UK to Morocco and back in winter
 

Need to escape the fake santas so am taking my only bike (Honda Hornet 600) as far towards the sun as possible. It's the touring version (fly screen and heated grips http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/wink.gif ) so it should be no problem but i would like some advice on routes from someone who's done it.

I've got the ferry booked to Bilboa on the way down. From there is the high straight road past madrid the best way, or is it high enough to make riding in ice likely?

On the way back there's no ferry at the time i want it so i have to go up through France. I can go either side of the pyrenees. I know the east road up the spanish coast will take longer than straight up the middle but if both are possible which will give me the easier ride through France, should i go up the middle or the west coast to paris??

Also if anyone knows how their automatic motorway hotels work i'd love some info there, apparently you pay by card and don't see anyone. How long can you use the room and are there check out times etc idealy i could turn up any time and still get a good long rest, i don't want to turn up at midnight and still be kicked out at 10am. any experience?

Many thanks in advance for replies

Neil

Planning the same trip in December. Who did you book the ferry with? Did you get a good deal?

Tony K

Aha! if you're riding a KLR i have to thank you for my good deal, 136 from motor sport travel - cheers pal! Unfortunately the last ferry back in jan is 7th, i'm not leaving until 21st so that was too soon, got to be back by 13th.

How are you getting through spain? straight down looks favorite but i've not been there before, guess i'll go that way unless advised against it. Got to be warmer than england this time of year.

I'm really not looking forward to the ride back through france though. I'm starting to look into putting my bike on a train. could give me an extra day in the sun and save some frostbite. Again anyone done it before??

Thanks again for sharing that tip
Neil

I'm taking the KLR yes, but I can't take credit for the tip - but I'll be booking with the same agent.
Route through Spain? I don't know - never done it before. Depending on time I might go the Eastern costal route through Portugal. Maybe drier?
Tony K

I don't know that the east coast will be drier. Think Ireland, rain comes in from the atlantic and drops when it hits the land. Just guessing though. I'm thinking now getting to madrid in a day and then the rest the next must be no problem. The whole way in a day must be possible but a mad slog.

Winter crossing the bay of biscay could be enough to have me searching for a steady bed not long after getting off!

Have a great trip though, say hi if you see me, picking out a hornet stuck in the sand shouldn't be hard http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/wink.gif

Cheers
Neil

Hi Hornet;
Since you are going through Bilbao you might as well go the short way. Weatherwise be prepared for anything, rain, wind, snow, ice... the east coast should be milder, (but it is a long detour), I don't know what the west coast would be like.
You can do Spain in a day but I don't recomend it. Spend a day in Toledo, if you decide to go through the middle, you won't be disappionted.
I don't know about automatic motorway hotels, but you shouldn't have any trouble finding a bed in a roadside hotel.
Have a blast and let us know how it goes.

Vagabond.

Got to agree with Vagabond. Toledo is a brilliant place to visit. You should be able to get there easily by early afternoon on the bike. We were there in the summer which is way too hot (40degrees)and I would be interested to see what it's like in the winter.
Have used Village & Formula 1 etc. motels in France the auto check in with a card is brilliant but I don't remember check out times. i think we've usually left pretty early whatever.
Have Fun
Ally

Bloody cold, that's what'll be like. http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/wink.gif Still worth it though.

Thanks for the replies!

Toledo it is then, got to think going to a city as big as madrid would just be daft for one night. Any recommendation for a cheap hotel in a good location? I don't want to have to buy a guide book for just the one night and just stopping at any hotel isn't always best.

I'll ask in the equipment section as well but do either of you have an opinion about taking camping gear or at least a sleeping bag? It looks like i'll be going down the east side of the Atlas near the algerian border and i guess it's harder to find rooms down there?? On the other hand i'm on my own so don't want to much stuff to carry for security reasons, i also need room for spare petrol.

Many thanks
Neil

We usually camp, but we have always gone in the summer and either on 2 bikes or on 4 wheels so space hasn't been as much of a problem. There is an excellent camp site within walking distance of Toledo that has bungalows to rent. I'll check out if it's open all year and get back to you. I have both the Rough Guide and Lonely Planet of Spain. If I get a chance I'll check it out. What date do you travel?
Ally

I've booked the 29th sailing from Portsmouth. I plan to camp out most of the time in Morocco. I don't what the campsite situation is but what the hell. If the sun's going down in the middle of nowhere it's all academic anyway.
Watch out for a green KLR with a Yorkshire accent Hornet!

Cheers Ally, that would be great, I'll be in toledo on the 23rd dec - not long now http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/biggrin.gif If you can give me the name and address of a recommended cheap place i can get a map from this website - www.mapquest.co.uk - good free site for printing a street map to take!

As for camping i've just bought a 2 bike cycle cover from halfords for 25 quid (ouch for a posh plastic sheet!) better value than the cheap motorbike ones i've seen though, packs smaller and lighter but big enough for the bike for security and to stop sand blasting in a sand storm (not sure how serious a problem that might be though and i'd probably prefer to get in it myself if it was that bad!) but with some fancy string work should make an OK shelter, got to spend at least one night sleeping out even if i do look slightly freaky next to the properly prepared. I gotta travel light though and i've just added a stripped down 12v air compressor to the (getting longer) list of must haves.

