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Trip to Switzerland advice please

  • Thread starter AndyXXV
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AndyXXV

Guest
By the way rovert tj, I'm lucky enough to have some friends in Sion so I'll be staying with them.
 
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ROVERT TJ

Guest
Hi mikew

how long did it take you to reach Interlaken doing your route I only have a week
 
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stevetyler

Guest
Hi Andy

I'm a new member so not many posts but I can certainly recommend the route suggested by MIKEW. I've done it many times, usually enroute to Lauterbrunnen (well worth visiting whilst in Switzerland). Only the bit after Pontarlier is different. I'd be tempted to use the autoroute until just before Chalon but I haven't used the N44 so maybe thats good. I can recommend overnighting in Langres which is a very pleasant walled town with a few hotels and restaurants.

Be sure to visit Zermatt whilst you're in the Valais area. If you are at all into Climbing or Alpine history it really is the place to be, plus the view of the Matterhorn takes your breath away.

You're sure to have a great trip. I'm going to the Alps in August on the 'bird and I can't wait

Cheers
Steve
 
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mikew

Guest
ROVERT TJ said:
Hi mikew

how long did it take you to reach Interlaken doing your route I only have a week

We caught the 0700 channel tunnel train (easy, cos it weren't moving at the time) arrived 08:30 local in france, and rode all day, arriving in Interlaken at 19:45 the same day.

We had three different types of bikes (2x TRX850, 1xFZR600 and my VFR750), so we decided to stop for fuel at the first petrol station we came to after every 100 miles (the FZR was a thirsty bugger), that way we didn't run the risk of anyone running out.
I have to say that had I been on my own, I probably would have taken a couple of hours off the time, one of the guys was a bit "slow", mostly at the fuel stops TBH, where he would insist in taking all of his riding gear off and wandering around whilst we all fuelled up. On the road he liked to observe the speed limits occasionally.

We stopped for a hour in Bescanon for a lunch by the river.

It is a good days ride, but not a exhausting one, especially on a Bird.

mike
 
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bendelfont

Guest
trip

Hi Andy,

I'm going down to Switzerland on the am of Sun 10th June, if that coincides with you at all, I'd welcome the company (returning on Sun 17th). I've done it once before, and I stopped in Metz, which was a pretty nice town. This time I'm going to try and make it to Interlaken on the autoroutes in one day - encouraging to hear other people have done it. Definitely do Furka, Grimsel etc. - they're incredible. You can walk on the Rhone Glacier somewhere around there...

A really good book is "Motorcycle Journeys Through The Alps" by John Hermann, and as someone else mentioned, www.alpineroads.com is great. The Vosges option on that site is worth doing if you have the time.

Advice would be don't pack too heavy, it can really make the cornering less fun. Get breakdown cover - I used AA breakdown cover, and indeed needed to use it... don't break down in a service station in France as they can only recover you to a bike garage from off the motorway, not from a service station!!! Bizarre! Lesson I learnt from this- Make sure the battery in your alarm fob is not close to running out before you go abroad! sh1tehppns


Also,watch the police close to ferry terminals...

The Susten pass is also beautiful, you need to buy a vignette when you hit the Swiss border, if you want to use their motorways. I gather that if you have a satnav with Swiss speed cameras on you get into trouble... At higher altitudes, your bike might lose a degree of power, especially if it's a carb model, but this is normal...

It's really incredible scenery, drive at your own pace, don't forget to remind yourself each morning before you get on your bike all bleary eyed - "Drive on the right, drive on the right...!"

PM or email me bendelfont@bluebottle.com if you're going through or back through France at the same time...
 
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mlillywh

Guest
I did Switzerland last year - 9 days of super hot riding - 35C most days

I would HIGHLY recommend the twist St Bernards pass from Switzerland to Italy - really quite spectacular

There are also 2 other passes toward east switzerland which were cool - the Susten pass and the Furker (ahem) pass

We threaded a route between the 3 and it was biking heaven

Top tip - do the passes on a weekday if u can - weekends are busy as, especially with nutter push bikes!!
 
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