This vacation would be an extraordinary one for me. The plan was to go with two friends, whom I will call B. and C. in this report, and our bikes on a round trip through Europe. They have been doing motorcycle holidays for many years, but this would be the first time for me. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned, as can be read in this report.
Day 1: Groningen – Westenschouwen, The Netherlands
August 28, 21C Sunny and one shower. I left home on my bike to meet up at C’s place. I met B. at the tank station, who was quite confused because there was nowhere to leave the nozzle after tanking gas. Apparently something had broken off. After a coffee we left riding the highways. Between Utrecht and Rotterdam, we left the big roads to drive more touristically to Zeeland, which is the islands province in the southwest of the Netherlands. After doing our first groceries, we arrived at an apparently quite expensive camping ground where we could set up our tents. After beers and cooking, we went to bed pretty late.
Day 2: Westenschouwen – Saint-Amand-Les-Eaux, France
August 29, 21C Sun with some clouds. After an excellent breakfast with bacon and eggs, we picked up our tents (and, in C’s case, his motorcycle as well). We drove over the ‘Stormvloedkering’ (loosely translated to ‘water defense’), and through the Westerschelde tunnel, we arrived in Belgium. After going over some main roads, we started to take the smaller roads. We continued our route after lunch at a picnic spot in the middle of nowhere. During this part, my phone started to have problems. It kept restarting itself. Luckily, I managed to fix it. Our camping spot was quite lovely. We were located under trees and had a picnic table that made cooking easier.
Day 3: Saint-Amand-Les-eaux – Remilly-Aillicourt, France
August 30, 20C Heavy rains in the morning and later cloudy. We unfortunately woke up to rain. It got dry for a short while, making it possible for us to have a quick coffee and breakfast, but then more rain came, so we packed up our tents in the rain. We drove through a big city first before getting to some wonderful smaller roads again. Unfortunately, disaster struck: I was unable to shift gears on my bike. Lower gears were impossible, and the higher ones were hard to shift into. We stopped in a village in the middle of nowhere where my friends. tried to figure out the problem. It was impossible to fix, so I called the ANWB, the Dutch road service, which also has a department to help out when their clients are outside The Netherlands. While waiting for help to arrive, we were offered some coffee by a sweet lady who lived in the house behind us, who was curious why we stayed so long at her doorstep. We kindly declined the offer. After an hour, a French car arrived with a trailer on which my bike could be loaded. The only thing he could do was to drive the motorcycle to his place in Remilly-Haillicourt, where he would receive instructions. So I wanted to stay near my bike, so we booked a family room in the only hotel in that village. In our room, we discovered that the bike problem was a known problem with my model, which should be easy to fix when you have the parts. The hotel had a restaurant where we had dinner and a few beers. After more consultation with my friends and the ANWB on the phone, we went to sleep.
Day 4: Remilly-Aillicourt – Reims, France
August 31, 21C Sunny with some rain. We had a nice breakfast in the hotel, a luxury for us on our camping trip. The first thing to do afterwards was to contact the ANWB again. They could not tell me something new yet. To kill time, we decided just to stroll a bit through the tiny village. After calling again an hour later, we finally had more information. My bike would be taken to a Triumph dealer in Reims at 1:30. So I said goodbye to my friends, who took the scenic route to Reims on their bikes. I stayed on the bench in the village, waiting and spending time on my phone in the meantime. At half past one, I walked to the guy who had transported my bike the day before, and we both drove with his dog and my bike on the trailer to the Triumph dealer in Reims. My friends were already there when we arrived. The guy explained to the mechanic what the problem was, and we felt that he immediately understood what was going on since my bike is a Triumph with a well-known problem. He also said he had previously repaired a bike with the same problem. I started to get a bad feeling. The only thing he did was put down my information in their system and did not look at my bike even once.
C. had booked a hotel nearby, and I waited for their return outside in the rain. The hotel was one of those standard hotels in the industrial areas. I went hunting to see if we could eat nearby. Unfortunately we couldn’t because all the restaurants were literally in ruins. A man even came and chased me away when I looked at one. So we decided to take an Uber to the city center. This was a good choice because we found a lovely pub with good beer and great food. Back in the hotel, I let my tent dry in the tiny bathroom before we went to sleep.
