARITY - of interest,
of bike, of mind. Why are you going where you are going? What are
the key points of interest? Is there something for everyone, and are
you prepared to visit (and pay to enter) a site that
you aren't really interested in, and wouldn't normally go to, just
because someone else in the group wants to go? Are you prepared to
ride faster - or more slowly - than you normally do, to preserve the
group cohesion? The difficulty of preserving group harmony is exponential
to the number involved. A
tour like this is best done in groups of two or three good friends.
You can do it with four or more, but the more people involved, the
more difficult it is to find a route and places to go which will suit
everyone. All the members need to have a completely equal say in not
only the various destinations and what you all want to do when you
get there, but the routing and general logistics. |
|
|
Whoever is leading is always right - even when he's wrong All members of the group should take it in turns to take the ride lead, because it's much easier to follow than lead and it's unfair to expect the same person to always be the leader. Heading up a group of riders in unfamiliar road layouts and having to navigate, watch a satnav screen, traffic and others of the group can be a very stressful experience. The
last thing you need at such a time is backseat driving and arguments
over the inter-bike radio about which way to go. Dick or Harry may
know or see a short cut but if Tom is leading, everyone follows
Tom. If he cocks up, it doesn't matter - the satnavs will
always get you there in the end, even if they take you all round the
houses in the process. So
- the golden rule of navigation is - whoever
is leading is always right, even when he's wrong.
Always follow the leader, and keep quiet unless he asks for help.
Tomorrow it might be your turn in the hot seat, and when it is, it's
no shame to pull into a layby or side road and get a fix on where
you are, and to check your route - or simply as a breathing space
after a while of fighting the pressures. |
|
The
A
typical Formule-1 room is either twin bed (photo, right, with the
washbasin obscured by the modesty panel) double bed or double bed
with bunk-bed above.|
Country |
Name |
Location |
Visited By |
Comments |
|
Austria
|
Werfen
|
Author
|
May 2010.
Excellent Inn
immediately on the right as you come off the bypass to the north of
the village. Very hospitable with huge garages for bikes, outstanding
service and ideally placed to visit the "Where Eagles Dare"
Castle Hohenwerfen just a mile or so up the road. Very highly
recommended. Google
Earth
|
|
|
|
|
Author |
Most recently in May 2010. Friendly and comfortable hotel three miles east of Ypres along the Menin road. Has its own private Trench and Bunker system to explore, with good food and drinks available. Take a taxi into Ypres to watch the Last Post ceremony. Other WW1 sites are close by. Very highly recommended. Google Earth |
|
|
|
Author |
May 2009. Very good site just off the south-east of
the ring road, within walking distance of the town centre. Good facilities.
Google Earth |
||
|
|
Trebonice, 15 miles west of Prague, just
inside outer ring road |
Author |
May 2007. Simple clean site with bar/restaurant and
very helpful owner, but watch out for tent thieves visiting whilst you
are away, and during the night. Very good local bus and then Metro service
into |
|
|
|
|
Author |
May 2008. Friendly family site on the south side of
the city, with good facilities and easy to find. Google
Earth |
|
|
|
|
Author |
May
2009. Situated at Plouvain about 7 miles east of |
|
|
|
Formigny
(near |
Author |
May
2009. AVOID! Major rip-off! Cider Farm site to the north of the
village. Mangy facilities. Google Earth |
|
|
|
Aren
/ Saucede |
Author |
May
2008. Riverside no-frills camp in very quiet location; nip into the
centre of adjacent |
|
|
|
|
Author |
May
2009. Large camp to the south of the city, very spacious and with good
facilities. Google Earth |
|
|
|
|
Author |
May
2009. Spacious camp to the north-east of the city, noted for the many
grazing rabbits. Pleasant location, good facilities. Google
Earth |
|
|
St
Malo |
Author |
May
2009. Outstandingly good site about 6 miles south of the town, bar/restaurant,
pool and play area, owner most hospitable. Very highly recommended.
