Italy bound.... 2nd time

[RJP]

Hi all, OK second time around for this thread as the last one was closed. However the premise of the trip remains the same, I'm returning to Italy with my bike to go back to work in Ancona. With all the drama going with COVID I'm glad to finally be getting away. I also realise I'm very fortunate to have a reason to be leaving and riding through Europe whilst no one else gets a holiday abroad. However, this of course is not a holiday, its repositioning.

So, I've made up a route. I'll be heading from Chester to Hull via the Peak District, then jumping on the ferry to Rotterdam. Then I'm planning to head through Germany, over the Alps and down to Ancona. So below is the link for the route I'm thinking of via myroute.com.

https://www.myrouteapp.com/en/social/route/3147668?mode=share

I'm taking my tent and trying to keep myself to myself as much as possible. I called a few camp sites listed on Archies (thanks to all those recommendations) and they're opening from June 1st. So it seems I could be in a fortunate position here.... so I'm going to try and make the most of it. I've got my camera kit and a drone so will hopefully get some decent pics and I'll post on here when I can.

Any tips on the route appreciated.

 

[DC]

The route just opened as a picture so I couldn’t zoom in , your route looked direct is it all motorway . You don’t give an exact date of arriving at the Alps, just double check the passes are open

 

[Kritou]

Difficult to see your route in the Milan area but dropping down to the southwest around Magenta and Pavia would mean a lot less traffic and pollution - it is also a more pleasant rural ride

 

[leadfarmer]

Go via the eastern side of lake Como and visit the Moto Guzzi factory

In Milan you can visit Casa Lambretta on the eastern outskirts of the city and/or the MV Augusta museum to the north

Then in Bologna is the Ducati factory

Should relieve the boredom on the ride down
https://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php/492028-Mini-no-mates-tour-of-Italy

 

[Wapping]

The route just opened as a picture so I couldn’t zoom in , your route looked direct is it all motorway . You don’t give an exact date of arriving at the Alps, just double check the passes are open

You need to have the MyRoute app loaded on your phone / iPad / computer and then open the route in the app.

 

[Wapping]

You are leaving, I think, on some date after the first of June? Depending on how close to the first of June you plan on going, some of the (non-motorway) passes might still be shut. Treat Alpine passes in very early June, the same way as sailing in the Caribbean in October when it’s hurricane season. You might get lucky, you might not.

As far as I can see, the route was created by you placing the cursor on various points on the map and allowing the MyRoute software to join them together. In other words, it chose the roads, not you. Correct?

You haven’t told bods how long you have available between leaving A (the arrival point in Holland) and your arrival at (B) Ancona. Just in case they send you off around the Harz, the Ardennes, Vosges and then over the must do Millau bridge for days on end, perhaps you should let them know?

The route you have set takes you in a near enough straight line south, south east to Salzburg, then near enough west to Simplon, before carving its way in a near enough diagonal straight line south, south east again to Ancona.

You will get a near enough long straight line between points (for instance between Holland and Salzburg) as you have not put in any shaping points (places you want to go via) between the two points. If you fancy going to Salzburg and then through the places you have pinpointed thereafter to Ancona, there is not a lot bods can do to change it.

If though you are not set with this as a plan, a very different alternative might be:

Holland > Belgium > Luxembourg (basically thro’ the Ardennes) > Then basically, Dijon’ish, through the Morvan, Lyon, into Provence, before swinging east and the south, east south east to Ancona. Again, everything hinges on what you want to do, the places you want to stop at and how long you have got to go from A to B. You’ll notice that this is pretty much the same as post #25 in the other thread (which was closed in April as there was no new new traffic in it - after the excitement of September - after February, for all we knew you’d changed your mind and decided to sail off to New York) with its route suggested for you by an Italian, of all people. Here’s the picture of it:

In short, if you want to go via the Alps, hit Germany and Austria to Salzburg or somewhere similar. If you don’t, hit France.

Your turn next, skipper.

 

[ymfb]

I’d be tempted to plot the mountain section through Google maps as it will only let you plot routes on open roads, pretty much the reason I use MyRoute-app as you cannot plan a route for the summer in the dark nights of winter.

Enjoy if open there’s some stunning scenery to be seen.

 

[RJP]

Hi, sorry I should have give some timescale to the trip, although I do have some flexibility. I'm going back to work so the boss will no doubt expect me to be there at some point in the not so distant future. Then once there I intend to go and ride in the local area such as Campo Imperatore.

I've ridden/driven in Germany quite a lot and just want to get through Germany really so I've taken the most direct route to get me through the Alps. Once there I want to ride some of the mountain passes in slow time and enjoy the scenery, hence the odd route around the Alps. After that I'm going to see how I'm doing for time and maybe go via Lake Como, I've been there before and it's beautiful. However that does depend how things are going in the shipyard. I may need to go via Pisa on the way to inspect a construction project.

Thanks for the comments all very insightful and depending on how things work out I plan to stay flexible on the route as it's just me.

 

[Wapping]

Looks like you’ve got it nailed.

 

[leadfarmer]

If you go via Pisa you can pop to Pontedera and visit the Piaggio factory museum

This place is very nice to stay

http://www.booking.com/Share-mtjl2YQ

 

[RJP]

Looks lovely, thanks for the recommendation

 

[leadfarmer]

This place is in Borgo Panigale, 5 minutes walk from the Ducati factory (they won’t let you in on other brands of bike)

Nice hotel with secure underground parking

http://www.booking.com/Share-731l2P

 

[Wapping]

If you go via Pisa you can pop to Pontedera and visit the Piaggio factory museum

Which he doesn’t (At least nowhere near) on his MyRoute app route but he does (or near enough) does on the alternative offered up.

That highlights the danger of asking for places to go, you get dragged all over the place and nobody knows how long you have got.

 

[leadfarmer]

This is on the edge of lake Como, 5 minutes ride from the Moto Guzzi factory/museum

More of a BnB, the owners cook great food

http://www.booking.com/Share-SUvZfi

 

[Wapping]

This place is in Borgo Panigale, 5 minutes walk from the Ducati factory (they won’t let you in on other brands of bike)

That at least is much closer to both routes.

 

[leadfarmer]

Which he doesn’t (At least nowhere near) on his MyRoute app route but he does (or near enough) does on the alternative offered up.

That highlights the danger of asking for places to go, you get dragged all over the place and nobody knows how long you have got.

Maybe....

I may need to go via Pisa on the way to inspect a construction project. .

 

[Wapping]

This is on the edge of lake Como, 5 minutes ride from the Moto Guzzi factory/museum

More of a BnB, the owners cook great food

If he swings north of Milan, instead of south, it would work on his My Route route, but it might mean missing the western end of his ideas. As is clear, there are several ways to skin one cat, all depending on how long you’ve got. When I say several, you do sort of get less choices in the mountains, as bloody great lumps of rock get in the way. That’s not a problem on the blue oceans but do look out for reefs.

 

[Wapping]

Maybe....

In which case he needs to review his MyRoute planned route significantly or he’ll miss it

 

[RJP]

The route is a plan, however I'm aware no plan survives contact intact!

 

[Wapping]

The route is a plan, however I'm aware no plan survives contact intact!

Hello, it’s going all Milli....