Texpaul
Lost again
IÔÇÖm looking for some advice/feedback on some questions regarding a planned (self guided) motorcycle tour in Europe in September. IÔÇÖve posted here before and got some great advice that helped me get the plan going, now I have some specific questions.
First off let me briefly summarize the plan as it currently stands so you might better understand why IÔÇÖm asking these questions.
Depart US after labor day and fly to Munich. Pickup two rental BMWÔÇÖs (exact source undecided) for 10 to 14 days. Head south into the Alps and/or northern Italy and select one place from which to base day trips. May not spend the entire time in one place so moving, once or twice, is OK, just not everyday.
Return the bikes to Munich and take in a couple days of Oktoberfest. Then take a train to Rome, Florence and maybe Milan to spend a few days each exploring these great cities. I have no desire to ride a bike in a major Italian city and canÔÇÖt afford to let a rental bike sit idle for several days while we explore, thus the split venue.
So hereÔÇÖs my questions;
So as not to lug riding gear around Europe after the MC portion I was thinking of shipping our gear over and back via UPS, FEDEX or some other company, probably shipping to the rental agency or perhaps the hotel we stay at upon arrival in Munich. Anybody done this? Pros, cons, tricks?
How crowded are the Alps and Dolomites in the first 3 weeks of September?
Generally speaking what kind of weather can we expect in that period? I know this is subject to change but I am looking for something to base gear selection on, especially temp wise (will I need my electric jacket liner?).
I found a website, WWW.MOBIKEHOTEL.COM. It appears to have some nice places listed and I was thinking, since they are geared to riders, maybe these would make a nice base hotel for Alps/Dolomites loops. Does anyone have experience with these folks? Or, other suggestions?
Assuming we base in Tyrol region of Austria or Dolomites region of north Italy, is it reasonable to be able to make a loop into the Tuscany region in 2-3 days? Ditto for the Lake Como region? IÔÇÖm trying to determine if we want to expand the riding area (within the 10-14 days) or if this would be overextending ourselves.
Thanks in advance for all your great advice.
First off let me briefly summarize the plan as it currently stands so you might better understand why IÔÇÖm asking these questions.
Depart US after labor day and fly to Munich. Pickup two rental BMWÔÇÖs (exact source undecided) for 10 to 14 days. Head south into the Alps and/or northern Italy and select one place from which to base day trips. May not spend the entire time in one place so moving, once or twice, is OK, just not everyday.
Return the bikes to Munich and take in a couple days of Oktoberfest. Then take a train to Rome, Florence and maybe Milan to spend a few days each exploring these great cities. I have no desire to ride a bike in a major Italian city and canÔÇÖt afford to let a rental bike sit idle for several days while we explore, thus the split venue.
So hereÔÇÖs my questions;
So as not to lug riding gear around Europe after the MC portion I was thinking of shipping our gear over and back via UPS, FEDEX or some other company, probably shipping to the rental agency or perhaps the hotel we stay at upon arrival in Munich. Anybody done this? Pros, cons, tricks?
How crowded are the Alps and Dolomites in the first 3 weeks of September?
Generally speaking what kind of weather can we expect in that period? I know this is subject to change but I am looking for something to base gear selection on, especially temp wise (will I need my electric jacket liner?).
I found a website, WWW.MOBIKEHOTEL.COM. It appears to have some nice places listed and I was thinking, since they are geared to riders, maybe these would make a nice base hotel for Alps/Dolomites loops. Does anyone have experience with these folks? Or, other suggestions?
Assuming we base in Tyrol region of Austria or Dolomites region of north Italy, is it reasonable to be able to make a loop into the Tuscany region in 2-3 days? Ditto for the Lake Como region? IÔÇÖm trying to determine if we want to expand the riding area (within the 10-14 days) or if this would be overextending ourselves.
Thanks in advance for all your great advice.