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Travellers' Advisories, Safety and Security on the Road Recent News, political or military events, which may affect trip plans or routes. Personal and vehicle security, tips and questions.
Photo by Michael Jordan, enjoying a meal at sunset, Zangskar Valley, India

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Michael Jordan
enjoying a meal at sunset,
Zangskar Valley, India



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  #16  
Old 2 Mar 2024
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My view

My personal view is to divide the trip in a transport part and the more exploring part.

If it is Dolomites that is most interesting (which is a good choice).
Than use highways to get there.(Or at least to the alps) And spend the time in Dolomites.

I went there a couple of years ago. Starting in Portugal. I used highways through Spain. And started the exploring in France.
Route Napoleon
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Route_Napoléon
and

Combe Laval
https://www.roadstotravel.net/france-combe-laval/

Before entering Italy and the Alps.

That route does not fit from UK. But the basic idea. That use some days for transportation. And get more time, money and energy in the area that you really want to explore.

I used the same concept when I explored Italy. Autobahn in Germany. Nice roads in the alps and in Italy.

One more "advice". Use the "Base camp" concept in Dolomites. Stay some days (2-3) in the same hotel/camping. Do day tours in different directions. Than use one day to move to next "base camp". Hopefully along a beautiful road. That will give you much more helmet time and less packing/unpacking + searching for hotel.

(Some tour organizers stays a week in the same hotel)

But that is how I do it. Others do it different.
That is fine . Everyone should do it the way that gives most value for the person.

My story

https://adventurebikerider.com/forum...ic.php?t=51545

Dolomites guide:

https://www.adventurebikerider.com/d...orcycle-guide/
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  #17  
Old 8 Jun 2024
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Thank you so much for your time and guide we are leaving on 27th of july just little nervous to ride on the other side as we both never driven other side.
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  #18  
Old 10 Jun 2024
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rider5 View Post
Thank you so much for your time and guide we are leaving on 27th of july just little nervous to ride on the other side as we both never driven other side.
It's fine after 5 minutes, seriously not a big deal (at least in Europe with all the clear road markings) ... the bigger adjustment is using your clutch hand to wave to other bikers, instead of nodding
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  #19  
Old 12 Jun 2024
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Originally Posted by Rider5 View Post
Thank you so much for your time and guide we are leaving on 27th of july just little nervous to ride on the other side as we both never driven other side.
You’ll get the hang of actually riding on the right pretty quickly. Just be careful and do everything slowly and carefully to start with. The main danger is when you’ve been distracted by something - brief stops for fuel, coffee, photo at a scenic view, that sort of thing. You’ll set off on autopilot and automatically go to the left side. Pretty much everyone has a tale of doing that
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  #20  
Old 12 Jun 2024
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Originally Posted by backofbeyond View Post
Pretty much everyone has a tale of doing that
True. It happend to me but then in the reverse situation, driving a LHD car in UK. It was no problem in regular traffic because the traffic forces you to drive on the ¨right¨ side (which is left side in UK) but when driving on smaller roads and streets where there is no traffic, just after having stopped, i automatically took of on the wrong side of the road.
In cars, and especially in trucks, the bigger problem problem are lane changes when you can´t see the traffic next to you over your shoulder.

A more strange feeling however was being used to LHD cars and renting a RHD car on Orkney- and Shetland islands. But also that went without incidents. Maybe because there isn´t too much traffic up there in the north.

Have a great trip.
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  #21  
Old 12 Jun 2024
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Oh yeah, when I had both LHD and RHD cars I used to get into the passenger seat after putting in petrol all the time ... both ways, lol. The other thing was occasionally trying to change gear with the door lever
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  #22  
Old 14 Jun 2024
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Put a little sticker on ur right hand mirror or use a charity wrist band and put that over ur mirror arm.......as a prompt to remind u what side to ride on . Biggest danger while be exiting fuel stations or roadside stops and first thing in the morning.............guess how I know
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  #23  
Old 17 Jun 2024
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Originally Posted by Rider5 View Post
Thank you so much for your time and guide we are leaving on 27th of july just little nervous to ride on the other side as we both never driven other side.
My wife and I do a lot of riding on the right and we (and a lot of friends) actually prefer it. I don’t know why?
Our biggest problem is converting back to riding on the left on our return so watch out for that.
A little mantra I used when first riding on the continent was to start the bike and say “RIGHT, here we go”.

A direct, non motorway, route to the Dolomites is around 750 miles. At 200 miles a day that’s around 4 days = 8 days return so leaving 1 day in the Dolomites and no rest day. That’s assuming that Dover is close by.
It’s a route we have done a few times.
Highlights for me are:
The Ardennes, Black Forest, Austrian and Italian Alps.
Depending on what daily mileage your happy with and whether your camping or hotels, you may have to hit the motorways occasionally to save time between the really good bits (it’s all good, just some bits are brilliant).

A bit of advice if I may.
The internet seams to have brought a mentality of the ‘perfect road trip’ where riders research the life out of their prospective trip so that everything is perfect. I appreciate that many people need this reassurance but, for me, that takes the magic out of it.
If you’re naturally easy going, take this attitude with you and go with the flow.
We tend to pick a few areas we’d like to go to on a trip but often we’ll find a place we like and stay longer then miss the next place out. We regularly stay too long in a place and have to do a 700 mile hack back to the ferry - but it’s worth it and part of the adventure. Also, local knowledge will tell you things that are not necessarily on the web so chat to the locals.

This year is the 30th anniversary of our first European bike holiday as a couple and we’ve done at least one every year since including further afield.
You’ll find everything easier riding on the continent than in the UK and will be itching to go again.
Have a great trip
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