Try this for a plan: Friday 22 August - tunnel 10am, ride (free) motorways via Dunkerque - Lille - Tournai - Mons - Charleroi - Namur - Huy. From Huy on local road 66 to Stavelot, then Malmedy - Stadtkyll - Kelberg - Cochem. Stay in hotel in Cochem 3 nights. Saturday 23 August - tour the Hunsruck, ferry boat across the Rhine, around the Taunus, motorway A48 from Koblenz back to Cochem. Sunday 24 August - up to the Nurburgring, laps of the Nordschleife if desired, tour the Eifel. Monday 25 August - Cochem local roads to Daun - Gerolstein - Prum - Clervaux - Bastogne - Marche-en-Famenne - Namur. Then motorway via Lille - Dunkerque - Calais and tunnel home. I'm almost tempted to book this jaunt for myself soon anyway, whether anybody wants to join me or not.
HOTEL KARL NOSS | Ihr Hotel in Cochem/MOSEl | ONLINE BUCHEN This is a family-run hotel in Cochem, where I have stayed before and would be happy to stay again. There is a garage for bikes directly underneath the hotel, and if that gets full up there is an overflow garage 100m away. August is popular, of course, but there still seem to be some rooms left. I plan to book in a few days, unless somebody has a better idea.
Fine, the one I stayed at was a 20min walk, 40 min stagger from the town so this is a better location May see if any mates want to come along and double up in rooms, keeps cost down a bit. Bulk booking discount??
Hotel Noss is not expensive, I've stayed there. But there's cheaper in the town if you need. Park on the street there if the hotel doesn't have a garage, your bike is perfectly safe; I've left mine on the pavement for a couple of days, no-ones' gonna touch it.
By the way, there are two Hotel Noss's in Cochem, not 500ft apart. Choose the one with an outdoor bar below it...and say hello to Doris for me...
I'm massively interested in tagging along but currently have something planned for that weekend. I'm trying to jiggle things around but it looks like you guys are close to booking, if you haven't already? Having said that, if I can clear that weekend I'd be slightly nervous of the logistics of the weekend. I've got a tank bag that's big enough for knicks & socks but not a lot else, and I don't fancy riding with a rucksack for that length of time - what does everyone else do? Does anyone bother with waterproofs? It would be my first time taking a bike out of the UK - is there anything I need to bring/be aware of other than passport? I assume v5/insurance etc. Will everyone be staying in the same hotel? So many questions....
Waterproofs, paperwork and cameras, etc in the tankbag, everything else in the rucksack - then bungee it to the pillion, job's a good'un. The area of Germany they are talking about is a very easy ride, I know people who've done it in 3 hours from Calais, or take all day and enjoy it. People worry about skill levels, about being left behind, but in practise it doesn't happen. Riding on the right is a piece of piss, it'll take you less than a minute to get used to it, the roads are emptier and better surfaced, the drivers more courteous, the police respond well to politeness should you get a tug (don't listen to all the internet guff about massive fines, those that get them almost certainly deserved them), and that part of Germany is simply biking Nirvana. Don't think about it, do it. You'll be kicking yourself for putting it off so long. That's a cast iron guarantee.
Thanks for that info Figaro - really, greatly appreciated! Riding in a group isn't something I'm used to. I've done it before and I know everyone has different styles and cruising speeds, but mostly everyone will go as fast as the slowest person. I enjoy both fast cruising and slow (ish) cruising and I don't consider myself a crazy rider. I do like adrenalin, but I enjoy life just as much so tend not to do crazy. (Not any more anyway). I'm eager to experience the roads as I've heard so many positive comments over the years. I've kicked myself for never doing it before and I know I haven't had a better opportunity than this for a long time and I know I'll regret it if I don't. So long as everyone that's going doesn't mind me coming along I will try and move heaven and earth to make it so?!
Cant speak for the others, but (esp when riding with group of unknown or mixed ability) I always follow its straight on or wait and keep an eye on the guy behind. In practice, it allows some to crack on and at junctions or towns slow down to get a sight again of whoever is behind then crack on again. One change of clothes plus jumper/hoody normally enough And i have panniers and if missus is with me I wont be rushing...if shes not it may be different
Group riding is a piece of piss, I don't know why people make it so complicated. All you do is this, fook off into the distance, go as fast as you like, but make sure the bloke behind you sees what you're doing at any change of direction. That way no-one gets lost no matter how fast or slow they are.
