Take a good camera and lots of photos, I'd done so many miles I'd forgotten most of what I saw by the time I got home.
I wonder if I need to take out medical insurance if I visit the UK by bike. While we are still all part of the EU I thought that the EHIC was enough.
The EHIC should be enough but if the ambulance chasers take you to an alternative other than a state provided healthcare then you may get a bill and its a bit dodgy regarding free healthcare in Switzerland as there known for only allowing reduced charges if you hold the EHIC. So Insurance is a must but not for the UK, whilst you stay in hospital here they will probably give you benefits and a house so that you never want to return home [emoji16]
Take out medical insurance for all of your travels - anywhere. It's generally quite cheap and the cost of the policy is easily covered in getting you home should the worst happen. EHIC works but alone is not enough for Europe or UK so, in my opinion, don't rely on it.
Yea but after Cameron's negotiations, I will need to be in hospital for 7 years before I can get any benefits. Don't think that I would want a stay in a UK hospital after the scare stories on TV. Perhaps I should just stay here.
The Post Office travel insurance covers you for bigger bikes, many of them only cover for bikes up to 125cc When we were in Andorra last year at the EMM Steve had to have his appendix out!
Been to Most of the countries, never had a problem in Switzerland, but was later in the year, all your documents have to be originals log book etc. never had trouble with police either on many miles abroad.
If you do intend to visit the continent this year bring more money with you. Since this EU referendum stuff, Stirling has dropped from €1.46 to €1.27 so far. That means that everything on this side of the channel is about 15% more expensive for you than it was 3 or 4 months ago. Sterling is still going down and don't expect it to recover before June/July.
Nope I'm still here just trying to absorb all this really helpful information. Thinking of staying away from Switzerland now! It seems the passes won't be open when i go and i can't change my leave dates. Any recommendations?
There are some passes which I believe are kept open throughout the year (e.g. Brenner, Simplon, St Gotthard), and several others where there is a tunnel which you could take as plan B if the pass happens to be closed.
I don't know if it is an option for you to go further to the south. Generally you will find better conditions south of the Alps in this early time of the year. What I would recommend is the region around the "Gardasee", especially the region east of the lake in the triangle between Trento, Vicenca, and Verona. You have an mediterranean climate influence there and the passes are not that high as they are in the Alps directly. I love this region and have several daytrips for you as GPX if needed.
Unless you are an International criminal trying to hide your ill gotten gains, apparently that is OK. I haven't travelled much in Switzerland although I have always avoided the motorways without incident "touch wood". Nice little ticket from the German Police for overtaking incident, 50 euro instant fine, no names or details taken, daylight robbery. I can highly recommend the Grimsel, Stelvio and Grossglockner Passes, breathtaking roads and views to match, just pray for decent weather.
You only need the Carnet/sticker if you use the motorways! If you enter the country on a normal road you have the option to buy. Enter on a motorway and it is a compulsory purchase
Lots of replies on here about speeding n tickets etc but besides that only 1 humorous mention of riding on the right. Of course when you're going along a single or dual carraigeway with other traffic it's obvious. BUT...when you pull out of a gas station it's so easy to look the wrong way or pull onto the wrong side of the road. I've posted this before and someone posted agreement. Or if you stop at a junction with no traffic it's so easy to take the turn and find yourself on the left. People die from this simple mistake. Tickets you can pay for with money. Then I find for two weeks after returning to the UK I get momentary flashes of panic 'Shit! Which side of the road am I meant to be on!" Just a fraction of a second usually just after starting off or when there's something persuasive coming towards me in the middle of the road, like a lorry or a bus. Nothing trivial. It sounds ridiculous but these simple mistakes happen. My best piece of advice has to be: Look both ways....then look again. Both ways. And travel light.
No1- several years ago in the germany a bod on a blade decided to lead after a coffee stop, he left the cafe on the wrong side of the rd, my mate chased after him and unfortunately around the nxt bend was what no body wants to see, the rider had hit a volvo head on and was dead at the scene and he was a very experienced rider as well. (Something like a coloured cable tie on the left bar or a sticker on the dash to remind you may help) No-2 im guilty of this due to riding more abroad so when home I took some mates out trail riding i left a lane entering onto a rd and looked in my mirrors to see my mates on the wrong side of the rd, fook it's me on the wrong side [emoji15]
It happens Dave. It's so easy to do. It's at that moment when you have no other evidence to make you think otherwise. 99.9%of the time you're correct. At least you didn't meet anything. Terrible about the other guy.
I tie a red string around my right hand mirror stalk when I ride on the continent as a little reminder to ride on the right. It's not 100% foolproof (did temporarily find myself on the wrong side of the road on a quiet country lane through woods in the Morvan on the way home from WDW2014, but was able to get back on the right hand side of the road without incident). In my experience, it's when you're tired either at the end of a long day's ride or late at night that you're more likely to make this mistake.
I could find myself a little confused when I was spending half the week in London, and half the week in Switzerland. In London I'd bicycle, and then in Switzerland, obviously car and bike. What I have always done is imagine myself just leaving my house. What side of the road am I on to do that? Then I see if where I am actually matches that. No one has mentioned going around roundabouts anti-clockwise either, which is what you do abroad. I well remember a trip to Le Mans with a couple of mates. They hared off the moment they got off the ferry, but I caught them at the first roundabout, stopped and wondering which way to go around it. I'd already made many continental trips by then.
