Motorbike trips
Harley Rides and Target Travel’s motorbike trips
Target Travel’s motorbike trips started with an invitation for me and an old school friend to visit his mate in America and join him and his new Hog on a ride up into the Catskill Mountains of New York State. This instigated a trip to familiarize ourselves with Harley Davidsons at the Riders Edge centre in mid-Wales, which intern has now become an annual trip to meet with friends for a relaxing few days riding motorbikes in some spectacular scenery. Target Travel’s motorbike trips usually alternate between the US, the UK and Europe. We hope you find these inspirational. If the routes are great for motorbikes, then they are also suitable for sports and performance cars too.
Why not join us on a Target Travel motorbike trip, alternatively we can advise and put together the arrangements if you wish to do a trip independently.
The Alps
Heading to the Alps with Target Travel, was the latest trip that we helped to create and it was one of the greatest tours so far! A week long motorbike and car tour that crossed all the significant passes of the southern Swiss and Italian Alps, as well as the Italian Dolomites. Once we established that the group was heading to the Alps with Target Travel, the first major hurdle was to decide how do we get to the mountains, do we ride all the way there and back, or hire vehicles? Since Brexit the option of shipping bikes overnight to Geneva is now unavailable.
The deciding factor for us was that if we rode two days on autoroutes through France, we would have no enthusiasm left for the smashing roads when we arrived. Also the long slog back would destroy our memories of the mountain riding. It also meant the four days travelling would reduce the time we could spend in the Alps. So for us who only had a week, we had to fly and hire, we are so very glad we did.
The rough outline of heading to the Alps with Target Travel…
Day 1 – Fly early into Milan, pick up a hire car from the airport and bikes from a well-established and reliable firm on the airport perimeter. Ride up the Autoroute north to Lake Maggiore, then ascend The Simplon Pass and the Goldfinger Furka Pass into Switzerland. Then stay in a charming Swiss ski resort as our base for two nights. Aprx 182 miles that day.
Day 2 – The following day we did a big loop of the four scenic passes in this part of Switzerland, returning to our base. Aprx 104 miles.
Day 3 – Was a long and for us rather wet slog to get us further east, with six more passes to enjoy, each with its own character. Overnight in a large Italian ski resort. Aprx 195 miles.
Day 4 – This route was almost a loop, again roughly six passes and overnight at a large spa hotel at the base of the Stelvio. This was in readiness for an early start down the pass the following morning. The hotel needs a higher budget than the others but has dozens of thermal pools on its grounds which is a wonderful way to relax those aching shoulders and well worth the expense, I don’t feel it was exorbitant. Aprx 129 miles.
Day 5 – Starts by experiencing The Stelvio and then continuing east via a couple of passes and then into the Italian Dolomites. Overnight at a charming modern Italian Ski resort for one, or two nights depending on the duration of the whole trip you want? Aprx 138 miles.
Day 6 – This day can be removed if you want it to be a 7-day/6-night trip, rather than as we did 8 day/7-night trip. This day was a loop of the Dolomites, quite different from the Swiss and Italian passes of the proceeding days. Aprx 131 miles.
Day 7 – Has you heading across the Dolomites in a southwest direction, until you reach the main north-south valley and will then ride the valley sides to Trento and Lake Guarda. Overnight in a charming lake-side hotel with a garden car park and plenty of restaurants surrounding it. Aprx 138 miles.
Day 8– It’s only about an hour on the Autoroute to the airport. So you can leave bags at the left luggage and pop into the city to enjoy Milan, or catch your flight home? Aprx 80 miles.
Odds and end
- From Milan the route goes north west, moves west to east, then heads south west back to the start, describing a pizza slice.
- All the proposed accommodation has parking and places to eat within walking distance.
- Bike hire for eight days, with a medium-sized BMW 900, bank on approx. Euro 110/day inc insurance. All come with solid panniers and as we booked a group of four we had phone cradles provided at no extra charge.
- Fuel in Switzerland was expensive and unless the vehicle already has one from a previous hirer that year, you will need to buy a Swiss Vignette/motorway pass (in the form of a sticker) for your windscreen.
- All the passes are different and it will need a day before you get used to just how tight the u-turns can be. Some are so sharp and steep that you need to be in first gear even though you are on a motorbike! An enjoyable skill once acquired.
- Having helmet coms units will at least double your enjoyment, not only for directions, but it is also helpful to give the all clear when overtaking or cutting the corners on the passes. With three or more riders the communication net is spread very wide and ensures communication around the mountainsides. We had Cardo Pack Talk Pros.
