just got myself a suzuki gsx 600f
me an a mate looking at taking the bikes across to france possibly aug / sept for a week and doing a bit of camping
we possably looking for a site that hire the tents that are already set up ( saves lugging loads a stuff with us ) to use as a base and just chill and ride out to different places
anyone ever done this and can recomend anywhere
Why camp if it’s already set up?
Hostels are cheap.
Check your oil pipes that go to your oil cooler 1st - near to your exhaust downpipes - they’re quite likely to go at some point, mine did on my 750f, and my mates just have on his 600f.
I think it’s partly the rubber perishing over time and partly made worse by the heat from the downpipes, but either way, it’s not nice having all your engine oil pumping all over your engine, frame, tyre(s) etc
Nice comfy bike though, quite reliable too, keep an eye on the brakes and those oil pipes, regular oil changes and you should be fine.
thanks for the advise on the bike
we just looking into it at moment never thought of hostels but never stopped in one so dont know what there like
just looking for somewhere to take the bikes and thought camping sounded good n cheap lol
■■■■ camping just adlib it.
See were you end up. Probly turn in to the best break you’ve ever had.
Done it a couple of times but the last time was 15 years ago. Went from Portsmouth to France, can’t remember which port and then to La Rochelle. Stayed in a hotel and then went to one of these tents already set up in SW France near Biarritz. Had loads of rides all over the place into the Pyrennes.
Did a trip in northern Germany the year before and ended up in Berlin and it was freezing cold and lashing down.
I wouldn’t want to travel on a bike and then camp. If you get wet on your journey then you stay wet and have no facilities to dry out. Some do but not my cup of tea.
These key camp types are good enough but not that cheap, convenient I’d say.
Try this website for a guide on places and prices :
beds4bikers.com/
High season now, so expect some hefty prices, avoid August if can - French Hols time.
Failing else, take a decent lightweight 2 man tent a piece and a doss bag and use the French Municipal campsites' for approx 15-20 euros a night, they are cheaper, or others camp sites on route/arrival. Plenty to choose from if you get off the Auto-routes. Its sometimes worth stopping at a rural farm or two and asking, and bung em 10euros/night if you dont mind ruffing it. obliging sometimes. Fresh milk too , just mind the cowpats :open_mouth: :laughing: :laughing: Campsites generally dont tend to be signposted off Auto-routes - mainly on the N routes ( Nationals) and near towns and odd villages.
Tip:-
If you do use individual campsites,or the main one/s , they will always ask you for a “carte identity” @ the reception when booking on site,
Show them your photocard licence and NOT your passport, - unless they really insist on it,
that way - they will and have to hand it back to you, otherwise if you show them your Passport - they may retain it till you leave as security for being English /British (delete as appropriate)…> don`t ask me why > but that has been my experience over many years of travelling there.
You should Never let them hold onto your passport, you may need it if stopped and it is a Valuable document .
Avoid the one at Dijon central, the owner is a miserable old cow and its a nightmare mossie ridden she-ite hole 
Depending where your aiming for and how far south/east or west your going - give yourself plenty of time - its a fair old treck - take plenty of rest breaks or site seeing. Drink plenty of bottled water (cheap at the supermarkets).
Use the Supermarkets (Supermarche) for your main shopping, and the village local for your bread sticks and croissants.
Get up early for your french stick and croissants and pain chocolats :wink: they sell out quick and are closed just before midday. Nowt worse than yesterdays crusty loaf. :unamused: If its market day in the town , use the stalls for good cheap fresh produce, and the fresh peaches are lovely
Always take some mosquito repellent for the tent, the mossies love grassed areas where there is water or lakes close by.
Keep your fuel tank topped up regularly - fuel stations can sometimes be miles apart.
If you choose to use overnight/few night stop campsites, check the gate closure times , dont want to leave bike outside if can.
Good luck and happy hols , you will love it . Ride safe and ride free . 
Hi, hope you enjoy it, you are making me very jealous, just a tip on fuel, motorway prices are atrocious, when you need fuel, get off the main roads and buy at the local supermarche, nearly all have petrol pumps and nearly all of them now take British credit and debit cards, as do the peage’s if you try the motorway.
