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Guided Motorcycle Tour to Austria and Switzerland
Our guided motorcycle tour to Austria and Switzerland takes you through the Swiss Alps and Austrian Tyrol. Journey to the lands where the mountains meet the sky, apple strudel meets Toblerone & high mountain passes meet even higher mountain passes.
This fantastic guided motorcycle tour to Austria and Switzerland is exactly what it says on the tin. It is a journey to the lands where the picturesque Austrian Tyrol, the orchard-dotted Italian Tyrol, the chocolate wrapper-pretty Swiss Alps and the perfectly manicured Bavarian Alps meet. The best aspect about this holiday is that from the comfort of our two base hotels, we’ll be able to venture into each of those beautiful biking regions and explore their authentic charms. And as a bonus, we’ll also transit via the French Ardennes, the Vosges Mountains, and the Champagne region.
Our journey of Alpine discovery will start with a relaxing ride across the not-so-Alpine but equally beautiful Ardeness Region of France. From Ardeness, we continue with the Swiss-Alps and Austrian-Tyrol guided-motorcycle-tour. However, there are several beautiful biking regions to cross before getting anywhere near the majestic Alps. We’ll get the first prelude of the stunning mountain landscapes still to come by crossing the breathtaking Vosges Mountains.
From our first base hotel in Austrian Tyrol, on this fantastic Swiss-Alps and Austrian-Tyrol guided-motorcycle-tour, our riding options are endless. Our suggested day trips on the Austrian side of the mountains will include rides over some excellent local biking roads and mountain passes. These include the scenic Bregenzerwaldstraße and Lechtal Straße, the famous Arlberg Pass and Silvretta Pass, the less famous yet exhilarating Piller Pass, Martina Pass and Hahntennjoch Pass. And finally, time permitting, perhaps a spin across the great Timmelsjoch High Alpine Road might be on the cards as well.
Suppose we choose to pay closer attention to Italy and Switzerland. In that case, we’ll be able to scale some of the most notorious former smugglers’ routes but nowadays turned most iconic mountain passes and biking roads. This fantastic guided motorcycle tour will take us from the Austrian Tyrol via the serene Oberintal Valley to Italian Südtirol, all the way to the postcard-perfect Engadine Valley in Switzerland and back. The trip includes four legendary mountain passes and ice cream and espresso at the fortified Renesaince town of Glorenza. Our journey will take us over the always-windy Reschen pass, the one-and-only Stelvio pass, the spaghetti-ball-twisty Umbrail pass and the rollercoaster Ofen pass.
On the other hand, if we wake up in the morning and feel more culturally inspired, we might point our front wheels towards Bavaria. This option changes the dynamics of the ride from exhilarating to leisurely, and it also adds an extra holiday dimension to the entire tour. Here, we’ll have a choice of three magnificent castles to visit. They are all different in terms of structure, style, decoration, and the stories behind them.
Neuschwanstein Castle, or the Disney Castle, was built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria, also known as the “Fairytale King”. Hohenschwangau Castle is just next door. King Ludwig II’s childhood residence in Bavaria was built by his father, King Maximilian II of Bavaria. And finally, the Linderhof Palace is only a short ride away. It was modelled on Versailles, and it is the most lavishly decorated out of all King’s castles.
To enrich our destination variety and fulfil even further the Alpine aspect of our journey, from the serenity of the Austrian mountains via the legendary Klausen Pass, we’ll move on to the urban charms of the beautiful lakeside city of Interlaken in Switzerland. From here, we can head towards Lauterbrunnen and visit Trümmelbach waterfalls that tumble and cascade down inside the mountain. Another option is to take a cable car to Schilthorn. The restaurant was one of the locations where some of the iconic scenes from the James Bond 007 film “On Her Majesty’s Secret” were filmed. It overlooks the entire valley and offers the most stunning views of the three highest peaks – Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau.
If we fancy a ride, the proposed route may shed some light on why the Swiss Alps are a paradise for biking enthusiasts from all over the world. Quite a few big mountain passes can be included in our route. The three passes that work pretty well together are the Grimsel, Furka and Susten. They are almost back-to-back ascents and descents, affording spectacular combinations of well-cambered hairpins, stunning tunnel-bridge-tunnel sections and enjoyably flowing curves. However, we can also extend the ride and include the legendary Sankt Gotthard pass and a section of the panoramic Sankt Gotthard Strasse.
We’ll bring this memorable Swiss-Alps and Austrian-Tyrol guided-motorcycle-tour to its conclusion with a glass or two of bubbly at the mini capital of the Champagne region. Troyes is one of the most beautiful and visited places in this part of France and a perfect place to say our farewells before returning to the UK.
For more day-to-day information about the Swiss-Alps and Austrian-Tyrol guided motorcycle holiday, please study the tour itinerary below.
