Northern Italy?

Just started planning a 10 day bike trip to Northern Italy.

Tentative plans are to take the bikes down on train from Dusseldorf to Bozen. More than likely we will ride back up after touring Italy.

We're after Mountains and passes.

Any suggestions. I know the French Alps quite well but have never riden in Italy for any length of time on the bike.

Also is it worth venturing into Slovenia/Croatia for a day or two?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Kev

If you get off the train in Bolzano and don't ride the passes in the Dolomites then you miss some amazing places and roads. Ride the Sella ring and marvel at so much beauty in so little space. Ride Valporola, with its moonscape summit. Ride lots of them - join the German motorcyclist in the resonably priced off-season ski hotels. Just remember that the cyclists can carry lots of speed through the hairpins downhill, and have paid buckets of sweat for that descent, so don't balk them by passing late on the straight then leaping on the brakes.

Straying further afield, the Italian lakes (Garda et al) are rather lovely and it's not too far into the alps from them - Stelvio is supposed to be great, but was closed by snow half way up the time I tried it one May.

The Grossglockner Hochalpenpass ('scuse my spelling) can be made a spectacular part of a route back, but the cobbled hairpins get a bit nerve wracking if the clouds and snow come down while you're at the top. The approach from the south of sweepers through alipine meadows in the sunshine was worth the toll by itself, and the high hairpins and side trip to the glacier didn't dissapoint either.

I don't know if they're the best bits, or if they link together sensibly; just some great memories from a weekend trip to Trieste and other wanderings around there.

Garda

Just back from Lake Garda and Riva del Garda and Pieve del Ledro. 180 km from milan. Incredible roads full of twists and turns with great views. Very cheap to eat out there and full of GSers. I was driving a rental car.... Mazda RX8 full power version. Nearly as good as the GS

To continue from Luke Scott. I would suggest a visit to Slovenia. It is a bit like Ireland with bigger mountains and better weather. The thermal spa's there are also a refreshing way to wind down after a ride.
The western side of Croatia is flat and not very inspiring, but if you had time to go down the coast a bit there is something to see. The beer is cheap in Slovenia and Croatia about 1 euro a bottle for local stuff which is very good.

Thanks for your replies chaps, I'm printing them off for my luddite biking mate who's going with me.

Any more suggestions?

Slovenia: well worth a visit. Triglav Nat. Park in the NW corner (that dark green bit near the Austro-Italian border on your map) is where I went. Has the Julian Alps. We stayed in a 4* hotel for about £35 a night for a double (in 2001 so may be a bit more now). The area around Lake Bled is nice but may be overrun by Saga coaches by now.

Italy: Lake Garda is lovely as Luke says. I stayed in Torbole (next to Riva) for 5 nights. Nice place to chill. Plenty to do, especially if you like water sports. Lots of very nice roads nearby. Superb food which seemed very good value.

Why take the train? Approach from Strasbourg, Konstanz on the way there. Return via Bavaria, Black Forest, Eiffel Mountains. Make the journey there & back part of the tour. 2 overnight stops in each direction. Gives you 6 nights in Italy which I would spend in a single location from where I could make circular tours and take a day or 2 off the bikes. Just my 2p.

you'll 'probably' need a bigger map than that.

Try enlarging it in Irfanview.

also - take about 3 pairs of clean underpants for a trip of this magnitude - you can't be too careful.

I think they all speak funny so you'll have to SPEAK LOUDLY AND SLOWLY so they understand.

Don't eat their pizza - they're a bit too flat and they obviously haven't got the hang of them yet.
Seek out a trusty Pizza hut for the real deal.

more useful info to follow..........

motomartin said:

Try enlarging it in Irfanview.

......

Click to expand...

Sorted:-

Or this

Stick a pin in the map and ride to it - lovely area.