- We hired a mix of Moto Guzzi and BMW’s. Rather than big adventure bikes such as a GS, I would suggest you consider something lighter than your norm. As there are a lot of adverse cambers and gravel to stop on, I feel a lighter more nimble bike here is more suitable than the BMW RT1200 I have at home
- Even in high summer, it can be cold and wet at the summits, we had two out of 8 very rainy days, as well as the odd bit of sleet and snow, this was in June. So dress as you would for an autumn ride in the UK.
- There are lots of motorbikes, some sports cars and hundreds of cyclists on the passes, but it all works well. Especially on a motorbike, you can soon dismiss anything slow.
- We had planned this as a once-in-a-lifetime trip, but are all desperate to go back!
If you are looking for a fabulous week’s ride, then we guarantee heading to the Alps with Target Travel will be a memorable one.
LINK – Supplementary pages
Brittany and the U-boat pens
Target Travel and the U boat pens of Brittany, this is a somewhat left-field trip, but also included some other elements too. We suggest you consider starting with an overnight crossing on Brittany Ferries from the south coast to Normandy, into Cherbourg, Caen, Le Havre or St Malo. With a morning arrival, ready for a run through the undulating Normandie bocage towards Brittany. A potential breakfast stop near Mont St Michel, then head west through the many forested D roads towards Pointe du Raz, pointing out towards the Atlantic. Overnight along the southern underbelly of Brittany. Naturally being Target Travel’s trip to the U-boat pens of Brittany, we expect the next day’s trip to aim for the monstrous and massive Keroman U-boat pens at Lorient. In WW2 this was the largest Nazi U-boat base on the Atlantic Coast, able to maintain 30 submarines at a time. Check web site for escorted tours, this will take up about half a day, there is also a French sub you can walk through, tours are more often in French.
To add another colour to your pallet, head east to Nante and Ile de Machine. A mad group of engineers and artists have a collective here, making wild machines, very Steam Punk in their style. The most famous is the huge walking elephant, but there are also roundabouts and dozens of smaller machines housed in one of the old ship-building sheds. This is well worth half a day and we feel its a must if you are in the region. In the summer months, Nante also has a sculpture trail of the city for you to walk.
Lastly, you could consider aiming northeast toward the Normandy coast before your ferry back. The D-Day beaches are easily accessible at this point. Worth visiting are Ponte du Hoc, Port en Bessin and the Museum at Arromanches to learn of the Mulberry Harbour built here. This can be a 3-4 day trip. Brittany Ferries permit you to travel into one port and out of another.
If Target Travel and the U-boat pens of Brittany are of interest then please contact us.
California road trip and Joshua Tree
For Target Travel’s California road trip, we feel it’s imperative you head south along the Pacific Coast Highway and under no circumstances do the Carmel/ LA leg travelling north, as this will limit overtaking (especially RVs) and pulling over for photos on the very winding and slow sections. We cannot stress how much more enjoyable going south will be. Planning to travel north along the PC Hwy is a school-boy error. Target Travel’s California road trip is a pallet of different colours and here is our basic structure.
San Francisco is the starting point for most and ensures you have an early start when picking up your bikes or cars. Then aim for the coast near Santa Cruz, where the weather will often cool down a lot, often with chilly, chilly fog, wrap up well for this leg until Carmel. Suggested lunch along Canary Row in Monterey. If you have time, this is a good town to stop over and do an afternoon whale-watching trip into Monterey Bay and see the Oceanarium. The added bonus is the next day you have all day to enjoy the squiggly bits of PCH. Most don’t have the time and if not, do ensure you don’t have an extended lunch as you have a long way to go. If you feel it’s too early to stop for luch, then pass Monterey and Carmel and instead aim for Big Sur a charming town up a valley from the coast road. Past Big Sur is the bit that everyone comes for, with the mountains close to the ocean edge and super sweeping roads, perfect for motorbikes, with enough straights for overtaking. Lots of pull-out points and look-outs for multiple photo opportunities. Once the coast flattens out there are places to stop and eat in San Simeon, opposite the turning for Hurst Castle. South of this is also Sealion Beach, a nice point to stretch your legs, you will probably smell it before you spot it.
We strongly suggest you overnight in Pismo Beach, a small blue-collar beach resort. You can continue to LA, but it will be a long slog and perhaps ruin the nice day’s ride. Make a point of dinner in the Rock and Roll 50’s diner in old railroad cars, well worth it. The next morning ensure you are up early and head to Grover Beach south of Pismo, to the giant sand dunes. Go for a Hummer ride or hire ATVs for some dune bashing. If on motorbikes the former is easier, as they pick you up near the diner and save trying to take a Harley on the sand!
