Alps Motorcycle Tours - Priced Right

[GvG]

95 is available, but many of the stations I've been to didn't have it and would carry Super Plus 98 and 100. Then some stations will not have 98 or 100. But I come across 98 more often than not.



I just filled up with V-Power (100) in Rovereto. A lone gas station in the mountains might not carry it.

Well I'll be seeing it in August (I'll be going to Germany, the Czech Republic, Slowakia, Austria and Italy) but it would really surprise me to not find 95 everywhere. That is unless all the flooding had an effect on fuel supplies. And since almost everone uses 95 (or diesel) that would be sold out before the 98/100/102.

And I'll also be if I suddenly find more than 1% of the pumps in northern Italy have higher ratings than 95, since that is always a problem for me in Italy when I trailer my bike there (my car requires 98 or higher).

[Sport-Touring]

[Global Rider]

And I'll also be if I suddenly find more than 1% of the pumps in northern Italy have higher ratings than 95, since that is always a problem for me in Italy when I trailer my bike there (my car requires 98 or higher).

Don't worry, unless you are in a town of a few homes or buildings, you'll find 98 or 100, the latter in larger towns. Depends on the station and location. I only fill up with 98 or 100 when there.

Do carry a slew of smaller bills (€10, €20, €50) for the automated gas stations that are either not manned or are closed from 12h to 15h during lunch. That isn't always an issue in larger towns on main roads. Use the smaller bills for partial fills as they do not return change.

[GvG]

Last year in Aosta (35,000 people) I gave up after 7 pumps didn't have it. And that's in line with previous experiences in northern Italy.

[Global Rider]

Last year in Aosta (35,000 people) I gave up after 7 pumps didn't have it. And that's in line with previous experiences in northern Italy.

Didn't have what?

Livigno, Sterzing, Rovereto, A4 Autostrada all had Super Plus 98 when I filled. I keep a trip fuel log with locations and grades.

[mingo]

Reviving a very informative thread, I have a couple of questions.

I'd like to get your input on a good location to stay for a week, and go out on day trips from there into the Alps, and then move to a another town and stay there for around a week and explore riding in the Dolomites region.

Is it better to go in May / June or September?

Thanks for all the info.

[PatM]

Late May is low season and you may find some of the higher passes closed. Lots of hotels and restaurants in the more touristy areas also may be closed.
Last year we stayed in Courmayeur on May 30th and the place was deserted. And all the higher passes, like the Stelvio and the Gavia were also closed.
Other than that, it's a great time to ride the area as the roads are deserted. 8)
I've never been there in September but have been told it's much busier.

Have a great trip.

Sent from the Great White North through Hyperspace communication

[Global Rider]

I'd like to get your input on a good location to stay for a week, and go out on day trips from there into the Alps, and then move to a another town and stay there for around a week and explore riding in the Dolomites region.

OK, so as I understand it, you want to spend two weeks in total in the Dolomites, but in two locations. As small a region as the Dolomites are, there are plenty of roads to ride and it can take quite a bit of time to get places, so that is a good idea.

I've stayed in Canazei, Arraba and Agordo in my years of touring there. And also Kötschach-Mauthen and Tröpolach in Austria on the Italian border.
I would pick Canazei or Arraba on the west end and a town further east, in fact Tröpolach. The latter will give you a chance to ride the Nockalmstrasse and the passes on the Austrian-Italian-Slovenia borders.

Places I stayed at: Hotel Olympia in Arraba and Gasthof Winkler in Tröpolach, both motorcycle friendly hotels packed with riders.

You might want to break your stays into 4 day periods instead and place them at the points of a triangle.

Note that 400 kms is quite a long day on the smaller narrower roads and 600 kms can be a killer.

Is it better to go in May / June or September?

For 19 out of my last 20 years touring there, I have always gone from the last weekend in May till the middle of July. Last year I went from the end of June till just past mid August and unless I have to, I would not go at that time again due to the increased traffic and increased vacationers. So June and the first half of July are best. I've never been in September but I would not hesitate to go then.

