Keeper96 Posted January 25, 2021 Share Posted January 25, 2021 In the summer I’m planning on riding to lake Garda to meet a friend who’s on holiday there. im planning on staying overnight on the south coast to start early from northern France in the morning. I want to stay over night in Baden Baden before taking the b500 through the black Forrest then through the Swiss alps heading on towards lake como for an overnight stop before going from como to Garda. how far would people say is practical to ride in one day? would barden barden be reachable from Calais? Around 420 miles on the motorways. thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerontious Posted January 25, 2021 Share Posted January 25, 2021 (edited) its a 6+hr ride.. its doable, but very tiring. bear in mind that you must stick to the speed limits on the toll autoroute through France or you may be fined at a toll booth. 6hrs non-stop that is. I would suggest budgeting 8hrs for the ride. 2 half hour stops and an hour for lunch, for a proper break. stay close to the tunnel and get an early crossing, to arrive on the French side by 10am... that would mean an arrival at BB at around 6. if you can be disciplined. the ride down the B500 can be done in a day. Switzerland is slow if you use normal roads. very slow. don't risk a fine there!! stick to speed limits like your life depends on it. massive fines and/or prison and/or a ban await. and you don't want a ban, or prison. or a £3000+ fine!! its all doable.. but depends a lot on how much time you have to play with between crossing to France and arrival at Garda. Ive done all of that.. but it would be my personal choice to avoid Switzerland. and go via Germany and Austria. I wouldn't bother with Como either. but thats just me. Edited January 25, 2021 by Gerontious Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Six30 Posted January 25, 2021 Share Posted January 25, 2021 Personally i'd have another stop somewhere overnight , depends how quick you want to get there, 6 hours plus in the saddle is not my idea of fun, i like regular stops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerontious Posted January 25, 2021 Share Posted January 25, 2021 (edited) Its not merely an. issue of distance, its also timing. This is something I have wrestled with on virtually every trip Ive ever organised for myself and others. If you want to ride the B500 for its entire length, Then you really need a full day for that. If you split the ride from calais into two parts then that will mean a much earlier arrival at Baden Baden, which for me would be a problem. Say for instance you ride halfway across France and then stop. That would mean the next day you might arrive at BB at lunchtime and that would then waste another half day.. if you decide to stay there. Though of course there is nothing stopping you from just carrying on and stopping at a pension further south in the Black Forest. I wouldn't want to do that because I think its important, for full enjoyment to begin the quite epic ride south after a good nights sleep. you can start after Breakfast and be at the Rhine at the south end by tea time.. Its 118 miles from BB to the Rhine at Waldshut, which may not seem much.. you can do it in about 3 hours at legal speeds. But, that would be a mistake.. this is a route to be savoured, not one to be rushed. Bear in mind that the B500 is in two parts, with a fairly big gap... and how you cross that gap just adds to the overall experience. Its fantastic. When we did this ride across France to the Black Forest several years ago, I explained to the guys that it would be a slog. no two ways about it. It would be hard work.. but the reward would be more time there. 5 days instead of 4. which was important for that particular trip. However its not something I ever want to do again. I just wont. I have an idea for our next big trip which is appropriate for us. But.. we don't have your first issue. We dont have to ride more that 330 miles just to get from home to our first stop near the tunnel. For you that would be 330 miles or so on day one and then another 410 miles on day two... that is a major slog. A lot depends on the bike you're riding. But.. even so. its a massive undertaking on a bike. in North Western Europe, even in summer. Hell.. if you are unlucky enough to encounter heavy rain. One alternative, though it would really have a heavy cost in money, would be to use a ferry from further north. Newcastle perhaps? and then ride to Dusseldorf and put the bike and yourself on the sleeper train to either Innsbruck Austria. Or Verona in Italy. Either would put you pretty much on the doorstep of Garda.. an easy days ride. And then do the other routes you've mentioned on your way home... This will cost though.. whether you can justify that is up to you. It also depends on whether the motorails are running this summer which at the moment is very much an open question. in fact.. its an open question whether there will be a summer this year. we can be optimistic, but right now everything is uncertain. Just looking at the motorail map puts in mind yet another option. Baden Baden is 370 toll free miles from the ferry terminal near Amsterdam. 3/4 of which will be on the Autobahn, that would save you a lot of time. and UK motorway riding, the ferry is 30 miles from Stanley. balance the cost of the ferry and time saved, against the other costs and that might be your best option. perhaps.. Edited January 25, 2021 by Gerontious 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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