France/Spain trip - bike safe stop overs
 

Hi everyone.

My question is can any of you seasoned travellers tell me of places I can stay in France and Spain without worrying about my bike getting pinced or as my mum says me "getting kidnapped"!

My route is:

On way:
Day one stay over in Bordeaux
Day two stay in Lloret De Mar
3 and 4 with nan
On way back
Day 5 stay somewhere near Lourdes (Fr)
Day 6 stay in La Rochelle

Any bike safe places to recommend?

My first trip abroad so any hints/tips most welcome, in particular places to stay in these areas slatned towards bike security.

Ta very much

You could try the Villages Hotels group, if within your budget, and I'm sure it would give yourself and mother peace of mind.
Most, if not all, have secure overnight parking, you can check-in at any time using credit card (good if you arrive late).
Rooms are generally clean, private facilities and you can get breakfast.
There is a website so you can plan, and/or prebook your accommodation.

http://www.villages-hotel.com/
You might also find some usefull links here:
www.4x4-travel.co.uk
Go to the links page.
Kevin

La rochelle

We were three nights here - a bit out of town -10 mins walking - has a car park at the side with a gate that is closed at night.

Francis EYBERG [savary-hotel@wanadoo.fr]

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.. no gods .. precious few heroes.

[This message has been edited by XRM (edited 14 March 2006).]

thank you for the recommendations....most appreciated...

My wife and I run a BnB near Parthenay ( about 60 miles from La Rochelle, we have undercover parking ( its a farm ) We are on a D road (D938) which is much used as a shortcut avoing the peages http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/smile.gif to Samur/le Mans. contact me if you ( or anyone else is interested)

[This message has been edited by oldbmw (edited 15 March 2006).]

Any time I was in France on the bike I just turned up at 2 star hotels without booking, always got accomodtaion and they were always willing to bend over backwards to look after the bike as well. God I miss the place think I'll go and book something now...!!

Electric Monk - sounds good. What was the latest you could just turn up?!

I just rode through france staying at Formule 1 hotels. They're cheap and clean, but hardly memorable holiday venues! Good if you're just passing through though.
In terms of security many have a gate that's locked at night, the little booklet you can pick up in them tells you which ones.
From a security point of view I always feel safest camping as the bike is only ever 2 feet away!
Matt

Hey Meeks

Most times would have tried to find somewhere at around 4 or 5 in the afternoon, the only time we had a problem finding somewhere the people who were turning us away were always trying to find us somewhere to stay and in the end we stayed in a litle country guesthouse which turned out to be the best place we stayed.
The french attitude to motorcyclists is "I wish that was me, good luck to you".
my advice is to stay away from the beaten track and tenjoy the hospitality.

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The electric monk always has faith.

If you feel more secure by planning your route and stops beforehand, then use the internet to plan your stops. Most chains in France such as Campanile or Ibis give enough info as to whether they have secure parking or not. If you are a bit more adventurous then take a chance and start looking from around 5pm. Most French cities have large billboards on their approach advertising their hotels and most chains like this are around 30 to 40 euros for a double room. Preferably stick to the back roads or route nationale (N roads) and look out for the Chambre d'hote (bed and breakfast) signs. They will be more friendly, cheaper and being out of the towns more secure for your bike, plus you will feel you have enjoyed more of the "real" France. If I were you I would certainly think about booking a stop at La Rochelle as posted above. You can also go to the tourist information place when you arrive in a town and ask them to organize or recommend accomodation.
When we are travelling in France as a group we usually book in advance at somewhere like a Campanile, but on our own we drift where we fancy and start looking from around 4 or 5pm. Not been let down yet and I know which I prefer.
Enjoy your trip.

[This message has been edited by harleyrider (edited 17 March 2006).]

Thanks to everyone for the advice and tips so far, most appreciated.

That's been my experience as well, over the last 5 years of riding in France every summer. Just look for simple lodging (a 2 or 3 star hotel, a B & B, or a gîte) that appears to have either a fenced compound or a garage / barn attached to it. The operators will - without exception - be willing to store your bike either in the building or around the back of the house, in a fairly secure area.

Security is much more easily looked after in small and medium sized towns than in big cities. If you decide to overnight in a big city, then you pretty much have to find lodging that has either a locked up compound (rare) or an underground garage (which is usually attached to an expensive hotel).

As long as you avoid overnighting in the big cities, you will have no shortage of pleasant and inexpensive lodging available, all with satisfactory security for your moto. Don't worry about it a bit.

Michael

Michael thanks for that. Got some great information and advice on France. Thanks to all.

Can anyone add anything further on Spain please in terms of safe bike places to stay etc?

Many thanks.

Meeks.

I have found that exactly the same advice applies to Spain. As Michael stated above keep to the smaller towns.

safest would be to stay at home with your mother..

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