Small Bike, Small Budget - 30 Days to Where?

Archie · Post by **Archie** » Tue Jan 20, 2015 6:50 pm

You wont go wrong or break the budget by looking at southern France and or Spain Aragon. No point in wasting money on Ferries to Maroc. Spain is fantastic.

Archie

-Ralph- · Post by **-Ralph-** » Tue Jan 20, 2015 7:18 pm

In 30 days you're going to reach North Africa, Southern Europe, Russia or Scandinavia.

Norway is expensive on fuel, Russia is dirt cheap, like a third of the price. Morocco is cheaper than here, but not by much.

If you don't want to go Eastern Bloc though, and you're camping and cooking, then budget really doesn't make much difference to where you go, it's hotels and restaurants that burn money.

The question you need to ask is where have you always wanted to go and what have you always wanted to see?

I'd be heading East, I've always wanted to see Moscow.

Flintlock · Post by **Flintlock** » Tue Jan 20, 2015 8:15 pm

30 days on the bike is something i can only dream off. However in my dream and at that time of the year it would have to be somewhere warm, so Spain and Portugal and perhaps a quick lap of Gibraltar thrown in for good measure.

Godspeed · Post by **Godspeed** » Tue Jan 20, 2015 8:25 pm

Got to say, after my recent trip, southern Spain was fantastic!
I found that keeping the miles down was the best idea and savour every new sight

Hope, wherever you go, you have a wonderful time and take loads of photos!!!

:)

Tonibe63 · Post by **Tonibe63** » Tue Jan 20, 2015 8:54 pm

If it's your first trip it will be an adventure wherever you go so don't too hung up on maximum distance from home. Maybe think about using the Santandar/Bilbao ferry one way and riding Pyrenees, Alps etc.

SteveW · Post by **SteveW** » Wed Jan 21, 2015 8:44 am

Once you climb on your bike you're on holiday.
It's a nicer ride from Rochdale (via A49) to Portsmouth rather than the slog down to Dover.
I like the Portsmouth - Caen ferry. You can time it so than your first nights accommodation is on the ferry (it sales about 20:00) gets you in Caen in the morning.
You are on the West side of France and you can pick up some nice small roads and route down France.
I would take my time, research places of interest before I travelled.
Into Spain, again research prior to travel places you want to see. I don't think you want to cross into Morocco, there's loads to see this side of the Mediterranean Sea.
Plus, you are obviously are going to get breakdown recovery?? This will be more reliable and cheaper in Europe.
What about following the Mediterranean Sea along Southern Spain, into South of France then up route Neapolitan
or may be over the Alps then back North then through the tunnel on the return.

optimisery · Post by **optimisery** » Wed Jan 21, 2015 9:07 am

Thanks everyone some good ideas here- appreciated (thumbs)

PhilinFrance it wasnt me! But thanks for the kind offer (thumbs)

Ralph: I'd love to head East but thinking it might be a little chilly in April. I've always really fancied Mongolia via Russia, but that would need more time and pennies..

SteveW: Thanks for the ferry tip - I like the idea of a coastal route (thumbs) and taking in Portugal (as suggested by Flintlock).
I will definitely have breakdown recovery!

Tramp: Blackpool in the sun was exactly what I said the first time I landed in Spain on a package holiday! :laugh:

DanielS · Post by **DanielS** » Wed Jan 21, 2015 9:15 am

Have you thought about speaking to Rod about his thread here:

http://www.adventurebikerider.com/forum ... -free.html

If you haven't read or seen his youtube videos of him and Sniper then have a look, they're brilliant!

optimisery · Post by **optimisery** » Wed Jan 21, 2015 9:18 am

DanielS wrote:Have you thought about speaking to Rod about his thread here:

http://www.adventurebikerider.com/forum ... -free.html

If you haven't read or seen his youtube videos of him and Sniper then have a look, they're brilliant!

Yes I have! I'm a big Fan of Rods Turkey video series - I've chatted to him via email but unfortunately the trip is out of my budget.

Big Yellow Tractor · Post by **Big Yellow Tractor** » Wed Jan 21, 2015 9:23 am

I'd dawdle down through France. Then trundle along the Pyrenees and drop into Catalunia. Then maybe have a bit of a rethink there.

Don't plan a route but maybe have a list of places you might like to see to give you a rough direction. If you've got a smart phone, get a good weather app (I like WeatherPro) so you can skirt around any shitty stuff. On the last trip, we missed three days of rain by slowing down for a day then jumping behind the weather front.

Re cost, I've done two week trips on my DRZ 400 that have worked out around £60.00 per day including ferries, some hotels, camping, food, beer and fuel. Also included some expensive meals out and a white-water rafting day.

Your little Gerbil should do way better on fuel than a DRZ and with 30 days, you won't need to ride hard. If you mostly camp and feed yourself you should get that spend down considerably. (I'd be interested to know what you manage on)

I'd love to toddle off for a month. I found on the last trip that I really got into the rhythm and it was easy to see how some folks just keep going.

I'm looking forward to reading your trip report.

Small Bike, Small Budget - 30 Days to Where?

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