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The Massif Pyrenees Tour
Millau Bridge, The Med, Andorra, Spain
(13 Sept - 25 Sept & 16 August - 28 August 2012)
This tour has arisen from requests from customers who have already done our Balkans and Alps tour. It
combines part of the Massif Central - Millau ‘Bridge in the Sky Tour’ with a rest day on the Mediterranean Coast, a night in the tax haven of Andorra, an epic mountain journey
through the length of the Pyrenees before finishing off the tour with a quick blast through the Picos de Europa in Northern Spain. A truly stunning motorcycle trip.
Day 1: Dover - Bagnoles de L’Orne (Approx 270 miles)
The tour will begin at Dover harbour where you will be met by a British Bike Tour representative
and we will board the ferry to Calais. We will cover approximately 140 miles on the motorway
before heading across country and onto some more interesting roads. We will pass through the
Falais gap and head for the twisty roads of the River Orne valley. These roads represent a
good taste of things to come and will enable you to acclimatise to the lack of traffic, lack of
speed cameras, and considerate drivers! We will be staying in the lovely spa town of Bagnoles - a firm favourite with our Bridge in the Sky and Normandy customers.
Day 2: Bagnoles - Chateauroux (Approx 220 miles)
Up early to enjoy breakfast and then we are off, traveling deep into the Loire valley. A UNESCO
world heritage site, this region is world renowned for its sophisticated cities, luxuriant landscape
and magnificent food and wine. We will take the opportunity to stop off at beautiful Saumur,
renowned for wine, chateau, troglodyte dwellings, and mushroom caves! There will be plenty of stops for coffee and lunch as we spend time enjoying this unspoiled area of France.
Day 3: Chateauroux - Brive-La-Gaillarde (Approx 230 miles)
Ok, by now we should be well used to riding on the wrong side of the road and French highway
rules!! Now the roads become even more challenging as we follow the River Creuse through the
gorges south of Argenton-sur-Creuse and onto Lac Chambon. We then climb up into the Plateau de Millevaches (known as the plateau of a thousand springs). This is a step on the
Northern edge of the Massif Central and is wide and sparsely populated landscape. The roads
will be deserted and will take us past the stunning Lac de Vassiviere and through beautiful tree plantations - just watch out for the logging lorries which don’t leave you much room!
Day 4: Brive - Millau (Approx 270 miles)
We are now in the heart of the Massif Central, in the Auvergne region. We will take the single
track road into the centre of the Monts du Cantal alongside the valley du Falgoux and then up
to a height of nearly 6000 ft at Puy Mary. It is hard to believe that all these mountains were
once part of the largest volcano in the whole of Europe. Riding on these narrow roads is a real
thrill, enhanced by the fabulous views around every bend. Towards the end of the day we will start to glimpse views of the beautiful bridge at Millau.
The bridge was built as part of a by-pass of the village of Millau which is a major bottleneck in the summer. It is a stunning
creation and does not appear as eyesore in what must be one of the most scenic parts of the
world. We will get the opportunity to visit the ‘Bridge Visitors Centre’ before heading to our hotel in the valley below the bridge.
Day 5: Millau - Perpignan (Approx 200 miles)
Yet more stunning roads and fantastic roads as we head south cross country towards
Perpignan and the Med. Perpignan is a fascinating mixture of Catalan, Romany and North Africa - great food, the beach and sunshine await.
Day 6: Perpignan - (Rest Day)
A chill out day. Sun, sea, beer and food. The day is yours to do as you wish and to get ready
for the Spanish part of the tour.
Day 7: Perpignan - Andorra (150 miles approx)
After a well earn’t day off it is into the mountains - the wonderful Pyrenees await. Hairpins are
the order of the day as we ascend the increasingly twisty road towards the tax-haven of
Andorra. There is only road in from the French side and it is a real cracker - hairpin bend after
hairpin bend. We will pass over the Col de Puymorens (6,500 ft) and then through the ski
resort of Pas de la Case. From there it is only a short ride to our hotel in Andorra La Vella.