PLEASE NOTE: On rare occasions, the itinerary might slightly change depending on hotel availability.
For an alternative to a guided motorcycle tour to Austria and Switzerland, please use this link: Dolomites and Lake Garda guided motorcycle tour.
If you require a motorcycle rental for the guided motorcycle tour to Austria and Switzerland, please get in touch with our partner, RoadTrip.
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Tour highlights:
- 3*** and 4**** biker friendly hotels
- The medieval town of Glorenza
- Day trip to Switzerland, Italy or Bavaria
- Stelvio Pass
- Timmelsjoch Pass
- Ressia Pass
- Piller Pass
- Hahntennjoch Pass
- Silvretta Pass
- Arlberg Pass
- Klausen Pass
- Sankt Gotthard Pass
- Grimsel Pass
- Furka Pass
- Susten Pass
When we go:
Countries:
Motorcycle rental:
Guided Motorcycle Tour to Austria and Switzerland Itinerary
We’ll start this fantastic Swiss-Alps and Austrian-Tyrol guided motorcycle holiday with the morning Eurotunnel crossing to Calais. Then 100 or so miles on the motorway through France will get us quickly to Belgium. As we head towards the Ardennes Region, we’ll cross the borders between France and Belgium on several occasions.
Our route will take us through Philippeville, Bouillon and Givet. We can stop at any or all of these towns for lunch or a drink. We usually stop at Givet for a bite to eat and a drink. The town is on the banks of the river Meuse on the French side, not far from the Belgian border. It is a popular biking destination with its bridge over the river, pretty house fronts, hilltop citadel, and fantastic roads all around.
There are several cafés and restaurants by the river, and the parking isn’t a problem. The ride is not that long and demanding, so we should be in our comfortable hotel by mid-afternoon.
On the second day of the Swiss-Alps and Austrian-Tyrol guided-motorcycle-tour we’ll be leaving the Ardennes Region behind, and following some scenic rural country roads head towards our next destination in the beautiful Vosges Mountains. This is an enjoyable and relaxing ride off the beaten track, so we’ll take our time and enjoy it. Our first port of call could be the War Memorial and Museum at Verdun if you are interested in military history. As we continue winding through the Loraine National Park dotted with traditional villages, cultivated fields and green forests, the landscapes will gradually become hilly and eventually mountainous.
If we wish to stop for lunch, there are several convenient towns. When we start feeling peckish, we’ll just lookout for a café or boulangerie, and we can’t go wrong. Charmes and Gérardmer are both convenient places to stop. Charmes is a lovely quiet riverside town and has several places to eat and have a drink. Gérardmer is the gateway to the Vosges Mountains and a perfect place for one last break before arriving at our destination. On most of our guided tours, we usually stop by the lake just to stretch our legs and have a quick look around. A beautiful and easy climb up the Col de la Schlucht will take us to our destination. We can also take a spin along several other famous and twisty mountain passes; Route des Cretes and Col du Grand Ballon.
Our comfortable hotel in Munster will welcome us with cosy rooms and a delicious evening meal.
Today, after leaving the Vosges Mountains, we might split our day by visiting various tourist attractions. And there is no shortage of those on today’s journey, so without further ado, let’s have an early breakfast, hit the road and continue this fantastic Swiss-Alps and Austrian-Tyrol guided-motorcycle-tour.
After departing from our hotel, our bike engines will not even have enough time to warm up before arriving at our first optional port of call – the historical city of Colmar. Its half-timbered houses, cobbled streets, riverbanks of Little Venice dotted with cafés and restaurants are brimming with the typical Alsatian charms.
Continuing with our Swiss-Alps and Austrian-Tyrol guided-motorcycle-tour along some great biking roads, we’ll cross the German and Swiss borders and arrive at the spectacular Rhein waterfalls in Schafhausen. And from there continue on Lake Konstanz’s Swiss side towards our destination.
Schafhausen itself is part in Germany and part in Switzerland. The Rhine Falls are Europe’s largest waterfalls and a top-rated biker destination. We can take a short walk to Laufen Castle and take some stunning photos of the waterfalls from one of many viewing platforms. We can also go on a bumpy boat ride that will take us to the waterfalls’ base. If we are still feeling adventurous, we can climb a small rocky outcrop right in the middle of the falls. There are plenty of dedicated motorcycle bays making parking at the waterfalls very easy.
A relaxing ride along the twisty L200 will give us our first flavour of riding in the Alps. The Bregenzerwaldstraße is one of the most popular and scenic biking routes in this part of the Austrian Alps. Often on this day, we might get tangled with the locals moving the cows to the higher or lower pastures. It can be annoying and occasionally mucky, but it is something we don’t see every day, and it’s definitely worth a bit of patience. Also, there are many cafés, bakeries and restaurants along the route, so if we have to stop and wait…well be it. There are worse places in the world to get stuck.
