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Tuscany self guided motorcycle holiday

Tuscany self-guided motorcycle tour. All roads lead to Toscana.

Our Tuscany self-guided motorcycle tour has a real sense of holiday.

When it comes to an understanding the attraction towards a particular touring destination, Italy is a hard nut to crack. So what is it about Italy that makes it so attractive?

A little while ago, one of the locals, Leonardo da Vinci, might have inadvertently summed up Italy’s mysterious yet alluring effect in his Vitruvian Man drawing. He believed that everything in life connects to everything. And in Tuscany, it is true, perhaps more than anywhere else in Italy. There is a delicate balance of Greek art, Etruscan ingenuity and Roman architecture. Furthermore, as well as a great passion for delicious cuisine and fine wine, there is an even greater passion for exotic cars and even more for exotic motorcycles.

However, this fantastic tour is not all about the destination alone. It is also and very much so about the journey too.

Your holiday begins with a gentle ride through the green pastures of the French as well as Belgian Ardennes. Then come the enjoyable roads of the Vosges Mountains and the ice-blue waters of the Swiss lakes. Finally, the challenging San Gotthard pass will mark your arrival in Tuscany. At the same time, the return leg of your journey extends the generosity of this great holiday even further. Your itinerary includes overnight stays by the shimmering shores of Lake Garda as well as the orchard fringed Lake Konstanz in Germany.

A four-star family-run hotel located in tranquil parkland will be your base for the next four nights. Besides elegantly furnished villa-style rooms, the hotel also features an outdoor swimming pool. But most importantly,it has a fantastic gourmet restaurant as well. The family grandma specially trained the in-house master chef, passing her culinary secrets down to the next generation. As a result, he serves tasty fare of traditional local Tuscan dishes.

On this tour, you can visit Florence for its renaissance art. Pop to Siena for its striking cathedral as well as Pisa’s for its leaning tower. In Lucca, you can explore the old town. Get lost in a maze of narrow cobbled streets and alleys and walk the city walls. Take stunning photos from the surrounding hills of San Gimignano and its towers. Alternatively, take a pleasant train journey. Which snakes and winds along the rugged coastline of the Italian Riviera, taking you to breathtaking Cinque Terre. The five cliffhanging fishing villages are famous for their houses painted in bright colours. This spectacular site is also one of the most visited tourist attractions in Tuscany.

And finally, as a must, there are visits to the famous Ducati or Ferrari factory as well. In addition to the factory visits, there is also a ride over the superb Futa Pass. Ducati uses this legendary mountain road to test their bikes. This fabulous biking route runs for over seventy miles. The roadwinds from Bologna over the Apennine mountains back to your hotel.

Tuscany is the land where all ingredients for a great motorcycle holiday come together perfectly and effortlessly. Gastronomy is sensational, the hospitality is exceptional, the scenery is inspirational, and, of course, the riding is phenomenal. As Leonardo said, ‘everything connects to everything’- a perfect Wheel of Life.

For more day-to-day information regarding the Tuscany self-guided motorcycle tour / self guided motorcycle holiday, please spend some time studying the tour itinerary below.

For an alternative to the Tuscany self-guided motorcycle tour, please use this link: Dolomites and Tuscany self guided motorcycle holiday.

If you require a motorcycle rental for the Tuscany self-guided motorcycle tour / self guided motorcycle holiday, please get in touch with our partner, RoadTrip.

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Tour highlights:

3*** and 4**** hotels with leisure facilities
Lake Lugano
Leaning Tower of Pisa
Romantic city of Siena
Historic city of Florence
Vinci birthplace of Leonardo da Vinci
Lucca – Pinocchio’s birth place
Visit to Ducati or Ferrari factory
San Gimignano
Gourmet evening meals
Chianti wine

When to go:

May to September - during August, a high-season supplement is applicable

Countries:

France, Switzerland, Italy, Germany

Motorcycle rental:

Available

Day by day tour itinerary

Day 1 – Folkestone to Sedan (France) (Approx mileage 200)

You will start this fantastic Tuscany self-guided motorcycle tour / self guided motorcycle holiday with the morning Eurotunnel crossing to Calais. 100 or so miles on the motorway through France will get you quickly to Belgium. As you head towards the Ardennes Region, you will cross the borders between France and Belgium on several occasions.

Your route will take you through Philippeville, Bouillon and Givet. You can stop at any or all of these towns for lunch or drink. On our guided tours, we usually stop at Givet. It is a charming little riverside town with quite a few cafés and restaurants. As there are always plenty of spaces, parking is not a problem.

The whole ride today is not that long and demanding, so you should be in your hotel by mid-afternoon. The hotel is a converted medieval fort with comfortable rooms, a fantastic restaurant and a welcoming atmosphere.

