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Planning for next year
Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2019 3:55 pm
by dazcoates
I'm going to start planning a 2 1/2 week to Austria and Switzerland next year and will be taking the wife as well , it will the first big trip she has undertaken and I'm wondering what I can do to make it more comfortable and interesting for her while sarmt on the back. We will be on a tiger 800 xrt and the plan is to stop in a couple of hotels there and back and then self catering apartments in Austria and Switzerland.
I want to make It as comfortable as possible as I'm hoping it will leed to bigger and better adventures in the future.
We have both just turned 50 and for one reason and another this is a fresh start for us.
Thanks in advance for any tips and advice .
Dazco
Ps I may know a few on here from previous off roading trips etc but have lost touch
Re: Planning for next year
Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2019 6:00 pm
by mark vb
You probably know this already.... I'd kind of forgotten until we recently rode down thru Switzerland into Italy. Switzerland is extraodinarily expensive, as in nearly £10 for 2 cups of tea. Personally, I'll be giving it a miss henceforth unless it's just riding through for a day en route to somewhere else. And don't forget to buy a vignette (road tax voucher) at the border; it's necessary for use of all roads, not just the autoroutes, costing CHF40.
Re: Planning for next year
Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2019 7:12 pm
by RandG
My advice would start saving for Switzerland.
Re: Planning for next year
Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2019 8:16 pm
by Benson-1215
mark vb wrote: ↑Sun Sep 22, 2019 6:00 pm
You probably know this already.... I'd kind of forgotten until we recently rode down thru Switzerland into Italy. Switzerland is extraodinarily expensive, as in nearly £10 for 2 cups of tea. Personally, I'll be giving it a miss henceforth unless it's just riding through for a day en route to somewhere else. And don't forget to buy a vignette (road tax voucher) at the border; it's necessary for use of all roads, not just the autoroutes, costing CHF40.
You do not need a vignette if you avoid using the motorways. ... Swiss rental cars have a vignette, so you don't need to buy one. You need to buy a motorway vignette for motorcycles, trailers and caravans using motorways as well.
Drink coffee and enjoy the place........ Expensive yes but so in Norway
Re: Planning for next year
Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2019 9:08 pm
by DanielS
Just finished a 30 day trip with my other half on the back of the bike, Some of the things that made it more comfortable for her:
- We went and spent about 3 hours having a proper helmet fitting session, her old one was giving her a sore head after about an hour on the bike. Once her head wasn't sore and the bike clothing was keeping her warm/cool then that was half the battle.
- Bluetooth comms. This way we could speak, and she could also listen to her own music via phone -> Bluetooth. Saved frantic gestures when we needed a toilet or drink stop and also we could just chat which was nice.
- I gave her the maps so she did some planning so it wasn't all "good riding roads" all day, every day. We also used kurviger.de and furkot.com to plan routes as they have a great list of POIs too
- AirBNB for some nice, different and often more affordable accommodation
Re: Planning for next year
Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2019 8:21 am
by dazcoates
Thanks for the great info so far, currently sorting her riding out so we know everything fits and is comfortable for her ( well in advance but lots of runs out on the bike prior to any big trip ).
Air bandb looks great some lovely places .
I'll look Into coms however she wears hearing aids so that might be tricky fitting into her helmet.
Great advice though , thanks .
Re: Planning for next year
Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2019 9:40 am
by mark vb
Benson-1215 wrote: ↑Sun Sep 22, 2019 8:16 pm
mark vb wrote: ↑Sun Sep 22, 2019 6:00 pm
You probably know this already.... I'd kind of forgotten until we recently rode down thru Switzerland into Italy. Switzerland is extraodinarily expensive, as in nearly £10 for 2 cups of tea. Personally, I'll be giving it a miss henceforth unless it's just riding through for a day en route to somewhere else. And don't forget to buy a vignette (road tax voucher) at the border; it's necessary for use of all roads, not just the autoroutes, costing CHF40.
You do not need a vignette if you avoid using the motorways. ... Swiss rental cars have a vignette, so you don't need to buy one. You need to buy a motorway vignette for motorcycles, trailers and caravans using motorways as well.
Drink coffee and enjoy the place........ Expensive yes but so in Norway
Well, the Swiss border official told us last week that a vignette is now necessary for all roads, and that without one there's risk of a CHF200 fine from the police!
Re: Planning for next year
Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2019 9:51 am
by mark vb
mark vb wrote: ↑Mon Sep 23, 2019 9:40 am
Benson-1215 wrote: ↑Sun Sep 22, 2019 8:16 pm
mark vb wrote: ↑Sun Sep 22, 2019 6:00 pm
You probably know this already.... I'd kind of forgotten until we recently rode down thru Switzerland into Italy. Switzerland is extraodinarily expensive, as in nearly £10 for 2 cups of tea. Personally, I'll be giving it a miss henceforth unless it's just riding through for a day en route to somewhere else. And don't forget to buy a vignette (road tax voucher) at the border; it's necessary for use of all roads, not just the autoroutes, costing CHF40.
You do not need a vignette if you avoid using the motorways. ... Swiss rental cars have a vignette, so you don't need to buy one. You need to buy a motorway vignette for motorcycles, trailers and caravans using motorways as well.
Drink coffee and enjoy the place........ Expensive yes but so in Norway
Well, the Swiss border official told us last week that a vignette is now necessary for all roads, and that without one there's risk of a CHF200 fine from the police! However, from what you say she may well have been incorrect in which case we paid CHF40 unnecessarily
Re: Planning for next year
Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2019 8:39 pm
by Benson-1215
mark vb wrote: ↑Mon Sep 23, 2019 9:51 am
mark vb wrote: ↑Mon Sep 23, 2019 9:40 am
Benson-1215 wrote: ↑Sun Sep 22, 2019 8:16 pm
mark vb wrote: ↑Sun Sep 22, 2019 6:00 pm
You probably know this already.... I'd kind of forgotten until we recently rode down thru Switzerland into Italy. Switzerland is extraodinarily expensive, as in nearly £10 for 2 cups of tea. Personally, I'll be giving it a miss henceforth unless it's just riding through for a day en route to somewhere else. And don't forget to buy a vignette (road tax voucher) at the border; it's necessary for use of all roads, not just the autoroutes, costing CHF40.
You do not need a vignette if you avoid using the motorways. ... Swiss rental cars have a vignette, so you don't need to buy one. You need to buy a motorway vignette for motorcycles, trailers and caravans using motorways as well.
Drink coffee and enjoy the place........ Expensive yes but so in Norway
Well, the Swiss border official told us last week that a vignette is now necessary for all roads, and that without one there's risk of a CHF200 fine from the police! However, from what you say she may well have been incorrect in which case we paid CHF40 unnecessarily
The laws rules keep changing. To be honest i would by one as i am crap on directions
Re: Planning for next year
Posted: Tue Sep 24, 2019 9:29 pm
by RandG
Been to Switzerland numerous times now, never bought one yet.