Ride safe
Sapper
wigan:
just got myself a suzuki gsx 600fme an a mate looking at taking the bikes across to france possibly aug / sept for a week and doing a bit of camping
we possably looking for a site that hire the tents that are already set up ( saves lugging loads a stuff with us ) to use as a base and just chill and ride out to different placesanyone ever done this and can recomend anywhere
Try Haven or Keycamp they have large tents already erected all over France and if you go September it’ll be dirt cheap probably less than £ 500 between you and that’ll include a Dover to Calais crossing.
South of France is fantastic but a long way just for a week. Maybe head towards the Alps somewhere.
when we do our bike trips, we now use http://www.hotelf1.com for the one night stops, some are £25 a night for three of you.
I did a trip around france and spain in aug, we took the tent and after the second night of using the tent we relised that a hotel worked out cheaper or sometimes the same price or a little more.
when we do the big trip on the bikes we try and book a villa for the week as that works out cheaper as well. but depends if the trip is traveling around or just to get to a place.
Hiya…first of all have a great time,… the don’t go in August is right, the towns are all closed
or the campsites are all full. theirs a company called euro camp( tents all made up) you can move from
site to site and keep moving on…as someone said their’s alot of france to see, so going for just one week
you’ll not cover that much of the country. we go twice each year 10 weeks, but use a motorhome now,
i should take one of my bikes on a trailer.we use a couple of municiple site’s which only cost 8 euro’s with leccy.
try and lean just a few words of french. if you try a little they will try with you, if you screem at them
in english, the’ll blank you even if the can speak english.one thing the beer is expensive in bar’s.
i paid 12 euro’s for a litre with lunch one dinner time. beer’s cheap in supermarche but you can’t carry much
on you bike, then again you don’t want to be p…d do you if your on the bike…book 2 nights at one camp
and have a session.
john
I go abroad 2-3 times a year on the bike, I do camp but mainly at bike rallies. If you have limited carrying capacity on the bike it is not much dearer to stay in Formula 1 motels or b&b. Their are quite a few bike dedicated b&b’s but you normally have to pre book most of them. I use eurotunnel quite a lot, it’s about £65-70 return at that time of year, dearer than the ferries but easier to use with a bike and a lot less out of your day. Aim for about 400mls or so a day if you’re on a sports bike any more and your backside will need a day to recover 
Have a nice trip, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.
Been on a few biking hols to & thru France, great country with plenty of variety. I usually turn off motorway when I’m knackered and you normally see signs for campsites within a few miles, the ones I’ve found varied from average to very good, cheap to expensive, it’s a case of pot luck.
As in the other posts I’ve also stayed in F1 and Etap hotels, usually found near motorway exits and quite cheap as well.
Have fun.
We always Ibis hotels as we find them good value and we don’t like roughing it, getting too old. But we’ve used F1 and some local hotels can be cheap. The French are brilliant and very helpful but do have a go at learning a bit, my attempts at french usually makes them laugh if nothing else. Motorbike shops when I’ve needed them have been brilliant and cheap. As has been said try and avoid August and enjoy.
Let me recommend in the Dordogne. Camping Moto Dordogne and a bit further south in Beauville between the Lot and Garonne, Camping Les2Lacs, if you want a bit of carp fishing and lovely biking roads.
Both owned by Dutch people and just brilliant.
try bradley wiggins 
Could you try one of these? Pretty small but could be easily stored I would think? Obviously you would need to secure it to the bike somehow.
Firstly it would be better if you had an idea of what you want to see, and where you want to go, how far your willing to ride each day. Along with how much your willing to spend.
