10 days

Duration

2000 miles

Miles

Yes

Pillions?

Riders

MINI ALPINE
MOTORCYCLE TOUR

An amazing 10 days of riding through some of the finest Alpine passes in Switzerland, Italy and Austrian Alps. This is a tour full of magnificent scenery and some of the best roads in all of Europe. Come and join us for a fun filled thrilling 10 Day tour.

HOTELS

3* or above Hotels & breakfast included.

GROUP

Group size is between 12-15 riders

ESCORTED

Fully escorted tour & professional guide

DISTANCE

2,200 miles (approx) mixed roads

GPS MAPS

Daily GPX Map Files Included

EUROTUNNEL

Eurotunnel Fare included

10 day mini lakes and mountains tour of the Swiss, Italian and Austrian Alps. Including dozens of Mountains Passes!

Due to popular demand, we have listened to our customers and produced a shorter but nonetheless, thrilling, exciting, fun and a visually incredible motorcycle tour through the Alps of Switzerland, Italy and Austria. This tour is the shorter version of our Grand Alps tour

Our Mini 10 day Alps motorcycle tour covers some of the most popular and incredible famous biker alpine passes. This is a seriously scenic tour with snow peaked mountains, crystal clear lakes and impressive mountain landscapes with plenty of hairpins, long sweeping bends, switchbacks and alpine roads that will impress, no matter how many times you may have seen it!

Duration	9 nights – 10 days
Tour type	Fully Escorted Tour by a professional guide
Accommodation	Quality 2 – 4* Hotels
Mileage (miles)	Average 200 – 250 p/day (longest 360)
Total miles for the tour	Approx 2,000
Road types	Motorway, A roads, B roads, mountain passes
Pace	Ride at your own pace (we use a drop-off system!)
Suitable for pillions	Yes
Group size	Max of 14
Meals included	Breakfast

This mini version of our Alps Motorcycle Tour could possibly be every riders dream. With dozens of mountain passes you will see some of the most incredible landscapes in all of Europe, from the Stelvio Pass in northern Italy near the town of Bormio to famous biker passes such as Furka Pass, Nufenen pass, the Dolomites and more. With too many Alpine passes to list, some of which reach altitudes just below 3000 meters with magnificent views and roads that captivate all your senses, our Mini 10 day Alpine Motorcycle Tour is probably one of the most scenic and spectacular.

You will need to purchase a Vignette (Swiss Toll Sticker) at the border (don’t worry, your tour guide will be on hand to help with this) and will cost £40 for this tour
In Austria we will also need to purchase a Vignette at a cost of approximately £7

On all European tours (including Ireland) we require clients to take-out some form of Personal Travel and Accident/Breakdown cover. This is essential for repatriation of yourself and your motorcycle in the event of an accident or medical emergency. If you have an existing policy you should check that your company would repatriate you and your bike, even if undamaged, should you be unable to ride it.

The mini Alps tour is more suited to confident experienced riders due to the steep inclines and declines of the mountain passes and due to the fact that some days (transit days) are long hours in the saddle. Our aim is to be as transparent as possible when it comes to helping you choose your tour, so if you are an inexperienced rider, or have not had much experience of riding mountain passes, you may find the tour too challenging

You may want to consider for example; Our Route Napoleon Tour

The majority of the roads ridden on this tour are mountain passes, whilst most of the road surface is smooth tarmac, we may come across some sections that are in disrepair, with lose surface or potholes. This is to be expected but any experienced rider should cope without any problem. Some of the bends on the passes are tight and on a steep incline or decline, for example, Stelvio Pass. Most riders find this exciting, challenging and fun but for less experienced riders, it may be daunting if you are a nervous rider or have little experience.

As previously mentioned, this tour is suitable for more experienced and confident riders.