Direction change
This particular itinerary avoids LA and instead heads inland over The Sierra Madre Mountains bye-passing the freeways and ending up at Joshua Tree National Park.
Highway 166 takes you through almost deserted canyons and across mountains into the central valley. Apart from a very small stretch of Interstate 5, this is then off the freeway with you zig zagging long straights around greater LA on open roads towards 29 Palms. This small town sits along the northern edge of Joshua Tree National Park, a good overnight spot with a couple of bars and places to eat.
Once again you want to be up early to enjoy the incredible scenery on this day’s ride. Head into the park and go west to Keys View, to look down on the San Andreas Fault below. The quiet well surfaced roads in the park are a biker’s paradise. Exit the park at the south entrance, crossing the freeway for a strange route through the rugged canyons of the Orocopia Mountains going directly to Mecca, with plenty of options here for lunch. Then head down the west bank of the man-made Sulton Sea (one of the saltiest in the world), where, in the ’40s they tested dropping the atom bombs (but with no bangs). Halfway down the sea, take a right onto Highway S22, to cross some very strange moon-like desert landscapes to the little oasis at Borrego Springs. Described as a wrinkled wasteland of harshly eroded, nearly barren clay and gravel, which doesn’t do it justice. A good place for fuel or rest in the shade. Then take S3 south through the Vallectro Mountains to Julian the Apple Pie capitol of the west, for a well-deserved bite to eat.
At this point, you will probably go south and hit I-8 going west into San Diego. The alternative if you have the time and energy, is to continue across forested country roads south on highway S1, around Cleveland National Forest. Then take a right onto the scenic Highway 94 going west and parallel with the Mexican Border towards San Diego.
These last two days are predominantly through the desert, so staying hydrated is important and we strongly suggest travelling with a Camelback or equivalent. Most people will end the trip with an overnight in San Diego. We suggest you stay near the Gaslamp District and do take time to walk to and visit the USS Midway aircraft carrier.
Other options
Target Travel’s California road trip is mainly driven by car, but these work just as well and is arguably better on a motorbike. An alternative to heading straight to the coast and down the Pacific Coast Highway is from San Francisco aim inland to the Central Valley and on to Yosemite National Park in the Sierra Nevada mountains. The last quarter of this 4 hours trip is on the interesting Gold Rush roads and Highway 49. The park itself is amazing.
Another variation
From San Francisco go northeast towards Lake Tahoe, possibly via Napa Valley (4 hours). Do a circumnavigation of the picturesque lake and stay in the vibrant resort area of South Lake Tahoe on the State Line with Nevada and its casinos. The following day, aim towards Reno and start to come down the Nevada side of the Sierra Nevada range, possibly popping into the ghost town of Bodie, before passing Mono Lake. Then taking a turn west for the climb up the mighty Tioga Pass into Yosemite from the east, for an enjoyable ride through the park’s high country.
For both versions of these alternative starts, after a visit to the Giant Sequoia Redwood Grove in the morning, take the park’s south exit near Wawona towards Fish Camp. Then there is a rather tedious leg across the central valley to the coast, to join the Pacific Coast Highway. By adding Yosemite will you not be missing any good riding between SFO and Monterey, but you will be seeing one of the most beautiful places on earth and ride some enjoyable twisties.
Target Travel’s California road trip can be expanded or contracted to suit you, we can also include elements of the Canyonlands and Moab trips too. Please call to chat and we can work out a suitable tour’
Anza Borrego Desert State Park
LINK – supplementary pages – California on a Harley road trip 2015 and Cali Map
Canyonlands, to Moab and back
Riding the high desert roads with Target Travel. This is my favourite American bike route, I have explored the area between Las Vegas and Moab on four occasions. This fabulous trip has some extreme and unbelievable scenery, in addition to experiencing riding the high desert roads with Target Travel. It encompasses Utah’s Scenic Byway 12, 24 & 95, that makeup one of the best biking routes in the world, this amazing leg is a long day, from Bryce Canyon crossing the Colorado River to White Canyon. This Target Travel Canyonlands trip starts in Las Vegas, Nevada with the turnaround point in Moab, Utah. It includes Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon, Escalante, Capitol Reef, Kings Canyon, Natural Bridges National Monument, Needles Overlook, ending up at Moab for Dead Horse Point, and Arches and Canyonlands National Parks.
