Northern Italy route?

[jp842]

Anyone got a scenic route for The Italian lakes? We intend doing a loop from the Chunnel, through France, Northern Italy and back home through Austria and the Black Forest. Suggestions for accomodation would be appreciated too, although we will be staying in Ibis etc in France. Hoping to take about 10-12 days..

 

[Wapping]

I'm reasonably sure RiDE magazine will have something.....

Lets see....

Dum, dee dum, deee dum....

Yup....

http://www.ride.co.uk/routes-1/the-ride-guide-to-italy

Job done

Need maps, mate: http://www.mapsman.com/store/category.php?id=91

 

[Parchman]

Lake Como, Mandello del Lario is a nice stop over, has the Guzzi factory, the museum opens at strange times.
Lake Garda has been very busy when ever I've been in summertime. In fact, the whole of the Italian lakes can get a bit cramped.
I found a decent agritourismo in Arco when Riva was full, something like Turnisol or something to do with sunflowers. There was a fair restaurant round the corner. I can look up the names if you're interested. Arco is a few miles up the river from Riva.

I have used Ibis Budget nee Etap for years. Still much the same, so not sure why the name change except for the more corporate colour schemes. Not sure the full fat Ibis represents value, there always seems better places cheaper.
By the By, this last year we have tried the Ibis Styles version a couple of times. We paid €60 which included a surprisingly nice breakfast. Fresh squeezed OJ, plenty of croissant and surprisingly good bagette, all the rest of the usual stuff you get on a brekky buffet, in pleasantly surprising quality. Sumptuous bed too.

Apparently, Spidi motorcycle clothing has a shop at their factory near Vincenza, if you can hunt up the details.

 

[Neil W]

Not in any particular order but if are down near Chur, try south over the SPUGEN PASS down to lake Como , worth stopping at mandello del Lario for the Guzzi museum and a nice overnight stop, from there it as a nice run down to Bergamo then north up to Breno then east over the PASSO DI CROCEDOMINI and then on to Lake Garda (Limone is worth an overnighter) from Garda I would travel north to Bolzano and then you can head up towards Vipiteno and over the JAUFENPASS, TIMMELSJOCH PASS into Austria along the Oetz valley (loads of places to stop )

Other alternative is once at Bolzano head north east towards Cortina and then into Austria take in the Grossglockner and then for the return leg you an travel via the GERLOSS PASS towards Innsbruck and then you have the choice of the TIMMELSJOCH, SILVERETTA, ARLBERG PASSES towards Lake Konstanz.

Back towards Chur, Disentis then Andermatt followed by the FURKA, GRIMSELL AND SUSTEN PASSES from there north onto the B500 and the Black Forest.

If you want details of a few hotels I have stayed at and found to be fine on the general route send me a PM

 

[jp842]

Thanks for the suggestions gentlemen, I will get on with the booking. Neil W you have a PM.

 

[sven]

I went to the Italian Lakes last year and the driving and congestion between Lake Como and Verona/Lake Garda was horrendous until well up into the hills. It's just village after village on roads so twisty its hard to get past slower moving traffic

The Splugen Pass down to Como was a very interesting pass, and the roads from Riva del Garda up to Bolzano and the Timmelsjoch were nice and flowing

Personally I like the Chur - Lenzerheide - Fuella - Ofen - Umbrail - Stelvio - Bormio - Gavia - SS42 - SS239 - SS241 - Riva del Garda route

 

[jp842]

I went to the Italian Lakes last year and the driving and congestion between Lake Como and Verona/Lake Garda was horrendous until well up into the hills. It's just village after village on roads so twisty its hard to get past slower moving traffic

The Splugen Pass down to Como was a very interesting pass, and the roads from Riva del Garda up to Bolzano and the Timmelsjoch were nice and flowing

Personally I like the Chur - Lenzerheide - Fuella - Ofen - Umbrail - Stelvio - Bormio - Gavia - SS42 - SS239 - SS241 - Riva del Garda route

What time of the year was that Sven?

 

[Pablo1]

could help with the second leg of your tour, Ive routes up through Austria via the grossglockner (with an alternative if its closed), taking in the Deutsch Alpinestrasse from Berchtesgaden to Friedrickshafen, up through the black forest via the B500 to Freudenstadt, onwards to Cochem, A loop of the area around cochem then ferry home, if its of interest I can email you the garmin routes.

 

[Parchman]

The immediate area round most of the lakes are pretty full in July and August.
I was in Lecco early last December and it was packed even then. Like Bergamo, and many others, they are primarily commercial and industrial places with a dusting of tourism - deservedly so, but often not 100% visitor centric.

The obvious routes past the various lakes are either congested or so beleaguered with traffic calming that taking the effort to avoid will pay dividends during prime time.
Most of the alternatives I have used are generally far more scenic too.

 

[Jockser]

I went to the Italian Lakes last year and the driving and congestion between Lake Como and Verona/Lake Garda was horrendous until well up into the hills. It's just village after village on roads so twisty its hard to get past slower moving traffic

Exactly that. And the heat in bike gear when you can't get a breeze going is draining.
Was there early July. Maybe out of season it's better....

 

[wessie]

Best to go in June or September as it is too hot in July & August.

Lake Garda is my favourite of the lakes. Malcesine is nice, try the Hotel Benacus.

Torbole is a good place to stay as well - not stayed there for some time so can't offer a recommendation.

As stated above, the roads to the north of Riva are great - these are the Brenta Dolomites. I'd stay on Lake Garda for a few nights to enjoy the evening life and take rideouts into the mountains.

The small Lake Iseo is good too.

I'd go into Austria via the Timmelsjoch and spend a night or 2 in the Austrian Tyrol on the way back.

 

[tarry]

could help with the second leg of your tour, Ive routes up through Austria via the grossglockner (with an alternative if its closed), taking in the Deutsch Alpinestrasse from Berchtesgaden to Friedrickshafen, up through the black forest via the B500 to Freudenstadt, onwards to Cochem, A loop of the area around cochem then ferry home, if its of interest I can email you the garmin routes.

Would be really interested in this route, as we heading that way in may pablo

 

[Pablo1]

pm me your email and ill pass them to you

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk

 

[sven]

What time of the year was that Sven?

It was mid-June so we got to go to the first opera of the season in the Verona Roman arena and ended up at Assen for the MotoGP

 

[J biker]

Via Switzerland, Davos, Fluela Pass. Bolzano, Timmelsjoch.
Vipiteno and Giau pass top end Italy.
As mentioned, Italian lakes very scenic...very busy!
Back via Ravensburg in Germany and Black forest.