"France produces nearly a billion tons of cheese a year in around 1,200 different varieties"

Day 2 – Sedan to Munster (France) (Approx. 200 miles)

Leaving Ardennes behind your Tuscany self-guided motorcycle tour continues. You’ll follow the rural country roads towards your next destination. For several hours you’ll follow the Meuse river. This is not a very touristy area, so if you feel like stopping for a break, try to use the first opportunity you come across. There might not be that many places to choose from.

If you have interest in military history, then your first port of call could be the War Memorial at Verdun. As you continue winding through traditional villages, cultivated fields and green forests, the landscapes will gradually become more hilly and mountainous.

Gérardmer is the gateway to the Vosges Mountains and a perfect place for one last break before arriving at your destination. There are several places to eat and have a drink with plenty of parking.

Your comfortable hotel in Munster will welcome you with a cosy room and delicious evening meal.

"Louis XIX was King of France for just 20 minutes"

Day 3 – Munster to Lugano (Switzerland)) (Approx. 220 miles)

Today’s route will take you from the Vosges Mountains to the edge of the
Swiss Alps. As you wind your way towards Lugano, you’ll be surrounded by green pastures, dense forests and snow-capped mountain peaks.

As you approach the famous San Gotthard pass, you’ll have three different options to tackle it. You may decide to simply stick with San Gotthard pass. However, there is an option to peel off and ride the more challenging cobbled Tremola section of the route.

And finally, if you don’t fancy any above or the weather is not good, you can always take the San Gotthard tunnel. The tunnel is just over 10 miles long and experience in its own right. It is also an excellent place to rev the engine a bit and hear how your bike sounds.

Your biker friendly hotel in Lugano is designed in 1950s American diner style. It will welcome you with a comfortable room and a delicious evening meal.

"Switzerland is the least obese European country."

Day 4 – Lugano to Tuscany (Italy) (Approx. 240 miles)

This morning, the main priority is to depart as early as possible to avoid getting stuck in traffic around Milan. After that, all will be good. The ride will be a combination of various autostradas.

However, as you pass Parma and continue towards La Spezia, you’ll ride one of the best motorway sections ever. So please take it at your own pace and enjoy it. This section also offers an alternative in the form of ss62. It is a mountain road that runs parallel with the autostrada. Therefore if you fancy getting off the motorway for a while, it is worth considering it. It is a great ride, but it will also make it a long day in the saddle.

Set within the Roman spa town’s parkland, your hotel has an outdoor swimming pool, comfortable rooms, and a fantastic gourmet restaurant. Montecatini Terme is a lively town with plenty to see and do. It is a world-famous spa town so during your stay try to visit Terme Tettuccio.

"Italy is home to the world's oldest university, the University of Bologna was founded in 1088"

Day 5 – Free day (Approx. 100 miles)

This is perhaps one of the best days of the Tuscany self-guided motorcycle tour / self guided motorcycle holiday. So, to make the most of the day, take the motorway to Bologna to visit the Ducati Factory. If you are a fan of motoring history, then you can extend this ride to visit the Ferrari and Lamborghini factories as well.

The added bonus is that on your way back, you can take the Passo Futa across the Apuan Mountains. Apparently, this fantastic road is used by Ducati for testing their bikes. The road definitely looks, feels and smells as a racer designed it.

The restaurant Passo Della Futa is located at the highest point of the pass and a great place to have lunch. In a typically Italian ambience, it serves the best of the delicious Tuscan cuisine to the famished bikers.

"According to the local motoring folklore signor Ferruccio Lamborghini, the founder of the Lamborghini Tractor Factory went to signor Enzo Ferrari and said: "I want to buy a car from you". Signor Ferrari replied, "go home you can not afford my car". To which signor Lamborghini replied "OK… I go home and make my own car". So he went back to his shed and built his own car"

Day 6 – Free day (Approx. 100 miles)

Enjoy your free day, and if you wish feel free to organise your own agenda. Train journeys to Siena or Florence are always popular options.

If you prefer to do something and stay in town, you can take a funicular ride to Montecatini Alto. It provides excellent panoramic views of the surrounding countryside and the city below. The village is perfect for a relaxing walk to discover its treasures. On the Hill further north, you can enjoy the pleasant piazza Giusti and the Chiesa di San Pietro with its imposing bell tower and the remains of the Fortress. Piazza Giusti has many cafés and restaurants serving an array of delicious traditional Tuscan dishes.

However, if you wish to go out on your bike, then you can split tomorrow’s suggested ride into two parts.