You could stay in Moab for a month and still not do all the excursions on offer, it’s a fab place with a great atmosphere and a variety of places to stay and eat. See our blog on the Peddle and Pack Raft trip, which was especially memorable.
Moab
Your options from Moab on Target Travel’s Canyonlands trip are:
Ride north to Salt Lake City (4 hrs), or fly there (assuming post-Covid they have resumed), but we may have issues with a one-way bike rental if you fly. If you are doing this by road, then from SLC you may want to consider another 3-hour side-trip out to visit the Bonneville Salt Flats. Most bikers want to make the pilgrimage, even when there are no races on or its wet.
Take a long curve going northwest along the freeways, skirting above your previous route to Las Vegas. This will take a long day (approx 11 hrs) and it’s rather uninspiring too.
Another alternative but longer route, is south of the Grand Canyon, with one or two overnight stops needed. Visiting Monument Valley, a potential side trip to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, plus riding some of Route 66 at Kingman. In contrast to the great riding roads outbound to Moab, this option back is along very long straight and somewhat boring roads, just as you imagine American desert roads to be.
Riding the high desert roads with Target Travel really is a great alternative to Route 66, with a concentration of great riding and great scenery. We have ridden all of these routes and would be delighted to create a suitable trip tailormade to fit in with you
LINK – supplementary pages – Canyonlands with Iain, Sep 2017 and Moab 2015
Canyonlands of Nevada and Utah
Here is our initial route riding the Nevada and Utah Canyonlands with Target Travel, the next section offers you other options to expand this. Las Vegas is the starting point and where we picked up the bikes. We then took a short cruise to Hoover Dam for a nose around and to get used to the bikes. Returning towards Las Vegas but we peeled off to the right before Boulder City onto Lakeshore Road/Highway 166, which runs a mile or so out from the northeast shore of Lake Mead. Before Lake Las Vegas, go right on to North Shore Road/Highway 166. This is possibly one of the best roads I have ever ridden, a rollercoaster, up and down, with some beautiful sweeping curves across this almost lunar landscape and next to no traffic. Make sure you have plenty of fuel. We re-joined the freeway north of Overton, heading to George in Utah. At almost the border near Mesquite, the freeway becomes the madest interstate, twisting uphill through gorges and reminiscent of the motorways along the north Spanish coast. To reach St George it was about 4 hours in all. As it’s Utah, asking about the best place for a pint can frustrating.
Running north-south just outside St George is the Pahvant Range of Mountains with some spectacular crossings, we came back and forth about four times between the I-15 and highway 89. Sometimes we came through gorges, sometimes up through ski resorts such as Brian Head and finally back through Zion National Park, each route was spectacular. Panguitch to the north and Kanab to the south are good lunch points. A side trip to Bryce Canyon is worthwhile if you have time to enjoy it when you are there. We came south via some ghost towns to Page on the edge of Lake Powell in Arizona for the night. Lots of cheap places to stay and eat, some a bit too cheap. Looping back we took Highway 89 ALT (the ALT is important). This takes you west of Page and not North. The route is via Bitter Springs; Vermilion Cliffs; Lees Ferry and Marble Canyon. It is breathtaking as it descends down into the Arizona River Valley. A long trip too, it took us something like four hours to reach Kanab but worth it. The four days were just how I imagined the classic dramatic American bike trip to be. If you’ve been considering doing Route 66 but can’t afford it, or have the Canyonlands with Target Travel can be a spectacular alternative.
LINK – supplementary pages – Canyonlands 1 with the Denver chapter
Catskills
Target Travel around The Catskills. A relatively short distance north of New York and New Jersey. Riding along the surprisingly photogenic Hudson River Valley, to the rugged mountains and forests of the Catskill State Park in upper New York State. With a Target Travel tour around the Catskills, there are plenty of delightful roads with lots of twisties, especially around Peekamoose Mountain. To avoid any surprising Kabala Conventions (yes we did bump into one), we suggest as a good base Woodstock, famed for its ‘Summer of love’ festival (actually held 60 miles away). This is now a respectable and twee tourist village with some delightful restaurants and a scattering of old spaced-out hippies. This trip is a convenient distance from New York and a great option for a couple of days’ ride into the Last of the Mohicans territory.
If you would like a trip like Target Travel’s around The Catskills, then please contact us and we can advise and help you arrange a successful trip adjusted to your needs
Distinguished Gentleman’s rides
Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride DGR – is a charity event on one day only, but carried out all over the world. Set up around 2007 in Australia for Prostrate Cancer. You can ride a classic, custom or interesting motorbike and dress as a distinguished gentleman, which can actually mean almost anything and is bordering on fancy dress for many. Although this seems a small aspect, it is what makes the day so much fun. Well worth having a go, it’s now been moved from September to May.
