Newbie tourer looking for tips!

[mick_benson]

i would say the crossing going was ok nice and calm slept well all good.
coming back was very very differant, the 24hr crossing took 32 hours, we went upto the top deck (the only place you can smoke) and the waves came over our head, thats the tenth deck :-)

[Snowy]

i would say the crossing going was ok nice and calm slept well all good.
coming back was very very differant, the 24hr crossing took 32 hours, we went upto the top deck (the only place you can smoke) and the waves came over our head, thats the tenth deck :-)

Ironic reading this with "The Perfect Storm" on the box

[mick_benson]

[quote author=mick_benson link=1334145921/20#20 date=1334265362]i would say the crossing going was ok nice and calm slept well all good.
coming back was very very differant, the 24hr crossing took 32 hours, we went upto the top deck (the only place you can smoke) and the waves came over our head, thats the tenth deck :-)

Ironic reading this with "The Perfect Storm" on the box
[/quote]

;D ;D ;D ;D

maybe not that bad

[Dex]

I loved the 24 hour ferry (santander to Portsmouth) when I came back from my Pyrenees tour in July.


Mind you, it didn't hurt that we were in a Commodore class cabin so we got to sit on our private balcony and enjoy the bay of biscay being flat as a pancake.

A lot of the time travel sickness is made worse by tension - so if you worry about getting sick, you will get sick. As well as medication and trying to keep an eye on the horizon it really help to have a way to distract yourself, anything that takes your mind off it if you start to feel a bit rough. Booze is not good for this, but music, audio books or Paul McKenna are all good.

Northern Spain is gorgeous, even the motorways are fantastic - all twisty roads following the mountains and coast with lots of tunnels for being immature and noisy in (suited me perfectly).

As for general touring advice, take less kit than you think you should. Make three piles - essential, desirable and luxury. The essential kit is everything you must take - passport, phone, docs, cards. Everything else is optional, its mostly only worth taking kit you "expect" to use rather than things you "might" use. If something is cheap, readily available and you might not use it anyway - then why not just buy it down there if you need it rather than drag it around with you. I always take a load of old socks, boxers etc so I can bin them when they're dirty near the end of a tour - leaves room for gifts, souvenirs and cheap cigs!

[lolliver]

I loved the 24 hour ferry (santander to Portsmouth) when I came back from my Pyrenees tour in July.


Mind you, it didn't hurt that we were in a Commodore class cabin so we got to sit on our private balcony and enjoy the bay of biscay being flat as a pancake.

A lot of the time travel sickness is made worse by tension - so if you worry about getting sick, you will get sick. As well as medication and trying to keep an eye on the horizon it really help to have a way to distract yourself, anything that takes your mind off it if you start to feel a bit rough. Booze is not good for this, but music, audio books or Paul McKenna are all good.

Northern Spain is gorgeous, even the motorways are fantastic - all twisty roads following the mountains and coast with lots of tunnels for being immature and noisy in (suited me perfectly).

As for general touring advice, take less kit than you think you should. Make three piles - essential, desirable and luxury. The essential kit is everything you must take - passport, phone, docs, cards. Everything else is optional, its mostly only worth taking kit you "expect" to use rather than things you "might" use. If something is cheap, readily available and you might not use it anyway - then why not just buy it down there if you need it rather than drag it around with you. I always take a load of old socks, boxers etc so I can bin them when they're dirty near the end of a tour - leaves room for gifts, souvenirs and cheap cigs!

That is great advice! I'll definitely take a book with me then =)

I definitely want to head up into the Pyrenees whilst I'm in Spain, just hope I don't get lost up there ;D

Great idea about the old pants and socks, I'll definitely do that.

[Dan505]

Take tyre sealant, helps deal with unwanted punctures (wish i'd had some 3 days ago )

[lolliver]

Take tyre sealant, helps deal with unwanted punctures (wish i'd had some 3 days ago )

Good call, I'll pop into Halfrauds later this week. Sorry to hear that you needed it though, were you far from home?

[Dan505]

bout 5 miles, no drama tho. topped it up and limped home. seeming as no ones mentioned it yet...don't forget your bike either! ;D

[wiltshire builders]

I always take a thick rubber band to wrap around the front brake/right bar. It reduces the chance of the bike moving in rough seas. Obviously keep it in gear too.

Mini chain lube, cable ties, electrical tape, chinagraph pencil for writing directions on the tank/fairing

Copies of all documents just incase, spare bike key and lock key and swap it with the other rider

Good luck!

[goz1960]

Last trip I did I found the gaffa tape came in handy [smiley=lolk.gif]