I was considering getting a bike near Tours in France at the end of October and ride south to get some heat in November and December (Spain, Portugal).

What should I expect in terms of roads (seasonal closures, snow,...) and in terms of weather (cold, very cold, wet, very wet...).

I am planning camping most of the time (if practical). Any recommendation on the direction to take and where to go to have 2 pleasant months ?

Or maybe it is not reasonable... Your advice is welcome.

End of October should be fine (ie not freezing cold) in northern France although you may be unlucky and hit rainy weather. That time of year is very variable - you can get some 'late summer' warm days followed by some 'early winter' freezing wet days.

If you're heading south my route suggestion would be to follow the Rhone valley, go round the Pyrenees on the Med side rather than the Atlantic and stay out of the mountains if the weather looks at all iffy. It's unlikely you'll hit any closed roads - the ski season doesn't start until early December.

Most of the French campsites will be closed by the end of Oct. There are some that are open all year but you'll have to check (loads of online guides) which ones. Personally I tend to camp April to Sept in France and use cheap hotels (eg Ibis Budget) the rest of the time.

Southern Spain in November can be very pleasant. We've had many winter breaks there over the years and it's a lot less crowded at that time of year.

Hi Rich:

The weather in the middle (North-South middle) of France is pretty much the same as the weather in Toronto at any given time of the year. This means you could get some fairly cold days (high temperatures between 7° & 10° C, lows near freezing) until you get south of the Pyrenees.

I agree with BackofBeyond's suggestion to go around the end of the Pyrenees on the Mediterranean side. The elevations are quite low there, and you'll start to encounter significantly warmer temperatures by the time you reach Toulouse & Perpignan. DO NOT try to go through Andorra at the end of October - you run a risk of encountering snow and ice on the roads.

Once you are in Spain, temperatures should be cool but pleasant.

The big question is whether or not you plan to take the bike back to Tours in December or January once your two-month trip is finished. You can expect winter weather, pretty much the same as Southern Canada, at that time of year.

If you have a choice in the matter, I think you would be better off renting a motorcycle in Madrid, and then heading south from there. I stored my ST 1100 in Madrid last winter, picked it up in late January and rode it to Morocco. No problems at all, the temperature on the one-day ride from Madrid to southern Spain was 8°. Once I got down south, daily highs were in the mid to high teens.

Michael

Hi
Spain´s Costa Del Sol in Autumn (Oct/Nov) is very pleasant with temperatures of average low from 10-14 and average high from 18-23 degrees C. It is mostly sunny but hefty rains are possible.
Feel free to contact me for details:
vmeyer24@gmail.com
We regularly host travelers at villa-el-destino.com
Best regards,
Volker