We at Target Travel participated in the first London ride-out and the following year The West Sussex event, raising over £500 for charity. See the link to these blogs
LINK – supplementary pages- Distinguished Gentleman’s rides
Dream Machines at Poole Quay
A summer evening Rideout with Target Travel to Dream Machines. This is run for charity and is a bike meet on Poole Quay, which operates every year from late Spring to late summer, every Tuesday night. It is probably one of the largest weekly bike meets in the country. The event is very enjoyable, with usually 500+ bikes to look at. We pick a few weeks ahead, then over the weekend check the weather forecast for a warm day, if it’s poor we assume the next week etc. One of the days we guarantee will end up being a warm summer evening Rideout with Target Travel. Generally, we spend the afternoon with friends riding across the country to and then through the New Forest and onwards to Poole, varying the route slightly each time. The event is free to spectators and £2/ bike entry. Armed with a shandy and a bag of fish n chips, we relax for some people and bike-watching, with the billionaire Sunseekers bobbing about across the water. It’s a really nice trip and we usually make this run at least once a year, occasionally twice. Do join us for summer’s evening Rideout with Target Travel
LINK – supplementary pages- Dream Machines at Poole Quay
Isle of Man TT
Off to the TT with Target Travel. Most bikers’ dream is a pilgrimage to The Isle of Man TT. If you’ve not been, then had give you hand and can make it simple for you to head off to the TT with Target Travel.
IMPORTANT – For planning purposes this must be considered earlier than a year ahead, to be able to get a place booked on the ferry for your bike, both out and back. It is so popular that when the ferry opens for booking, thousands will be trying to book at the same time as you, a bit like trying to buy a ticket for Glastonbury. You must have the dates agreed upon with your group and be ready with alternatives. It is also important you are aware that it’s a two-week festival and the first week is only qualification runs, the racing starts the second week so that’s what you want to aim for. You Must also be aware that to make it less disruptive for the islanders, racing is every other day. Should rain stop play, then it will commence again on the next scheduled race day, so it will be two days later. Therefore, if you are going for the races, assume there will be some wet weather and plan to be there for a minimum of two race days = 3 days in all. Therefore adding a day to get there and one to come home, it’s a minimum of a five-day trip (4 nights).
The whole island is a festival with lots of events when there is no racing, the SprintFest at Ramsey and the Motor Museum at Ballaugh we felt are highlights. The atmosphere is fab and despite lots of beer, it seems safe and not scary. Unlike GPs and other races, there is no ticket you need to buy to be a spectator and you can also walk around many of the pits. Our top tip at some point is to take a camping chair on the train up from Laxey, to sit on the hillside and watch the bikes charge through the Mountain Section. Naturally, everyone wants the opportunity to ride the course, if you are going with non-bikers, then get them to jump on a guided trike for a circumnavigation. We would suggest a small campsite with pre-erected tents on the edge of Douglas at roughly the first turn of the TT circuit, approx. £25/ tent/ night. Our trip was on bikes with a sports car tagging along, which was not a problem and dead useful getting into town in the evenings!
Feel free to chat with us if you want to be riding off to the TT, with Target Travel helping you with your plans.
LINK – supplementary pages – Isle of Man TT
Le Mans 24 Hours and The Le Mans Classic
Target Travel to Le Mans. Not a Harley Davidson in sight, we have done this on many occasions as part of our usual pilgrimage to Le Mans 24 Hours and the bi-annual Classic Le Mans. The Target Travel to Le Mans group usually consists of a few bikes with some cars to help bring the camping kit. There is often a side trip to the D-Day beaches on the last few occasions.
For decades Target Travel have been enjoying both these two events themselves and has often assisted many groups in booking ferries and camping. We would be delighted to help you. We can also offer advice on The Spa Summer Classic, Wheels and Waves, Isle of Man TT, and other trips for those with fuel in their veins.
For those Petrolheads, Le Mans is a pilgrimage that you should make at least once. The excitement of endurance racing with various classes of sports prototypes and the more familiar GT cars makes F1 seem rather dull. The Classic is run every other year, and has less interesting racing, but it’s bursting with classic car clubs and is a very different and no less enjoyable event. It also usually enjoys more reliable weather and is much hotter a month later. The Le Mans 24 hours especially has rather a growing reputation as a stag destination and can be rather a lager-fest in some of the campsites, but for both events, we would suggest you consider the long weekend as a pallet of different colours. Here are some ingredients that we think make a great Le Mans.