Day 8: Andorra - Sabinanigo (200 miles approx)
Another great day on the bike. Narrow gorges, mountain passes, glorious scenery. We will
leave Andorra (fill up with petrol - it is the cheapest in Europe) and head into Spain. We will
join the N260 which is a fantastic motorcycle road taking us through narrow gorges - brilliant
fun. Then we will climb over the Pyrenees and back into France, passing over the Col de
Portillon, Col de Peyresourde, Col du Tourmalet, Col d’Aubisque and Col du Pourtalet. Then it is back into Spain and our hotel. A day that you will never forget!
Day 9: Sabinanigo - San Sebastian (200 miles approx)
We will be passing through the Aragon Region of Spain and the Guara National Park. The Sierra
du Guara are located in the lower Pyrenees and are renowned for their numerous canyons. The
roads in this region are superb – twisty, good surfaces, little traffic. We will have lunch at the
famous town of Pampalona, known for the annual Bull running festival and for being immortalized
by Ernest Hemingway in ‘For Whom The Bell Tolls’ and ‘The Sun Also Rises’. From Pampalona we
will head North towards the Bay of Biscay and our overnight stop in San Sebastian. The town
is a real cultural gem, set in the heart of the Basque country, this tasteful resort has plenty of bars and restaurants especially in the old quarter.
Day 10: San Sebastian - Suances (175 miles approx)
A relatively gentle day, we will follow the coast road past Bilbao and then will journey through
the coastal foothills to our overnight stop to the West of Santander. A nice relaxing day by the coast.
Day 11: Suances - Picos de Europa - Sunaces (175 miles approx)
A ride out day from out hotel in Suances. Just twenty miles from the hotel is the start of the
lovely unspoiled Picos de Europa. These mountains are a particular favourite of ours and we
always visit them on the way back from our Morocco tour. The roads are great, the views are
fantastic and being so close it would be a shame not to spend a day exploring this lovely area of Northern Spain. Then its back to our hotel for our last Spanish meal.
Day 12: Suances - Santander - Ferry
We can have a lie in as our ferry does not depart to early afternoon. It is only a short ride
from the hotel to the ferry terminal. Then its all aboard, bikes stowed, cabins found, beer bought; you can relax for the 24 hour ferry journey back to Portsmouth.
Day 13: Ferry - Portsmouth
The ferry journey home is not too bad. Everyone gets a cabin (2 to a cabin) shared rooms and
a cabin each for the single room bookings. There is some evening entertainment which ranges
from very funny (awful) to not too bad. We arrive back in the UK in the early evening.
What You Get and Costs.
The basic cost of the August tour in £1200 for a single rider in a shared room; £1500 for a single rider in a
single room and £2000 for a rider and pillion. The August prices are more expensive due the cost of the
Brittany Ferries crossing from Santander to Portsmouth. This is peak time for them and they charge
accordingly. In September the basic cost of the tour is £1000 for a single rider in a shared room; £1350 for a
single rider in a single room and £1700 for a rider and pillion. For these prices you will get the following:-
- Outward ferry crossing (Dover- Calais)
- Return ferry crossing (Santander - Portsmouth) with cabin
- Eleven nights accommodation in good quality hotels including two nights on the Med.
- Breakfast each morning.
- Service throughout the trip of a British Bike Tours guide.
- Route maps (paper based and/or digital - Garmin Mapsource)
- Hotel parking
The following is not included:
- Petrol
- Travel Insurance
- Breakdown cover insurance
- Evening Meals
You need to budget around 20 - 25 euros for a decent 3 course evening meal. For lunchtimes we try and use
local bakers for sandwiches/baguettes etc. Evening meal costs are very much dependent on how much wine and beer you drink!!
Schedules
We are running the Massif Pyrenees Tour twice in 2012. The dates for this tour are:
Thursday 16 August - Tuesday 28 August
Thursday 13 September - Tuesday 25 September.
WANT TO BOOK - £120 DEPOSIT REQUIRED TO SECURE A PLACE. WE TAKE ALL
MAJOR CREDIT OR DEBIT CARDS. CLICK BELOW TO BOOK ON-LINE.
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