Vienna and Back

[stirtloe]

Currently in Vienna the mid way point of a 2 week trip to Vienna that started last Friday (14 June). 2 bikes (Desert X and Tiger 900). The route is as a result of a combination of sources from @Wapping, the ACT and MRA experts.

Day 1 Tunnel crossing - 2 hour delay as they worked off a train failure from earlier in the day. The bike section included the sidecar and passenger.

Night 1 was camping at: https://www.chateau-gandspette.com/

Good restaurant and shower block

Sent from my GM1903 using Tapatalk

 

[stirtloe]

Day 2 to Chimay

<iframe style="border:none;overflow:hidden" width="300" height="311" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" src="https://www.myrouteapp.com/embed/route/8587307?lang=en"></iframe>

To Chimay stopping at the Canadian Memorial and Thiepval,

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I think the embed of the MyRoute route went wrong.

Here it is:



Richard

 

[Tinytim]

..keep it coming

 

[stirtloe]

Before getting to Chimay we went to Parfondeval listed in the top 100 French villages with its fortified Church.

 

[stirtloe]

We stayed the night in a Chambres D'Hotes outside Chimay, great place though remote, happy to provide the details.

As many have said Northern France has some fantastic roads for biking.

 

[stirtloe]

I'll post on here and try to make the links to the MRA routes/ and or tracklogs work but this is the Stirtloe Vienna June 2024 polar steps link

 

[stirtloe]

Day 3, it rained, so the beauty of the Belgian and Luxembourg landscape was not in evidence which was a shame as the roads are, again, fantastic. Stopped for a hot chocolate at La Folie Douce in Vresse sur Semois.

We were meant to camp in Trier but being nesh I made an executive decision and booked us into the Landgasthof zum Wiesengrund which is just outside Trier.

Great place, not if you are looking for a base to walk into Trier, but fine food and loads of parking.

 

[stirtloe]

Day 4 Trier to the Black forest

The sun shone, the country roads from Trier round Saarbrucken are similar to those in Northern France rolling largely empty and wide open landscapes.

Minor irritation and, I acknowledge, a first world problem; being a Monday a lot of cafes were closed.

The 500 heading South from Baden Baden is OK lots of warning signs to bikers but, as others have posted, the side roads, though less wide, are fun..

We stayed in the Biker Hotel in Schützen, which I can recommend.

 

[stirtloe]

Next day Schützen to Feldkirch and night train to Vienna.

The sun shone. Highlights = Black Forest + Rheinfall + the 16 from Switzerland into Liechtenstein.

With hindsight I should have paid more attention to route planning as, not wanting to buy 2 x Vignettes for just one day's use, we went through busy towns in +30 degree heat. As a result I can attest to the ability of the DDX to blast out hot air towards the inner thighs at a time when it is least wanted/required.

Some respite from the heat at an Ice cream stop in Switzerland.

Then to the train at Feldkirch for overnight to Vienna. It any want more details on the train I'm happy to supply. But, in brief; we had a sleeping cabin for 2 with shower. The loading process involves riding/duck walking the bike to the desired place. However, due to the low height of the upper deck you need to crouch over the tank and will unless careful bang your head/helmet on the metal ceiling. Dismounting (and mounting at the other end) requires a degree of flexibility.
Train departed on time (2230), and arrived in Vienna 0700ish the next day. Those using this service don't disembark at the main station in Vienna (HBf) but the next one which has an unloading bay. All of this is explained on board the train in English, and German not surprisingly.

We are Air BnBing in Vienna for a few days before heading back.

If anyone can advise on the correct way to embed MRA html in a post show to display the route, as opposed to the code, I would be most grateful.

 

[stirtloe]

Day 2 to Chimay

To Chimay stopping at the Canadian Memorial and Thiepval,

Lunch at Le Tommy's

 

[Redboots]

Some respite from the heat at an Ice cream stop in Switzerland.

Photo's with beer. Always good

 

[stirtloe]

Day 3, it rained, so the beauty of the Belgian and Luxembourg landscape was not in evidence which was a shame as the roads are, again, fantastic. Stopped for a hot chocolate at La Folie Douce in Vresse sur Semois.