Starting with an overnight ferry from Portsmouth or Poole, with a small social that night on board. In our view a cabin is a must and shared between four it’s not an extravagance, but need booking early. Into Caen, Cherbourg or Le Havre nice and early means a full day for a dabble into the D-Day landings or enjoying the nice roads and scenery as you head south through the charming Normandy countryside. Saint Saturnin is a town 10 mins north of the Sarthe Circuit and on Friday offers a Classic British Welcome, a free event with usually over a thousand classic cars for you to enjoy. Once at Le Mans and pitched up, we suggest the first night in the nearby village of Arnage to soak up the atmosphere, if that night is Friday, then head by tram from the circuit into the cobbled Le Mans town square for the Driver’s Parade.
Saturday there are the build-up races or perhaps just have a gentle ramble around the back of the pits and grandstands to get your barings. Mid-afternoon and with the excitement of the start, it’s imperative you are tuned into the English-speaking Radio Le Mans, to keep you abreast of what’s going on. You need to find a view point by midday at the very latest to get a reasonable view of the track. Once the race has started and after an hour or so, most take this afternoon to wander up to the Dunlop Bridge and onward passing the Esses to the top of the Mulsanne, so you get to see the cars taking on different aspects of the track. A Grand Marnier Crepe is a must too. Our suggestion for Saturday night is to head down to the village of Mulsanne for dinner and then later when dark, wander to the track side here to experience the overpowering sights and sounds in the woods at this famous corner.
Sunday morning our bleary-eyed suggestion is you and your camping chair plunk yourselves on the relatively quiet grassy banks up from Arnage at The Indianapolis Corner, watching the cars charging around the banking and then screaming down into the sharp right-hander at the Arnage T junction, before pelting off again towards Maison Blanc and the Dunlop Curves. An hour or so here chatting and watching is the perfect relaxing start to the day. Alternatively have a ride in the Ferris Wheel with the cars coming almost underneath and on towards the start/finish straight and pits. While here, you can try some serious go-karting and the adjacent track.
Whichever you choose you’ll need to be ready for the finish and in a good position with a view at least an hour ahead. Grandstand tickets are generally under Euro 100 (valid Sat & Sun) and especially if you are along the start/ finish straight, you get to really enjoy all the razzamatazz of the finish. Thankfully it’s possible to invade the track near the start/finish straight which rounds off the race wonderfully, we strongly suggest you do this. The last Sunday night relaxing. With then a gentle pack-up on Monday morning and a nice route north to the coast can have you home Monday evening at a south coast port ready for work Tuesday morning.
Both Le Mans events are fab and we strongly recommend you try to make it a four-day trip. If you and a few friends have fancied going but don’t know where to start, then we can help book the travel and tickets; guide you through how to plan it and what to expect when You are there.
If a trip with Target Travel to Le Mans interests you, then please feel free to call and discuss. We also have available our own map of the back roads, to help navigate past the closed local roads acting as the track over the weekend.
Beermountain Le Mans survival guide
LINK – supplementary pages – LE MANS INFO SHEET (NOT Le Mans with William)
North York Moors
For us, it’s a long slog north, but the spectacular roads here are worth the trek, starting with a hack north through the middle of the park and then circling east and south for an overnight in Scarborough, a good base as there are AirB&B as well as hotels. As part of the trip consider a visit to Whitby, inc fish n chips. Also, a plod down to Robin Hood Bay, and ride around the motorbike track at Oliver’s Mount on the outskirts of Scarborough. Then as you cross the moors, plan a break at the isolated hilltop Lion Inn. Also stop at the charming Goathland Station, part of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR), as this is the celebrity station which became Hogsmeade Station in the first Harry Potter movies. Nearby are also the venues for the tv series Heartbeat. If you are a fan of Bangers and Cash, then Matthewsons are along the southern edge of the park.
Let Target Travel book a similar trip for you, once again this is as suitable for sports and performance cars as it is for motorbikes
Spa Summer Classic and the Ardenne
Target Travel to The Spa Summer Classic and Ardennes. Having sent and escorted many groups to Le Mans for decades, we fancied a different event to travel to, but still sandwiched with some proper riding roads. The excuse this time was to visit the Spa Summer Classic racing weekend at the famous Belgium Spa Francorchamps GP circuit, to watch some classic car racing. Target Travel to Spa race weekend turned out very cheap for us spectators (free) especially compared to the Goodwood events and Le Mans. You also have the run of the whole circuit for a nice trek and plenty of good viewpoints to set up your camping chair. It was also to act as a base for us to enjoy the spectacular roads in the Ardennes and explore more of the Band of Brothers and the Battle of the Bulge.
