Calais to Lausanne in early December?
Discussion
Sure there's someone that knows here!
I've got to go to Lausanne early Dec for business and would prefer to go on the bike. (CB500X or 05 GS).
Ride year round here with bike as a daily so used to a bit of cold and wet. Anyone know how cold and wet it is likely to be? Don't do snow and ice but might cope with the rest. TIA.
I've got to go to Lausanne early Dec for business and would prefer to go on the bike. (CB500X or 05 GS).
Ride year round here with bike as a daily so used to a bit of cold and wet. Anyone know how cold and wet it is likely to be? Don't do snow and ice but might cope with the rest. TIA.
Northern France to Switzerland. In December. On a bike. It'd be a hard no from me.
Northern France will generally be wet and miserable. Potentially quite chilly too. Not unlike the UK. Then as you get further South and towards the Swiss border, I'd expect temps to drop markedly. You wouldn't get to take in some of the best routes across the border as the passes will likely be closed due to snow.
If we were talking about the height of summer, I'd say fill your boots. December? Forget it. Catch a plane.
Northern France will generally be wet and miserable. Potentially quite chilly too. Not unlike the UK. Then as you get further South and towards the Swiss border, I'd expect temps to drop markedly. You wouldn't get to take in some of the best routes across the border as the passes will likely be closed due to snow.
If we were talking about the height of summer, I'd say fill your boots. December? Forget it. Catch a plane.
The main roads will all be clear and it’s not Siberia, it’ll be above zero most days and freeze overnight.
https://weatherspark.com/s/56367/3/Average-Winter-...
Would suggest not using small roads and find a hotel with covered or underground parking.
https://weatherspark.com/s/56367/3/Average-Winter-...
Would suggest not using small roads and find a hotel with covered or underground parking.
tafkattn said:
SteveKTMer said:
...it’s not Siberia...
Obviously not. But neither is it going to be an enjoyably sunny blast down from France to Switzerland.I’ve decided to keep biking through the winter this year, I’ve bought some decent clothing and look forward to those chilly mornings in the sun.
I totally support the advice to stick to the main roads if you're going to try if. Good gear will make things bearable but there is significant potential for the weather to be really s
t, making the journey not just hard work and uncomfortable but potentially dangerous. While every adventure comes with some risk I think you'd be a brave man to take this one on.
t, making the journey not just hard work and uncomfortable but potentially dangerous. While every adventure comes with some risk I think you'd be a brave man to take this one on.
Each to their own! 
I'd say it probably won't be much fun but it's completely weather dependent.
Jura can be a busy area in places and the roads aren't that amazing. I did that route late September about 15 years ago. Got soaked day 1 in northern france and stayed first night in Chalons-en-Champagne. Day 2 was crisp and clear and I did lots of routes nationales before joinining the autoroute for a bit then heading to Besancon. Then over the Jura, some good bits but a surprising amount of traffic.
After Lausanne the next day I got caught in a blizzard at the top of the Grimsell pass and had to get down sharpish - no time even for a photo. Furka was already shut and this was still September. I stayed somewhere near Brig, got the train under the mountain heading east and then headed to Munich to meet friends at the Oktoberfest. Ride back was mostly autobahn with warm and sunny weather in Germany turning to torrential rain in Belgium.
Bike was a Honda Blackbird and handled everything brilliantly except I found the riding position cramped my hips a bit after a while.
I also rode to Amsterdam in December on a Fazer 600 because I had some leave to use up. The temperature was barely above freezing. I put a binbag over my jacket under my hi-viz bib for an extra layer and sometimes rode next to lorries for the warmth. Had I done the Swiss trip in that weather I think I would have been utterly miserable.
Jura can be a busy area in places and the roads aren't that amazing. I did that route late September about 15 years ago. Got soaked day 1 in northern france and stayed first night in Chalons-en-Champagne. Day 2 was crisp and clear and I did lots of routes nationales before joinining the autoroute for a bit then heading to Besancon. Then over the Jura, some good bits but a surprising amount of traffic.
After Lausanne the next day I got caught in a blizzard at the top of the Grimsell pass and had to get down sharpish - no time even for a photo. Furka was already shut and this was still September. I stayed somewhere near Brig, got the train under the mountain heading east and then headed to Munich to meet friends at the Oktoberfest. Ride back was mostly autobahn with warm and sunny weather in Germany turning to torrential rain in Belgium.
Bike was a Honda Blackbird and handled everything brilliantly except I found the riding position cramped my hips a bit after a while.
I also rode to Amsterdam in December on a Fazer 600 because I had some leave to use up. The temperature was barely above freezing. I put a binbag over my jacket under my hi-viz bib for an extra layer and sometimes rode next to lorries for the warmth. Had I done the Swiss trip in that weather I think I would have been utterly miserable.
I’ve been there a lot, used to got by car every few weeks about 15 times per year.
The problem isn’t just the cold, it’s the altitude too, it’s 500 plus metres so quite easy for it to be pretty decent in France then as you go up into CH, the weather, snow etc can come out of nowhere.
Take the car i and make sure it’s got winter tyres on too is my advice!
The problem isn’t just the cold, it’s the altitude too, it’s 500 plus metres so quite easy for it to be pretty decent in France then as you go up into CH, the weather, snow etc can come out of nowhere.
Take the car i and make sure it’s got winter tyres on too is my advice!
I’ve done the drive to Lausanne many times (further than Lausanne but I always go past it). On a bike I would probably keep to the Autoroute’s and travel further down through France and drove towards Lausanne via Geneva if worried about the weather. If you are travelling through the Jura you can either go via D roads to the Swiss border or go via the main roads (equivalent of our A roads which can be very busy). I always go via the D roads, there isn’t much traffic and there are some lovely roads. Your problem is that you go through the Jura you are getting enough altitude that you could easily have snow at that time of year (there are some low lying ski resorts on the route I drive…pistes down to the road) or it could be dry and blue skies.
If you are going to do the Jura happy to share the route I take on the D roads.
If you are going to do the Jura happy to share the route I take on the D roads.
jeeperz0 said:
Thanks everyone -think the take home from that is it's entirely weather dependent and could be unpleasant.
Don't really mind unpleasant but don't do dangerous and sounds like this could get that way.
I’ve been there in November in gorgeous weather one minute, and then it starts snowing out of nowhere. An hour later, it’s near impossible to drive on summer tyres, which is a pain as all the locals are on winters and just drive like normal. I’ve even not been able to park my car in a hotel car park as it just would not hold still on the gradient! Don't really mind unpleasant but don't do dangerous and sounds like this could get that way.
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