Italian Trip 2015 - Planning Begins

Did a trip down to Misano and back last year but returned over 4 days so did a lot of motorway miles.

The alpine passes are nice but progress will be very slow and to be fair once you have seen one most of them are very similar. Choose one or two IMHO.
We stopped in a place called Lezzeno by Lake Como on the way back. Lovely spot and the hotel owner has a Moto Guzzi so loves bikes.

The Black Forest is epic bike riding country.

Belgium is very pretty but the roads are not great biking rides as far as i could see.

 

Just a Thought.....
The journey down and back offers all sorts of possibilities over the alps and dolomites and you will certainly get loads of good advice for that from the members, but......
If you can spend more than two days touring Tuscany even if time is limited. There is so much to see and do, scenically and culturally that it would be a great shame IMHO to go all that way for two days.
Just a thought....

 

there are a lot of good roads in Toscany. You can start from Bologna (but only after you have visit the Ducati museum Ducati History and you riding to Raticosa pass Florence direction, than you can riding to Giogo pass and to reach the bike temple..... Mugello circuit, after that you can visit Florence.
Many routes existed in Toscany, but you need several days to ride them.
An other fantastic pass is the Stelvio pass on Dolomiti (Bolzan).
A nice lake is Garda lake, Lazise is a beautiful place, there is a small thermal lake with a natural warm water called "Villa dei Cedri", to do the bath in that lake is very nice.
Have a good italian holiday

 

I would probably look to head back via Merano, then North in to Austria via Timmelsjoch. A better pass IMO than Stelvio (better corners, less tight hairpins). Then a quickish run West including the Silvrettaa Strasse (often overlooked).
Then through Switzerland to the Rhine falls, should set you up just nice to head North in to the Black Forest and the B500...
Think you need more time
As mentioned in previous post though, progress from a distance covered perspective not great on the passes.

 

PM Spareparts on here and ask him as we went in the opposite direction last year. Down some great mountain passes to Livorno and then to Holland on the train. But he will know the names, I just followed.

 

Route Napoleon ok but nowhere near a match for Italian Lakes. Did the N85 in 2008, Como/Lakes last year.
The Giau pass in the Dolomites probably one of the most stunning for scenery but maybe too far east..
I liked the south side of Stelvio from Bormio, but no lover of the hairpins near the top on the North side. Take oxygen..
If you do go for that, then consider Nauders to Davos in your route as a follow on. Make sure to go on the Fluela pass though, enroute, if the weather is good. It is superb, edit outstanding...especially with the front wheel skipping over the ripples when cranked over at speed.

 

Did the Stelvio south side and the Fluella last year. In the pouring rain. It was ... challenging.

 

I much prefer the flowing Fluelapass which climbs up out of Davos to the hairpinny cyclist and RV infested Stelvio.

Route Napoleon is awesome - probably my favourite road anywhere.

I've also done the Muraglione pass a couple of times (there's a hotel/cafe at the top where you can stop for a cappuccino), the first time round making a loop (turning round in Fiesole) to go back up the Futapass to Bologna.

Still lots more I want to explore - not yet made it to the Dolomites or Lake Garda, and not stopped properly in Tuscany. Definitely starting to get itchy wheels again. (I was speaking Italian in my dream last night, maybe that's a sign I need to get an Italian trip booked ....)

 

always in Tuscany there is the Consuma pass, I advice it to you.