We use a variety of hotels and often this is dependent on the size of the group and availability, generally though, they are of good quality, clean and rated 2 – 4*, some with additional services such as spa or swimming pool

Additional information

Fun Factor	Awesome scenery and plenty of twisties

DAY 1 - Calais to Ardennes Valley

Meet and greet and head off to Ardennes in France

Distance: 170 miles approx

DAY 2 - VOSGES MOUNTAINS - ALPS

If you have never been to the Vosges Mountains you’ll be amazed at how incredibly stunning it is and being just under 400 miles from Calais, it makes a very popular destination for bikers from northern Europe.
Twists, turns, hairpins and beautiful roads lined with tall pine trees that open up to a stunning landscape view across mountain ranges are just some of the delights you’ll experience today, albeit briefly as we are heading for the Alps. We offer specific tour to the Vosges Mountains – see here. Afterwards, we head for Switzerland and our first taste of the incredibly dominating landscapes that will follow over the next few days. We finish the day riding through Grimsel Pass and finally arriving in Fiesch for the evening to spend the night in our traditional Swiss hotel with views out across the Alps.

Distance: 225 miles approx

DAY 3 - SWISS ALPS

We head for Switzerland and our first taste of the incredibly dominating landscapes that will follow over the next few days. We finish the day riding through Grimsel Pass and finally arriving in Fiesch for the evening to spend the night in our Swiss hotel with views out across the Alps.

Distance: 225 miles approx

DAY 4 - LOTS OF MOUNTAIN PASSES!

Wow, what a day we will be having today.
Susten Pass, Furka Pass, Nufenen Pass, San Bernadino Pass, Splugen Pass are just a few of the big name mountain passes we’ll be travelling through on our way to Verceia. Beautiful views and a stunning hotel are on offer at the end of our day riding some of the most beautiful landscapes in all of Switzerland.

Distance: 233 miles approx

DAY 5 - STELVIO PASS

Stelvio Pass in Italy is considered by many bikers one of the “must do roads in all of Europe” with its endless hairpin bends (46) and stunning views to be had we have to agree!

Today we make our way through some more mountain passes, Albula Pass (2315m), Bernina Pass

Passo del Bernina (also called Berninapass) is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2,328 m (7,638 ft) above the sea level, located in the Bernina Range of the Alps, in the canton of Graubünden (Grisons) in eastern Switzerland.

The road over the pass was built in 1865. It connects the resort town of St. Moritz in the Engadin valley with the Italian-speaking Val Poschiavo, which ends in the Italian town of Tirano in Valtellina. An important attraction on this mountain is the Bernina Express – the highest long-distance railway in the Alps (reaching 2,253m), and it crosses the road on the north side (twice).

We finish the day with a ride over the Stelvio Pass and on to our 3 star hotel just a few kilometres from Bormio at the base of Stelvio Pass

Distance: 174 miles

DAY 6 - REST DAY - OPTIONAL

Today is an optional rest day, relax, enjoy the town of Bormio, which is very pretty, or take a ride on one of the numerous passes in the area, such as Gavia Pass, or take another run over the Stelvio!

DAY 7 - DOLOMITES ITALY

Staying in Italy, we make our way out of Bormio and off to the Dolomites (Bolzano)

We will be riding over Gardena Pass, Rollepass, San Pellegrino and others to name but a few. It is a slightly longer day due to the roads being taken at a more cautious pace due to the tight bends but it will be worth it when we get to sit down with a beer and plenty of smiles, buzzing from the days riding having witnessed some stunning scenery and ridden some of the most awesome roads

Distance: 158 miles

DAY 8 - BRENNER PASS - RHINE FALLS

From here we continue northwards to Rhine Falls in Switzerland, on the border of Germany where we will rest for the evening. We will get chance to see the magnificent waterfalls before heading to the hotel for a well deserved beer and some grub!

