Arrive Calais 20th May East or West which way is best?
 

Just changed some arrangements and decided I can spare a maximum of 18 days in May/June. I am meandering across Europe in no rush and will travel at roughly 50mph as an average across the back roads. I am riding a 30yr old Honda CM200T so I will not be getting to a destination ASAP I will be enjoying the journey. The plan is to camp either rough camping or sites with the odd F1 or similar hotel along the way.
Originally thought lets go to Poland head up as far as Latvia come back the long way and visit Auschwitz pay my respects (went in the eighties and it left a deep impression on me)and come back Via Prague, then a friend suggested why not go the other way ride into the sunshine so Spain is now on the cards with a possibility of getting as far as Tangiers in Morocco. I am a fair weather rider and if it turns rough can be found in the nearest cheap hotel with my feet up waiting for the weather to clear so there is no ultimate must get this far goal there is an attitude of well this is nice I will stay here and if its really nice I will stay again. So its all down to where I get to in 8 days because if it takes 8 days to get there it will probably take 8 to get back. What I am asking is there anybody with a similar attitude thinking about doing the same way whichever way that's going to be(Spain is favourite two years ago I got rained on for four days solid going through Germany and it wasn't fun) I may even opt for a bit of couch surfing on the way like I said I am easy going and just want to blow the cobwebs away while I have the chance. Sorry should have said I am a 51 year old male who has travelled quite extensively overland normally by public transport though, My timescale is not set in stone either with an allowance of 5 days extension if absolutely necessary.
The bike is almost ready a couple of new tyres a service and a new MOT next week should be all that is required mechanically obv I will carry the usual spares but this is Europe and I could get away with just carrying a spare set of bulbs and my Visa lol What it really needs though is a back rail for extra storage I don't want to put a big back box on just extra room for my dry bag. Last time I went travelling by bike I was on my BMW F650 and had everything I was told I would need most of which I just carried round for the sake of it. So question 1. does anyone know of an alternative back rail to fit a 1980 Honda CM200T its all but impossible to find an original and question 2 is there anybody out there with a similar outlook/timeframe heading to Europe looking to pass the miles with someone who isn't high maintenance and is equally happy sitting alone with a book as they are putting the world to rights with deep and meaningless philosophical conversations?
Billy

Hi Billy
Go west. Head towards the coast, follow it down through La Rochelle towards Bordeaux, cross over the Pyrenees and into Northern Spain. You can do that bit comfortably in a couple of days or 3 at most. Lovely roads, beautiful countryside.....and still plenty of time to go to the other places you mentioned. Try a blast along the Rhine in Germany too if you find yourself in that direction.

Thanks Chris I may just take that exact route Spain as I said is Favourite because I have never ridden there. I did do four days round Germany A couple of years ago and the weather was atrocious at a similar time of year but as you said the scenery is fantastic and the roads were amazingly well looked after, this coming from someone who lives in the North West of England who triples his annual mileage just going round the pot holes
Keep Upright Billy

I'm off to southern Spain on the 14 of May. If you want to tag along.
John933

I seen that but I am a week later so we may meet up in Spain at some time enjoy the journey it's what makes the destination worth it,
Keep upright Billy