We love hearing about the big trips our riders make on their Indian Motorcycles, so we were delighted when Anthony Marlsland sent us details of the 2,590 mile tour he took from Cornwall into France and back through Spain on his 2018 Indian Chieftain.

Over to Anthony...

My trip was undertaken solo using the main Route National roads through France and, in many places, D roads avoiding the Autoroutes. After arriving in Brittany and a short stay just south of Morlaix, the journey took me south towards the Loire valley and a visit to the Indian Motorcycle dealership in Angers where I received a great welcome and a coffee.

During the trip I used Airbnb accommodation, some only booked a day or two in advance. With most of them having facilities to prepare and cook meals, this helped keep the costs of the trip down. The accommodation was all under £75 per night, with some even less, and the standard was incredible. They were nearly all in stunning locations and all had parking for the bike. I was avoiding town centre accommodation. 

Onto the Dordogne and the beautiful Sarlat-la-Caneda, an old haunt of mine as I used to work in this area, with a bit of light rain in the morning before the sun came out to dry the roads. It really is a wonderful area to visit. I made a stop in the foothills of the Pyrenees near Foix, this beautiful area in Arieage has some amazing scenery and I was able to explore the local area.

Taking the D117/D17 south towards the Mediterranean coast at Banyul-sur-Mer, the temperatures continued to rise touching 32°C. I have to say, my air cooled Indian didn’t miss a beat and cruised along without issues. It was only me needing to take on extra water! The coast road from Banyuls into Spain is very nice and the mountains dip their toes into the sea, there are lots of Vineyards along this scenic road and I recommend it.

My next stop was in the Bay of Roses Spain, at Empuriabrava, my cheapest accommodation with a swimming pool, secure parking and breakfast all for under £40! Two days spent there gave me the time to explore and enjoy the spectacular coast. 

My journey, and the great weather, continued into the Pyrenees as I used the mountain roads to eventually get up and over the snow covered Col du Tourmalet made famous by the Tour De France cycle race. It’s a stunning route which I shared with a number of bikers and cyclists but very few cars. The pass had only been open a week due to heavy snow however, on the day I passed through, it was blue sky, 25°C and was a highlight of the trip.

After more roads through the Pyrenees, I took an excursion to Biarritz to visit the Indian Motorcycle dealership and look around the well stocked shop, where another friendly member of staff offered me coffee straight away.

Finally, I made my way along the Route to Santiago de Compostela (The Pilgrims Way) from France via Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port into Spain down through Roncesvalles to Pamplona where my temperature gauge told me it was 40°C, more than hot enough wearing motorcycle clothing and gloves, a legal requirement in both France & Spain.

After staying in a small village and being invited to a village meal, the local hall prepared my accommodation that only cost 11 Euros, my journey continued skirting the Picos Mountains due to a forecast of bad weather. I visited friends and has some day rides in the Oviedo area, both to the coast and inland into the mountains. The weather here was much cooler with some rain and my planned rides into the heart of the Picos will have to wait until next time, but from the rides I did manage in the area, they really are stunning. 

My final journey was to a very busy ferry at Santander where I was met by hundreds of bikers all heading to the Isle of Man TT, amongst them a few Indian Motorcycles from Spain and some returning from the UK, so a good time to chat and compare notes. A smooth crossing across the bay of Biscay and arrival the next day in Plymouth followed by the 90 miles back to Coverack and the end of a fantastic trip.

To sum up, a great trip on a fantastic motorcycle which was well suited to the distances covered and coped well with both twisty mountain roads and high passes in extreme heat. The dealerships I visited were welcoming and great stops for a coffee and chat and would have been very useful should I have needed any assistance, not that my Indian Chieftain needed that. 

A BIG thanks to the staff at Indian Motorcycle Southwest here in Cornwall for my pre-trip service and their continued support and servicing always accompanied with a smile.