How about this for a Bank Holiday weekend trip in 2015, now fixed for 22-25 May: Day 1 - Tunnel - Calais - Strasbourg (about 40 miles further than Calais - Cochem, but faster road). Three nights in Strasbourg. Day 2 - Cross the Rhine - tour the Black Forest including the 500. Day 3 - Tour the Ballons des Vosges. Day 4 - Strasbourg - Luxembourg city - Calais - tunnel home. A few guys already said yes on the thread from the 2014 Moselle trip. List of sure/probable/possible Black Foresters: Pete1950 - booked hotel & tunnel Bradders - booked hotel & tunnel El Toro - X Scratch Pervert - X Dave - booked hotel & tunnel Figaro - X damodici - X MaDProFF - booked hotel & tunnel Ken E - booked hotel & tunnel
What I have in mind for Day 2 is heading NE out of Strasbourg, cross the Rhine by ferry, ride to Baden-Baden, then head south on the route 500. The 500 runs the full length of the Black Forest, pretty twisty all the way. We could go down as far as Titisee, then head west to Freiburg and north on the A5 autobahn back to Strasbourg. Roughly 200 miles in the day, leaving time for several stop-offs in picturesque towns (e.g. Hornberg). Weather permitting, of course.
For Day 3 I was thinking of heading SW out of Strasbourg to Molsheim (the original home of Bugatti) - Schirmeck - Col du Donon - south to Raon l'Etape - past St Die-des-Vosges - south through the Roches du Diable area - Hohneck - Col d'Hahnenbrunnen. North to Munster - Col du Calvaire - Col du Bonhomme - Ste Marie aux Mines - Col du Kreuzweg - Le Hohwald - Obernai - A35 autoroute back to Strasbourg. Weather permitting, as ever. Again, roughly 200 miles in the day, about 20 cols of various heights, and lots of picturesque spots. Unless anyone has a better idea.
Nine months ahead is pretty excessive, for arranging a long weekend ride-out, so no obligation to make any commitments for another six months at least; it's just that it seems some guys have such full diaries they can only take a day off if they book it a year in advance! I would happily leave making arrangements until one week ahead. But that's just me.
But creating a list of probables is a good idea, so once its starts firming up its easier to let them know whats going on. Just a simple copy/paste add your name list
I would love to get involved if you guys don't mind me slowing you down :Woot: but that weekend might be an issue - Anything April - End of July would work though!
In England there aren't any bank holidays between the end of May and the end of August, unfortunately. If the August one is out because of the Donington MotoGP, how about the late May one? That is (only!) six months away.
I can't do mid July unfortunately as I have another bike trip booked, but the end of May Bank Holiday is currently do-able for me