We were meant to camp in Trier but being nesh I made an executive decision and booked us into the Landgasthof zum Wiesengrund which is just outside Trier.

Great place, not if you are looking for a base to walk into Trier, but fine food and loads of parking.

 

[stirtloe]

Day 4 Trier to the Black forest

The sun shone, the country roads from Trier round Saarbrucken are similar to those in Northern France rolling largely empty and wide open landscapes.

Minor irritation and, I acknowledge, a first world problem; being a Monday a lot of cafes were closed.

The 500 heading South from Baden Baden is OK lots of warning signs to bikers but, as others have posted, the side roads, though less wide, are fun..

We stayed in the Biker Hotel in Schützen, which I can recommend.

 

[stirtloe]

Next day Schützen to Feldkirch and night train to Vienna.

The sun shone. Highlights = Black Forest + Rheinfall + the 16 from Switzerland into Liechtenstein.

With hindsight I should have paid more attention to route planning as, not wanting to buy 2 x Vignettes for just one day's use, we went through busy towns in +30 degree heat. As a result I can attest to the ability of the DDX to blast out hot air towards the inner thighs at a time when it is least wanted/required.

Some respite from the heat at an Ice cream stop in Switzerland.

Then to the train at Feldkirch for overnight to Vienna. It any want more details on the train I'm happy to supply. But, in brief; we had a sleeping cabin for 2 with shower. The loading process involves riding/duck walking the bike to the desired place. However, due to the low height of the upper deck you need to crouch over the tank and will unless careful bang your head/helmet on the metal ceiling. Dismounting (and mounting at the other end) requires a degree of flexibility.
Train departed on time (2230), and arrived in Vienna 0700ish the next day. Those using this service don't disembark at the main station in Vienna (HBf) but the next one which has an unloading bay. All of this is explained on board the train in English, and German not surprisingly.

We are Air BnBing in Vienna for a few days before heading back.

If anyone can advise on the correct way to embed MRA html in a post show to display the route, as opposed to the code, I would be most grateful.

 

[stirtloe]

After a few days in Vienna we set off for Bled as in the route below



The road through the mountains was gravel though easily negotiable. Stunning scenery
Culminating with a beer by a lake, what's not to like?

Not surprisingly Bled on a warm Saturday evening was full of tourists. However our Air BnB was away from the main town with an easy walk to the lakeside path. The owner of the flat let us park the bikes in his garage.

 

[stirtloe]

After Bled the route was Vrsic and Mangart passes in Slovenia and then into Italy.

The apexes of the hairpins on the Vrsic are cobbled which makes life interesting. The route up to Mangart is stunning. There is a toll booth (E10) however as I had no cash - only cards, and they had no card reader; they let us through for free.

r.



Into Italy on the route from the ACT recommendation. At Pontebba there was a Vespa reunion underway not the bikes you would expect to see in the mountains. The road was washed away in places but passable.


We stayed the night in the Albergo Miramonti in Arte Terme - big thumbs up from me- reasonable price friendly family run hotel with loads of parking.

 

[Arsey]

Head back via Fuschl am See if you get the chance . Stunning

 

[stirtloe]

Arte Terme - Merano


Due to road closures the route travelled differed slightly to the route planned.




The drone video and Go pro are/will be on my polar steps log

We stayed in Merano for a couple of nights days at this small understated place Schloss Castel Pienzenau

Merano is in part of the German speaking region of Italy

 

[stirtloe]

Head back via Fuschl am See if you get the chance . Stunning

Back now but thank you for the tip - next time.....

 

[stirtloe]

Merano - Neukirch

This route included Timmelsjoch and the Silvretta Hochalpenstraße. Weather not great but still good enough to appreciate the scenery though it didn't lend itself to stunning photography as shown below.

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After the Silvretta the heavens opened but the night stop at the Gasthof zum Hirsch easily made up for it. Another wonderful family run hotel complete with character dog (Louis). The food was fantastic we went for the 4 course Chef's Choice Menu which did not disappoint.

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