- road trip
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Take a budget flight to Valladolid, pick up a hire car and head off on a 90 mile drive through Castilla y Leon, Spain’s largest (and my favourite) province, to the venerable old university town of Salamanca. You’ll have long empty roads through orchards and vineyards, flower-strewn verges in spring, and storks clacking their bills from bell towers as you pass.
After a night exploring city squares, restaurants and bars that come alive at 11pm, continue another 70 miles to the hilltop towns, forests and orchards of the Sierras de Francia. At the medieval village of La Alberca there are half-timbered houses, washing draped over balconies, donkeys, pastel shutters and window boxes. From here return direct to Valladolid and enjoy a last night with a stroll among the peacocks and statures of Campo Grande Park before flying home.
Look out for the plentiful “Miradors” where you can pull over to picnic or admire the views at your leisure. Fuel is cheaper than the UK and attendants do the filling. But watch your speed: on-the-spot fines of €150 are a nice little earner for Spanish traffic cops when for a few hundred yards signs change inexplicably from 90 to 50 kph.
Google map: bit.ly/mtsWaO
Travelling through the Mont-Blanc tunnel and emerging in the Aosta valley brings you en route for the classic Italian cities. First of all, you pass through Turin before experiencing the Levantine Riviera as you travel along side the Mediterranean. From here you can continue further down to visit the famous leaning tower of Pisa or head back up to Milan. The majestic city of Venice is on a direct road from here and on the way you can stop by historic Verona and get in touch with your romantic side by leaving a letter to Juliet.
Google map: bit.ly/iRuNcu
The most stunning road trip in Europe is found in the centre of Romania, stretching from the flat meadows of Cartisoara, across the snow-capped Fagaras mountain peaks, through a spooky 887-metre tunnel, past gushing waterfalls, mountain lakes and that's all before you get to the best bit: the unbelievable snaking descent with more u-turns, corners, cambers, twists and turns than seems humanly possible. The grand finale passes Poenari, the ruined castle on a crag belonging to Vlad the Impaler, the 13th century inspiration for Dracula. The road was constructed by the Romanian army who took five years to complete Nicolae Ceausescu's demonic plan. The Transfagarasan Highway, the second highest in Europe, opened in 1974 and is legendary among bikers for being the best route on the Continent, if not Planet Earth! Ceausescu must be spinning in his grave!
Route 7C
Turn off the E68 Sibiu to Brasov main road just after Scoreiu. The turning is marked for the village of Cartisoara.
The road stretches from Cartisoara in the north to Curtea de Arges and is only open June to October.
Google map: bit.ly/kTU7Wn
If you're planning to drive in France, consider avoiding the toll roads and taking the local roads instead. Toll roads are quick but they are deadly boring and expensive - they add a lot of euros to the price of your holiday. Local roads are more interesting to drive and allow you to discover France's best hidden gems: ancient churches, vineyards and olive groves, winding rivers and fantastic bakeries. Be careful though: exploring the backroads could be so much fun that you don't leave time to reach your final destination!
Tip 1: Get drunk with friends in pub, decide it is a good idea.
Tip 2: Book three weeks off work.
Tip 3: Use internet auction site to buy a cheap diesel estate.
Tip 4: Buy ferry crossing.
Tip 5: Pack car, include a tent.
Tip 6: Set off and plan where to go when you get on the ferry.
Tip 7: Don't make the first leg of your journey Leeds to Berlin - it's too far.
Tip 8: Head as far east as you can, if a country's not in the Euro then it will be cheaper.
Tip 9: Going to the various major cities along the danube is a good idea, Prague, Krakow and Budapest all have camp sites reasonably close to the city centre.
Tip 10: make sure you've got an extra couple of days off work when you get back, you'll need a break after the driving.
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The Costiera Amalfitani has to be one of the most spectacular and dramatic coastlines in Europe. That said, it is a road trip where the driving is best left to others, whether on the service bus from Sorrento or a dedicated coach trip. The road is a wonder of engineering in itself, as it winds its way 500 metres above the sparkling azure sea, revealing jaw-dropping vistas around every bend. Sandy coves and tempting lemon groves remain tantalisingly out of reach as you head down the coast to Positano, with its pretty pastel villas tumbling down the mountainside.
Check out the spectacular Cathedral of Santa Monica in Amalfi and the famous views from the gardens of Villa Cimbrone and Villa Rufolo in Ravello.
But however lovely the stops are, this is one road trip where it's all about the journey itself - where travelling hopefully is almost better than arriving.
