01 La Seu dUrgell to Carcassonne via Andorra
This route was brought to you by:
RouteXpert Nick Carthew - (MRA Master)
Last edit: 07-03-2025
Route Summary The twisty roads and balcony roads and the beautiful mountainous landscapes have earned this route 5***** stars
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Verdict
Duration
10h 24m
Mode of travel
Car or motorcycle
Distance
253.53 km
Countries
RouteXpert Review Leaving from the motorcycle friendly hotel, it is only 10 minutes before you reach the border between Spain and Andorra. You will need your passport or EU ID card as there is a physical border here.
Andorra La Vella is the capital and can be busy because because of the tax free shops. An early start from the hotel avoids the traffic. After the capital, there are several small towns to pass through as you climb up and up to the highest paved road in the Pyrenees, Port d'Envalira at 2408 m. On a very windy day, it may be wiser to choose the 3.5 km tunnel.
Leaving the hustle and bustle of Andorra behind, the route uses the main road to the famous spa town of Ax-les-Thermes. I have suggested a coffee stop and leg stretch here as the roads from here become smaller and twistier and are single track in places.
As you join the D118 you will be following the river Aude along the Gorges de l'Aude as it makes it's way to the Mediterranean near Narbonne. This road becomes more impressive the further you drive along it and just after the hydro electric power station the road becomes spectacular as you enter the squeeze point at Gorges de Saint Georges. The cliff walls are vertical and the gap between them is very narrow with overhanging rock.
I have suggested a lunch stop at Saint-Paul-de-Fenouillet 'Le Pouss' Cafe'. You can eat outside and keep an eye on your bike.
5 minutes after lunch and you will arrive at the Gorges de Galamus, this is an absolute spectacular road that snakes it's way through an almost impossible gorge as it follows the River l'Agly. There is a church within a cave in the gorge called L'ermitage Saint-Antoine de Galamus which can be visited by walking down to it.
The route carries on twisting and turning through the foothills of the Pyrenees as it makes it's way to the medieval walled city of Carcassonne, said to be the inspiration for the Disney castle logo. It trully is a magical place and the route will take you to free motorcycle parking just by the entrance. From here, it is a short journey to the ibis Budget Hotel.
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Disclaimer
Use of this GPS route is at your own expense and risk. The route has been carefully composed and checked by a MyRoute-app accredited RouteXpert for use on TomTom, Garmin and MyRoute-app Navigation.
Changes may nevertheless have occurred due to changed circumstances, road diversions or seasonal closures. We therefore recommend checking each route before use.
Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
Changes may nevertheless have occurred due to changed circumstances, road diversions or seasonal closures. We therefore recommend checking each route before use.
Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
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Occitanie
About this region
Occitanie (French pronunciation: [ɔksitani] (listen); Occitan: Occitània [utsiˈtanjɔ]; Catalan: Occitània [uksiˈtaniə]), Occitany or Occitania (), is the southernmost administrative region of metropolitan France excluding Corsica, created on 1 January 2016 from the former regions of Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées. The Council of State approved Occitanie as the new name of the region on 28 September 2016, coming into effect on 30 September 2016.The modern administrative region is named after the larger cultural and historical region of Occitania, which corresponds with the southern third of France. The region Occitanie as it is today covers a territory similar to that ruled by the Counts of Toulouse in the 12th and 13th centuries. The banner of arms of the Counts of Toulouse, known colloquially as the Occitan cross, is used by the modern region and is also a popular cultural symbol. In 2015, Occitanie had a population of 5,839,867.
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Route Collections in this region 25 Magnificent trails in France
This MRA route collection contains 25 beautiful motorcycle routes in different parts of France, such as the Ardennes, the Alsace, Vercors, the Drôme, the Ardèche, Cote d'Azure, Gorges du Verdon, the Ariège, the Dordogne and Brittany.
The routes have been carefully created by Bert Loorbach, who is an enthusiastic motorcyclist himself. He lived in France for a year and a half, during which time he devoted himself to mapping the unknown and beautiful back roads of France especially for motorcyclists.
The routes are bundled in the Motortourgids France part 1 of Kosmos publishing house and now also available in MyRouteApp.
I have taken over the routes in MRA and sometimes adjusted them slightly to make them even more interesting for the motorcyclist.
The routes have been carefully created by Bert Loorbach, who is an enthusiastic motorcyclist himself. He lived in France for a year and a half, during which time he devoted himself to mapping the unknown and beautiful back roads of France especially for motorcyclists.
The routes are bundled in the Motortourgids France part 1 of Kosmos publishing house and now also available in MyRouteApp.
I have taken over the routes in MRA and sometimes adjusted them slightly to make them even more interesting for the motorcyclist.
View Route Collection
24 Magnificent trails in France
It is clear that France is one of the most beautiful and best touring countries. It offers an incredibly varied landscape with good roads and a pleasant climate. It is not for nothing that you see so many motorcyclists there. My previous collection of 25 routes in France (25 Magnificent routes in France) were based on the route descriptions from the Motortourgids France part 1 made by Bert Loorbach.
This collection of 24 routes comes from Motortourgids France part 2. In this collection, a difference has been made between approach routes and motorcycle tours in a certain area. The approach routes can also be used in combination with the routes from Motortourgids France part 1
The routes are sometimes slightly adjusted based on the tips that Bert Loorbach gives in his description, or because of another place to spend the night, or to reach the minimum length of 2 hours for the MRA Library. For each route, the review contains a more detailed description, including options to stay overnight or places of interest along the way, which are also indicated with a POI and if possible with a short description.
Two or more routes have been created for a number of areas, such as for Burgundy, Auvergne, The Alps, Tarn and Cévennes and Nord-Pas de Calais. These routes can be nicely combined in a multi-day trip.
This collection of 24 routes comes from Motortourgids France part 2. In this collection, a difference has been made between approach routes and motorcycle tours in a certain area. The approach routes can also be used in combination with the routes from Motortourgids France part 1
The routes are sometimes slightly adjusted based on the tips that Bert Loorbach gives in his description, or because of another place to spend the night, or to reach the minimum length of 2 hours for the MRA Library. For each route, the review contains a more detailed description, including options to stay overnight or places of interest along the way, which are also indicated with a POI and if possible with a short description.
Two or more routes have been created for a number of areas, such as for Burgundy, Auvergne, The Alps, Tarn and Cévennes and Nord-Pas de Calais. These routes can be nicely combined in a multi-day trip.
View Route Collection