Advice - Trip to Italian Lakes

[wessie]

Calais to Malcesine via the Black Forest and Austrian Tyrol is around 900 miles, so you can get there with 2 overnight stops. 3 overnight stops would give you more flexibility to enjoy some views and other touristy things. You could also stop somewhere for 2 consecutive nights to give you a mini-break somewhere nice like Alsace, Black Forest or Reims in Champagne.

So, 1 days faffing about in the UK/sailing across the Channel.
3 days getting there via Belgium, Lux, Black Forest, Tyrol, Timmelsjoch
7 days sunning yourself in Malcesine or going for day trips on the bike
4 days getting back via Austrian Tyrol, Alsace, Champagne Ardennes with a 2 night stopover in Kayersberg or Reims
1 day getting home
This adds up I think to your 16 days

I'd book the hotel in Malcesine (using something like booking.com that allows free cancellations) as they get booked up quite quickly. The rest of the hotels you could find as you go. As stated above, travel there via whichever route has the best weather. I've been to the Italian Lakes several times: from May through to September, it's never been anything other than scorcio...

 

[Wapping]

Wessie has it nailed, Paintman too.

You are good to go

 

[stever1]

When SWMBO and I went to Lake Garda we stopped at san felice de benaco in a keycamps mobile home. it only cost £251 for a week BARGAIN.

 

[GFJ]

Having been down that way last year, I'd blast it down and recover down there; it's a beautiful place to spend time.

We found most of the roads slow going in high season, though very scenic. There's a loop closkwise from Como up to Bellagio and round which was very pretty. Bellagio would be worth a night if you can find somewhere.

Other than that, anywhere from the Western Alps in France to the East of Austria floats my boat. I'm off to Austria tomorrow; planning 2 days down, 1 day back (from N Wales).

Enjoy.

Gareth

 

[Phluppe]

Might be mistaken, but leaving from Zeebrugge early in the morning, why on earth would you stop somewhere in France where there's nothing to see.

I Live between Ghent and Brussels, so less than one hour from Zeebrugge, when I leave for the Garda region my first overnight stop is allready way in the Alps, easy doable in one day.
Gives you way more time to enjoy the next couple of days with riding the roads you really want.

My most used route towards the Garde region is as following:
Brussels -> Namur (E411, road or highway number) -> Luxemburg (E411, cheap fuel and smokes in Lux) -> Strasbourg (E25) -> Offenburg (E52) -> Villingen (B33, nice road through the Black Forrest) -> Norht side of Lake Constance -> Bregenz, and you're allready in the Alps. Last time did over 200km's of Alpine passes before stopping near Landeck for the night.

Day after you can reach Lake Garda if you want, using Timmelsjoch and some other cool roads, or take two days and make a loop in the Dolomites before going South to Lake Garda.

My 2 cents

Grtz, Philip!

 

[The Grey One]

........



The Swiss, Germans & Austrians do not tolerate filtering or lane splitting. Drivers will try to block you and the police may fine you. Their favourite places are urban traffic lights where there is a turn left filter lane: if you use this to queue jump then you may be fined. In France & Italy you can ride where you like as motorcycles seem to have priority everywhere. .............

Filtering is legal and common in Austria but the manouvre you describe is not counted as filtering and is as said subject to on the spot fines. I have never had an Austrian driver try to block me, they almost always go out of their way to let bikes through.

It's also worth pointing out that Austrian autobahns have traffic lights at intervals along the route. If there is an incident ahead they will turn on the red lights so you can only filter up to the light. In the case of an accident they will close the road until all traces are removed rather than try to get at least one lane open,so it can take some time. Not funny if you are in bike gear with no shade in sight. The B159 and B99 are more fun and at,those times, often actually quicker.


John

 

[wessie]

Filtering is legal and common in Austria but the manouvre you describe is not counted as filtering and is as said subject to on the spot fines. I have never had an Austrian driver try to block me, they almost always go out of their way to let bikes through.

It's also worth pointing out that Austrian autobahns have traffic lights at intervals along the route. If there is an incident ahead they will turn on the red lights so you can only filter up to the light. In the case of an accident they will close the road until all traces are removed rather than try to get at least one lane open,so it can take some time. Not funny if you are in bike gear with no shade in sight. The B159 and B99 are more fun and at,those times, often actually quicker.


John

I agree about the B99. Great road and interesting to see the autobahn from below or above, clinging to the valley or on huge stilts.

Thanks for clarification on the regs. It must be the Swiss and/or Germans being down on filtering. The most humourless locals being in the Black Forest, hence my preference for the other side of the Rhine in the Vosges.

 

[The Grey One]

I agree about the B99. Great road and interesting to see the autobahn from below or above, clinging to the valley or on huge stilts.

Thanks for clarification on the regs. It must be the Swiss and/or Germans being down on filtering. The most humourless locals being in the Black Forest, hence my preference for the other side of the Rhine in the Vosges.

Don't know about Switzerland but filtering is illegal in Germany and I am always extra careful with German registered cars, they may not be expecting you to filter. Lots of people do filter in Germany but it is best to know the score-filtering past a police car is probably not a good idea.

John

 

[Rasher]

Thanks Wapping and Wessie - I'm hoping to cover between 200 - 300 miles daily depending on terrain and sightseeing :

If you estimate averages of 60 - 70 mph for Motorways, 50-55 for A-Roads and 45-50 for other main (out of town / city routes) you won't be far off. Mountain passes WILL see your average below 40mph, so if planning a loop around 4-5 mountain passes 200 miles will be 6-7 hours riding, and you will want to stop a lot more than on the motorway.

I use the above averages for planning and allow 15 minutes stopped per hour travelled and an extra 30-45 minutes for lunch, and allow extra stop time for the scenic routes.


From Zebrugee I would follow Philips advice, drop down to @ Baden and then run down the Black Forest taking in the B500 that way you get to tick off one of the "best" roads in Europe.

Loads of nice places to stop South of Baden, Pension Williams is about 25 miles south of Baden and easy enough to reach if your off your ferry in the morning. Triberg is a nice town if you want to pay a bit more and be in a Town. Either way you end day one on some fantastic roads

From here I would continue down the Black Forest to Switzerland, and you have so many choices, if you don't mind taking your time you could cram so many famous passes into this trip.

I would drop to the bottom of the Black Forest, head to Meiringen and then take the Grimsel and Furka Passes to Andermatt and stop somewhere in that area.

From there I would run over the Oberalp pass and on to Chur, head south over the Julier Pass and then the Bernina pass.

Three days, with the excitement starting mid afternoon on day one and the rest of the Journey being absolute bliss

 

[JASONBC]

Fantastic place we honeymooned there 6-7 years ago not long drive to either Milan or Venice we stayed in Limone sur legarde (if i remember corectly) but we flew out on this occasion. Wil definatly go back there in a few years time.

Did the essential shopping in Milan

 

[wessie]

Limone is a nice place. I stayed there on my last visit. Hotel was cheap & cheerful so I won't recommend it. Just check the location of any hotel - our hotel had fantastic views across to Malcesine but it was very high up and it was a long, steep walk into town. The strip of land at lakeside level is very narrow so many hotels supposedly in Limone are high up on the cliffs.

Limone has a nice vibe, more laid back than Malcesine. For me, the latter is the better place to stay for more than a couple of days as it presents more choices for things to do.