Target Travel to The Spa Summer Classic started with a late Eurotunnel crossing and as an experiment stayed in the cobbled streets of the old town Calais, which if it wasn’t for the quantity of ale the previous night, would have meant an early start for the long slog east. We added a quick break at the Canadian War Memorial at Vimy Ridge and if you have time, do visit and do a guided tour of the trenches too. Once at Spa Francorchamps, there are a number of Spa Resort hotels dotted around the forest, which adds a nice element to the stay. The historic town square has plenty of restaurants. Parking at the track is dead easy compared to the Belgium GP. Bring walking boots as you can walk all over the circuit. The next day we took a long cross-country route with a super stop at La Roche on the way to Bastogne. If you are familiar with the series Band of Brothers then this is a must, it also has an interesting museum and was our turnaround point. Keep off the autoroutes and most of the roads in the Ardenne are fabulous, with lots of delicious sweeping curves through the forests. On the way back if you have time do see The Copula near Calais. If this Target Travel to The Spa Summer Classic and Ardennes is of interest, then we would be delighted to book a similar trip for you, once again this is just as enjoyable for sports and performance cars as it is for motorbikes.
Spa Summer Classic.
Texas Hill Country
‘Go Cowboy’ with Target Travel, on the famous ranch roads of the Texas Hill Country, located to the east of San Antonio and Austin. The highlight is riding The Twisted Sisters. This is not an area that many in the UK would have heard about. Being ranch roads the traffic is very light, with very few cars, but lots of bikes both motorised and with pedals. Here is a resume of the ride if you want to ‘Go Cowboy’ with Target Travel.
The area has numerous sweeping curves and the strangest ride I’ve ever had on two wheels. In parts, it’s not unlike a roller coaster’s bumps, but dead straight for about a mile or two, with a succession of small but steep hills. These have you opening up the throttle and roaring up the slope, then as you reach the top you see the others in the group also at their summits ahead of you. As you then dive down the other side you see those in the dip coming up the other face. Childish fun especially if you are well-synchronised and it put a smile on everyone’s face, I guarantee you’ll want to turn around and do them again. We stayed at a charming and relaxed biker & cyclist motel in Leaky, with lots of bungalows among the trees, only for those on two or three wheels. Fredericksburg is a town with more entertainment (aka bars) for the second or subsequent nights, interestingly there is a Nimitz Museum. The trip can be done over two of three nights and from San Antonio or Austin, the former may have more interest for us Brits on the history side, but Austin has now blossomed into a hip music city.
Feel free to ask us about the Go cowboy with Target Travel route and we can book a similar trip for you. Most would add this to other elements of a bigger trip. Enjoyable as it was, I wouldn’t cross the Atlantic for this ride alone.
LINK – Supplementary pages – Texas Hill Country
Virginia- Shenandoah and the Skyline Drive
The 150 miles of Shenandoah’s twisting Skyline Drive with Target Travel. Over the years we have sent many clients to Virginia, Colonial Williamsburg, The Outer Banks and Skyline Drive with Target Travel.
Virginia- Shenandoah National Park & Colonial Williamsburg
If you fancy riding the twisting Skyline Drive with Target Travel, then we would be delighted to design and book a similar trip for you, this is suitable for cars and motorbikes
Wales at Riders Edge
Having been invited to ride with a friend in America, it didn’t seem right that our first experience of a Harley Davidson was as the on-ramp to a freeway, so we looked into a way of getting some experience riding a Harley. This is how we first swung our leg over a hog back in 2009. We turned up at the Welsh National Showground where Riders Edge have its own black and orange Harley-inspired building. After a bit of paperwork, they opened a vast shed door marked ‘Goats’ and we see an amazing view of 20-30 gleaming Harley Davidsons. Just take your pick they say and we rumble off to the show ground’s tarmac mini road system, the perfect spot to get to grips with a Milwaukee tractor. We played around with a number of models before we found what we wanted to try out on the open road. They ask you to do a little test for them to check your competence, then it’s off into the hills. Some of the best biking roads in the country, following someone who knows all the best routes and some very attractive sheep too, it was top biking.
Back for lunch and then choose another bike, we had another couple join us and then headed off north. We kept swapping the bikes among ourselves that afternoon and were out for a couple of hours, including a stop for a mug of tea.
