Alps Motorcycle Tours - Priced Right

[Global Rider]

I'm talking about extra insurance for the bike. I assume that the $2000 the rental company holds is the deductible. I'm wondering if I can use my insurance stateside to decrease that to something like $250. Or is it even worth doing?

Just as your insurance stateside won't cover your motorcycle anywhere out of North America, it probably won't cover or lower your deductible either.

Just use your charge card but make sure they only get an approval without putting it through or you'll loose on the exchange rate both ways.

Thanks for all your help. Your website and links have made this a pretty easy process.

Anytime! You're going to have the best ride of your life. Its unfortunate that the vast majority of tours written up don't get into the actual "how to" details.

Now post more pictures!  

I've never really written up any tour reports with loads of pics on forums. Forums come and go so I prefer to use my web site for that. I'm finally getting high speed at the end of the month. I'll start uploading pics to my web site and Smugmug...but for now...

[throttlemeister]

I do because I go every year. If rental rates came down to planet earth, I'd rent, but I refuse to pay for their motorcycles in a matter of months. There must be some Dutch in me...I'm cheap!

 

[Ralf]

 

If you were Dutch, you'd be riding something like this:

(Joke! )

[throttlemeister]

Don't get me started about my fellow countrymen with their f* cars and caravans crawling up the mountain passes at walking speed, refusing to move to the side and let the traffic pass.

Same goes for your German counterparts in their campers/rv's.

 

[Global Rider]

If you were Dutch, you'd be riding something like this:

(Joke! )

It wouldn't be a joke if you were Swiss. For some reason, the Swiss have love affairs with Gold Wings, Honda Pan Europeans, trikes and large American cars.  

The Dutch just block the mountain passes with their cars and campers and especially the passes that have caravans crossed out on the map. You can always tell how well off a nation is by the amount of foreign licence plates that you see on the road. The Dutch are well off, thanks to their global domination of banking, insurance and the diamond trade. Just wait till the ice caps melt.  

[Ralf]

It wouldn't be a joke if you were Swiss. For some reason, the Swiss have love affairs with Gold Wings, Honda Pan Europeans, trikes and large American cars.  

The Dutch just block the mountain passes with their cars and campers and especially the passes that have caravans crossed out on the map. You can always tell how well off a nation is by the amount of foreign licence plates that you see on the road. The Dutch are well off, thanks to their global domination of banking, insurance and the diamond trade. Just wait till the ice caps melt.  

What I especially love is how the campers tend to travel in packs. This makes it even more "fun" to pass them in the mountains...  

[FJR-UK]

I've noticed another thing Dutch and Swiss bikers have in common: Electraglides.

[throttlemeister]

Actually, you don't see too many hardleys here.

[Ant]

Ladies and Gents who've been posting in this thread saying that they fancy the idea of a Euro tour there are strong rumblings of an STN meet in Europe next year. So all you people who are saying you've always wanted to do it etc get yourselves over to the thread linked in my sig. Go... Go now!!  

[Global Rider]

Anyone needing ferry service within Europe, should go to the following link, click on Tourism and then Ferries.

http://www.uem-online.org

[Global Rider]

I happened to be at the Montreal Motorcycle Show last weekend and while there, I came across a tour operator that I'd never heard of before; Voyages Traditours operating out of Montreal, Canada. The owner/operator who was at the show runs a travel agency but also happens to have a passion for motorcycle travel. He started Voyages Traditours in 1999. The web site happens to be in French only at the moment, but the owner spoke English quite well if you wanted further information.

I've always rolled my eyes at the cost of "organized tours" and chuckled at what one gets for the money, but this operator seems to have more down to earth prices for tours all over planet earth; 24 based on the brochure they were handing out at the show.

What may make their rates appealing to some is that they are quite a bit cheaper than other tour operators, PLUS it includes the return flight from Montreal, Canada. The flight alone to Thailand alone can cost quite a chuck of change, yet a 16 day all-inclusive tour there goes for $3639...yes, that includes the flight.

So what if you don't live near Montreal, Canada? As a travel agency, he said he could work out a flight from anywhere at very good rates.

Disclaimer: I've never used an "organized tour operator" for any of my tours, so I'm not for or against any of them. I'm just passing this information along.

[throttlemeister]

Btw, would this by any chance happen to be that small road about halfway up the Alpe d'Huez?

[Global Rider]

Btw, would this by any chance happen to be that small road about halfway up the Alpe d'Huez?

Nope, it happens to be that small road between Levico Terme and Passo di Vezzena in Northern Italy. Levico Terme is on the SS 47 just east of Trento.

The road is known as the Kaiserjägerweg. Take the SP 133dir south out of Levico Terme. The road splits, and you don't want to take the road to Caldonazzo.

Its amazing the roads you find without an organized tour guide by just looking at a good map. 

[RBEmerson]

[...]
The road is known as the Kaiserjägerweg. Take the SP 133dir south out of Levico Terme. The road splits, and you don't want to take the road to Caldonazzo.
[...]

Dare I ask why not?  

[Global Rider]

Dare I ask why not?

Because if you do, you won't be going up the Kaiserjägerweg.

Click on the link below and a map centering on Levico Terme should appear. See that little red line heading south to the S 349? Well thats the Kaiserjägerweg.

Now zoom in and you'll see that the road forks; one up the Kaiserjägerweg and the other towards Caldonazzo and if you continue, to Centa San Nicolo which is also a nice road to take...and then onto Passo del Sommo. That whole area between the S 46, the S 349 and the S 12 is good riding.


http://www.viamichelin.fr/viamichelin/gbr/dyn/controller/Cartes-plans?mapId=-tuptyzxf39j6dp&initialMap=mapid&dx=470&dy=323&empriseW=941&empriseH=646

[RBEmerson]

Oh.  I thought you were going to say "go that way and meet the mountain trolls in person!" or something equally "well, ya, I won't go there either".  

