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Euro Ride - Barcelona-Prague-Barcelona next fall.. ideas/experiences/routes?

Don, except maybe in far northern Sweden and Norway, there is nothing in Europe like the open spaces out to Cape Breton. If you are not on the Autobahn/Autoroute/Autostrada, you will have to slow to 30mph or lower every 2-5km as you string one village to the next. If you are on the Authobahn, then it will be like riding an Interstate.
 
If you are on the Authobahn, then it will be like riding an Interstate.

And despite the speeds on them, my average speed is about 105 kph (~65 mph). You can be doing 120 mph and all that is lost to being slowed down by traffic and construction.
 
.........................Just as a FWIW - one of the other riders and I did a tour last fall from NJ to Cape Breton Island. Ended up being about 3,200 miles, we did it in 2 weeks, with a few days where we did little riding and a lot of sightseeing. That trip was about 3,300 miles round trip, and about 2/3rds of it was on secondary and back roads. ......................


To reiterate what has been said, unless you spend most of your time in the valleys on the slab, this type mileage is next to impossible. If you want to do some sightseeing 250 km/day average is all I would plan, you can always adjust dependent on weather, if you are planning day to day. My highest daily average over 15 days was about 275km/day, and it was my 7th trip and I ride very spirited, start early and ride late.

What makes the Alps unique is the roads run UP the mountains, and you look at the valleys. In the US, the roads run in the valleys and you look up at the mountains, with the exception of the BRP. Even in the Rocky's the roads take the path of least resistance, and most of your time is spent low, looking up. If you plan on lots of miles and force yourself into the Valleys to make time, you will miss what it is all about, the culture, and the beauty, that is the Alps. Hairpin after hairpin and bagging as many passes as one can is not most peoples goal, The goal is getting to a beautiful place and the roads and turns are the bonus, for us corner nuts. And if you say your best trips have been to the Smokey's, you obviously like corners.

Either way you will have a blast, most everyone I know lust to go back, it is unlike any other riding in the world.
 
If you want to do some sightseeing 250 km/day average is all I would plan.

That sounds about right when taking some non-riding days into account.

2008 was an 8000 km year with exactly 4 weeks of riding less some non-riding days when I had to take care of personal matters. Except for about 1400 kms of autobahn, the rest was all back roads. So about 6600 km/21 days = 314 km/day.

Remembering some tough days, 420 kms doing 11 passes in the Dolomites was extremely tiring. I didn't even want to see the last two passes before getting back to my home base near Sillian. At that point, all I wanted to see was flat prairie road, pizza and beer. 650 km on back and pass roads in a day was a downright killer and I never do those returning to a home base, only if I am going from A to B.

Don will figure out his comfort level in the first few days.
 
I see that the theme is old and has not been updated for a long time.. It was just interesting, maybe someone is going to also in such a trip in Europe. I'd be willing to join you. I can even help with a motorcycle, as engaged in renting motorcycles.
 
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