Our traditional hotel in the beautiful Tyrol will welcome us with comfortable rooms and 360° mountain vistas of snow-capped peaks, pine forests and flowery meadows.
There are two riding options that you might consider today. With the first suggested self guided option, you can point your bikes in the direction we came from and have a go at the famous Arlberg Pass, the little-known mini-thriller – Faschinajoch and the legendary Silvretta Alpine road.
Both Arlberg and Silvretta are famous mountain passes with many well-cumbered hairpins and excellent restaurants along the way. Faschinajoch Pass will take us through the heart of the little-known yet stunning Vorarlberg region. As you may already gather, this fantastic mountain pass might not be regarded as ‘one of the big ones’ like some other passes in the region. However, this Alpine road definitely can stand on its own in terms of natural beauty and breathtaking scenery.
However, with the second self guided option, you can point your bikes in the opposite direction – towards Italy and Switzerland. This round trip will take you over the Reschen, Ofen, Umbrail, and of course, the one and only… Stelvio pass. After all, this is the main reason why most come on this tour.
You can stop at the Reschen pass in Italy to take photos of the submerged village. Only the church tower is visible above the water. Just down the road, it is worth stopping at the medieval walled town of Glorenza. And then it’s all the way up the Stelvio pass. It’s quite a challenging ride, but the stunning views and great sense of achievement definitely outweigh the effort. The cream on the cake is the roller coaster descent to Switzerland via the narrow and twisty Umbrail pass. The Ofen pass is an exhilarating ride suitable for a coffee break and taking photos before returning to our hotel.
On day five of the Swiss-Alps and Austrian-Tyrol guided-motorcycle-tour, if the weather is favourable, you could typically split yesterday’s self guided ride into two separate day trips. However, if the weather decides not to play, you coulould head towards Bavaria. This is not a demanding trip and does not include any major high mountain passes.
Bavaria’s splendid surroundings have long inspired people to build some of the most opulent buildings, abbeys and castles. If you wish, you’ll be able to visit three magnificent creations of the Mad King Ludwig II and his father. Hohenschwangau, Neuschwanstein (Disney Castle) and Linderhof Castle are very close to each other and worth seeing. Also, they are all situated in beautiful settings surrounded by perfectly manicured gardens and parks. Queen Mary’s Bridge (Marienbrücke) over the Pöllat river offers unparalleled views of Neuschwanstein Castle. You might have to battle the crowds to get your ideal shot of the castle, but the postcard-perfect views are worth it. However, it involves a bit of walking, so make sure that you have spare capacity in your panniers to store some of your biking gear. Alternatively, you might choose to visit only one castle and spend the rest of the day as you wish.
On the return leg of your journey, you can take a faster route via Fern Pass and along the Inntal Valley that tightly hugs the Inn river. Or you could partly retrace your tracks along the beautiful Lechtal valley and take a spin across the narrow, twisty, occasionally bumpy, often cold but incredibly scenic Huntenjoch Pass.
Today, the Swiss-Alps and Austrian-Tyrol guided-motorcycle-tour heads towards our next destination. The quickest and most straightforward route from Lech to Interlaken is to stick it on motorways and faster main roads. However, the question is, why would we want to do that? Why, indeed, when we could loop it around a bit, extend our ride and include a section of the legendary Arlberg Pass, the twisty Klausen Pass and the iconic Susten Pass.
Today, we’ll start with a relaxing früstück (breakfast) in Austrian Tyrol, followed by a leisurely Mittagessen (lunch) somewhere in the Alps and conclude with a gourmet Abendessen (evening meal) in Switzerland.
The best Alpine road, the most scenic ride, exhilarating hairpins, and incredible views – are synonyms often associated with Arlberg Pass. This beautiful pass is one of the best-known Tyrolean motorcycle touring routes. It is a popular biking destination, and we are likely to come across many other bikers there. If you remember, as we ride from Lech towards the Arlberg pass, pay attention to the tunnel/gallery we’ll be riding through. It is a marvellous mountain engineering feat affording breathtaking views of the surrounding mountain peaks and the valley below.
Klausen Pass is an incredibly scenic and popular biking road. It is about 29 miles long, and some of its 136 bends and hairpins can be relatively tight, twisty, testing and challenging. But the breathtaking views of the granite cliffs, cascading waterfalls, flowery meadows and thick pine forests make it a price worth paying. The Klausen Pass might not be among the highest alpine passes, but it offers a great ride. And as a little bonus/reward for our efforts, the Klausen Pass restaurant at the top serves a delicious selection of traditional dishes and has a big car park.
