First Ride in Ardennes
 

Hi all, after reading this site for ages I am finally beginning the plans for my own major trip in the future. For now I'm still tied to the grindstone and am practicing with some short European trips to begin with. J
First up is the Ardennes, starting Easter weekend arriving Calais 10am and then aiming for Sedan first night. Plan for day 2 is an amble up to La Roche en Ardennes. After this we have 5 days before home to London. My girlfriend and I are 2 up on a Bonneville, I would love to hear of any good routes, roads, towns, rural campsites, pretty historic hotels that you can recommend if you have done similar. Thanks, be good.

Belgium
 

Am American, living in Belgium, let me know when you're coming, and maybe I can ride with you...Hope you speak better French than me...

:welcome:

Hi Josh,

I live in Arlon, in the south east corner of Belgium.
I would be glad to ride with you and show you some nice places, but I will be back from a short trip the 24th april only.
Contact me if it's ok for you.

Hi,

Here are soms links to tripreports of trips in that area . There may be something usefull in it for you.
It is a very nice area to ride a bike as long as you are not in the middle of the tourist season. (to many cars and caravans)

http://www.xs4all.nl/~jkrijt/trips/lux2010/index.shtml
http://www.xs4all.nl/~jkrijt/trips/ard07/index.shtml
http://www.xs4all.nl/~jkrijt/trips/lux2005/index.shtml
http://www.xs4all.nl/~jkrijt/trips/lux2001/index.shtml

Have ridden through the Ardennes a few times on way to Germany - plenty of good roads, can't say exactly as passing thru.....
BUT can recommend just over the german border - Trier - ancient (roman onwards) city within an easy ride of La Roche.

Michelin road atlas of Germany includes Belgium and has scenic routes marked (green border to road)

Hi,
I'm living in the Northern part of Belgium but the Ardennes is like our backyard. It's a great place to make motorbike trips !
The Sedan region is the best part of the Ardennes ! I would recommand to take a detailed roadmap and look for the nice twisty roads !
Around Bouillon (a touristic but very nice town) there are plenty of hotels.
You also have a spectaculair vieuw over the river "Semois" and the small town of Frahan in a place called "Rochehaut". It's a fantastic ride and the vieuw is very nice !
Just explore all the small and bigger roads in France & Belgium in that region.
You won't regret it.

There was a nice little hotel called "auberge ardennaise" in very small town called Dohan (close to Bouillon) where we've stayed a few years ago. Bikes could stay in the garage and there is a nice cosy restaurant with fireplace ! :-)
website :auberge-ardennaise.eu
It has been a few years since I've been there, so perhaps first check if there is still this garage available...

Another nice point of interest is the abbey of Orval. it's a very beautiful abbey and also a very scenic drive towards it.

The town of Dinant is also not to be missed. It's a fun drive along the "Meusse" if you are coming from the south. And a very nice town.

If you like busy places with hunderds of motorbikes... then "Durbuy" and "La Roche" are the places you should go to on a Sunday afternoon. But, be prepared for the crowd (if the weather is nice)

Further on there are really hunderds of nice little towns, cosy café's, beautifull roads,... But, keep in mind that the asfalt is not that good in the Ardennes. Specially short after winter.

In the neighbouring country of Luxembourg the asfalt is smooth and it's also superb to drive around.
Look on the map for the road from Wiltz to Kautenbach and further to Wilwerwitz for example... :scooter:

Don't stick on the mainroads but try to take the smaller roads (both in Luxembourg and the Ardennes). No traffic and loads of fun !!

if you have further questions ... just send me an email !

have fun !!!
Peter

Great info, thanks for this, appreciate it

[quote=skin;325419]Hi,
I'm living in the Northern part of Belgium but the Ardennes is like our backyard. It's a great place to make motorbike trips !
The Sedan region is the best part of the Ardennes ! I would recommand to take a detailed roadmap and look for the nice twisty roads !
Around Bouillon (a touristic but very nice town) there are plenty of hotels.
You also have a spectaculair vieuw over the river "Semois" and the small town of Frahan in a place called "Rochehaut". It's a fantastic ride and the vieuw is very nice !
Just explore all the small and bigger roads in France & Belgium in that region.
You won't regret it.

Peter - thanks for this, Bouillon was somewhere I had looked into so having that re-affirmed is awesome - really looking forward to it. Not to keen on the busy parts so am looking forward to some quiet scenic bits. Thanks again

Hi, Ardennes is a place that is covered with the dense forests and is a great place to visit. You may visit Musee Curtius as it consists of good crafts exhibitions and Orval Abbey also. There are many such wonderful places to visit and i am sure you will have great fun.