Google Earth |
||
|
Chanac |
Author |
May
2008. Very quiet spot nestling in hillside village. BBQ places, walk
up to the village for food. Google Earth |
||
|
Camping Piscine |
Bourg d'Oisans |
July 2008. Bottom of Alpe d'Huez, so crazy if the
Tour de France is coming through. |
||
|
|
|
July 2008. Magnificent settiing beside |
||
|
Val Joly |
Watten |
June 2009. Convenient for |
||
|
23 miles
south of Paris
|
Comfortable,
decent showers, laundry facilities, WiFi, a bar (but no food), Restaurants
nearby (10-15 minute walk), BBQs (just charcoal and food required) and
20 minutes by RER from Paris. Very busy during the busy periods - Easter,
European Summer holidays so it is recommended you book. It's not cheap
but great as a base to explore Paris.
Le Beau Village,
1 Voie des Prés,, 91700 Villiers sur Orge |
|||
|
|
Le Bez |
Author |
May 2008. Largeish secluded site rather off the beaten
track, no frills but clean and respectable. Google
Earth |
|
|
|
|
|
Author |
May 2007. Fine site well to the east of the lake,
bar/restaurant, good facilities and quiet. Google
Earth |
|
Colditz |
Author |
May 2007. Tidy forested camp with simple facilities
well placed to visit the famous Castle. Google
Earth |
||
|
am See |
Lindau |
|
||
|
Author
|
May 2010
and 2011. English owner - very accommodating with excellent facilities
and food, inside secure parking for bikes. Very highly recommended.
Google
Earth
|
|||
|
Unering
cottage
|
Between
Seefeld and Starnberg, 35 miles SW of Munich. Owned by Karl
Neppel
|
Author
|
May 2010,
2011 and 2012. Quite excellent! Extremely quiet location, cellar play/bed
room with laundry area; living room, kitchen and shower/WC; and three
single beds + ensuite, plus another twin room. Would easily sleep 5.
Very highly recommended. Google
Earth
|
|
|
|
Author |
May 2007. Excellent, large bar/restaurant and facilities.
|
||
|
|
La Pobla de Segur |
Author |
May 2008. Excellent riverside site in an olive grove,
accommodating owner, pool, bar/restaurant. Stunning scenery and perfect
for the Pyrenean mountain roads, Google
Earth |
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Op dem Deich |
Vianden |
June 2008. Beautiful setting. |
Touring "Adventures"
2005 : a 5-day whistle-stop clockwise tour of Scotland. My bike was my Honda CX500 Turbo. We called at Ulverston, Loch Doon, Fort William, Skye Bridge, Portree, Loch Ness, Kinlochbervie, Dunnet Head, Struan, Seahouses.
2006 : a short 5-day tour of some of the First World War battlefields in France and Belgium, visiting Ypres, Lochnagar Crater at Albert, Vimy Ridge, Thiepval, Beaumont-Hamel.
2007 was more adventurous - self on the CX500A and another to Frankfurt, Prague, Kutna Hora, Sagan or Zagan, Colditz, Eder Dam, Waterloo.
To email me you must manually remove the extra 'z' from the email
address and be sure to put either Deauville or zooble
into the subject line or message body, to bypass my energetic spam filters.
Some PMR handsets, notably the Kenwood range, don't use the same subchannels as others and you may well need to tinker with the settings. I hope this chart provides some guidance!
|
Channel
on Kenwood PMR
|
Channel
on 'normal' PMR
|
CTCSS
or subchannel on 'normal' PMR
|
|
1
|
1
|
10
|
|
2
|
8
|
8
|
|
3
|
3
|
13
|
|
4
|
6
|
5
|
|
5
|
4
|
17
|
|
6
|
2
|
18
|
|
7
|
7
|
19
|
|
8
|
5
|
7
|
|
9
|
1
|
14
|
|
10
|
8
|
15
|
|
11
|
3
|
16
|
|
12
|
6
|
6
|