You’ve got a month to spare and a bike to ride - where do you go?
Following on from the post about preparation for a European tour, this series of articles will go through what I believe the ultimate European bike trip would consist of, ticking off the landmarks and roads of biking heaven as you head south, through the eastern side of France, exploring the Alps, all the way down to Naples and the Amalfi Coast, back up and along the French Riviera, before descending into Spain, returning back north eastwards, and stopping at Lyon. From there it’s onto the Black Forest, then the Nurburgring, before heading homewards again.
Europe is a massively varied place and offers everything for any kind of rider, from offroad trails on top of mountains, to world-class race tracks. More often it’s all about the roads and sights though, which is what motorcycle touring is all about. Each country I’ll take you through has its own little quirks and rules which make them each unique, but they have one thing in common – they’re all definitely worth riding to!
To start with, we’ll obviously begin in the UK – my favoured method of transport to France is the Eurotunnel. It’s relatively cheap if you book in advance, it’s remarkably quick and there are loads of crossings every day to choose from. For a transit to or from Spain the ferries from Plymouth and Portsmouth are the best method to avoid a long slog through western France.
Once in Calais it’s time to head south east, aiming for Dijon of mustard-based fame. Make sure to hit the D971 from Troyes to Dijon for its mix of open spaces and long sweeping bends. While in France it’s important to stay away from the fast toll-roads as they suck all fun out of travelling by motorcycle. Take a chance on one of the many small restaurants you’ll find in most French towns and villages that only offer a single set menu. It’ll be much cheaper than you’d expect, and you’ll probably try something you otherwise wouldn’t. It’ll be cooked to perfection too – the French are renowned chefs for good reason!
Keep heading south east and you’ll soon hit Switzerland - notoriously expensive and neutral - but it’s home to some stunning scenery and roads. I would make every effort to stay in a hotel in France and head into Switzerland the day after. The national park just before reaching Switzerland (Parc naturel regional du Haut-Jura) is jam packed with great roads, and makes the journey to the next country all the sweeter.
So far all the mountains and landscape you’ll see are relatively low lying, but it’s from this point in that the mountains become truly spectacular.
Geneva is worth a quick trip into while you’re passing through – it’s the home of the UN and is a thoroughly modern city perched on the edge of the lake of the same name, just be prepared to pay through the nose for anything and everything thanks to the exchange rate!
Avoid any Swiss motorways unless you want to pay for a vignette (Swiss road tax sticker) or you’ll find yourself landing a hefty fine. You do get a little sticker to say you’ve been to Switzerland though, the choice is yours!
Onward from there, make headway towards Bourg San-Maurice on the French-Italian border – a ski resort at the bottom of what will be the first true Alpine pass of this trip. The town is quiet in the summer, but it means prices are lower and roads are quieter. A hotel I can recommend is Auberge du Val Joli on the eastern side of the town, perched above a zig-zagging road with superb views down the valley – a lovely place with exposed wood everywhere giving a great Alpine feel.
The hotel is situated right on the bottom of the Little St. Bernard’s Pass, a hairpin filled road that will take you over the border in Italy, with many areas having sheer drops offering stunning views to the valley floor and other mountains. There’s even a big plastic St. Bernard dog on top at the border to take a photo with!
Once at the bottom of the pass you’ll be properly inside the Alps, the Mont Blanc tunnel isn’t far north west from this point, a route worth taking straight through from Geneva to Italy if time is of the essence.
A worthwhile stop is in Aosta, a short way eastwards. Enjoy some proper Italian pizza or pasta – just avoid the tourist traps – it’s worth checking prices of drinks if you end up in a tourist place, I once paid 10 euros by accident just for a glass of orange juice in Italy – it wouldn’t have been so bad if my other half hadn’t ordered one too! Luckily the pizza was great, but you’ll always find the best stuff in restaurants the locals go to.
Onward from Aosta, head north back into Switzerland via the SS-27 to Martigny, then onward to Brig. You’ll be continually blown away by the scenery – just keep your eyes on the road, it’s not for the faint hearted!
Brig sits near three famous Alpine passes – the Grimsel, Furka and Susten. I’d recommend riding all three. Going northbound on the Grimsel it’s chock full of hairpins on the side overlooking the valley you’ll have just ridden up, you’ll then find a lake on top of the mountain, then you’ll descend via a few hairpins before entering the section with much wider corners.
On the way down you’ll be overlooking a huge lake made from the dam partway down, it makes for a superb photo. Carry on for a few miles and you’ll be able to turn off for the Susten pass, which has views of a glacier on the way up, with a tunnel going through the peak of a mountain, before descending along the side of a valley with amazing views. To get to the Furka pass you’ll need to head back south briefly and catch it going westwards. Arguably this is the best riding road of the three, and its views are still spectacular. You’ve then got a choice, either ride one or two of the passes again to get to the southbound motorway to the east, or use the small Nufenen Pass to the south which peaks at 2478m above sea level.
In the next post of the series we'll head to Lake Como and into Austria for continued spectacular views and amazing roads.
