Has anyone made a trip to Tuscany at all? I am looking for the best route/stopover points , missing out the motorways and autoroutes/strada where possible but need to get there in 3 travelling days. My guess would be to try to break the back of the trip on day 1 and then take it a bit easier on the last 2 days. Anyone with any experience of this ?
many thanks
Simon
Route to Tuscany
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simonwheeler
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Re: Route to Tuscany
Yeah, I rode there once. Bike started to miss from all the dampness around about the Azores, but made it eventually. Beach landing at Brindisi was a piece of cake, but then, I'm a Marine. Three days? Yeah, once you're across the Atlantic, no problem. YMMV. Wouldn't take the northern route this time of year. Hope this helps.simonwheeler wrote:Has anyone made a trip to Tuscany at all? I am looking for the best route/stopover points , missing out the motorways and autoroutes/strada where possible but need to get there in 3 travelling days. My guess would be to try to break the back of the trip on day 1 and then take it a bit easier on the last 2 days. Anyone with any experience of this ?
many thanks
Simon
Re: Route to Tuscany
Hi Simon
It might help if you made public from where you intend to start....
Cheers
qgaex
+wholivesadaysridefromtuscany+
It might help if you made public from where you intend to start....
Cheers
qgaex
+wholivesadaysridefromtuscany+
Re: Route to Tuscany
OK
Assuming that you don't have very far to go to Dover you might want to spend most of day 1 on motorways just to keep the chance of some good riding for the other two days.
So you could use day one to ride as far as the north of Switzerland or the extreme southwest of Germany. That would mean following the French Autoroute to Arras, Reims, Metz, Strasbourg and then the German A5 to the Swiss border.
That would leave you one day to cross the Alps. And one for northern Italy.
The Alps day of course depends on the weather.
If it rains you just keep to the Gotthard route (A2) and go for the Milano direction.
If it is fine you try to collect as many passes as possible. E.g. go via Chur and the Spluga. Most marvelous hairpins. And dark tunnels....
In any case try to head for Como. There is any amount of nice hotels in and around that town. But avoid going south along the east shore of lake Como. That is a horrible road. Decide for the west shore or go through the mountains on the East if you still have enough daylight left.
Th northern Italy day leaves you with any amount of options.
Assuming you are heading to somewhere like Firenze I propose to take a fast road until you are well past the Milano region and then maybe cut into the Appennino mountains e.g. before Parma. Then go lengthwise through these mountains until you get dizzy or reach your goal. Rinse and repeat.
Have lots of fun
qgaex
+snowedinforthefifthtimethiswinterandstartingtohateit+
Assuming that you don't have very far to go to Dover you might want to spend most of day 1 on motorways just to keep the chance of some good riding for the other two days.
So you could use day one to ride as far as the north of Switzerland or the extreme southwest of Germany. That would mean following the French Autoroute to Arras, Reims, Metz, Strasbourg and then the German A5 to the Swiss border.
That would leave you one day to cross the Alps. And one for northern Italy.
The Alps day of course depends on the weather.
If it rains you just keep to the Gotthard route (A2) and go for the Milano direction.
If it is fine you try to collect as many passes as possible. E.g. go via Chur and the Spluga. Most marvelous hairpins. And dark tunnels....
In any case try to head for Como. There is any amount of nice hotels in and around that town. But avoid going south along the east shore of lake Como. That is a horrible road. Decide for the west shore or go through the mountains on the East if you still have enough daylight left.
Th northern Italy day leaves you with any amount of options.
Assuming you are heading to somewhere like Firenze I propose to take a fast road until you are well past the Milano region and then maybe cut into the Appennino mountains e.g. before Parma. Then go lengthwise through these mountains until you get dizzy or reach your goal. Rinse and repeat.
Have lots of fun
qgaex
+snowedinforthefifthtimethiswinterandstartingtohateit+
Re: Route to Tuscany
Copy all that has been said.
IMHO It is often difficult to "put a string of secondary roads together" and travel a long distance.
By that I mean the road signs are usually from one village to the next.
Case in point, Switzerland is wonderful but slow with speed cameras near many villages. On the autoroute you can be through the country in less than two hours.(joke)
My advice enjoy getting lost and when you need to get somewhere quick pay the Euros and jump on the autostrada/autobahn/autoroute.
ooooopppps Showing my age.. forget what I said get a Zumo and no worries.
Enjoy
B
IMHO It is often difficult to "put a string of secondary roads together" and travel a long distance.
By that I mean the road signs are usually from one village to the next.
Case in point, Switzerland is wonderful but slow with speed cameras near many villages. On the autoroute you can be through the country in less than two hours.(joke)
My advice enjoy getting lost and when you need to get somewhere quick pay the Euros and jump on the autostrada/autobahn/autoroute.
ooooopppps Showing my age.. forget what I said get a Zumo and no worries.
Enjoy
B
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simonwheeler
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- Joined: Mon Feb 09, 2009 9:03 am
- Location: West Berkshire, UK
Re: Route to Tuscany
gents, much appreciated. thanks