Looking for Pyrenees route suggestions...

[chrish]

Hi folks

Just wondering if anyone has any suggestions for a week long circuit in the Pyrenees? We are renting a BMW F800 GT in Barcelona on the 1st July to be returned on the 8th. We will be looking to stick to tarmaced roads and are fairly good at putting in the miles so reasonably long days are not a problem.
Any route suggestions/must-sees most welcome!

Thanks in advance!

[Temporaryescapee]

I loved this one. https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?m...w.k_HJH0bwJg2c

Ignore the detour to Toulouse - had to fly home for a day mid way through my week for a client's board meeting!

Ride home was nothing to shout about (there are better routes given time, but we were maximising our time in the Pyrenees) but the Pyrenees route was great - quiet and beautiful Spanish side, picks up the main tour de France cols on the French side.

[Two wheels good]

The N260 is the classic route east-west but there are many adjoining or parallel roads that are great too.
Staying a couple of nights at a "junction point", e.g.Sort or Seu d'Urgell will give you a choice of loops for a day trips. Then you can ditch the luggage.

I remember looking at the map and thinking one loop (Bagneres - Val D'Aran - Sort, BEnasque) would be too ambitious for the day. When we checked the actual distance on GPS it was very do-able.

I like to use Michelin maps. Online viamichelin.com is very useful.

Sightseeing suggestions:
Bassella Moto Museum Fantastic collection of ~200 classic\vintage bikes in great condition, beautifully presented. All sorts of bikes and manufacturors represented. (I should be creating a dedicated thread for this topic really.)
They also have a museo in Barcalona but smaller.

Figueres: Dali museum. Could be very busy. Not difficult to find and convenient parking - on the pavement outside!

[pebble35]

Lots of good info and route ideas here

https://thespanishbiker.wordpress.com/

[chrish]

Many thanks for the info!

Also, does anyone have any advice re accomodation? We were planning on booking cheap hotel accomodation through Tripadvisor but having never been there before, I'm not sure if this is the best option. I noticed on "The Spanish Biker" website that some campsites have self-catering bungalos for rent. We usually camp but would prefer not to have to bring all the gear. Does anyone have experience of this sort of thing?

Thanks again!

[Temporaryescapee]

Loved this one in Banca - small, hood value, great local cuisine: http://www.logishotels.com/fr/hotel/...reguina-143354.

This one in Ainsa. Didn't eat there but decent accommodation at reasonable price. http://www.mesonainsa.com/es/inicio

Both on the route i provided in earlier post (nights 1 & 2), both have bike parking.


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[Two wheels good]

Campsite bungalows were very convenient and good value. I was surprised how many campsite offered them. Approx €60-€70 per night, that's in Sept 2014. Another benefit over B&Bs: the campsite pool.

Accommodation is usually good value in Spain/Catalunya, more so when a couple, or group. Personally I'd leave the tent at home on a short visit.

[chrish]

(Just posted this on my other thread but thought I'd stick it here too in case it can help someone looking for similar budget accomodation info.)

Thanks again for all the help guys!...

Many thanks for the info. I've managed to book several great looking places:
a static tent for one night near Saint Girons (30E)-Camping Audinac Les Bains, Saint-Girons, France - Booking.com, a bungalow near Fiscal, to be used as a base for 3 days (49E/night)-https://www.booking.com/hotel/es/cam...ail_hotel_name then from the Spanish Biker website a night here-Molí de Fòrnols before returning to Barcelona. Got two nights to book but going to leave them til after I've done further route research. For anyone looking for similar accomodation, I found that Booking.com was very usefull as it lists bungalows, static caravans, tents etc. It seems to offer very good prices and is in english with good search options (type of accomodation, distance from specified location, map locations etc)

This is the first time we've done a fly/hire trip and love the fact that we won't have to bring all our camping kit
...roll on July!

Thanks to everyone for your help with info!

All the best.


Chris

[RJ76]

i was 2013 in the Pyrenees, it was a great trip...
watch out these informations:

1st ist in german, but some nice pics and some names you can put into your plans
[url=http://www.fernweh-jochen-andrea.de/Einzelseiten/Pyrenaen%202008/Pyrenaen-index.htm]Fernweh - Pyrenaen - Pyren

[RJ76]

i was 2013 in the Pyrenees, it was a great trip...
watch out these informations:

1st ist in german, but some nice pics and some names you can put into your plans

Fernweh - Pyrenaen - Pyren�en - Pyreneen 2008 mit dem Motorradgespann - Motorradtouren-Pyren�en - Motorradreisen-Pyren�en - Frankreich - Spanien - Anreise mit dem Autozug

some nice routes...

Routenguide: Die besten Pässe der Pyrenäen - Motorradtouren - MOTORRAD

i personally preferred the spanish routes

[ddartt]

The route shown at Temporaryescapee map is a pretty cool one. Basically N260 as mentioned is good. And I agree the roads on the Spanish side I enjoyed much more than the French ones, especially from the road quality pov.

I would also add the road from Vielha to the east (C-28, C-13), I really like this one - beautiful ascent over the Vielha valley as well.

Also, I wouldn't bother with Andorra if you're contemplating this - way too much traffic and nothing special to see.

[kingkoru]

I went to the Spanish Pyrenees side with no idea or plan and it was all awesome... Like the Nature Park Bardenas Reales, and any side road. Only place to avoid is Andorra, annoying mad drivers.

I wrote about the route: Spanish Pyrenees road trip - Summer 2014 - Wheelie Adventurous

[Squire]

I particularly enjoy Denis Smyth's (Road Trooper) blog for info, he does ride the Pyrenees regularly. It was inspiring for me early April, though some cols were not passable. Road Trooper – Independent Motorbike Touring Magazine � 2013 Pyrenees Motorbike Tour

I'd also recommend not to cross into Andorre unless you wish to buy some motorcycling clothing as you arrive in the region. This is a pretty good place to get some stuff at a good price actually, but apart from that it sort of have become a large open sky mall...

[melmoth]

I live close to these mountains in the Basque Country and there´s many routes you could take
generally roads are in better shape in spain...anyway here is in my opinion the list of sites you should not lose

french side east-west:
-col de Peyresourde, col d´Aspin and Tourmalet
-Gavarnie circle
-col de Aubisque (the best in french side)
-col portalet (from Gabas to Sabiñanigo)
-col de la pierre san martin and puerto las Coronas in Navascués

Spanish side west-east:
-puerto de Ibañeta
-road from Lumbie r to Tardets (puerto Larrau) visiting foz de Arbayun
-Biescas-Broto-Ainsa
-Ainsa-Escalona-Fanlo-Ainsa (cañón Añisclo) espectacular!!!!
-Ainsa-Campo-Castejón-Pont de Suert
-pot de la Bonaigua (Vielha-Adrall)
-Collada de Tosses

Andorra:
-port d´Envalira

There´s many many others but these are the essentials...have fun