Gorges & Mountains

 

The Pyrenees is the mountain range which creates a natural border between France and Spain, located in southwest Europe and cover the East to the West with Andorra crammed somewhere in between. Typically they are divided into three sections, The west, The Central and the Eastern Pyrenees and is home to the very famous Col Du Tourmalet, the highest road in the Central Pyrenees and is probably the most famous climb in the Tour De France. 

 

Now, heres the good news. We get to ride them East to West in what can be only described as heaven on earth for motorcycles. Stunning Scenery, majestic mountains and the roads of the Pyrenees, whilst challenging, will see you grinning and smiling from ear to ear. 

 

We shall arrive in the historic town of Caen, known for its historic buildings much of which was destroyed during the battle of Normandy in 1944, it is also the resting place of William the Conqueror. Arriving just before lunch, we shall travel south west into the Brandy region of france, Cognac where shall stay in a friendly family run hotel which features a relaxing courtyard very near to local bars and restaurants.

 

Moving on we head further south to Sailles de Bearn, our base for three nights which we use to explore the wonderful mountain range of the Pyrenees. Having enjoyed the last few days your holiday is far from over as we make are way east to west across the Pyrenees, the Col Du Tourmalet before finally reaching our next hotel. Here for a further three nights a vibrant town to enjoy, but more importantly the Millau Viaduct and the Gorge Du Tarn await.

 

 

 

An early start today as we catch an early ferry from Portsmouth to Caen where we shall arrive arrive late morning before starting our journey south west to the Brandy region of Cognac. We do have some ground to cover today so we will use the faster road network passing Le Mans, home of the famous 24 hour race, Tours and Poitiers before arriving in Cognac our first nights stopover. 

 

After a long day, your evening is free to relax and unwind in this pleasant place. Our hotel is located very near to local bars and restaurants where you can sample some local dishes along with a Brandy or two. 

 

Weather permitting we enjoy a leisurely breakfast in the courtyard of the hotel before packing up and starting the next leg of our journey. Avoiding motorways wherever possible other than to bypass Bordeaux, we shall be using mainly french D roads and some faster N roads to get to our next destination. Our route will take us through the the Landes de Gascogne natural parc before reaching Salies De Bearn, " The City of Salt "

 

One of the most beautiful small towns in Bearn, it is a vibrant colourful place with old houses lining the square which give it a unique character that takes you deep into the history of the city and typical half timbered houses line the narrow streets. Our hotel is an 18th century building  which sits in the heart of the town and for the next three nights our evening meal will be provided for us. Giving you the opportunity to relax unpack and enjoy "The Salt City".

 

Day Off: (Optional) Today is a guided ride out where we head for the hills so to speak, and start the climb into the Pyrenees Atlantiques. We will be out all day however, we do have plenty of stops for rest breaks. photo opportunities and a decent lunch break. Our route will take you through Oloron Sainte Marie,  Arudy and Eaux Bonnes before reaching Lac d'Estaing.

 

Descending to the east of the Pyrenees we shall pass though Luz Saint Sauveur, Bareges and Bagneres du Luchon before the final leg back to our hotel hotel with mileage today being circa 200 miles.   

 

Day Off: (Optional) The second of our guided days will take us across the border where we again get to ride some more fantastic roads on the other side of the Pyrenees in northern Spain. Again same format as previously plenty of breaks, stops and photo opportunities before arriving back at our hotel in plenty of time to freshen up and relax before dinner. 

 

Time now to say goodbye to  Salies de Bearn, however our time together is far from over with lots more to look forward too. A short stint on the motorway, just under an hour, before we once again head back into the Pyrenees and follow the route east. For all you Tour De France fans today we shall be riding the Col Du Tourmalet, the highest road in the Central Pyrenees before stopping in Bagneres Du Luchon. Continuing our journey we have more fantastic roads in our midst passing through the Arlegeoises to Saint Girons  and then onwards to our next base for a further three nights. Albi is an up and coming French city which was pretty much untouched during the 100 years war and house lots of bars restaurants and history to keep you entertained.

 

Day Off: The Millau Viaduct is the tallest vehicular bridge in the world and spans the River Tarn and was designed by british and french architects. Our ride out today takes us to the bridge which we are sure you will find impressive. After a decent break a coffee and bite to eat we shall continue our day and drop into the lower corniche of the Gorge and follow the River Tarn before heading for the Village of Florac which sits in the heart of the Des Cevenne National Parc. Again you won't be disappointed, good biking roads and spectacular scenery are the order of the day. 

 

Day Off: Our last free day together before we start our journey back to the west coast of France to catch our ferry home. You can either choose to join us on our last ride into the Languedoc National Parc, offering more of the tree lined twisties to Lac de la Raviege that will all love and enjoy returning back to our hotel mid to late afternoon 

 

We leave the Cevenne and the Mllau Viaduct behind us as we make our back to Cognac, the Brandy region of France. Like the Champagne region, the Brandy has to be made in a particular way in order for it to be honoured with the Cognac name. Our route back will be a mixture of national and motorway roads before finally reaching our final destination giving us another chance to spend the evening together.

 

Time to say our goodbyes as we retrace our steps back to the port of Caen to catch our ferry home. An opportunity to swap numbers emails etc and say goodbye to your new found friends. Your holiday ends arriving in Portsmouth late evening where we wish you a safe and onward journey.

 

Cognac - Brandy Region

"City of Salt" - Salies De Bearn

Atlantiques Pyrenees

Spanish Mountains

Bagneres Du Luchon

Bagneres Du Bignores

Col Du Tourmalet

Millau Bridge

Cevennes National Parc

Gorge Du Tarn.

 

** Due to the nature of departure and arrival times from and back to Portsmouth, please advise if you would like additional accommodation arranging prior to departure and return to the UK.**