Google map: bit.ly/kByfcU
Oman is the land of the muscle car, and in a tired and emotional state I agreed to go on a thousand kilometer-plus drive down to the Dhofari capital Salalah from Muscat one Thursday morning. You pass through the most extreme, silent, brutally hot, lunar landscape for eight hours, occasionally filling up at petrol stations manned by lonely South Indian attendants. Then (if you go during the Khareef, or monsoon season), you all of a sudden hit a thin film of rain, fog and brilliantly green hills. You battle for tarmac with camels in scenery that more resembles Switzerland than Arabia. It is a surreal, and demanding drive expedition, but well worth it.
Rent a car in Muscat and just drive south - there are plenty of affordable seaside hostels to stay in in Salalah.
Google map: bit.ly/ciyj8k
The United Arab Emirates is probably best know for the sliver of excess known as Dubai that lounges on the western coast 100 kilometres north of its hyper-wealthy neighbour Abu Dhabi. Forget about billion dollar hotels and dazzling grand prix circuits, the UAE is virtually all desert and Abu Dhabi monitors the Empty Quarter from a tiny offshore archipelago held together by the unimaginable wealth and a cheap labour force. The Rub al Khali, to give it its proper name, is the largest sand desert on earth, 1000 miles of dune big enough to lose France in. The ride, Harley's are a favourite over there, will take you on a triangular circuit from the oasis town of Al Ain down to Abu Dhabi and then Liwa. The drive, on virtually unused high-quality black-top, snakes through 300 metre high dunes and vast, mesmerizingly beautiful desert plains. Set off early and the air is cold and still, alone in this ocean of sand and you'll feel like you're flying. This is what motorcycling would feel like if you were the last person on Earth.
You have a choice of two great routes, either a NW loop taking in Dien Bien Phu and Sa Pa or a NE loop taking in Lang Son and Cao Bang, or you can just do your own thing! Minsks are as simple a machine as you can get and help for the mechanically-challenged is never far away in this very populous and friendly country. When you turn up on a 'local' bike caked in dust you get a great welcome.
Starting point is still the Minsk Club in Ha Noi - www.minskclubvietnam.com/index.htm.
A beautiful and remote coastal region, amazing roads, quiet and great fun for motorbikes and bikes.
There are also really good places to stay or camp, total variety of eateries, really good local seafood, venison and lamb as well as award winning local beers. Add this to stunning views and you have the perfect area for a meeting of bikes ... actually there are quite a few bikers who already come every year!
Tighnabruaich, and Argyll's Secret Coast lie at the end of the Cowal Penninsula, about two hours west of Glasgow. Visit by Bike, sail into the moorings and Portavadie Marina, let the Waverley bring you in style, or the seaplane from Loch Lomond; just come and see for yourself!
Combine a love of motorbikes with a taste for adventure, independent travel and awe-inspiring (and sometimes fear inducing) scenery and you have the most memorable trip of a lifetime - a motorcycle trip on the Sea To Sky Highway. The highway winds itself out of Vancouver, past Howe Sound, through Squamish and high up into the mountains around Whistler. From here, there's no going back, the roads in some places precarious, hug the mountain sides and take you past beautiful, crystal clear lakes and through dense alpine forest eventually arriving in sleepy Lillouet. From here the highway snakes back down, hugging the shores of the Fraser River, passing Hell's Gate, Hope (famous as the film location of Rambo: First Blood) and finally back to downtown Vancouver.
All this should be experienced on a Harley Davidson Electroglide. We rented ours from Cycle BC Rentals in Vancouver. Details of which can be found at www.cyclebc.ca, t: 1-866-380-2453.
We didn't book our accommodation in advance, but stumbled across the wonderfully welcoming and reasonably priced Reynolds Hotel (Reynolds Hotel, 1237 Main Street, Lillooet, www.reynoldshotel.com)
Flights were booked through Canadian Affair and in June cost about £350 each (www.canadianaffair.com)
A range of Harley Davidsons can be rented from Cycle BC Rentals, Vancouver (www.cyclebc.ca, T: 1-866-380-2453)
Voyage Vietnam can help you plan bespoke motorcycling tours throughout Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and into China, or you could join one of the many tours they run regularly throughout the region. I somehow managed to convince my wife to ride pillion with me for nine days through the north east of Vietnam as part of our round-the-world honeymoon last year. Vietnam offers a feast of motorcycling delicacies - mind bending traffic in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh, more than mental bus drivers in the outer limits, sweeping country roads criss-crossing the highlands, deserted French Indochina colonial supply trails through the forests and jungles - but the best are to be found in Ha Giang province, sitting snug against the Chinese border in the far north. Dodging piglets playing chicken in the road and braving unidentified local delicacies became daily trials but they were all made easier with our guide and mechanic provided by Voyage Vietnam. Staying with families in homestays who were often part of regional ethnic minorities like the H'mong and Red Zao tribes, meant we were giving something back to communities who have been left behind by Vietnam's recent development explosion. And the scenery? Everything from the quintessential terraced rice paddies and bamboo forests by Thac Ba Reservoir and Xin Man to tall pines and volcanic rocky outcrops by Yen Minh and Meo Vac.
