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

[Fanum]

Funnily enough they've just run that clip on Top Gear where the muppets take three lightweight supercars looking for the best roads.....Davos to Stelvio was their favorite.

I've got all the above noted, thank you for that.....we'll see what the weather's like and play it by ear I think.......If it's wet in the Alps we'll head into Croatia and down to the coast but if it's nice we'll just go play in the bumpy stuff.

 

[Old Codger]

Try this site

www.alpineroads.com

Run by Alpaholics

 

[The Phantom Pieman]

4 days ?

All of them ....

 

[Tricky]

Hmm let's see if this works...

Thanks for posting that route looks good.

Am hoping to be in the Eastern Alps myself (for about a week) in a couple of weeks time.

Found the attachment below in the GPS section. Plenty of options because as others have said, better not to have a too well planned route due to the unpredictable weather in them there parts...

 

[Allan Davies]

If you are want to go to Hohenschwangau (Schloss Neuschwanstein )
Then Lech Valley (from Bregenz-L200 to Warth then B198 to Stanzach) Stay here really good and cheap http://www.elisabeth-schwarz.at/index.php?id=home
In the morning do the Elmen to Imst pass L266 really good and varied then back up and visit the Castle in the afternoon. There are other passes in this area which Ronno and Dadster have done and highly reccomend.
I did a tour of this area including Germany Baden Baden B500 etc, Austria, Dolimites and Switz then back up to Baden Baden. Taking n all the passes I could plus A few planned extras just in case but they are all on the must do list for the next trip. All available on Garmin V9 if you like
All hotels though no camping.

 

[BegesRus]

Stelvio is great for the kudos I suppose 'cause everyone has to do it - for a blast you just can't beat the Col De Vars - fastest there is - sweepers not s/backs - Route Napoleon is also brilliant but can be quite busy.

 

[luckylucian]

Just got back from a 6 day jaunt to the Alps.

Stelvio - pants to ride 'cos too much traffic

Passo di Gavia (Bormio to Pontide Legno) - no traffic and fantastic

Splugen Pass (Chiavenna to Rofla) - even more fantastic

Both the above are far better than the Stelvio,

 

[MickDB1]

Ian, Phil is on about the trail which goes up Mount Somellier, this is a relative easy trail which goes even higher than the Bonnette. It is , for the last 17km dirt with hairpins etc. The Stella is a rally which occurs the second sunday in July every year, get up on what you ride to the event - is the theme
The nearest town to the foot of the trail is Bardonechia

This is a great little used pass, near to the Stelvio / Umbrail
John Hermann's book The Alps has been my bible and shows the top 265 destinations/passes
Only quite a few more to doooooooo

 

[SkyGod]

Mick the pimp and his bitches eh???????

 

[Katy M]

You would think the omens would have been against our trip to the alps: 0500: Fell off my bike in my front garden, demolishing my wall- (nothing new there then eh, Bill!)
0530: Having dragged my Missus out of bed to help me pick the bike up, the heavens opened- first time I've ever left on a bike trip in the wet.

Second day in France, my mate on his Kwaka ZZR1200, parked it in a 3' ditch in his vain attempts to stay with my 990 (nuff said, ahem!) I wasn't allowed to take pictures, but unbelievably, he only slighty marked his panniers, no other damage/injury at all.

And to cap it off, my other mate - that's all of 'em now by the way, fell of his extremely (now not so) shiny, GS.

But, it was worth it. Everywhere we went the roads were to die for, sorry, brilliant, and the scenery more so. Most of where went is already covered elsewhere but, if you're heading for/through Neuchatel whatever you do, don't take the tunnel- at the roundabout just before it, follow the sign for Vue des Alpes- I'll say no more as it will spoil the surprise but....wow! My pictures do not do it justice.

The other roads I'd recommend is the 'Top Gear' route sorry again, from Sluderno via S41to Susch onto Davos, fantastic! Also, the Chur to St. Moritz to Tirrano road.

I was enjoying it so much, I actually headed another 100 miles south to find other routes- I did not want that day to end- superb.

Very briefly, we were over there for 10 days and camped- weather cheered up lots- every night. There are loads of sites, well posted and all of them were very cheap/clean. All in, the whole trip, everything included, cost us E800. No more excuses, just go. I'm already 'planning' a return next year!

Katy.

 

[Keith Chapman]

OK Bill, I have just seen this thread so I may be to late. Starting from Fussen ( extra Billy points)
head towards Bad Kreckelmoos and turn onto the road to AmPlansee keep going to Oberau, then head down to Garmisch, From there go to Seefeld and blast the auto route from Innsbruk to the turn off for Zel am Ziller, Take the Gerlos pass either the new or old one (the old one has no toll ) to Mittersill keep going to Bruck, hang a right to the Grossglockner.

Might be too much for one day but easy accomodation in Zel Am Ziller, and if you stop there you can always take a trip over the HoenStrasse.

 

[THE DOCTOR]

1. Firstly read MOTORCYCLE JOURNEYS THROUGH THE ALPS AND CORSICA by John Hermann.

Agreed!

Play.com for £14.99 delivered.

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=159305

 

[sniffy]

route des grande alpes

Route des Grand Alps is the bloody great, 2 days of very hard riding or 3 days relaxed. Have gsp route if you need it. Think it has 14 or 16 passes on it..... used to a web page in english now only in french

 

[stevejazzyb]

We live permamently in Morzine on the RDGA and accommodate many of you touring UKGSer's on this site winter & summer.

We are right at the crossroads of France, Italy & Switzerland and regularly ride the many high passes which are all within a days ride from our front door - back in time for a beer in the hot tub...!

A cautionary note: we already have a metre of snow in the garden, and the ski season is just about to start (it runs until the last weekend in April), it is worth remembering that most high passes in the Northern Alpes are now snow blocked and will not re-open until at least late May - mid June.

It's hard to beat the RDGA for it's scenery & twisties, but there are some fantastic local high routes that are less well known:

1) The Cormet de Roseland high above Beaufort / Bourg St Maurice
2) The twisties up to the Petit St Bernard taking you from France into Italy
3) Col de la Colombiere (which is also a Tour de France route) which takes you down into Annecy
4) Col de la Forclaz from Martigny in Switzerland to Chamonix in France

... to name just a few. All of these are fab in both directions and can all be linked up to make a circular route on a day out.

Cheers Steve

http://www.alpineaddictsmorzine.com

 

[zzrman]

5*

Col de la Bonnette
Col Agnel
Col de L'Izoard
Coll del Canto
Col du Galibier

4*

Furka
Susten
Tourmalet
St Gotthard
Oberalp
Cormet de Roselend
Col du Pourtalet
Col du Somport
Col de la Forclaz
Col de Mente
Col D'Aspin

 

[Deleted account 210609001]

5*

Col de la Bonnette
Col Agnel
Col de L'Izoard
Coll del Canto
Col du Galibier

4*

Furka
Susten
Tourmalet
St Gotthard
Oberalp
Cormet de Roselend
Col du Pourtalet
Col du Somport
Col de la Forclaz
Col de Mente
Col D'Aspin

How to start a fight: ask people to compare their ratings of passes! The only real way to find out which ones you like is try a few...