Day 5: Reims, France
September 1, 21C First rain with sun afterwards. After breakfast we packed our things. My friends packed them on their bikes, and I put them in the hotel’s storage room because I would be staying in Reims in hopes of having my bike fixed that day. After seeing my friends out, I started my long walk to the city center, because I had nothing else to do that day. It was a two-hour walk in the rain, so I took some breaks on benches here and there. I also took some pictures along the way. I arrived at the city center and went into the big cathedral. Unfortunately I could not really explore it because I had a backpack with me, which was not allowed. After the quick exploration, I had a nice salad and a beer in 3 Brasseurs. Then, I took an Uber to the first hotel to pick up my luggage. While waiting for the next Uber to take me to the other hotel, I discovered I would be getting the same driver again, who was still nearby. There, I was told by ANWB that they don’t want to look at the bike until at least Tuesday. After many calls to my insurance company and the ANWB for a temporary replacement vehicle, I walked towards a restaurant for a sirloin steak. I started to get into a crappy mood and was thinking about returning home if I would not get my bike back. My friends wanted to have a video call with me back in the hotel, during which they convinced me to continue the trip. I would drive to them to continue the vacation the following day.
Day 6: Reims – Le Tholy, France
September 2, 28C Sunny. After breakfast alone, I spoke to a German rider who was touring on his bike with his daughter. He told me that he had the same problem with his Triumph Tiger and that it was an easy fix. This put my mind slightly at ease. I had to collect my car at a small village just outside of Reims, which was not accessible by public transport, so I took an Uber to the location with all my luggage. After waiting for a while, a huge Kia Ceed station wagon with a Dutch license plate was presented to me. After getting to know the car somewhere in the village, which means that I made sure I could see my navigation and music from my phone on the car display, I started to drive east to where my friends were heading. I drove through some decent landscapes, but the majority of the trip was just to drive and listen to film music to clear my head.
After a pleasant drive, I arrived at the campground where my friends were already, and they were pretty surprised at how large my car was. We took this opportunity to buy a lot of groceries for two days. We spent the evening drinking beers, catching up and cooking dinner.
Day 7: Le Tholy – Frick, Switzerland
September 3, 28C Sunny. To start the day, I first drove about 2 miles back to visit the Grand Cascade de Tendon. It is a beautiful waterfall. I had to climb with sandals since my only other option would have been simple shoes or bike boots. It was a nice hike, nonetheless, alongside the waterfall. Back at the car, I bought some extra beers in the nearby village since we may need more for the following two days. Then it was time for me to drive up Col De la Schlucht again, which I had also done last year. I had to park far away this time. There I had a non-alcoholic beer while watching all the motorcycles with nostalgia. Back at the car, I took a different route from last year: Route de Crêtes. It was a gorgeous, very scenic route, where I had lunch with stunning views. The rest of the afternoon was spent driving through France and Germany to meet my friends in Switzerland, who were already drinking beer at the campground bar. I was worried I would get on the Swiss highway without a vignette by accident, but little did I know that my car already had one stuck on the window. After finishing the beer, we returned to our tents for food, talks and more drinks.
Day 8: Frick – Ornans, France
September 4, 31C Sunny. After packing everything, I left later than my friends this time. The route was back to France, where the first half was pretty dull, with only long straight roads and roundabouts for variety. Fortunately, in the second half, it got better. There were not many places for me to stop, though, but the scenery contained some wonderful hills. Around lunchtime, I parked my car alongside the road and had lunch there. Back in France, I arrived at the campsite first for the first time and had my tent up before the rest came on their bikes. I had informed my neighbors beforehand of their arrival. After shopping, I could take a quick swim while the rest put up their tents. Other than that, it was just a relaxing evening of cooking and drinking chilled beers from a small stream at the campsite.
Day 9: Ornans – Sezanne, France
September 5, 34 Sunny. The plan for this day was all about driving back to Reims. There was a chance my bike would be repaired at the end of the day. Meaning that I had to collect it before closing time, but also that I had to return my car completely clean before seven at that small village again. For the first part of the trip, I could take the scenic route, during which I passed one of the terrible hotels I had stayed at last year.
