Impression of a 5-day/1,815km motorbike trip in the South of England 2010
(Click on the images for a larger photograph )

Drop me a mail...
(Click to return to my homepage)

Wednesday

12 May 2010
Liaison...approximately 450km
325 km, high speed, initially rainy, temperatures around 5 degrees Celsius...
Nieuwegein/IJsselstein (NL) via Belgium to Calais (F) and by Ferry (Seafrance Moliére) to Dover (UK)
Subsequently approximately 125 km (the yellow track on the map) following the coast to Bexhill and finding a great B&B and (Fish-)restaurant...

Britisch Flag
BikeRouteDoverBexhill
Calais Port
 Calais Port
 Crossing the Channel in less than 1.5 hours by the comfortable Seafrance Ferry Moliére... We had a reservation, so minimal delays and a fair price
(approx €65 return ticket per person and motorbike included)
www.seafrance.com
TIP: you will be asked to park your bike in front of the queue in the assigned row as bikes and some other special transports are the first to be invited on board...
Once on board, follow the directions of the crew.
They will direct you to one of several 'motorbike stations', each holding max, 3 motorbikes. Drive into the 'gutter' until the frontwheel is docked, put your bike in 1st gear (alternative handbreak). Remain seated so the bike's suspension is compressed while 2 (or 4) bands with hooks are attached and tensioned to secure the bike. Works fine only some of the hooks are made of metal... So if you want to avoid scratches on the paint... bring some cloth or assign an alternative attaching point on your bike. 
Motorbike on Seafrance Moliere Disembarking Seafrance Moliere Motorbike Dover



Calais Dover
 Crossing the channel is basically travelling in convoy across the water, despite the alternative Channel Tunnel...

On the left.. leaving the white cliffs of Calais, on the right approaching the white cliffs of Dover...
 Calais Dover
Arriving at the docks of Dover, some other advice... Releasing the bikes by yourself is easy enough... After that you might have to wait sometime in the hold until traffic is allowed to drive of the Ferry. And it's usually hot in the hold... so dress light and put on all you gear once you've left the ship...Another advantage... gets all the people who are really in a hurry in front of you...
Arrival Motorbike Dover Ferry Arrival Dover Ferry



Capel le Ferne Battle of Britain Hellfire Corner Capel-le-Ferne Battle Of Britain HellFireCorner Capel le Ferne Battle of Britain Hellfore Corner

First of many landmarks... this one enables you to view the relatively short distance across the Channel, gazing at the coast of France at the Hellfire Corner monument (Capel-le-Ferne)
Many people were to escape the French coast there in 1940 while Hurricanes and Spitfires tried to clear the sky of enemy fighters. 

www.battleofbritainmemorial.org
Dungeness A very special area on the windswept coast stretching from Kent to East Sussex..
Geological and biological extremely interesting.
But added to that are the shacks of numerous artists, the old and the new lighthouse, the nuclear powerplants and the famous Wolds'smallest public railway...

Dungeness
Bike on Beach Bike on Beach Most experienced bikers live by the rule "if you can walk somewhere, you can drive your bike there as well"...

Marcel is no exception....




Ending up in Bexhill in the excellent B&B of a F1 fan and his family...
Recommended:  http://www.englishrosebexhill.com/
 The English Rose Bexhill Bed & Breakfast



Back to the trip index page
or to our Homepage www.sharex.nl

(c) Paul PPWM

2 June 2010