Voyage Vietnam - www.voyagevietnam.net
1 Luong Ngoc Quyen Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, Vietnam
Ph: + 84 4 39262373
Pokhara to Katmandu, and then just ride round Nepal (maybe visit Chitwan, or check out the mountains)
You can do it in a day, it's without a shadow of a doubt one of my favourite parts of a five month motorbike adventure across North India
I arrived in style in Pokhara on my Royal Enfield Bullet, with its head-gasket blowing, and being towed by my Spanish Comrade's older 1972 Enfield! It was raining I had resorted to 'monsoon surfing'- this is the practice of being chased by a vengeful monsoon - and it was dark by the time we found a hostel. We awoke to a balcony with stunning views over the mountain peaks, (ok I lie, it was monsoon, so there was a massive cloud, but it really is perfect the rest of the year.)
Five days of near peace and perfection in Pokhara, both bikes sorted and 100 dollars poorer, we followed the scent of Raju the mechanic to Katmandu, about 200km west and one of the craziest cities in Asia.
Rock music, nightclubs and coffee and a great, friendly atmosphere. However, after five days on my shoe-string budget it proved to be a little too indulgent and expensive for me.
I headed south taking me through Chitwan to Lumbini, the sacred birth site Buddha.
I spent just shy of £2000 over five months, however you could spend this on a holiday, rent a good Enfield from the Hearts & Tears club, eat well and sleep in luxury. Stay at Chitwan nature reserve, climb some mountains, it's all beautiful.
Tip: Spare fuel! Ran out of fuel a few times, Spanish comrade ran out more times than me, biggest bonus was during the fuel strikes.
Most people wanting a meal out in South Africa's winelands head to the tourist hotspots of Franschoek and Stellenbosch. But travel a little further down the N1, via the stunning Du Toitskloof Pass (worth a trip in its own right), and you will find this fantastic little place. The Bistro is upstairs, and spills out onto a balcony looking straight over the Slanghoek mountains and the vineyards on the valley floor. There is a wonderful sense of space, and of escaping the crowds on the Cape Town side of the mountains.
The food is wonderful (sandwiches etc or full meals, all beautifully prepared), the service always friendly and attentive, and the wines (by winemaker Ivy Du Toit) are a treat. (You can buy bottles at a fraction of the price of Franschoek vineyards). I can recommend the sparkling Rose!
This was our favourite place when we lived in and travelled around SA - for good food in peaceful, beautiful surroundings, you can't beat it.
Contact: 0027 82 265 4492
Email: bistro@jasonshill.co.za
www.jasonshill.co.za
P.O.BOX 14, RAWSONVILLE 6845 SOUTH AFRICA
Google map: tinyurl.com/ya29gn8
A fly drive holiday in Canada; departing from Toronto, exploring the rugged coast of the "great lakes" and camping at the Provincial Parks, that offer RV services and hot shower facilities for hikers and people on a canoe holiday, with tents.
This shoreline is magnificent, clear, drinkable water everywhere, good for swimming in July or August, but perfect for a canoe adventure.
A car ferry goes between Tobermory & South Baymouth, on Manitoulin Island (The world’s largest fresh water island) this trip is like a real ocean voyage, but shorter.
Museums are along the route, located in Sudbury, called Science North at sciencenorth.ca and Sault Ste Marie you’ll want to visit the “Bush Plane” museum www.bushplane.com with all sizes of aircraft and a brilliant aviation history and for train buffs; there is a rail tour through the www.agawacanyontourtrain.com Agawa Canyon.
The north shore of Lake Superior from the Sault to Thunder Bay is rugged, dramatic, beautiful, peaceful and so, so much more, it’s like no other coastal highway that I’ve had the opportunity to travel and I’ve been fortunate to drive many.
Enroute to Thunder Bay is a statue monument to Terry Fox, the young lad who’s life was beaten by Cancer, as he endevoured a fundraising run, across the country, with an artificial leg working as one, with his un amputated leg.
Returning from Thunder Bay; along Highway 11 (The world’s longest street) through North Bay and back to Toronto, runs mile upon mile of the Canadian Shield granite rocks and a tufted pine forest.
