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...