Touring in Europe during mid-winter?
 

I am considering taking a drive south and spend some time in areas around Mediterranean sea until the spring comes. The starting point would be a ferry from Sweden to Germany. I will avoid the eastern parts since it too far away from the golf stream = cold and snowy. Driving through the alps is probably not a good idea either.

How is the typical weather and road conditions during mid winter in areas from Denmark to southern France? I only have standard road tires and the minimum temperature i can endure with my current gear is a couple degrees above zero. If you have done a similar trip, i would love to hear about your experience.

I think it's one thing using a bike for a winter trip from A to B - bike rallies that take a few days or a week, for example, but quite another to try and live the way you might in summer. It's not just the cold but the short days, rain, seasonal nature of the Med coast infrastructure etc. If you've got a destination and something to do, fine, if not it's going to be miserable for a while.

You're going to need to go a long way down - Southern Spain is probably your best bet before Easter (I suppose Sicily might work as well but I've never been there). I've biked down to Spain a few times in the winter and had UK summer temperatures but really you need to be south of the Atlas mountains in Morocco before it becomes comfortable. Last time I was down there I was in Agadir before I felt like taking jackets off. That's a long way from Sweden.

Riding there is going to be pot luck if you're limited to above zero temperatures. As a rule of thumb you'll get either dry and cold or warm and wet. In Germany dry and cold can be well below zero and I've spent many a "happy" winter's day on the autobahn at between 0 and -10C. I know France a bit better and you really need to get south of the Alps before you can emerge from "grit teeth and get on with it mode". The Med coast is always a few degrees warmer but in January that's not saying much.

You won't have any problems on road tyres as long as you stick to the main roads.

Hello,


I'm planning a similar trip this winter, February to june. I will be leaving Ireland on a ferry for Cherbourg in France, then make my way to Portugal.


I have been using accuweather website to check the last 2 years temperatures in the regions I will be driving through.


My understanding is that it's going to be cold and wet (should not be sub zero though) until I reach Portugal where it will be warmer and probably wet again, until I reach southern part of Portugal and Andalucía in Spain where I should finally reach nice weather. I will spend some time there and make my way up the med coast as spring rolls in.


After that it's all coin tossing with weather, hopefully I will strike some luck.


I will spend some time in the Alps in May, won't be able to do most (any?) of the high passes, but the lower passes should be open.


Should be very low season everywhere so some hotel or attractions might be closed, but on the upside you have empty roads and the people will be happy to see you because you won't be the 100th person showing up at their counter that day. That's worth something in my book.


Get good winter gear and go for it. Bonus tip: if you lose too much heat while riding, put some cardboard or newspaper in your jacket on your torso, best trick ever!


Maybe we meet and catch a drink or two to complain about the weather ;)

Cheers!

If you just want to go south as fast as possible, you also can think about using night-train -> this way you can do a few 100km at night and sleep warm and dry. I don't know the winter-schedule, just have a look by yourself. In summer they strap your bike to the same train you sleep, after arrival the unloading took me about 30-45min in Hamburg. Could be an interresting alternative to cold and boring highways :)
Destinations | Autozug

The centre of France is high, therefore cold. So you need to be on the west side, not necessarily on the coast but not too far from it.

If I were you I would follow the channel coast (ish) to Rouen then strike southwards towards Biarritz . Plan on sleeping in hotels until then.

The advice above is good (although the autotrain I wanted didn't run during winter, so don't get your hopes up without checking first).

As #3 says, you've got to be thinking in terms of dry cold (below zero) or less-cold-but-wet. "Less-cold" in this application means just somewhat above freezing, but it can get really, really wet. You need to be prepared for this, because riding all day in sopping gear really sucks the body heat, therefore the ability to think clearly and respond rationally, right out of you. I've done two trips during early winter between Germany and southern Europe, and both times there was considerable suffering involved. I'm usually comfortable down to around freezing, and find it survivable five or ten degrees C below that.

Don't forget that every time you gain significant elevation--hard to avoid every now and then--it's likely to snow or ice up. Even those clear and cold periods can feature icy roads. Days are short, and often the sensible thing to do is to wait for better weather even when you'd like to be making time on the highway.

If that sounds appealing, you're probably going to have fun.

Hope that's helpful.

Mark

I don't know what bikes you guys are using but the best piece of winter riding advice I can give for those sorts of distances is to suggest you get behind something - a fairing or a screen for your upper body and handlebar muffs or similar for your hands. Keeping the wind off is the biggest comfort aid you'll get for winter riding and it'll seriously reduce the amount of water that hits you on rainy days.

I used to think more and better clothing was just as good but it really isn't. No matter what I've worn, if it's below zero about 3 - 4 hrs is my limit before I'm forced to stop. The next level up using electrically heated clothing is better and you don't absolutely freeze but after 500 miles in below zero temps I still spend a long time in the hotel shower trying to warm up.

When I made a bodger tech screen for my Elephant Rally bike a couple of years ago I was able to keep going without probs down to about -10C (the coldest it got) and didn't even use the electrically heated jacket I brought with me. Using it I got chilly but not cold and wet but not soaked.

The screen was made from 2 sheets of A3 clear acrylic bought on ebay, jigsawed and bolted to size plus three or four car exhaust clamps to hold it in place. I doubt it cost me £20 and it was probably the best thing I did for the trip. I'd suggest considering something similar for the cold bits and (as it looks terrible) just leaving it in a skip somewhere when the days warm up.

Best bit of cold weather kit I own is a German Army Tank drivers suit. Basically a quilt lines boiler suirt/overall. Is seals the mid-body gap and makes -10 feel like about zero.


The biggest problem is sizes. My winter kit is 1-3 sizes bigger than by summer stuff to avoid ruining the effect of the layers underneath. No point putting a jumper on then squashing all the air out. With a rain suit this is fine, but get to warm weather and trying to adjust your main jacket back to a summer fit gets annoying.


Andy

Thanks for all the input, it has been informative. Things would have been simpler if i lived in the UK - just take the ferry and follow the coast. The straightest way south is also the best, no need for detours.

To sum it up - it is doable but really painful. More sensible dates for a trip like this would probably be to leave during mars, or early november.

backofbeyond: I enjoyed reading about your elefantentreffen trip! I drive a 125cc bike myself.

Guillaume: I love your spirit, hope you will do your journey!

You could consider Motor-rail to avoid the plains of Germany (and the Vosges\Jura\ardennes) and speed your way to the Med.

I haven't used it myself but have heard good reports and economical fares are sometimes available (allegedly!). AFAIK in Germany Auto-Zug now uses road transport for the moto while the rider travels by train.

Be prepared for the cold - even in Spain - especially Nth and Central Spain!

How ever you are going to look at it. Your not going to do great mileage in the winter on a 125. And it's going to be cold. Not that I need to tell you about the cold, from where you come from.
John933

Covering smaller distance per day is not a bad idea.


The faster you go, the colder it gets.


The longer you ride, the colder you get.


Since my bike will offer very little protection from the element, I have plan to ride 150-200 km per day while In the cold north. I would ride 30-50 km then stop for a coffee break or just take pictures or for a pee break, whatever, but I would take the time to warm up a little.


Better 4-5 little bouts of pain then a long miserable ride. It's a vacation after all ;)

Not many people know that a rain suit will keep out the wind just as well. May be helpful.
John933

Oh but I do :) makes a great deal of difference to those parts not protected by my fairing.