Additional Comments
Looking Backing On The Trip
My great mistake was that I was in too much of a hurry to get home and should have spent a longer period of time on the trip, especially in Cantabria and Salamanca. I met tourists in Cantabria who intended to pass through the area on their way to the south and the Mediterranean, but got as far as Cantabria and spent their entire holiday touring the area. Provided the weather is good, there is a lot to do and see in this region. It is my intention to return to the north next spring and explore Cantabria further, also taking in Galicia.
Camping In Spain
Campsites in Spain are generally excellent. They are ‘controlled’ by the local government and inspected regularly for cleanliness and safety. Toilets / showers are cleaned at least twice a day, hot water is usually on tap, however in some campsites it is restricted to certain times of the day.
A ‘category’ system is in operation and campsites are graded from 1 to 5 depending upon the facilities offered. The majority I have stayed in have been either category 1 or 2. Cost for me, motorcycle and tent was approximately Pta 1100 (USD 7.60) per night.
Resort campsites are designed for spending a large proportion of ones holiday in, rather than for people touring. Usually located near beaches with full facilities, including bars, restaurants, supermarkets, laundrettes, banking facilities, swimming pools, tennis etc, and will cost a little bit more.
For further information see:
http://www.vayacamping.net/indexe.htm
Distance
Do not be prepared to travel great distances per day. 300 kms travelling in the mountains, with respect to fatigue, is equivalent to 1000 kms on highways. Besides which, several stops will be made to admire the scenery and ‘ventas’ (country pubs).
Extras On The Bike
The latter items give me full rear vision, with camping equipment stowed on the passenger seat. The RT and GS share controls, so the RT’s are already drilled to take wing mirrors.
Tip
I carry two Touratech tent compression bags, one for the tent, the other for my sleeping bag. ‘Back packing’ compression bags compress sleeping bags length ways making the package shorter in length but wider, excellent for securing to the top of a back-pack, but useless on a motorcycle. The Touratech tent compression bag compresses along its length, ideally more suitable for securing on a motorcycle. Under the sleeping bag I have a self inflating mattress that converts into a comfortable chair.
The majority of my camping / touring equipment, was purchased from Riderwarehouse and Touratech through their respective web pages. Riderwarehouse stock a number of Touratech items. Riderwarehouse also stock a limited range of Bibler Tents, the full range can be seen on Bibler’s web site.
