Adventure Bike Rider Forum

Firstly if it's an organised motorcycle tour then I would expect the organisers to prioritise bike security i.e. only book hotels which offer garage parking.

Secondly, whilst I know it's only an example, but I wouldn't put Manchester city centre and a good night out in the same paragraph.

Touring in France which I do quite a bit, the really big towns are best avoided. In the season (1st June to 30th September) smaller towns offer a range of hotels most with garages or secure parking and a lively town square with a range of bars and restaurants. 75 euros should cover your hotel, a few beers and a good dinner.

To qualify my comments in post 2
I also normally prefer country villages & smaller places, but the guy who booked this trip is a city boy (I just found this out, this trip)
Whilst it 's different and enjoyable for that - I'll stick to countryside next time & if I want a 'city' break I'll just fly to one
First night I stayed in the Picos @ Potes and it was great - booked it myself as I arrived a day early
After a day in the saddle all I want is to find a hotel easy, have a shower, beer & food on site & breakfast in the morning too, then away

-Ralph- wrote:If you were joining an organised tour, and the overnight stop over points were in major cities, like Manchester City Centre for instance, would that put you off joining in, for fear of where you were going to park your bike overnight? Or would it make you want to go because there would be a decent night out?

When we tour (just the 2 of us) we prefer to stay in rural locations but when in a club group we are more than happy to go City Centre hotels for the nightlife. We've stayed in hotels in Barcelona, Folkstone, Belfast, Dublin, Brugge, Dubrovnik, Fort William ....... even Whitley Bay, in fact lots of Cities where the bikes were parked in an open hotel car park or even street parking without any issues at all. Yes secure parking is prefered but it wouldn't stop us going if it wasn't available.

Staying in a city centre has its advantages. Mostly to easily visit sights and have a drink and decent meal without the need to wear bike gear. Most tour companies will research good parking at the hotels they use, often underground or behind barriers. I have never been with company that expects you to park on the road.

-Ralph- wrote:If you were joining an organised tour, and the overnight stop over points were in major cities, like Manchester City Centre for instance, would that put you off joining in, for fear of where you were going to park your bike overnight? Or would it make you want to go because there would be a decent night out?

IMHO the whole point of booking an organised tour is that it is _organised_ and I would expect the parking issues to be resolved by organisers. Usually you get underground parking included in the hotel prices, or at least thats what I would be aiming for as organiser, when making hotel bookings. Paying a list price for a group booking is a bad business practice

Also, imho a mixture of bigger cities and a more remote stays would be what I would prefer. You could have some good fun in cities and then recharge your batteries in nice calm plane for the next few nights

I've never been but would somewhere in The Peak District not be better?

Kendal? Lots of accommodation and eateries there.I would think 360 miles is a bit much,especially if you're wanting to ride interesting roads and stopping to take photos.

I guessed it was for the trip you're organising but if you're looking at Penrith then I'd say look a bit further south and go for Kendal even if it involves a bit of a detour. You'd get a wide range of accommodation at varying prices, better pubs and there's still a Wetherspoons (spit!) if you want to eat in a large group.

The Riverside hotel in Kendal has got quite a lot of rooms, a car park that get's locked at night about 30 yards up the road, free Wi-Fi, reasonable price if you block book and is about 10 minutes from Wetherspoons if you insist on microwaved food.

Are you getting the impression I really don't like Wetherspoons? Ask nicely and I'll even tell you why I was barred from the one in Kendal for over a year (thumbs)

Skipton? That's my last suggestion!

-Ralph- wrote: Hawes is the next alternative, but it's whether or not there's a pub that can cope with perhaps up to 50 bikers walking in and ordering food.

When our club Chairman organises a trip he says finding somewhere that can accommodate a large group for food that is within walking distance of the hotel is often the biggest challenge. Getting a good idea of numbers is really the key even if it's down to the individuals to make their own booking.