[mingo]

Thanks for the detailed info about the Dolomites. Sorry I wasn't clearer; I wanted to do about a week in the Dolomites, to which you provided me with very good info and a week closer to the Alps. I will aim for June. I'm not too concerned with doing Stelvio, it's not that great of a riding road. But Gavia is fantastic and I also have to hit Passo Pennes (Penserjoch) again.

I was thinking of finding a small town in south Tirol on the Austrian side to do day rides thru the Alps.

I was also looking for a guide book and found this one:

http://www.amazon.de/dp/3765462039/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3W4PB0893N0X3&coliid=I1GHYPL1NUPAYS

but it's only available in German. Any other suggestions?

[Global Rider]

I was thinking of finding a small town in south Tirol on the Austrian side to do day rides thru the Alps.

Two places I've stayed at:

Serfaus is high above the valley road and quiet. Good access to passes near the Austria/Italian border but mainly for those in Vorarlberg and Tirol.
Hotel Maria Theresia (garage parking)
http://www.motorrad-hotel.com/en/tirol/hotel-garni-maria-theresia.html

Livigno, a duty-free zone...cheap gas to fill up daily. Good access to Bernina, Albula, Julier, Maloja, Splügen, San Bernardino, Gavia, Ofen, Fluela, Stelvio passes.
Hotel Garni Francesin (garage parking)
http://www.francesin.it/

As for books, I have those to see where I've been and for the memories. For planning and finding the great roads, I have always used detailed maps with a scale of 200 000:1 or better. And found many more great roads not in any books.

[bucktownbilly]

Ton of great info in this whole thread  I'm gonna try to do an eastern Europe trip next year, been talking about it too long.

[Mrs. DantesDame]

I was also looking for a guide book and found this one:

I was given this book and while I haven't studied it, the few times I've browsed through it look promising.

[Mrs. DantesDame]

Ton of great info in this whole thread  I'm gonna try to do an eastern Europe trip next year, been talking about it too long.

We're leaving for Romania in just over a month - I'll try to take notes  

[mingo]

Thanks for the most helpful info and the link to the English book.

I've toured Alto Adige/ Sud Tirol but the price differential in fuel* between Austria and Italy makes it preferable to use Austria as my homebase, plus south Tyrol isn't really Italian, as evidenced by signs I saw last year "SUDTIROL IST NICHT ITALIEN".     (*I paid $32CAD for 12 liters of fuel, OUCH!!)

Thanks so much! Now all I have to do is figure out where to rent a bike from, Milan or Munich. (The Frankfurt outfit listed in this thread will allow you to pick up and drop off in Munich at no extra charge.)

p.s. Another option is shipping my bike to Munich by Air Canada. Currently, Air Canada's air freight for motorcycles is $700CAD each way, Toronto to Munich. I don't know if there are any additional fees at the airport in Munich to retrieve the bike, other than buying green card insurance.

[Orson]

Agostini in Mandelo Del Lario rents Guzzis  

[FJR-UK]

... plus south Tyrol isn't really Italian, as evidenced by signs I saw last year "SUDTIROL IST NICHT ITALIEN".

It took me a while to figure out which phrase book to carry to the dining room. As a rough guide: German in villages, Italian in towns/cities.  

[GvG]

September is generally better weather wise and all the high passes are open, but May/June is less crowded (although September is nowhere near as bad as July & August).

[PatM]

My Italian friend tells me that they all speak Italian. They will speak Italian to other Italians, and German to tourists.

[Global Rider]

I haven't been to my own thread in a few years. Sorry, I've been busy.

I haven't updated pricing as a result, but the bottom line still is, you can't beat self guided for many reasons; costs, freedom, etc.

This June will be my 23rd year in a row touring Europe and the Alps on my own and I'm still not bored of the place, how could anyone be.
Since then, I have played tour guide to some friends and even had a few people go self guided thanks to this thread.

So if you are on the fence thinking about it, do it. You may be six feet under next year.

[Global Rider]

Well 2019 was 25 straight years riding Europe and the Alps. Where does time go?

And when you have done it that often, you tend to ride many of the same roads again; certainly no regrets.

A few additions to my regular tours have been visiting the Porsche museums, the factory museum in Stuttgart and the private museum in Gmünd in Kärnten as well as having been to the private residence of Porsche's summer retreat.