Our motorhome was rented from www.landcruisecanada.com and it was great! The petrol is cheap in Canada at about 1/2 the price of the UK, food is about the same as UK and the people are friendly.
Ontario, Canada.
sciencenorth.ca
www.bushplane.com
www.landcruisecanada.com
www.agawacanyontourtrain.com
Great views of the Caucasus mountains in the distance and the road runs alongside the river Fiagdon. There are several decent restaurants along the road all serving Ossetian cuisine. Many of the villages are old so keep an eye out for ancient towers and other buildings. Fiagdon is a small ex mining town and not worth visiting so continue through it to the hamlet of Harisdjin. Here there are nice spots for shashlik and several paths/roads further into the mountains. Past Harsidjin up a steep slope is a picturesque shrine to the Virgin Mary and some ruins of gardens. Nice fishing and cycling here too.
Turn off the road which leads from Vladikavkaz to Alagir
The Cape York Peninsula in far north Queensland is too big to cover in a few lines. It seems to be largely overlooked on most travellers’ itineraries and hardly gets a mention in the guidebooks. The reason for the omission might be the perceived difficult access to the region. This is a myth! The road in the dry season is a cakewalk with a 4WD and the tricky bits have bypasses should you wish to use them. If you’re prepared to take the road less travelled you will find a part of Australia seldom visited and with exceptional beauty. The road I took commenced in Cairns: I followed the Cook Highway north to the Daintree rainforest, then took the scenic Bloomfield track via Cape Tribulation to Cooktown. From Cooktown, the Battle Camp road went through the Lakefield national park to Laura. The road north via Fruit Bat falls eventually led to the Northern most tip of Australia. The trip didn’t end there: I ventured into the Torres Strait islands before returning south. The trip took two weeks during which I spent time on secluded beaches (so secluded that no one would know what you got up to on them!), lush rainforest full of wildlife, Aboriginal rock art sites, pubs in the middle of cattle farms in the outback and luxury hotels. Do your research, I recommend buying a copy of Ron and Viv Moon’s guide to Cape York before you make the trip.
Rent a car in Cairns. Britz lets you take vehicles up to the cape. Ring them on 1800 331 454 for more information.
The Greenporter is an old-style US motel, just two hours from central Manhattan. The difference with this motel is that the central parking lot has been replaced by a beautiful swimming pool and hot tub (complimentary towels and loungers) and this motel has fine dining in the shape of La Cuvee Bar and Bistro, which offers locally-sourced food and a selection from the local Long Island vineyards (wine tours available).
Greenport, a historic seaport on the North Fork of Long Island, provides an excellent contrast to the hustle and bustle of NYC. You can drive (or better, hire a bike from Bike Stop on Front Street) and take the short ferry to Shelter Island, home to deer and secluded bays, then another short ferry to Sag Harbor on the South Fork, with its artsy shops and eateries.
Two minutes walk from the station or the bus station (the 'Hampton Jitney' takes you from Penn Station in air-conditioned comfort, with charming hostesses who provide complimentary drinks and snacks). Ample parking by the motel too.
The Greenporter
326 Front Street
Greenport, NY 11944
phone: (631) 477-0066
fax: (631) 477-2317
www.thegreenporter.com
info@thegreenporter.com
Even though Montauk is part of the stylish (and absurdly expensive) Hamptons, the town is more Campbell's dry goods than Calvin Klein. Montauk is full of retro motels - 1950s mock-Tudor and Polynesian designs with whimsical names like Daunt's Albatross and Kenny's Tipperary.
But the most famous motel of all is the Memory Motel, which Mick Jagger immortalised in the 1976 Black and Blue album. The Stones often visited resident Andy Warhol, and they would hang out at the bar. The Memory was the only place around with a pool table and a piano. It seems that the owners weren’t pleased; they hated the Stones!
Still a little seedy, the Memory is only a block from the beach. Diners and a pizza place are only a short walk away. Today fans regularly pay homage, and it’s not unusual to spot a stretch limo parked in front.
Memory Motel
692 Montauk Highway, Montauk, New York 11954 USA
(001) 631 668 2702
Aschne8762@aol.com
The Madonna Inn is on Route 1, the spectacular Californian coastal highway, and is the most unusual wacky motel we found on it.
It has themed rooms that have to be seen to be believed and which are not sparing on detail, public toilets that are like waterfalls and staff who are dressed as if they have escaped from a Disney cartoon film.
The food in the restaurant is equally over the top and fantastic, and the next day you can travel up to Hearst castle for more surreal experiences.
If Dali had run a motel this would have been it!
www.madonnainn.com
100 Madonna Road
San Luis Obispo
California 93405
805 543 3000
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