BMW R1200RT/R1250RT Forum

After a long absence from a bike , now have N R1200 RT which is ticking all relevant boxes ,her indoors has really taken to it,anyway looking to have a trip across to Europe for a visit ,certainly to the Black Forest are , have looked at various companies that organise this type of thing ,but we have always been the independent type travellers
Any info on routes ,hotels etc all appreciated , plus any handy hints on do's and dont's
We will be travelling from Scotland so ferry from Newcastle / Hull or tunnel ?

Would suggest you would be much better off crossing from Hull. You will still have nearly a 400 mile ride to get into the Black Forrest proper.
If you have been away from bikes for some time you might find it easier to get back into Eurotouring with an organised tour.

Highlandbear wrote:We will be travelling from Scotland so ferry from Newcastle / Hull or tunnel ?

From the North, it probably makes sense to take the DFDS Newcastle to Amsterdam Ferry, have used it a few times when heading to Germany.
One reservation is, it can be a bit of a "Party Boat" particularly on a weekend.

If going to Hull, the choice is P&O to Rotterdam or Zeebrugge, the Rotterdam Ferry is a larger Vessel, which, if the sea is a bit rough, might give a smoother crossing.

Once across the water, depending on where you plan to stop for your first night, it makes little difference in mileage from any of the 3 Ferry Terminals.

Eurotunnel is a non-starter for me, would the Trains be running & over 300 miles in the UK, would rather ride those miles in Europe.

MCi Tours offer a SelfGuided trip to the Black Forest area, http://www.mcitours.com/tours_detail_se ... tourid=S01.
I haven't used MCi myself, but know someone who has done a couple of Tours with them.

Even with an Escorted Tour, we did one with White Rose Tours this year, you are likely to get GPS Routes etc.
This gives you the flexibility to do your own thing & meet up with like minded folks at the end of each day for Dinner.

Hello Highlandbear,
I can't comment on guided tours in Europe, because like you and yours, my wife and I prefer to do our own thing and make our own itineraries before we travel, researching via numerous web sites etc for suitable B&Bs, hotels and the like.
This summer we toured Europe, taking the tunnel and then onto Lille. Thereafter we headed into Germany via the beautiful Vosges mountains, and stayed in Trier. Then South onto the Black Forest, staying at Pension Williams in Seebach. Delightful setting in such a pretty area of the Forest. South again via the B500 to Konstanz on the Swiss border, then cross the Alps to Lake Como. Thereafter West into France via Mont Blanc. Back up through France via Bourg en Bresse, Troyes and Compiegne and back to UK via the Tunnel again. Approx 2000 miles travelled in total over a two week period. Needless to say, it was fantastic in all respects. Can't wait for the next one.......!

We did some of The Black Forest & B500 this year (2015), stayed in Triberg, it was part of a 2 week, 2,000 miles Tour in Germany.

On our return from Triberg, we had our last night in Klotten (near Cochem), before getting the Ferry the next day.

This BaseCamp Map shows the "Fastest Time" Routes from Klotten to the 3 Euro Ferry Terminals & Eurotunnel Terminal mentioned above.



The Black Route is to Ijmuden (Amsterdam), 241 miles in 4:00 hours.
The Green Route is to Rotterdam, 234 miles in 3:52 hours.
The Blue Route is to Zeebrugge, 257 miles in 4:17 hours.
The Red Route is to EuroTunnel (Calais), 313 miles in 4:59 hours.

Thanks all appreciate the info

BaseCamp Map of some Routes we rode in The Black Forest & B500 area, based in Triberg.



The Black Route is a Circular from Triberg.
The Green Route is from Triberg to Murg, near the River Rhein (Boarder with Switzerland).
The Red Route is back to Triberg from Murg.

From what I can remember, the Red Route was the most interesting.

Having ridden most if not all of the B500, for me, the most enjoyable section was North of Triberg, particularly between Freudenstadt & Baden Baden.

That's great exactly type of info I am looking for , much appreciated

BestBikingRoads.com, http://www.bestbikingroads.com/motorcyc ... 5b710.html
seem to also like the B500 : Freudenstadt - Baden Baden.

The L186 : St. Peter - Waldkirch, http://www.bestbikingroads.com/motorcyc ... 5ff84.html
is probably the section of the Red Route above which I remember as being good.

Plenty more to choose from in Baden-Württemberg, http://www.bestbikingroads.com/motorcyc ... _6968.html

You can't go far wrong using the Michelin Road Maps & choosing the highlighted (in Green) Scenic Routes.

Thanks for info much appreciated