Once back we took out some of the more outrageous and seemingly impractical models for a bit of fun on the showground’s road system.
In all we rode about 8 different bikes each, some I would not have dared consider before. Our aim was to find the most suitable model for our US trip and not to have our first experience of a ‘hog’ as we nervously joined a freeway. This was achieved, but as a bonus it was a great day out in itself, trying lots of different bikes and on some fantastic roads, the bonus being that this was with someone experienced leading, who also knew all the best roads to take you down, so stress-free. We cannot recommend it highly enough, just as a treat even if you’re not expecting to ride stateside.
LINK – supplementary pages – Wales at Riders Edge
Wales tours
Target Travel is ‘Going Welsh’ again. We have arranged two-weekend tours of Wales, both a great success. Once across the Seven, one trip headed north immediately off the bridge taking the Wye Valley, and the other continued along the M4 and tuned right after Cardiff, both ending up in the Brecon Beacons. When planning Target Travel ‘Going Welsh’, originally our priority was to experience Top Gear’s recommendation of the Black Mountain Pass, but we also found and probably enjoyed some smashing remote lanes through MOD land. We also really enjoyed the roads leading to Ryhayader, around the Elan Valley and across to the coast at Aberystwyth. On both occasions, we have successfully stayed in the town overnight for beer n curry. The second day we hugged the coast north, our June trips have never fitted into the proposed RAF low-flying training dates for the Mach Loop. If you are planning a trip, do investigate the dates and try to fit in a hill climb to see the aircraft twisting through the valley below you. Snowdonia has been our turnaround point on both trips. Once we did the Evo Triangle famed as a car mag test area, but now scattered with average speed cameras, so frankly I wouldn’t bother. On the second trip, we build in a stop at Penryn and booked Quarry Carts for a couple of races 1500 ft down a Welsh Mountain, a hoot. There are zip lines and cave trampolining here in Snowdonia too. The return leg was a bit further east, down B roads through the centre of the country and is fun in rain or sun. On our first trip we stayed in Kington just over the English Border in a fine big old inn with a pool. The second Target Travel ‘Going Welsh’ again the trip was staying at a charming country house hotel on the outskirts of Builth Wales. We usually can’t resist a quick loop of the Elan Valley before heading back into England on the A44 towards Worcester, Stratford upon Avon and the Cotswolds, to avoid slogging along too much of the M4.
Target Travel going Welsh for you too if you wish, we would be delighted to book a similar trip for you, once again this is as suitable for sports and performance cars as it is for motorbikes
Link – Quarry Karts
Link- Mach Loop
Wheels and Waves, Biarritz
Target Travel’s hipster trip to Wheels and Waves. We can help arrange a trip to this hipster’s bike and culture festival, held annually in Biarritz. Target Travel’s hipster trip was clearly not aimed at us scruffy old geezers, as the main elements are trendy motorbikes, surfing and skateboarding, plus the fashions associated with them. Yes, I was as surprised as you that they let us in! As part of the event, there are lots of bikes being shown off, mass ride-outs, country lane drag racing, surfing competitions and lots of music. It was very enjoyable and we were glad we visited it, despite not being the target demographic. W&W was a great excuse for a long tour and a really memorable trip it was too. This event has now evolved into a multi-site festival in both France and Spain, although at the time of our trip it was just Biarritz. In planning Target Travel’s hipster trip to the Wheels and Waves, we balanced up lots of options, but in the end decided to take an overnight ferry to Normandy, and go cross-country south all the way to Bordeaux. Overnight here and then head down to Biarritz the next day to see the festival that afternoon and evening. The following day a leisurely start for a charge across northern Spain and boy that was a good bit. The sweeping Autoroute was fab and then from below Bilbao we tracked across the mountains and came up at Santander, we wish we had done more of that. We then took the overnight (and a day) ferry back to Portsmouth. Having calculated the fuel, hotel and ferry if we rode back north through France, there was relatively little in it cost-wise and it would be a lot more relaxing. It was a good decision as the long drive south in the heat was tuff enough, taking over 12 hours to Bordeaux, It may have left a sour taste having done it both ways. Ours was a four-day trip, but could have been extended if you had time.
Is Target Travel’s hipster trip to Wheels and Waves your cup of tea? Of so we would be delighted to book a similar trip for you, once again this is also suitable for sports and performance cars, but you might feel a bit jealous if you are not on a bike at W&W.
LINK – Supplementary pages – Wheels and Waves blog June 14