Lots of lovely roads in the Black Forest, but the famous B500 is a bit busy and rather well policed - look at the map for alternatives. In Landeck may I recommend the Akzent Hotel Jagerhof (in Zams)? It is very well-appointed and the owner will let you park your bike in a locked garage with his own motorbikes. Good food too. I agree about the Fluela Pass - superb ride. The Umbrail Pass is even more gorgeous, if a bit gravelly in places. The Stelvio is something you do just to say you've done it, but it's not really so much fun as a ride being choked with motorhomes and pushbikes.
Perfectly feasible, reasonable first day's ride provided you get on with it and don't pfaff about. Mainly motorway but with enough other roads to keep you awake. From Luxembourg to Karlsruhe I would suggest going via Pirmasens instead of via Trier.
You would really have to press on, start early, and end late to get from Karlsruhe to Misano by the route suggested in two days. Some of those two-lane roads are twisty and have a lot of traffic and villages - rapid progress is just not feasible. Plus it might be raining! For example the road north of Lake Konstanz (via Friedrichshafen to Bregenz) is busy and there is no autobahn. The Garda lakeside roads (both sides) are likewise slow and busy. I would suggest either allow three days for this section, or pick some faster roads.
Rejigged a few things based on the feedback and managed to change our euroshuttle booking to the 25th evening from 26th morning. Doing a bit more motorway to get down a bit quicker but kept the best bits I hope. Any thing I've missed please let me know, hoping this version should be right though! You guys have helped a lot so any more suggestions are appreciated! Day 1:Google Maps Day 2:Google Maps Day 3:Google Maps Day 4: (to where our villa is) Google Maps
This plan looks perfectly realistic to me. The daily runs are quite feasible and not too ambitious, even allowing for some slow and twisty roads and high passes. Bon voyage!
Yes looks more like it. The only day you might struggle a bit is day 3 but up early and not too may stops and you should be OK.
Cheers guys, got the option on day 3 to skip lake garda and not quite make it to Verona if we're struggling too. I haven't booked any accommodation as I don't like the idea of being on a tight schedule, have you had any trouble in the past finding a B+B or similar along routes? And any recommendations along my route that might be able to look after the bikes/ us particularly well?
Upload the booking.com app to your phone and when you decide where you want to stay just use it to book somewhere. Used it very successfully in France this year booking places early afternoon for that evening. Worth doing an online login on the app so any booking is saved on your phone.
In the Alpine parts of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Italy as you ride along main roads you will often see signs hanging out for Zimmer/Camere/B&B; the sign often includes a picture of a motorbike indicating bikes welcome. I never* had trouble finding somewhere, but these days a SatNav or a phone can help point you in the right direction if nothing turns up. * Except that on the odd occasion there was some special event locally causing all hotels to be booked up - so I rode along to the next town. Simple.
Thanks, that's reassuring from someone with experience! Hoped that'd be the case but just had a moment of doubt
Here's another tip if you're stuck for a place to stay. In a town with a railway station, go to the station (they are always signposted) and within 200 metres there will most likely be a cheap hotel where they won't expect anybody to have booked.