Knowing info this may help us to help you. Remember youll need to allow 1 day either side of the trip to get to/from the train/ferry crossing the channel, so that will reduce your range into France **Secondly**: are you using a GPS to find your way from A to B? if you are try downloading and installing the Archies Campings POIs archiescampings.eu/downloadpage/ onto your GPS, the database is a very comprehensive list of campsites across Europe. Even if your winging it, towards the end of the day you could set the GPS to take you to the nearest campsite. Also if your camping, you need to allow time at the beginning and end of each day to pitch & pack up your tents. But remember European campsites charge on the basis of Per person, per bike & per tent,
so it can work out as expensive for 2 as staying in a B&B or a cheap hotel. Which brings me to the option of using
formule 1, hotelformule1.com/gb/home/index.shtml
Etap or Ibis hotels accorhotels.com/gb/united-ki … ndex.shtml or
using Logis du France hotels & B&Bs [logishotels.com/en.html](http://www.logishotels.com/en.html). Also a previously mentioned, take a look at YHA youth hostels [syha.org.uk/](http://www.syha.org.uk/) which is cheaper than the English equivalent to join **Thirdly**: IF you are camping buy yourself a copy of The Michelin camping France guidebook [mapsman.com/](http://www.mapsman.com/) as a source of suitable map sets Having good travel insurance, and breakdown insurance is essential, be aware that some travel insurance doesnt cover you for motorbikes over 125cc. Others such as the post office and M&S do cover you, so long as you are suitably attired and hold the correct licence. Also thinking outside the box, the German equivalent to the AA/RAC called ADAC offer combined personnel and vehicle cover for €79.50 adac.de/mitgliedschaft/adac_ … x#ank84037 and it comes highly rated (I have it ) if your interested in this PM me and I`ll tell you how to get hold of it, as the online process is in German. But does cover you for 12 months (annual multi trip) in any vehicle up to a camper van (motorbike, car etc)
Having your bike serviced before you leave is a good idea, as is fitting a new set of tyres
to give you an idea whats possible, IF you like to stretch you legs **This year Im going**:
Zeebrugge via Dijon to Annecy via AutoRoute (I have a libre-t toll tag to make the passage easier)
Annecy (to the top of the Route De grande alps via) maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8 … baad186f15
Briancon to Nice (staying in a YHA €21 p/n) The tour de france will be in town that day & our paths will cross 
from Nice catching a ferry to Corsica 6 days riding the mountain passes Taking in Col de Palmerella and Col del la Croix and 7 other cols before ending in Bastia
Bastia catching the morning ferry to Livorno & onto Fiesole Florence via Pisa, the piaggio museum cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cem … 20CEMETERY
Riva Del garda (Up from the lake to Nauders taking in Crocedomeni, Gavia passes & Stelvio pass (West > East)
Naunders (Back upto the top of Stelvio (east > West) we then take a right over Umbrail pass - a section of Furka and Grimsel passes, ending the day by the Eiger
Grindelwald 2 nights - Trip up Eiger or Jungfrau - Chillin and Drinking
Munster (Fr) This should take me through the Black forest before stopping at Munster
Combles 2 nights at somme-battlefields.com/battl … 6_a_albert and the Serre road cemeteries nearby as I have an interest in the history of the Pals regiments
Before heading back to Zeebrugge for the ferry home
The trip is around 22 days, 3000 miles, and will probably cost me €1.75K in accommodation alone, and fuel >€1K
GasGas:
Seeadventurebikerider.com/forum.html
You don’t have to own a BMW GSA to join this site
I`d probably advise the OP to take a look at ukgser.com/forums/
its a font of wisdom with many routes and places to go
Top notch advice there Pierre. The only slight problem I’d have with that is that many bikers are by the very nature free spirited and all that may seem a little “structured” way of doing things. Personally when I’ve gone biking around the continent I’ve not even taken a map, just an innate understanding of where North,South,East and West are and just ridden where the road took me for as far as I wanted, stop for the night, andvrepeat the next day for two weeks.
Ok granted, I may have missed some great things, but I’m sure I saw many great things too.
Each to their own is the beauty of it I suppose.
Oh, to the op, not sure if it’s been mentioned but a MUST is good breakdown cover which will get you home and also health insurance with repatriation cover should the unthinkable happen.
thanks for all the reply’s and links everyone keep them coming
another thing is what do you need to carry with the bike as i know the french police can be a bit fine happy with british reg vehicles
peirre … that sounds absolutly fantastic and will probably one day look into something like that
this trip is just a couple of mates taking their bikes over the water somewhere different and chilling out , we not bothered about big distances as its only for a week and seeing what its like then possibly do a good decent one the year after
from what ive seen on here and tinternet so far we might just go and do the b&b’s and hotels
we got a bit of time yet to plan it so will keep looking and reading and eventually go for the best option