From here, a nice ride along the famous Gotthardstrasse will quickly connect us with the legendary Susten pass. This spectacular mountain pass is a 30-mile-long combination of well-cambered hairpins, stunning tunnel-bridge-tunnel sections and fast-flowing curves.
Our hotel in Interlaken will welcome us with comfortable rooms and breathtaking mountains and lake views.
Today the choice is yours. You might opt to follow our suggested itinerary and head towards Lauterbrunnen. Here you can visit Trümmelbach waterfalls that tumble and cascade down inside the mountain. Another option here is to take a cable car to Schilthorn. The restaurant was one of the locations where some of the iconic scenes from the James Bond 007 film “On Her Majesty’s Secret” were filmed. It overlooks the entire valley and offers the most stunning views of the three highest peaks – Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. It is also a great place to have lunch at the famous Piz Gloria 360° revolving restaurant. Also, the Lauterbrunnen Valley is a famous location for base-jumping. On a nice sunny day, you’ll see many of them honing their skills with their parachutes and wingsuits.
Another popular option to use your free day in Interlaken is going on one of many train journeys. Get a copy of the train timetable, make your choice and off you go. The most popular journey is the Jungfraujoch – Top of Europe. However, many other trips are just as good.
If you fancy a ride, quite a few big mountain passes can be included in your self guided route. The three passes that work pretty well together are the Grimsel, Furka and Susten. If you remember, when you get to Furka pass, look downhill over the car park barrier. There is a colony of jolly marmots forever disciplining the youngsters or sorting out their family disputes. The ride can also be extend to include the legendary Sankt Gotthard pass and a section of the panoramic Sankt Gotthard Strasse.
We hope you enjoyed our stay in the majestic Swiss Alps. Today we’ll be leaving Switzerland and heading towards another, different in character but still beautiful destination in the bubbly Champagne Region of France. As one of the main wine-producing French capitals, Troyes is a bit of an unknown quantity when it comes to motorcycle touring, and many would say a hidden gem. And as it is relatively unknown, it makes it a perfect destination to explore. It has well-preserved medieval quarters with a labyrinth of ancient cobbled streets and narrow alleys lined with restored half-timbered buildings and brightly painted houses. There are many tourist attractions, boutiques, shops and a fantastic bar, cafe and restaurant scene to keep us entertained on our last night on tour.
Leaving Switzerland behind, we’ll follow rural country roads, main fast routes and not too many but some motorways towards our last destination in France. As we continue winding through traditional villages, cultivated fields and green forests, the landscapes will gradually become less mountainous and more hilly and panoramic. If we wish to stop for lunch, there are several convenient towns. When we start feeling peckish, we’ll just lookout for a café or boulangerie, and we can’t go wrong. Belfort, Vesoul and Chaumont are all convenient places to stop for a break or lunch.
As we continue with the Swiss-Alps and Austrian-Tyrol guided-motorcycle-tour, winding through traditional villages, cultivated fields and green forests, the landscapes will gradually become hilly, chalky, and dotted with vineyards. If you are interested in military history, we can use this opportunity to stop at the Charles De Gaulle museum in Colombey-Les-Deux-Eglises. The memorial is visible from a great distance due to the staggering 44 metres high Cross of Lorraine.
We’ll ride through the panoramic landscapes of the Forêt d’Orient Nature Park to round up our journey. The nature reserve is a protected area of grasslands, woodlands and lakes and is crisscrossed with a maze of traffic-free lanes and backroads. On a historic note Hugues de Payens, the co-founder and first Grand Master of the Knights Templar, came from here.
Our town hotel will welcome us with a charming town atmosphere and comfortable rooms.
It’s a shame to spoil the party. And we hope it has been a great party indeed. But even a great party at some point must come to an end. So after a delicious French breakfast, it is time to head home.
Our route will take us north along some great traffic-free highways and byways before eventually joining the motorway back to the Eurotunnel terminal.
Thank you for joining our Swiss-Alps and Austrian-Tyrol guided-motorcycle-tour and RidingWithUs. And we hope to RideWithYou again soon.
What's Included In The Guided Motorcycle Tour to Austria and Switzerland?
Price
- Rider and pillion £1,795 pp
- Solo rider sharing double room £ 1,945 pp
- Solo rider single room £ 2,395 pp
Includes
- 8 nights b&b accommodation
- 6 evening meals
- Return Eurotunnel crossing
- GPX routes
- Trip check list
- Daily itinerary
- Suggested tourist attractions
- Emergency services numbers
Excludes
- Meals other than those specified
- Admission charges
- Toll charges (vignette)
- Petrol
- Hotel parking
What our customers say
“We toured with RideWithUs many a time, both guided and self guided. Every single holiday was great. Look forward to the next one.”
Heather & Dean
Birmingham, 2012,2013, 2014, 2015