Where is everyone off to this year?

[1675]

Just wondering where everyone is planning to go this year? I always end up in the doldrums this time of year for several reasons. Bad weather, salty roads, dark days and no riding from early december to march. I find it useful to spread the maps out and get a notepad, then "consider" some trips. It looks like I may have 2 which are looking pretty good. First is in july and I will be alone. Through Sweden then around to Imatra where there is some IRRC road racing. Across to Estonia and into Poland then Ukraine. Head east then south to Oddessa, then into Moldova and Romania for the Transfagarasan highway. I was there in 2015, but it was still closed due to snow. Finally west again for the boat back to the UK. I am guessing it will be 3 1/2 to 4 weeks and 5000 miles.
Next up is late august, with 3 friends this time. East to Colditz castle and MZ museum in Germany. Over to Czech republic for the IRRC racing at Horice, then on to Poland and east before heading north to the Masaurian lakes. West again for the boat. I reckon 2 1/2 weeks and 2500 miles.
What are your plans?

[Verdun95]

My plans are far more modest than yours 1675. Early June it will be the vintage motorcycle club I belong to annual gathering in the Landes area; then my usual SSB Bike Tour with my British buddies , this year in Jura; afterwards it will be time for the Swiss Reinsurance Tourist Trophy in the Alps passes. In between a couple of riding weekends in our beautiful country 

[fred_jb]

Sounds like a really interesting trip you have planned.

I have booked a guided tour around Northern Spain and Portugal with Global Motorcycle Tours for August. Last May we went with them to Greece and really enjoyed it. Previously I had always organised my own solo tours, sometimes meeting up for a week or so with my wife who would fly out to somewhere on my route.  However my wife decided she would come on the Greece trip so we went on a guided tour to make it a more sociable experience, and it worked really well - excellent routes, great accommodation, well organised, and as it turned out, a great bunch of fellow riders.  They are very flexible, so some people ride in a group for each days route, and others make their own way at their own pace to the next hotel, which is what we did, though often met up at coffee and lunch stops during the day.  I'm hoping the Spain-Portugal trip will be similar.

Instead of returning to the UK via the Santander ferry with the group, we have decided to extend the trip, so plan to ride across the Pyrenees to Barcelona, then down to the coast to Sitges where we will rent a friend's apartment for a week. We've stayed there before and found it a great location.  My wife will then fly home and I will ride, as she prefers to fly-ride rather than do the long trek home!

We might also do a shorter trip earlier in the year, around May, but haven't decided on that yet.

[Phil]

Unfortunately, I don't imagine I'll be going anywhere further then the garden.  A house fire in July put a dent in our budget and even though the insurance is covering the majority of the costs we (my wife) have decided to add a little (?) extra to the repairs.   The kitchen alone is costing £70 K  to put right.  Maybe a city break or two. 
we talked about Paris by train from London. Never used Euro star before and always fancied a train ride.  And it is alway great to be in Paris.  Other than that, I might be spending a lot of time in the garden.  Hey, if it sunny in Essex we'll ride out for the occasional Breakfast to Finchingfield.   

Kper

[Brian Ross]

Main holiday booked at the start of June. Ferry to Santander, turn right for the Picos then along Spanish coast to NW tip. Down to Santiago de Compostela then carry on down into Portugal as far as Aveiro where we will base ourselves for a few days. Then west along the valley of the Duoro and back into Spain before turning North and back to Santander.

Did the National Road Rally last year, but it clashes with the Spain Portugal trip so might be doing the Welsh version this year, in May.

Our holiday trips, with friends, are not just about the miles but also the places we stay and visit. So it is not by any means an "iron butt" holiday :-)

[skiprat]

Been thinking of next years tour, I will need to fix a leaving date from Newcastle to Amsterdam to take advantage of early booking discounts and free breakfast on the ferry for end of May.The last few years had rain off the ferry and then bad weather for three days until Sarajevo and after that warm sunny days making my way south with no set daily plans. This year I had a date to be on Crete and meet the family off the plane for a week together in a rented villa so made my way from Piraeus in Greece by ferry and did some island hopping on the way to Crete camping all the way.
After seeing the family off at the airport the return journey took in sites in Greece and a stay at Delphi for a visit to the site of the Oracle and on to Patra for a ferry to Italy Bari. A steady ride round the coast of southern Italy for a ferry to Sicily and a camp at Etna ready for a ride up to the volcano, only one ferry a week in June on Saturday to Sardinia and packed, so overnight in my sleeping bag on deck (with many others) and docking at Cagliari. the roads on Sardinia are well maintained and great to ride because the whole Island is mostly mountains inland, after a couple of days took the ferry to Corsica, again good riding and camping and not too hot in mid June. The next move was the ferry to Nice south France and north through the Alps taking it slowly to try and avoid heavy rain in northern Europe. I was away 6 weeks and don't suppose I will be able to repeat it again, I had to get home to pack our motorhome and take the Wife away on holiday back to the Med.

[OK_Trophy]

Maybe riding from Oklahoma to Birmingham, AL with with spouse in March..and then maybe to Utah in July.  Loads of fun on the TTSE!

[Tenequip]

Well, I can't really join you fellows across the pond, but I have been thinking of a trip here in the US. Leaving from my home in Western Pennsylvania heading northeast up thru Maine to New Foundland and on up to Labrador. This trip will take about two weeks and be about 2500 miles. The best time will be in July, when the icebergs are off-shore, and is not too cold up there. This trips involves serval ferry crossings and a couple hundred miles of dirt roads in Labrador. If anyone is interested let me know.