Crossing the water.. ferry options & travel trauma

General Discussion Guzzisti go Touring
21

Yeah, good call.

Waaay back in 2005 (en route to a family holiday in Biscarosse France) I travelled to Portsmouth on 8/7.. the day after the London bombings.

As you might imagine, the M1 matrix signs all the way down south were telling everyone to avoid London, (which I was going to do anyhow). I left the M1 at J15 and went A43, M40, A34, and recall being surprised at how quiet that Route was. As you say, probably less painful to reach Poole or Pompey if coming from ‘The North’ as it avoids any contact with the M25 and Dartford crossings.

I was also looking at a potential trip to a Guzzi Rally in Italy this January, the Gallotreffen :cold_face:It’s probably ‘pie in the sky’ at the moment, but anyone done that one.?

That’s near Modena, Bologna, so was thinking of potential routes through France to avoid the ‘high ground’.

I thought a Portsmouth crossing to northern France, then a ride down via Le Mans, Tours, Limoges etc would allow me to head along the south of France - Montpellier, Marseille, Nice etc and into Italy, hopefully without the need for snow chains on the tyres :rofl:

Would defo need the Damart all the same :cold_face:

22

Hi there, I’ve used LeShuttle from Ashford to Calais loads of times in car and on bike. It’s wonderful. All done in about 30 mins. The only drawback on a bike is there no where to sit when you’re in transit. For the convenience I’m fine with that

23

take a pannier off to sit on?

1 Like
24

I only have dinky panniers to stop me taking a lifetime’s worth of unnecessary clobber on the bike. But I could use the top box.

25

Sit on the deck is what I and bunch of others did.

26

I usually park my bum on the side, leaning, half-sitting against the side of the carriage.

(I would sit on the floor, but might not find it so easy to get up again without furniture to climb up on.! :rofl:)

You’re right though, they should have some fold-down seats, but I guess motorcycles form little of the overall traffic. You can always sit on ya bike I guess.?

27

I usually have an air cushion on the bike for long trips, i could sit that on top of a pannier, probably be quite comfortable