GTR Owners Meet 2013 (Europe)

[Martin#30]

I vote for over the alps, down to Rome and tie in with the Italian MotoGP round at Mugello - usually late June.

You've not lived until you have experienced 100,000 italians with unsilenced chainsaw engines revving their support for the Doctor 

Martin.

Edit: split from the UK 2013 meet here: http://www.gtr1400.co.uk/forums/index.php/topic,1830.0.html

[Debs]

Can I make a suggestion of going to Brittany..

I have just spent a week at the www.gites-de-kerlun.com

Mickey and her husband are both bikers and moved to France 8 years ago.. The accommodation is awesome and very comfortable.

Some great biking roads in the area with lots of places to also visit..

We travelled over on LD Lines from Pompy to Le Havre. It was the best sailing times to suit everyone..

Its an idea if you fancy using the bike for whats its built for 

I have also been to Hungary on my baby all on my own. My GTR ran like a dream.. Now thats what you call a mile muncher....

Debs

[BigAlan]

Take a look at

http://biker-hotel-harz.de/

In the German Harz region, others reckon second to none.

Free rideouts as well.

Alan

[Debs]

Talking of Germany. Here is a place that I stayed at with 20+ other bikers.. Its not to far from the Nurburgring either and has some great biking roads.

http://www.amtunnel.de/

Hosts lovely and are also bikers and have lots and lots of lovely accommodation.

[uk9876]

Hi all as i am new to the site and the GTR just got it over the 1000 mile mark so it run in now  .

I have been to to the  :rolleyes:German Harz region and can say it a great area to go biking best way to describe it like the alps but not big or busy.

As for the UK how about a trip to Scotland may be be the last chance before we need passports or maybe a visa.

[2kwacks]

well I would defo be up for a alps tour grenoble is a excellent base for the french and swiz alps. but this would need to be a minimum of 7 days with a stop over on route and return, possible "Reims" heading down and possible "st quentin" for the return for a approx 2 hour ride to cali next morning. this would give us 3 full days to enjoy the alps and it's breath taking scenery that surrounds grenoble and the alps but is this just wishful thinking..!! suppose torquay would do at a push

[BigAlan]

Oh i forgot, Belgium.

http://www.grd.be/bikersloft/

Have been 11 times, you ride your bike into the hotel and park it, then you can visit places such as Ypres etc

Ostend in the evening can be rocking.

Alan

[Boomer]

Oh i forgot, Belgium.
http://www.grd.be/bikersloft/
Have been 11 times, you ride your bike into the hotel and park it, then you can visit places such as Ypres etc
Ostend in the evening can be rocking.
Alan

I've been some 30 times over the last 15+ years.
Great place and Ivan (the owner) is a great guy but the riding around there is DULL.
Flat, straight, and the speed limits are WAY too slow due to the spread of housing along most roads.
The south of Belgium is better as people stay clustered in villages.
The roads are twisty and up and down, but the road surfaces can be crap.

In the UK how about Kendal or Sedburgh? That way we can go west for the Lakes and East for the Dales, north for Teasdale/Weardale and south for Morecambe/Blackpool for the "beachies". 
We would need to make certain that it wasn't during "Tourist" season though. 

[Debs]

Ive been to the bikerloft in Ostend and I thought it was an over priced shithole.. €58 for a room that  looks like an old office room with a bed and dirty sofa.. No en-suite and shower block in the middle of the warehouse.. Yes warehouse! Its a converted industrial unit.. No WIFI either and the staff were not the best.. Also had to cook my own food that was pre wrapped in trays from the fridge..

I would never stay there again.. For less money I could have stayed in a proper hotel with better facilities

[Hans]

...why not boat over to Esbjerg (from Harwich) - then south to Harz (Germany) for staying with Simon (UK) at Hotel Harmonie. (http://biker-hotel-harz.de). We could even team up with the german GTR1400 group - if possible?

[Hans]

I reckon there are some brilliant suggestions for gathering/meetings. and I'm all in favour of a continental tour

However this is a U.K meeting and as such I firmly believe that it should be held in the U.K..

Harrogate is nice... can we go to Bettys Tea Room...mmmmmmmmmm lovely grub 

Hmmm....why? Any meetings within the "UK GTR Forum" can be held around the world - And it will surely be obvious to meet with other GTR owners, if one moves beyond its own little island called "England". 

I have repeatedly taken part in a European meeting of Hayabusa owners. Here we met like-minded people from many different countries. It now has become an annual event held every year in Germany. We do not have to make it bigger and more difficult, so one may well inquire, German and Dutch "collection" might be interested in participating.

[Lonewolf]

Last year in the early stages of planning for this years meet there was lots of hype about people wanting to go to Europe for the meet. If people want to go to Europe and can get permission from their other halves for the trip and time off work, then that's brilliant but don't underestimate the UK. We genuinely had a terrific time in the Cotswolds and I would say it was a huge success.

[Mogster]

Last year in the early stages of planning for this years meet there was lots of hype about people wanting to go to Europe for the meet. If people want to go to Europe and can get permission from their other halves for the trip and time off work, then that's brilliant but don't underestimate the UK. We genuinely had a terrific time in the Cotswolds and I would say it was a huge success.

Rather than have a Europe meet, why not have a late-ish season trip...... keep the UK official meet fer earlier in the year and go somewhere in Europe in late September, the weather (hahahaha) is usually ok and the prices aren't to bad either....

For example, you could do Le Mans... Newhaven to Dieppe ..either drive down Friday morn if you's close enough, or stay at the Prem Inn, 2 mins from the port... the crossing is about 3 and a half hours on the 'Vomit Comet'  and cost about £50.

The route to Le Mans aint bad 175 miles and it can be made 'interesting' .... Rooms at the Ibis in Le mans are about 120 euro for the weekend, secure parking, and then you can spend the saturday wandering about the town if you want to 'get a bit of culture doen ya neck' or take the tram to the circuit and wander round the museum..... also you can ride the road bit of the Le Mans 24hour track too 
Then on the sunday tis a nice run back.....lunch at Rouon... there's a nice resturant next to the Cathederal ... and home ..... Jobs a good un!

It's dead easy to organise these sorts of trips, as some of you might remember I organise 2 of them a year..... Septembers one is on Friday 21 Sep to Mon 24 Sep 4 days and we are going to Dives Sur Mer.... via Eurotunnel and a nice Hoon...err ride  down the coast road..

Mogs

[Ros]

Well.... My folks have a place in the south of France it has quite a bit of land. They have one house on there and there is another which is independant. If a few of you fancied it, I could try and persuade the oldies to allow a bunch of hairy GTR owners to camp out on there for a few days...

Late in the summer is best. Fewer tourists and slightly less heat! Plenty of monumental roads around including les Gourges de Verdon. Some lakes, 30 clicks from St Tropez and Frejus....

No promises but i could check it out if there is some interest.  They like to be paid in wine, and there are plenty of wineries around :)

Lemme know and I'll try...

@@@ sorry Asif - should've waited for your new Euro thread... @@@

[Kwikasfuki]

@@@ sorry Asif - should've waited for your new Euro thread... @@@

All done now!