From two o’clock on, I had to take the highway. While driving, I could easily spot the two bikes and called C. (we have radios in our helmets) to stop. I was quite shocked when I saw B. remove his helmet. He was really struggling with his suit and the hot weather on the highway. At 5 pm, I was at a car wash, where I called the ANWB, who told me that the garage did not have the time to diagnose. I responded by giving the garage a deadline. I wanted to know the next day at noon if I could pick up the bike on that same day. If not, I would continue my trip by car. I drove back south to the camping ground to reunite with my friends.
Day 10: Sezanne – Aumontzey, France
September 6, 29C Sunny. Today was decision day for my bike. Since it wouldn’t be known until noon what would happen to my bike, I decided to drive to a large lake an hour away from the campground. Almost there I received the bad news that the garage still had not looked at my bike, after being there for almost a week. This meant I gave ANWB the assignment to arrange transport for my bike back to the Netherlands. On one hand, I was extremely angry and disappointed that my bike holiday was officially over, but on the other, I was also relieved that all the uncertainty was over. Next to the lake there was a nice picnic place for lunch.
After eating and walking to the lake, I found out where the next campsite was located and set my navigation to its location and found out that it would still be quite a drive. Once there we still had to do some shopping so it became a late dinner. During the evening the ANWB called me again, to tell me that the garage had made the diagnosis after me saying that I wanted to have it transported out. I told the ANWB that I would not return to Reims.
Day 11: Aumontzey – Champagnole, France
September 7, 29 Sunny. I took it slow in the morning. I had not much scheduled that day. I drove the scenic route south and had marked a Decathlon in my navigation. Since my holiday had changed from a motorcycle to a car one, I needed some extra things I did not bring with me, like a good backpack and some decent walking shoes. I timed my arrival at the campsite perfectly because my friends had also just arrived. After setting up our tents, it was time for some relaxation.
Day 12: Champagnole – Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, France
September 8, 30C Sunny. It was time for us to go to the Alps. I found another waterfall to visit on my route, and The Cascade de la Queue de Cheval Waterfall was definitely worth a visit. After driving to a small parking lot above a small village in the hills. There was nobody else on my trail, and when I arrived, after a short walk, I walked into a small paradise where a narrow but tall waterfall fell into a small pond. Then I had to drive to meet my friends again on time. But before going to the campground, I had to get beer as promised. I was the first to arrive at the campground, and when my friends arrived, they were pretty tired, so we first went to the camping bar for some beers before cooking our Mexican dinner.
Day 13: Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne – Rhemes-Saint-Georges, Italy
September 9, 23C Sunny. After making some calls for my bike, since the Triumph dealer was still trying to get as much money out of me as possible, it was time to leave. The first stop was with all three of us: the supermarket because we needed to buy two days’ worth of groceries. Then, it was time for a nice ride to the Col de l’Iseran, the highest paved pass in the Alps. The pass contained beautiful curves and fantastic views, which made it an excellent ride for motorcyclists, and there were plenty. At the top of the Col, I was reunited with my friends. C. even found a fellow Husqvarna motorcyclist. The ride down was also exceptional and continued into the Italian Alps. It took a while because in Italy, the speed limit was 50 km/h most of the time, and you can’t overtake anywhere. I arrived at the campground just before my friends and was told that this would be the last day of the season for this campground, so we were lucky. The location was also at a higher altitude, so it was chillier than we were used to. Therefore, we drank beer, cooked a little faster than usual, and went into our tents a little earlier.
Day 14: Rhemes-Saint-Georges – Lavena Ponte Tresa, Italy
September 10, 30C Sunny. I started the day by backtracking a bit by car. My plan was to climb Cascate del Rutor, which is apparently the biggest waterfall in Italy. It was indeed quite a climb. I first had to walk from where I parked my car to the starting point, and then the official trail still had to begin, which was on a steep and rocky path. There were officially three waterfalls, but they were not very clearly marked. After a long climb, I finally reached the last waterfall. I encountered many Italians along the way, but at this endpoint, with its stunning views, I was finally alone. Sadly, the fall itself was a bit disappointing. The view over the Alps and the walk through the forest was better. On the way back, I apparently entered a competition, namely the TORX 2023, where participants had to walk uphill as fast as they could. This made my descent very interesting because I had to make way for all these participants. Halfway down, I enjoyed my lunch while watching all these tired athletes.
