Started looking at online maps, get an idea, and no idea how to know if the roads are toll or not. Any tips? For contexts, looking at crossing France on more scenic route on way to Germany rather than the bloomin Brussels route
Route planner: driving directions and walking route planner - ViaMichelin Allows you to avoid toll roads, take scenic routes etc... but not avoid motorways altogether
Use D roads Brad. Or Departemente as they are known. These are not toll. Most autoroutes are but to be honest i use them in small sections to get from one D road to another and it costs pennies not pounds. The D roads are for the most part empty and quite scenic as they take you through the wee towns and villages etc.
Motorways cost in France, Spain, Italy. They are free in Germany, UK, Belgium. In Switzerland you have to cough up CHF40 (about £25) and then you can use them as much as you want for a year. That's about it, toll-road wise. There isn't anything else much worth knowing. There are a few bits of toll bridges, or a toll pass (Austrian border, from memory) but it's just peanuts. There are a couple of toll tunnels too, like the Mont Blanc tunnel, or the St-Bernard tunnel. Yes, the secret to happy biking in France is the D roads. Over the years, the French have "improved" their roads, the RNs (routes nationales) so that they are now often dual carriageways, straight, well-surfaced, fast and boring. The gendarmes can always be found on them with their speed traps and laser binoculars. This is annoying as you might find yourself not much shy of 100 mph on a long trip when you are trying to make up some ground... So by far the better option is to take the D roads - less traffic, more scenic, more corners, more fun.
Theyre D roads are better than our A roads by some margin. My only complaint would be signage. You need to know where you want to go and what towns and villages you will pass through on the way. Signage is usually local only, thus you need to plan town to town. Gendarmes in my experience generally encourage you to wheelie and speed. The French are nuts. But in a lovely way. Ive had motorists practically mount the verge to move over for me. They are an encouraging people. I love them.
On the one hand we are told that the French are draconian in their policing yet on the other it is a fantastic country for biking. Given that half the fun of biking is in going fast does it simply break down to the clasification of the roads you chose to ride ? Chose Autoroutes and RN's and you will get thrown in jail and your bike crushed, chose D's and you can hoon to your heart's content if you obey a few simple rules such as slow down through towns and villages ?
That's pretty much how I see it. You can't guarantee you won't be done on a D road, but the chances are a lot slimmer if you are sensible. The French used to have a horrific mortality rate on the roads, and it was only normal and right that they tried to do something about it. They have indeed brought it down drastically, since Sarkozy (before he became president) got tough on speeding and drink driving. So in the last few years, it has got tougher for bikers on French roads. But France remains a large and fairly unpopulated place and you won't be bothered most of the time. But if you think you are going to speed all day on trunk roads, you can forget it. Choose the right roads and they will be twisty. You won't be going at Warp 7 in any case.
The other thing I'm finding is ipad, maps and planning down work! Dont think you can beat good old paper maps, or a large screen!
Yes. They're fast. But just don't take the piss basically. Remember they're rural. Theres tractors and the odd bit of farm mud.
Yes. Cross to Calais in the morning, ride to Cochem by 6 pm or so same day easily, assuming you get on with it. If you faff about, stop for lunch etc not so much. Not Brussels: Lille - Liege - Prum.
I absolutely love riding in France. Observe the speed limits through towns & villages (you will often get a wave in the evenings from the old guys) but on open country roads you can send it on a bit as long as you don't ride like a twat.
