Southern Germany, where you do park safely?

Red

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I'm planning a trip on the 1250GS from Rotterdam down to the Black Forest and along the south of Germany (roughly along the Deutsche Alpenstrasse, may dip into Austria) in June, and I'm wondering what other people do in terms of parking safely.

Booking does have a garage filter but it doesn't seem to work very well, and I plan to mostly just book hotels a day in advance if I can. Are garages vital or is the place pretty safe (for security I have a DX1000, a big chain and disc lock). Any advice on traveling to this area welcome.
 
As Barnoe says, you are much safer in Germany, it's not that it doesn't happen, but I lived there for 11 years and always end up going through Germany and staying over on my regular Euro tours without any issues of theft, often leave kit on the bike, and throw a cover over it if parked outside. Never had a problem booking hotels either a day before, the NH hotel chain are pretty good if you need something around a large town or city, B&B Hotels are a good budget option too. Last time I was in the centre of Dortmund, the NH Hotel staff got me to stick the Stelvio under the entrance door, locked to the pillar and in view of the night staff and camera. Even they said it was overkill, but very accommodating and said they "know how we are over our babies" Underground parking is quite common in a lot of German hotels as well, which can work well.

I still lock mine up, use my Abus noose chain and lock and a DX1000, but the day I get out of the habit of locking it, will be the day it goes.
 
Prity safe in that part of Germany. North West France is a bit different matter.
 
I’ve ridden there for years and never had a drama.

I’d pick a place out of town centre, preferably with discreet parking.

If in a BB or similar, ask for a room that overlooks the car park, preferably on ground floor. You can often park your bike literally inches from your window.

That and a decent lock.

Job done


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Did the Garmish/BF last year and used Airbnb small B&B, all had locked garage or locked drives. Hotels in small towns, some have a courtyard but it's not in the hotel spec. Drop an email to the owner. I avoided large town, the downside. Everything shuts early and food is limited to kebab or pizza.
 
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Parking on the street is not something I would worry about in most of Bavaria.
If you must have garage parking then I have used two hotels with a garage in the centre of Kempten at the western end of the Alpenstrasse.
https://hotelpeterhof.de/ and https://www.fuerstenhof-kempten.de/ - both pretty good.

I would recommend dipping into Austria briefly to loop around Plansee then back up past Schloss Linderhof (another of mad Ludwig's palaces) back to Oberammergau.

As for finding hotels with parking, the description on Expedia are better than Booking. Then use Streetview which is more available in Germany now.
 
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You could try booking some of the hotels and guesthouses suggested in Tourenfahrer. Bike orientated hotels.

Motorradhotels in ganz Europa

Die besten Motorrad-Hotels in Deutschland und Europa
tourenfahrer-hotels.de tourenfahrer-hotels.de

Also Mo Ho Hotels lists some places in Bavaria and Austria.

I've also enjoyed staying at some of the brewery hotel inns listed below. Plenty of different beers and locations across Germany.

Find the right brewery inn now!

Hospitality and the art of brewing 🍻 Find your brewery inn now for an unforgettable beer experience at the private brewery inns🍺
braugasthoefe.de braugasthoefe.de

Take a good lock and use it. Parking has not been an issue whereever I've been in Germany or Austria. I feel safer parking there than in Edinburgh or English cities.
 
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Red said:
I'm planning a trip on the 1250GS from Rotterdam down to the Black Forest and along the south of Germany (roughly along the Deutsche Alpenstrasse, may dip into Austria) in June, and I'm wondering what other people do in terms of parking safely.

Booking does have a garage filter but it doesn't seem to work very well, and I plan to mostly just book hotels a day in advance if I can. Are garages vital or is the place pretty safe (for security I have a DX1000, a big chain and disc lock). Any advice on traveling to this area welcome.
Click to expand...
Fuck me
I left the keys in my GSA in Berchtesgaden overnight and the bike was fine
One of the safest places
 
Exactly, please don’t let the doomsday messages on here trash your holiday.

Sensible precautions - sensible prizes
 
Err, from reading the title of this thread. The OP is Tati g that one does park safely in Southern Germany and not asking where it is safe to park. Am I reading it wrong?
 
If you have an on-bike camera, “dashcam”, disconnect or remove it before going to Austria. They’re illegal there.
 
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Once I have got about 3 hours from Calais in any direction I feel comfortable leaving my bike at the front of a Hotel - France, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria etc.

The only caveat would be cities, where I do look for a Garage, although I think criminal gangs are on the rise, they will be in places with a lot more bikes, so once in the countryside you are much safer.
 
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I must have been lucky….. multiple trips all over Europe on a GS , GSA and various Harleys….

Bike left with no more than a steering lock.

Left on the street, in squares, by a church, in a carpark, under ground and overground…my bike has never been touched…


Appreciate I’ve just jinxed either of my two trips this year, the bike will be stolen and I’ll have to walk home….
 
I’m over often, I’ll give you lift back……

Having said that according to UKGSer there’s a 99.6 pc chance mine will get nicked too …..
 
twizzle said:
I must have been lucky….. multiple trips all over Europe on a GS , GSA and various Harleys….

Bike left with no more than a steering lock.

Left on the street, in squares, by a church, in a carpark, under ground and overground…my bike has never been touched…


Appreciate I’ve just jinxed either of my two trips this year, the bike will be stolen and I’ll have to walk home….
Click to expand...
Exactly my experience too.
Too many worriers on here.
 
Thanks for all the encouraging and helpful replies :)

There was no judgement, assumption or implication in my question at all, it is just a question as I have not been, nor have I read anything about the area in terms of bike security one way or the other, so I'm glad to hear I've nothing to be concerned about.
 
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