Roman Holiday Self-Guided Tour

Twelve days of Italy starting and finishing in Rome, which makes the flights simple. Eleven nights, around 1,265 miles, running north into Tuscany, east across Umbria, and south to Matera and the Amalfi Coast. Advanced riding experience is recommended.

Tuscany comes first, and it gets the opening three days. Lake Bolsena and Montalcino lead to Siena, then a short ride through the Chianti wine region to Florence, with a winery stop on the way and a free day in the city, which is about the minimum Florence deserves.

Then the route heads for the quieter half of the country. Gubbio and the Umbrian hills come first, then Assisi and the Basilica of San Francesco on the way to the Adriatic at Pescara. Peschici on the Gargano promontory follows, then the olive groves of Puglia to Matera, where the Sassi cave dwellings are carved into the side of a ravine and were still lived in within living memory. The Sorrento Peninsula closes the trip with a free day for the Amalfi Coast, Capri or Pompeii.

EAGLERIDER supplies the motorcycle and books all eleven nights, with route notes for each day. Fuel, meals and insurance are arranged separately, and prices are quoted in US dollars. Riding days run from 75 to 205 miles with two free days built in. For riders who want central and southern Italy without the long run up to the Alps, and who would rather fly home from the same airport they arrived at, this is the route to look at.