Distance: 290 miles approx

DAY 9 - REIMS - VIA BLACK FOREST & VOSGES MOUNTAINS

We continue on our heading northwest as we ride across the Black Forest and then into the Vosges Mountains again on route to Reims, where we shall be staying the night in this spectacular city. Reims is a city in northeastern France’s Grand Est region. It’s the unofficial capital of the Champagne wine-growing region, and many of the champagne houses headquartered there offer tastings and cellar tours. For more than 1,000 years, French kings were crowned at its Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Reims. This grand cathedral is known for its stained-glass windows and Gothic carved portals, including the Smiling Angel

Distance: 300 miles

DAY 10 - CALAIS

There is time in the morning to have a walk around Reims if you wish, we depart the city and head to Calais for our 170 miles run to the Eurotunnel to catch our afternoon train back to Britain

Distance: 170 miles

Itinerary, times and mileage may change slightly from the above

GMT Switzerland 2019 from David McKane on Vimeo.

DATES 2020 / 2021

08.08.2020
19.06.2021

PRICES FOR 2020 / 2021

Single rider sharing a twin room – £1399
Rider & Pillion sharing a double or twin room – £2199
Rider with single room – £1799

INCLUDES

Euro tunnel return fares
Good quality hotels
Breakfast each morning
Fully escorted tour
Support from a professional tour guide 24/7
Daily GPS Route Maps for reference/guide
Full Itinerary
Comprehensive Tour Guide Pack (Info)
Trusted, established and reputable company with support and backup from start to finish

NOT INCLUDED

Tolls
Vignettes
Meals other than stated
Room Service
Fuel
Insurance
Entry Fees
Parking fees

Is the Escorted Mini Alps Motorcycle Tour suitable for new or experienced riders?

Due to the nature of some of the mountain passes (tight bends, hairpins and switchbacks), new or inexperienced riders may find it a little challenging in places. However, we all have to start somewhere, so if you are a competent rider we are on hand to help out and support you by offering valuable riding tips and advice, so that you can get the most enjoyment out of the riding

How do you keep everyone together, I am worried I may get lost?

Have no worries. We use a drop-off system. It’s a simple system whereby everyone works as a team, not only looking out for each other but it also means you are very unlikely to get lost from the group

Do I need a Sat Nav?

No, BUT, it is important that you have the ability to get to the hotel each day of your own accord. This is in case of a number reasons, such as; losing the group (although we make every effort to keep the group together, it can happen, although rare!) or in case you experience bike trouble. Although we will do all we can to get you going again and ensure you are safe, we do have other customers who need to push on with the tour. It may be that a recovery vehicle is called out and they can repair the bike there and then, so you will need to get to the hotel. A smartphone is usually adequate if you have a map app installed. All hotel details are provided before the tour.

I have special dietary needs, can you cater for this?

Yes, of course. Just let us know in advance and we will inform the hotels for you

Do you offer a discount for two riders booking at the same time?

Yes, we do offer a discount for more than one rider booking on the same tour. Please send us an email or give us a call for details as the discount is dependent on the number of riders in the group.

How much will fuel cost?

It is difficult to say. If you rag your bike throughout the tour the fuel costs will be considerable more. It also depends on the bike, a sports bike will use more fuel than an adventure bike for example. We usually base fuel costs as follows – £1 per 10 miles, therefore on a 2,000 mile tour, you’d expect to pay on average £200 in fuel.

Is there secure parking at night?

Most hotels have either a secure compound, underground car park or secure area for us to park. It is good practice to secure two bikes together during the evening. We have never had a bike stolen on our tours.

How often do you stop for breaks?

We understand on our tours that different people have different needs and some have stronger needs than others! We aim to stop either every 100 – 130 miles (transit days) or every hour for refreshments or just a stretch. On the days we are touring through scenic regions, we will stop more frequently to capture photos and take in the beautiful surroundings etc

Have any other questions?
Give us a call (0330 111 0112) or send us an email, we’re a friendly bunch and are happy to offer our time to explain anything you are unsure of.