Tony - I'm going down the east side from Nador, i expect you'll know whos the dusty fool on a blue hornet before i'm sure it's you on a KLR, flag me down! Good luck with your trip down from Yorkshire, could be the nastiest part, a long spell of british weather to see you off. It'll make getting there a lot sweeter though http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/cool.gif

My map ('world mapping project/Reise know how' seemed better then the michelin or IGN maps for what i want)has camp sites in most towns at least in the more remote areas. other than that i've no idea how they'd be about people pulling of the road and pitching camp, can't think why they'd mind though as long as it was away from sensitive areas and land mines, don't suppose they'd even know. definately a top idea to do that, i would if i had the right bike and the gear.

Another thing i got from Halfords was some cargo tie downs, £8.99 for 2, i got 4 for the bike to strap on fuel and mostly to tie the bike down in the ferries. A friend of mine took the bilboa ferry 2 years ago and they only had old ropes to tie the bikes (no idea what they'll have on the Nador ferry) Unless you're good at a wagoners hitch you'd do well to get the bike tightly down. Bay of biscay in the winter and going side on to the westerly swells, i'd be sh*tting it if i thought the bike wasn't secure (not to mention the ones next to mine) one freak 30 degree roll and a greasy deck ..... http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/frown.gif

pretty good these straps though, i'm finding halfords isn't all bad for a lot of stuff actualy

Cheers
Neil

Hi Neil

Try looking on www.compingonline.com and searching for Camping El Greco, Toledo. I have checked and it is open all year. It has a very good restaurant (inexpensive) and bungalows to hire. I havn't had chance to look in the guide books for other accomodation but will try to check before you go.
Have fun
Ally

[This message has been edited by Ally Smith (edited 13 December 2002).]

Thanks again Ally, i can't get that link to work though, i tried camping instead of comping (typo?) but still no joy. could you give it again

cheers
neil

Hi Neil
Sorry about that the link is www.campingsonline.com hopefully you should be able to find that.
Ally

Just a follow up to say i've been and come back.

After sitting on the ferry for 36 hrs i was keen to get going and just went for it through spain getting to the ferry at algeciras in under 11 hours. Passed through Cueta with no hassles the next morning, headed south and found the new tarmac road all the way to Erg Chebi. Good for me on the hornet but i guess this road does take some of the fun out of getting there. Arrived in a minor sand storm so it was adventure enough. Sat there for a few days, and snowboarded the big dune http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/cool.gif before heading back over the Atlas to Marrakech via the most amazing road imaginable. About 4 hours of smooth, clear tarmac with almost constant even radius bends to swoop around. Then beach for a few days to chill out before the ride back. 2 days from Malaga to St Malo in France in sub-zero temperatures and much rain and snow, horrible but still an experience and not work! Glad i finaly succumed to getting heated grips on the bike, i honestly don't think it would have been possible to do it without in those temperatures.

For anyone thinking of the same who sees this i'll do my best to give you what i was having trouble finding out -

The roads are nearly all perfectly good, mostly like good UK B roads, usual clear of debris, well signed and marked for whats ahead, all constant radius bends(i didn't find one bend that might catch you out) the driving was fine by the Moroccans at least, watch out for the hire cars though as they are often more interested in the view than the road. Occasionaly there was gravel kicked up from the side of the road but not much. Do watch out on steep uphill bends though as often its a bit oily i guess from the old trucks changing gear and dropping oil.

Of the gear i took i'm glad i had small padlocks for the zips of my panniers. It wouldn't stop a determined thief of course but 90% of curious fingers and pilferers wouldn't cross the line of breaking a lock and making it obvious they'd been there. Its also nice for when there's a few people milling around the bike when you stop as you don't have to worry as much about whats going on behind you. They're not naturaly thieving people anyway but for piece of mind...

Glad i didn't take camping gear as it was mostly far too cold at night to camp. I did take a tiny sleeping bag and used it as an extra blanket one night but i really didn't need to take that either.

Wish i hadn't taken my disk lock and Kryptonite barbed wire, I never used it as in Morocco at least there is always somewhere to put your bike either in the hotel or a 60p a night secure car park. Saying that i have an alarm on the bike, though this beeps different when you turn it off if the alarm was activated and it never was. I really don't think theres much risk of your bike being stolen there, theres no market for stolen bikes in morocco, far more chance of having it stolen in Europe.

The Hornets tank range was interesting, i took a spare fuel can on the pillion perch but never used it. On the way down fast through spain i managed to use the 16 ltrs in exactly 101 miles before coasting into a fuel station, in Morocco while cruising around doing about 60 mph most of the time i did 170 miles on 13 ltrs so about 200 miles tank range! It goes to show...

There are masses of petrol stations in all the areas i went to, far more than are shown on any map. Getting unleaded would have been more of a problem if i needed it as they often didn't have any, but saying that i didn't look too hard as my bike was running better on the leaded stuff. The quality of the fuel was never a problem, infact it seems better than in the UK, the bike was smoother throughout the trip than it used to be and getting back to the UK i filled up and back came the vibes, i suspect UK fuel is not very good. I had a pair of ladies tights with me http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/redface.gif to filter fuel you understand if it came out of a barrel but i never saw this, i'm told it happens more the further south you go.

So a great trip, totaly recommend Morocco as a place for a ROAD trip, you do not NEED an off road bike!

Happy travels
Neil