When I finally returned to my car, I found out I still had to drive three hours to the campsite, taking the highway. This route was very Italian, with unclear speed signs and cars and motorcycles passing you left and right. The toll was also expensive, and I had trouble paying for it at their machines. I arrived at a campsite at Lago Di Lugano, which is still in Italy but close to the Swiss border. I was so tired that I drank a beer before setting up the tent, which was against our rules.
Day 15: Lavena Ponte Tresa – Triesen, Liechtenstein
September 11, 30C Sunny. Today was simply another day of driving. My route took me alongside some lakes through Italy, which was quite busy. At some point, I came across the Acquafraggia Waterfalls just before the border with Switzerland. After walking to the falls, I sat down and ate the lunch I had bought just before in a supermarket. In the meantime, I could watch people swimming under the waterfalls. In Switzerland, the scenery changed dramatically. It was quieter on the road, which was getting better and broader, and the views became more stunning. I drove through beautiful parts of the Alps, including the Julier Pass.
The final destination of the day was quite an exciting one: Liechtenstein since I had never spent the night in that country before. I arrived exactly at the same time as my friends at the campsite. We could set up our tent between several mobile homes, which was a spot without any shade. Since it was so hot, we drank our beers under a canopy near the reception before cooking our dinner.
Day 16: Triesen – Aitrach, Germany
September 12, 28C Sunny with rain at the end of the day. After breakfast, I left Liechtenstein behind and drove through Austria. I would only be in Austria for a few hours, but they were well worth it! I went over the brilliant Furka pass with magnificent views. At one point, I noticed a nice bench where I could have lunch. As I started eating lunch, my friends passed me on their bikes. One of them was so happy to see me that he dropped his bike while turning around. We enjoyed our lunch together, which we hadn’t done for many days. I did some quick shopping before entering Germany for some mediocre beers and Stroh rum, and when I got to the campground, my friends just arrived as well. We had to set up our tents quickly before the rain started. We made it in time and waited for the rain to stop in the Biergarten. When it was dry, we finished our last night at the campsite with curry and beer. That evening, it was decided that my friends would drive back on the highway the next day, and I would end my day near Cologne to visit my brother.
Day 17: Aitrach – Bandorf, Germany
September 13, 20C Rainy. Unfortunately, a rain shower had just passed when we had to get up. This meant that none of us could pack up our tents dry. So it was pretty cool that this set a new packing-up record because, by 10 o’clock, we were ready to leave. I said goodbye to my friends who would try to ride home through the rain on highways in one day. I had other plans because I was going to visit my brother in Bandorf, which is close to Remagen. The drive to my brother’s place was not very interesting since it was also driving using highways. I ate a curry sausage on the way and arrived at my brother’s around 4 o’clock. We then went into Remagen in his car and saw the famous bridge where Allied tanks managed to get over in World War II before the bridge was destroyed. Afterwards, we went to an Asian restaurant for a quick bite. Before we drank beers in my brother’s apartment, we had to go to the hardware store to get some things for him. When that was done, we could finally drink some beers and talk a bit, and I slept that night on his couch.
Day 18: Bandorf – Groningen, The Netherlands
September 14, 20C Cloudy. After a quick breakfast, I was able to leave Germany early. I had to go through the Ruhr area and expected all kinds of traffic jams, but the trip went pretty smoothly, without too many delays. Arriving in the Netherlands, I drove by my parents’ place, as is tradition, before coming home early in the afternoon to greet my cat and let my tent dry in my garden.
There you have it: my report of a very unusual vacation. There were some low moments, but as C had said to me: You will laugh about it and thank fondly about this vacation in a couple of months, and he was right. My bike returned to the Netherlands a month later and was patched up perfectly by a Triumph dealer in my hometown. In 2024, I will travel by car to explore a new country, and my friends will try to reach the North Cape in Norway again. However, I am looking forward to giving this bike holiday another chance in the future.