Calling all Alpine pass experts........your top ten passes route please?

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Toubab
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If you had two or three, maybe 4 days to string together the best, most stunning route you could, what would it be?

High passes, views, not bothered by switchbacks (as in don't mind them rather than avoid them) , don't like crowds and camping involved.......

Added points for Castles, double billy bonus for going past Neuschwanstein but not essential.......

Don't much like dead ends unless it's worth it (or it's possible to camp at the end of it)

Don't mind popping out way east....Czech republic fine (enjoyed it last time)

Any suggestions welcome.......if you could include your top 3 as well that would be really useful :)

Thanks in advance :beerjug:
 
I've only been a couple of times in recent years on the bike, Bill, so can't pretend to be an expert.

Grossglockner in Austria was brilliant - great scenery, lovely roads, and a half-decent visitor centre at the top.

The Route des Grandes Alpes in France strings together lots of passes over a couple of days - Iseran, Var, Izoard and Bonnette among others. Bonnette is the highest paved road in Europe apparently, and actually feels very high as well.

The Sustenpass near Andermatt in Austria was my favourite of all the passes nearby, but they're all pretty enjoyable - Susten, Grimsel, Furka, Nufenen and St Gotthard. You can do all of these in a fantastic day's riding.

Top three for me: Grossglockner, Susten and Passo Bernina in Italian Tyrol. But if I was recommending a single route, Route des Grandes Alpes - LINK - would be a damn good place to start if you don't mind France. You could combine RGA over two days, then take make your way over towards Andermatt for day three and do all the Andermatt passes on day four.

If you haven't already, check out THIS SITE for more views.

Oh, Col de Turini near down towards Sospel was pretty special too - lots of hairpins, but great views and some very scary drop-offs!

Loads of people love the Dolomites. I couldn't really explore them much last year for reasons I won't bore you with. Let's just say that you wouldn't have had the same problems on an 1150...

Final hint: if you can, be flexible and go where the weather is good. No pass is much fun in the rain/sleet/snow when the scenery only extends as far as you can squint through the fog.

EDIT: And I'd go to and from the Alps via the Black Forest, too.
 
Hmm let's see if this works...
 

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If it's worked it should take you over the Grossglockner (don't forget to do both the off shoots, one to the bikers viewpoint and the other to the Glacier:thumb ) then the Plockenpass into Italy then a couple of my all time favourites, the Sella Nevea into Slovenia (don't miss the old fort at the top just before the Border) then an absolute stunner in Slovenia it's self. It starts off steep and twisty and just gets better, when you think you must be near the top they start numbering the hairpins!!! And you thought you'd already been doing hairpins:eek: oh yes, the first hairpin numbered, and they count down coming from S to N, is number 50!!!!!!:eek::eek::eek::D:D:thumb:thumb

Good camping in Fusch at the start of the Grossglockner and cracking campsite at the S end of lake Bled in Slovenia:thumb
 
What a handy thread this is. Just perfect for what I`m looking at doing next year on the way down to the villa :D
 
MrIFan said:
Hmm let's see if this works...
Click to expand...

Thanks Ian...I've got that one into Slovenia marked up from the Alpine roads .com site and from an old issue of MCS&L....Slovenia next weekend then :D

And ta Robin.....will stick yours in the same file and we'll see what happens....we are just going to dodge the weather and bimble around- I'd like to get across to the black sea if poss 'cos I've not seen it but we'll see how we get on day to day :)
 
Just come back from there.

The Stella is awesome but not a good ride as the traffic can be horrendous IMHO.

As mentioned before Val D'Isere, Col D'Izoard,Col de Bonnette are fantastic. On top of that, for fast flowing roads, great tarmac and fantastic views I loved the Ofen Pass heading to Char from the Stella.

Look on mapsource and look for the twistiest roads you can find, it worked for me, I was in awe on every road we did. I have written a short ride report if ya care to read it. The pictures are about 100th of what it's really like BGT, you really would struggle to get it wrong anywhere in the Alps :thumb2

Don't forget to go up the off road track from Bardonecchia (where they do the Stella Alpina rally). Make sure you hit it in the week though as it is shut at the weekends :thumb
 
Flipfly said:
The Stella is awesome but not a good ride as the traffic can be horrendous IMHO.
Click to expand...

Sure you've got the right road Phil? The Sella Nevea is a very little road between Italy and Slovenia. In the dozen or so times I've been over it I've seen no more than 20 or so other vehicles:confused: Was over there 3 weeks ago after the Grossglockner, the GG was packed with bikes and other stuff but we only saw 3 bikes and a few cars on the SN:D Maybe I've just been lucky:thumb
 
MrIFan said:
Sure you've got the right road Phil? The Sella Nevea is a very little road between Italy and Slovenia. In the dozen or so times I've been over it I've seen no more than 20 or so other vehicles:confused: Was over there 3 weeks ago after the Grossglockner, the GG was packed with bikes and other stuff but we only saw 3 bikes and a few cars on the SN:D Maybe I've just been lucky:thumb
Click to expand...


Stelvio, stelvio stelvio :blast:blast:blast:blast:blast:blast:blast:blast

Sorry :blast:blast:blast:blast:blast:blast:blast
 
Robin said:
I reckon you should be able to get some cheap accommodation in Georgia at the moment. Check out Holiday Inn Ossetia
Click to expand...

Many a true word spoken in jest ;)

Georgia...that's where the 'land of a thousand towers' is with all those little mini castle towers .....and loads of other rather good stuff to see.....I'd love to do a circuit of the black sea- all those names from history- Odessa, Sebastapol (where we nicked all those cannons from) and IStanbul etc etc etc.

I bet as long as you were sensible you could go to Georgia with no problems right now...stay south, be alert and open and.....hmmmmmmm....I wonder :augie
 
We did 9 passes in 2 days last week in Austria - have a look at my ride report.
Best pass for me was Silvretta. Grossglockner was probably good but couldn't see much as weather was bad.
 
Last edited:
1. Firstly read MOTORCYCLE JOURNEYS THROUGH THE ALPS AND CORSICA by John Hermann.

2. Then ride up Timmelsjoch, followed by Stelvio, followed by Grossglockner, in that order. They are all quite different.

Before 9am Timmelsjoch is very quiet and is a superb road with not too difficult hairpins.

When I rode Stelvio, the roads were busy and two up on a heavy touring bike was extremely difficult (for me). The gravel road on the decent wasn't appreciated either.

Grossglockner was a bit like Margate, full of tourists, tacky shop full of Marmots and fridge magnets. The road was good without being technical. The Biker's Rest was the best bit.
 
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