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Anyone Been on European Tours?

European Tours

Check out Ayres Adventures for their european tours. I've been on a couple of their south american trips and they do a great job.

Been on 4 trips to europe with Edelweiss they do a good job,but I'd go with Ayres.
 
Good Stuff

Not with Edelweiss, but been with Beach 5 times. Did it alone once when I was paying my entire family (5 bikes and 6 people), the kids owe us big time now :

:drink

This is my dream!

Do yourself and your wife a favor, go a week or two early, spend time in Europe doing what she wants to do, then hop the train from Paris or wherever, put her on a Plane home and then have fun riding.

Truer words were never spoke!

The best roads are not near shopping centers and even a city like Interlaken is small by US standards. Remember too the support van is taking a pretty direct route to the next stop and not getting the same experience at all.


Unless she has a buddy on the van or is very independent, she'll be waiting for you and you'll end up feeling like you need to hurry (bad karma).

Beach does not require group riding at all, you can follow a guide if you like, or hook up with like minded/skilled riders which is usually the case, but YOUR option, not theirs. The only rule is to call if you are going to be late to dinner @ 7:00 or 7:30, just so they know you are safe.



Yes it is cheaper to do it yourself, but as mentioned by others, there is a LOT of advantages to having support, maps and suggested routes, with points of interest outlined, rooms and luggage waiting, transfers to and from the airport, and 20-30 new friends when you leave. I too have met several locals, and even been invited for coffee at their home, which I and a few others did the next morning.
Even if you are a great navigator, things are different in Europe, you don’t take route numbers, unless you are driving the Autobahn. Rather you navigate city to city, or pass to pass, just remember the town you want might not even be listed on the sign, rather the next major city on that road may be the one listed, and that could be 100 kM further up the road. Organized tours can offer “Value” to the experience, and prevent a lot of anxiety, which is priceless IMHO.


Bottom line though is DO IT, you will have the time of your life, just think it out, so the wife does too.[/QUOTE]

Ok, this guy has 5 posts, and after reading this one, I'm going to back track and read his others. A wise man for sure. You're personality dictates what you should do. For you it's where do you measure on the pioneer experience meter. For her, it's what can she do when he's not here.
 
What the?????

What a laugh........ I am starting my reply to PFFogg, that's Phineas Ffogg, right??? and I'm also on the line with Dell customer service........I'm in Switzerland and the first person I'm talking with is in the Philippines and then I get transferred to India, and then an hour later I finish my reply and see that an entire cyber tennis match has been played between Alex and Mr. Fogg. Alas, the power of the internet. Main thing is to keep your wife happy and then work in the riding. You don't need a group to have fun. I've ridden 40k km in the last two years with zero guide help. No tickets, no hospitals, no court appearances. I like the surprise of coming around a corner and seeing a castle as opposed to having someone at breakfast tell me......OK, we're all going to stop at the castle on the other side of the bridge to use the toilet and take pictures.......well, I"ve never been at one of those rider meetings but I suppose it could happen.
 
Going it on your own...

i have not been on a tour, but am attracted to the edelweiss touring center concept, where you stay in a central location and ride loops out and back each day.

are you aware of our global touring section?

another really good option in my opinion is the bike rental/go your own way plan.

ian


Ian, I am researching to ride later this summer and I plan to do it without a professional guide. I will have a friend who lives in Zurich ride with us a bit. However, who do you use to rent bikes from when you are in Europe??

Thanks!

Tommy
 
Ian, I am researching to ride later this summer and I plan to do it without a professional guide. I will have a friend who lives in Zurich ride with us a bit. However, who do you use to rent bikes from when you are in Europe??

Thanks!

Tommy

Here's the guys my buddy rented from in 06.

http://www.moto-mader.ch/frameset_main.htm

He got a n 06 R1150R with 12 km on it. Returned it 10 days later with 5,270km on it. I've been to the shop about 5 times to buy gear. They have English speaking folks around, I give it two thumbs up. It's about 15 miles west of Zurich.
 
Ok, this guy has 5 posts, and after reading this one, I'm going to back track and read his others. A wise man for sure. .................

A lot of people say this, but I think I am just analytical, and "practical anal-retentive".

That is what you get when you are an Engineer with Psychology as a minor.


I am starting my reply to PFFogg, that's Phineas Ffogg, right??? [/B]

No, it comes from one of my son's friends that spent the day chasing me (actually just trying to keep me in sight) around back roads of Pennsylvania, on his CBR1000RR.

End of the day he says to me, you know you're Pretty Fast For an Old Guy , thus the screen name was born.
 
A lot of people say this, but I think I am just analytical, and "practical anal-retentive".

That is what you get when you are an Engineer with Psychology as a minor.

No, it comes from one of my son's friends that spent the day chasing me (actually just trying to keep me in sight) around back roads of Pennsylvania, on his CBR1000RR.

End of the day he says to me, you know you're Pretty Fast For an Old Guy , thus the screen name was born.


no ****??!!! According to my on-line IQ test, I'm a visionary philosopher........ love the name, grew up in Lancaster and know how nice those back roads are."
 
Spoken from a guy in Switzerland??????


Just goes to prove memories are always better than reality:laugh

Back then I was riding an enduro bike and smoking "that which shall not be named".........

Nothing beats Swiss roads for texture. I will say that CA roads beat Swiss roads on engineering, i.e. camber and what do you scientist guys call that........uh, when momentum and inertia come in conflict????? yeah, the land of cows doesn't come close to west coast road layouts. West coast road layouts that combine Swiss road texture are found at Sears Point, or what is it now.... Infiniteum ad nauseum and Laguna Seca which also has some 'ho' name now also, but, that said, yes, this country is a race track.

Now, the real question is........yes, I read your 6 posts and they're all from this week...........hmmmmm..........
 
The group I'm organizing to take the Ultimate Alps tour with Edelweiss in June 2008 is starting to book airfare.

Our trip is June 19-29, 2008

We could use one Male rider to even out room assignments.

Anyone interested, please PM me.

thanks,
Jason
 
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