“The first thermometer was designed by Italian inventor
Santorio in 1612”

Day 7 – Free day (Approx. 100 miles)

On this day, as you turn south, you will quickly find yourself amongst the Chianti wine region’s spectacular scenery. This round trip will take you to the medieval town of San Gimignano. The city is also known as the ‘city of beautiful towers’. In its heyday, it had 74 towers, but now only 14 remain. As you approach, even from quite a distance, you’ll be able to see the famous towers.

From here, you’ll make your way cross-country to Pisa to take an obligatory photo of yourself supporting the famous leaning tower. And the final stop will be in the historic town of Lucca. Here you may try not to get lost in the spaghetti bowl of its narrow streets. Or, in our case, try not to get run over by a turbocharged pensioner in a turbocharged Fiat 500.

During today’s ride, you’ll be able to see some of the iconic images of the country roads lined with tall cypress trees leading to hilltop villas.

"Average Italian consumes over 45 bottles of wine per year"

Day 8 – Tuscany to Lake Garda (Approx. 240 miles)

The suggested route today includes riding mainly rural roads towards the banks of Lake Garda. First thing in the morning, you’ll cross the Apennine mountain range and descend onto the flats around river Po.

The ride over the Apennines will take you through some beautiful scenery of ash-coloured volcanic peaks and thick beech forests. On our guided tours, each time we try to stop at a different restaurant. So keep riding until you feel peckish and pick any eatery along the route you fancy.

Your biker friendly hotel will welcome you with a comfortable room and a delicious evening meal. If you check in early, take a walk to the town, have a drink in the square and stroll by the lake.

We would recommend an early breakfast and departure. This will buy you more time to explore the beautiful Lake Garda.

"In Italian capital - Rome, anyone convicted of hurting a cat – owned or a stray – could face a €10,000 fine and up to 3 years in prison"

Day 9 – Lake Garda to Lindau (Germany) (Approx. 250 miles)

With today’s ride, you’ll be spoiled for choice. Whichever way you point your bike, you’ll end up with a fantastic ride.

Your route will include a hat-trick of lakes. The journey starts with leaving Lago di Garda behind and heading towards the glitzy Lago di Como’s shores. If you fancy stopping for a quick look around, then Varenna is a good place. As you continue, at Chiavenna, you’ll have a choice of staying on the Italian side a bit longer or heading straight towards Switzerland.

The first option will take you over the narrow and twisty Passo dello Spluga (Splügen Pass). The second option will take you over the enjoyable Maloja pass towards Sankt Moritz. This is followed by a ride over the Julier pass towards Germany.

Your hotel is located amongst the apple orchards on the shores of Bodensee (Lake Konstanz). It has a beer terrace with breathtaking views of the lake. And as a bonus, on a beautiful day, you can see zeppelins from the Zeppelin Museum in Friedrichshafen, majestically flying above the lake.

"In Germany, beer is officially defined as a staple food, like bread, and not as alcohol"

Day 10 – Lindau to Vittel (France) (Approx. 240 miles)

Leaving Bodensee behind, you’ll begin perhaps one of the more relaxing rides on tour. As your first waypoint, you can stop at the magnificent river Rhine Waterfalls in Schaffhausen.

Here you can have a drink, walk to the majestic Laufen castle or go on a short boat trip to the base of the waterfall. This will include riding along the entire length of the lake Bodensee as well.

Time saved using the motorway around Basel will allow you to longer enjoy the traffic-free roads through the French countryside. If you prefer not to use motorways, you can reroute and stay on country roads all the way to your hotel. This will include riding via the Black Forest, B500 and over the Vosges Mountains.

Vittel is a popular little town made famous by its water. Your town hotel has secure parking, comfortable rooms and its own gourmet restaurant.

"France was the first country to introduce the license plate"

Day 11 – Vittel to Folkestone (Approx. 300 miles)

Hate to spoil the party, but after a delicious French breakfast, it is time to head home. Your route will take you north along some traffic-free highways and byways before eventually joining the motorway back to the Eurotunnel terminal.

Thank you for for joining our Tuscany self-guided motorcycle tour / self guided motorcycle holiday and RidingWithUs. We hope to hear from you again soon.

"With education comes knowledge. With age comes wisdom. With travel comes understanding"

What's included?

Price

Includes

10 nights b&b accommodation
7 evening meals
Return Eurotunnel crossing
GPX routes
Trip check list
Daily itinerary
Suggested tourist attractions
Emergency services numbers

Excludes

What our customers say

“On behalf of the group, I want to thank you for organizing this amazing tour in Tuscany for us. We all hope to do another trip with RideWithUs in the future.”

Geoff Earp

Calgary, Canada, 2019

Let's go touring…

Tuscany self guided motorcycle holiday

Tour highlights:

When to go:

Countries:

Motorcycle rental:

Day by day tour itinerary

What's included?

Price

Includes

Excludes

What our customers say

Tuscany self guided motorcycle holiday

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