Lakes and Mountains: Italy
The Stelvio and the Passo Gavia get ridden back to back, then 167 steps climb to a view over Lake Garda that makes the whole morning worthwhile – twelve nights through the Alps and Italy’s great lakes.
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Lakes and Mountains: Italy
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12 nights through Italy
Twelve nights through the Italian lakes and Alps at an easier pace, with two nights each on Garda, Como and Maggiore and the Stelvio in between. Own bike through the tunnel or a hired BMW.
The outward run crosses to the Ardennes and a converted fifteenth-century chateau fort at Sedan, then Obernai through the Vosges, and the Black Forest after that. Switzerland follows, with the motorway round Zurich to get it over with and then a full Alpine day, optionally extended over the Furka and the Grimsel, to a night near St Moritz.
The Gavia and the Stelvio come next, and the Stelvio is the set piece of the whole tour: forty-eight numbered hairpins on the northern side, laid out in the 1820s and barely altered since, climbing to 2,757 metres. Lake Garda follows for two nights, with the option of the 167 steps up the Torre Apponale at Riva.
The Passo San Marco leads to Como, then slow lakeside riding along the Como and Maggiore shores, through villages and under cliffs with gelato stops, to two nights on Maggiore and the Borromean islands. The Simplon follows, an old smugglers’ route above 2,000 metres, then Lausanne, the Jura mountains, the walled Burgundy town of Beaune, and a final night on the banks of the Meuse. Hotels, breakfasts, three dinners, the crossing, maps and GPS routes are included, with fuel and other meals separate. The price is quoted per person. Twelve nights for this much Alpine riding is generous, and the lakeside days between the passes are what make it a tour rather than an endurance test.
Lakes and Mountains: Italy (2 of 5)
Lakes and Mountains: Italy (3 of 5)
Lakes and Mountains: Italy (4 of 5)
Lakes and Mountains: Italy (5 of 5)
Images selected by Stradora to represent the journey.
What's included
- Pre-tour pack (tour information
- Michelin maps
- route notes
- GPS routes in Garmin/BMW format)
- electronic copy of the World of BMW Touring Essentials Book
- all accommodation in 3-4 star hotels
- all breakfasts
- welcome and farewell dinners plus one dinner each at Lake Garda and Lake Como (excluding beverages)
- tour leader throughout
- LeShuttle return crossing
- commemorative polo shirt
- expert advice and support
- fully bonded tour operator protection.
Not included
- Fuel
- lunches
- dinners other than those listed
- travel insurance
- Swiss motorway vignette (required for suggested routes)
- anything not listed as included.
Ready to drive it?
12 days, from £3,295pp