Alps and Dolomites - Italy Motorcycle Tour (Guided)

Three countries and most of the Alps, guided throughout. Fifteen days from Treviglio, fourteen nights and around 1,430 miles, with a tour leader, welcome and farewell dinners and a free day in Milan. Experienced riders are recommended, and the passes explain why.

The Italian week comes first, and the climbing starts almost at once. Lake Iseo and Lake Garda lead to Trento, then the Rolle, Forcella Aurine and Giau passes to Cortina d’Ampezzo, then the Misurina Lake, the Tre Cime di Lavaredo and the Sella Group passes through the UNESCO Dolomites. Val Venosta follows, with the bell tower of a drowned village standing out of Lake Resia, then the Forcola di Livigno, the Bernina Pass and the Maloja Pass across Switzerland to Lake Como.

France fills the second week. The Piccolo San Bernardo, the Col de l’Iseran at over 9,000 feet, the Col du Telegraphe and the Col du Galibier come one after another, then Provence and the Gorges du Verdon, Europe’s deepest canyon. The Route des Cretes and the Route Napoleon lead to Grasse, before the route returns into Italy and the Langhe wine hills.

EAGLERIDER provides the motorcycle, the tour leader, all fourteen nights and the group dinners. Fuel, most meals and insurance are separate, and prices are quoted in US dollars. Every stage here is shorter than on the self-guided version, 1,430 miles against 1,971, because the days are built around the passes rather than the distance. For a guided Alpine fortnight, there is nothing better anywhere in the range.