Moto Route99 / Le Camping Moto - July 2004
Our first site was just to the north of Puy De Dome, at 63440 St Remy De Blot to be exact. Called "Camping Moto Route 99" it's run by Vim form Holland along with his ever-changing team of helpers. Camping was on the hill but the plots where thoughtfully stepped for level sleeping! He has beds in the barn (in the converted roof space..before you start to worry its very nice, Ive done it once) for overnighters, very basic but dry and warm, breakfast and dinner is available, Everything is payable by a card that you buy at the bar, the staff just tick off the 20 or so boxes on the card as you drink and eat, when its full you simply buy another. Vim gets a band on Saturday nights, so it is lively with a large influx of French for the night, he plays bass guitar on some of the sets, when he's not doing that he is the FIRST to get on the table and cut loose, hence the furniture is very sturdy! All in all if you can hit there on Saturday, your in for a great night. You can relax by the pool and chat/drink with other bikers who come and leave daily, gaze at the tea shirts pinned to the ceiling, mine is the green one that says "Bollox To Euro Regs" from the old Euro Demo days in '96. Or you can trip out for the day, Vim has provided some great (reads easy to follow..honest)! maps, the surrounding valleys and woods mean you dawdle at leisure for hours. The local volcanos (extinct 4,000 yrs) are a MUST to see. (3rd visit to this site)
Le Camping Moto
The second biker site is just to the east of CREST. I found it first time after the last visit 8 yrs ago (along D93 towards DIE, turn left after BRICOMARCHE and new supermarket and filling station on your right, keep on past the next village (road actually takes you round the village after that, turn LEFT at the cafe on it's own on the corner on the left, there is a sign for the camp at dogs eye level of the wall, along a long stretch of road with woods down away to your right, you will come across a dirt track and a sign "CAMPING MOTO" be careful at the bottom its a 90* lefter with gravel! Don't do what the Brit did on his late arrival he threw his "Jellymould".....some sort of racebike.to the floor, he came off and broke his cool and his gear change pedal.
Again like the previous site its run by Dutch, although this guy always looks a miserable S.O.B he greets everyone with a free drink and makes you feel at ease with minimal rules and regs, again like the last, this place is overrun by Dutch, Danes, and Germans mostly, but all are very very friendly, you find yourself a pitch in the woods lots of room there is a river too, we pitched by it, I learned from the last time and built a little U shape out of stones and saved milk, beer and bacon in it! (a rule does say not to, but if your sensible and discrete) Again there is food and beer available through the same card system as previous, a large pool and tiled area, HUGE bar area with TV, books, pool, table tennis and a large eating area outside but in the shade, some chalets (I didn't take note of the price) are available, it seems everyone but us Brits have them on campsites. Here there is a well stocked garage for everyone's use, with no end of helpers, One German was explaining in English to an Italian biker experienced with an angle grinder where to cut as the rest of us stood around muttering, "You don't want to do it like that mate" The local garage in Crest can get bits in for you in 48hrs but not open on Mondays, as the crashed Brit found out, he was pointed to another garage who welded his gear change back on for 9 Euros, not bad for a soft southerner who could only just speak English never mind utter a word of French! Yes Im from "Ooop north"
Dave + Julie Sharp