[throttlemeister]

Nope, it happens to be that small road between Levico Terme and Passo di Vezzena in Northern Italy. Levico Terme is on the SS 47 just east of Trento.

The road is known as the Kaiserjägerweg. Take the SP 133dir south out of Levico Terme. The road splits, and you don't want to take the road to Caldonazzo.

Its amazing the roads you find without an organized tour guide by just looking at a good map.  

Kewl, I will have to look that one up some time. The pic looks just like a tiny little road off Alpe d'Huez, which is pretty hard to find if you don't know it as you have to crawl through some tinny little streets in the village of Huez, and doesn't seem to get any traffic. Gives a nice view over the pass and the valley below.


The little white road from Huez to Sardonne

[RBEmerson]

The fun part is looking at this map in satellite mode...  

[mtmc]

Alex,

I am planning on shipping a bike from the States to Europe, June or October of this year, and keeping it there for an extended period, possibly years. The plan is to ride it on vacation, going where the wind blows and then storing it where ever I end up, until the next vacation (I get a month off at a time every 3 months). No planned specific routes or milage, because I have plenty of time and this is a long term venture. I have scoured the net for info and you seem to be the right person to corner and ask a question or two:

First on Bikes:
Which bike would you consider for this trip? I am currently all over the map on this issue. I am partial to BMWs, and I am not opposed to buying a new bike to send over, fortunately money isn't much of an issue as I am single and an expert at internal rationalization. I have an '07 GS Adv., which I am very comfortable with, that I would consider sending, but I was thinking it might be a little big for the small towns and roads I am likely to encounter, I have been to Europe before but not out driving in rural areas, so this is a guess on my part. An RT doesn't seem to be a bad choice, but then again I have never been on one. I also think a R1200R might be a good choice, I have an '01 1150R. I am not into sport bikes and I am a pretty sedate rider, also in the event of accidental marriage, I think it would be smart to have a bike suitable for two-up riding. Any and all input would be greatly appreciated.

Second on Bike storage:
How prevalent are self-storage units/mini-warehouses in Europe? I have found limited results on google, I believe this is because I don't know what they are called over there?

Great thread I look forward to your response and help and maybe I'll see you on the road.

-Matt

[Global Rider]

Alex,

I am planning on shipping a bike from the States to Europe, June or October of this year, and keeping it there for an extended period, possibly years. The plan is to ride it on vacation, going where the wind blows and then storing it where ever I end up, until the next vacation (I get a month off at a time every 3 months). No planned specific routes or mileage, because I have plenty of time and this is a long term venture.

Hi Matt,

Thats what I have done and what I do. Its the best way to go about it, if you can. This'll be my 14th year in a row. See you there in June? If you go in October, you'll have to skip the Alps and head for Spain and similar temperate areas.

First on Bikes:
Which bike would you consider for this trip? I am currently all over the map on this issue. I am partial to BMWs, and I am not opposed to buying a new bike to send over, fortunately money isn't much of an issue as I am single and an expert at internal rationalization. I have an '07 GS Adv., which I am very comfortable with, that I would consider sending, but I was thinking it might be a little big for the small towns and roads I am likely to encounter, I have been to Europe before but not out driving in rural areas, so this is a guess on my part. An RT doesn't seem to be a bad choice, but then again I have never been on one. I also think a R1200R might be a good choice, I have an '01 1150R. I am not into sport bikes and I am a pretty sedate rider, also in the event of accidental marriage, I think it would be smart to have a bike suitable for two-up riding. Any and all input would be greatly appreciated.

Well if I could have, I would have bought a new BMW R100 GS Paris Dakar in 2004 instead of a new 2004 R1150 GS Adventure. Riding around Europe, the Adventure is fine (more on that a bit further down), but there are other places nearby that I'd like to ride and will, but would have prefered "simplicity" over "complexity". I can source a fuel pump anywhere in Europe; Norkapp or Morocco would take a bit more time...not to mention...on the airhead GS, I don't even need something as silly as a fuel pump. Anyway, I never found a good used R100 GS PD to my liking and the '04 GS Adventure came by by accident at one hell of a deal.

What would I consider for a bike? Well I guess with 4 GSes in the stables, I'm a bit biased on that one. I'd pick any unfaired motorcycle with an upright seating position, a good seat, wide handlebars and good luggage options. Although not an issue in most of Europe, I still wanted good range; I'm good for 500 kms (300 miles) on a tank.

Size? For any serious off-roading any GS other than maybe the original R80 G/S PD is a joke. Around towns and ultra narrow back roads, a 650 single would have been preferable, but then you have those times where "long legs" are needed to cover larger distances in a day, comfortably. Its a trade off. I think an 800 cc bike would be ideal, but I can't think of one other than a Honda Africa Twin 750 which was not available here.

Second on Bike storage:
How prevalent are self-storage units/mini-warehouses in Europe? I have found limited results on google, I believe this is because I don't know what they are called over there?

Europe isn't so big that you can't get to a central location within a long day. I have no experience with the service, but enough happy customers use him; Stefan Knopf of Knopf Motorradreisen in Heidelberg. Heidelberg is a good central location and thats who I would use and where I'd store my motorcycle if I had to. Plus its a short easy run down from Frankfurt, a major airport. Click on his "How to get to Knopftours" link for train and bus options.

http://www.knopftours.com