Anyone into touring around here? I'll call out in other bike related posts to "advertise" this thread, in case we can get something together.
Just got a motorcycle, after over 10 years of not having one. I thought that my kids are all grown up (the youngest is 13, the oldest doesn't even live at home anymore), and I can now enjoy other things. Right now I'm starting to plan a long tour through the balkans, currently thinking leaving CH through Val Mustair (and driving all day, or stop along the way) to Lubljana, and stay there for a day. Then drive through smaller roads to Zagreb, and stay there for a day. The next stop would be Belgrade, and also stay there for a day. And finally start the return trip via Sarajevo (with a day stop), and come back via the Croatian coast, Trieste, Venice, Brescia, back home.
might be of use to join the gang
Thnx, I did. Just waiting for the application to be approved. I also joined a few sites, including the apparently defunct "Motorcycle Touring Club Europe" (at https://mtce.proboards.com ) which hasn't had posts in almost 2 years, and Best Biking Roads (which has a paid app that allows you to download and share routes). Haven't seen any active group anywhere so far.
As much as I like touring, I really do NOT like doing it with people that I don't know well, mainly as our idea of touring is riding superbikes with luggage and pushing things, and this doesn't work if you can't mind-read the others.
Tom
Agree, I love touring but can ́t stand riding with others. I ride at my own speeds and they never seem to coincide with that of the others.
Have you folks ever done a multi-day tour by yourselves? I have no concerns about it at all (if anything, I actually enjoy being by myself, and I can easily picture myself enjoying the scenery and listening to music and podcasts while riding), but I'm interested in advice from folk with more experience.
Yes, many times.
I've also done 600km days on a Ducati superbike without leaving Switzerland!
Tom
Yeah, you surely can do a ton of km without leaving the country. On the other hand, my questions are more directed towards the logistics of the multi-day, rather than the distance itself. You know, packing, supplies, booking hotels vs flexibility, and a potentially unexpected factor: when is it just too long and you want to get back home.
I believe you are overthinking this matter. I use a small one man tent and with all the bits and bats I have the bike packed in ten minutes. I tend to ride until around six-ish, seven-ish and stop at the next campsite. I generally use a campsite because I have a CPAP and need the poweroutlet. I have used it on the bikes Battery in a pinch but prefere a steady power supply. Also you can get Pizza and beer at a campsite.
Apart from that I seldom have any set route that was planned days ago and simply follow the front wheel. You never know where you are going to end up.
On a Ducati, 600 km ́s... Did you need a chiropractor afterwards?
Don't bother pre booking hotels unless you really fancy one, there are an abundance of hotels and guest houses around the place in every small town. This way if it's a miserable day you don't have to push on to reach somewhere when it would be easier to just stay dry and read a book.
Whatever you think the distance you're going to cover, take a third off it. You'll end up stopping longer for lunch, and coffee, than you originally planned.
I reckon 250-300km a day is a relaxing pace. Gives you some time to read a book as well.
Of course you can do 600km or more a day, but it doesn't feel sustainable.
Good point. I think I only planned a single day with 600km (the first day, from home to Ljubljana, with a long midday break). It looks like this:
- Day 1 (650km): drive to Ljubljana.
- Day 2 (150km): I would probably go sightseeing most of the day, and drive out a few hours before the evening so I can get to Zagreb (150km) when there's still daylight.
- Day 3 (400km): Sightseeing in the morning and lunch, then head off for Belgrade, as it's a long-ish drive, with around 400km, which I'd take very easy with lots of small breaks in the countryside. Perhaps I'll stop for the night before reaching the city.
- Day 4 (150km): Chill and go sightseeing, then head out and cover a bit of the way to Sarajevo.
- Day 5 (~250km): Sarajevo sightseeing in the morning (already know the city, I just want to "reminesce" a bit), and start the drive towards the coast in Croatia mid-afternoon. It's 250km to Split; perhaps I'll get there, or stop on the way.
- Day 6 (350km): this is the return drive, which I think I'll split in 3 days. The total distance back home is 1'100km, so I planned to do 400km on day 1 along the coast, to overnight in Rijeka (Croatia).
- Day 7 (~400km): Drive as much as I feel like; either stop around Verona/Brescia/Bergamo (or all the way home if I'm bored).
- Day 8 (~300km): if I didn't get home the day before, then I drive the last bit this day.
It's quite a bit of ground to cover, but it doesn't feel excesive. You folks can chime in if you think this is totally insane.
Sounds like it will be an amazing trip, I look forward to reading your feedback afterward
My only advice would be to allow some flexibility in your schedule, i.e. don't plan on returning on a Sunday and being at the office on Monday. You never know what will happen on a trip like this and when you might need to extend.
After a particularly long day on a multi-day ride once, I found my wrists & shoulders quite achey, and decided to take an extra day to rest up before moving on. It was well worth it, but wouldn't have been possible without a flexible schedule.
Enjoy!
+1 on not pre-booking hotels.
Stay flexible. And have breakdown insurance. I once broke down in Spain, and didn't have it, but had it when I broke down years later in Alsace.
Tom
as I am Slovenian living in Switzerland, and I am an avid motorcycle traveller, the route Luzern - Ljubljana is often on my list:
LU - Fluelapass - Val Mustair - Merano - Jaufenpass - Silian - Maria Lugau - Hermagor - Korensko Sedlo (Wurzenpass) - Ljubljana, very beautifull drive, but it takes around 12-13h riding with minimum stops.
- I can make it longer making some detours, like Klausenpass or maybe Stelvio, or a little bit faster going through Arlberg. If needed I took pars of highway (like A3 to pass Wallensee to Landquart)
- sometimes I leave CH in the afternoon and sleep in Merano, way better experience when I feel I can afford it
Zagreb to Belgrade is mostly very flat and boring, I would rethink if Belgrade is worth it. It's huge city and you will loose a lot of time just to navigate it. Btw Bosnia is great for motorbiking, just check if you still need "green card" to enter.
on the coast, don't miss the road Stari Grad - Senj, one of the best twistie roads in Europe (but also a training ground for every crazy and non-crazy motorbike rider in Balkan). At Stari Grad there is a national park Paklenica, a climbing paradise but you also have nice camping sites.
The part between Monfalcone (Trieste) to Vicenza is more or less boring on the motorcycle. think about going in the direction of Trento - Sondrio to Lago di Como. From there you can go nord into CH or west into the CH, depends how you feel.
I just got excited, so many great options
and about booking, I normally book a night before for the next day:
- I adapt the route according to how I feel and the weather forecast
- I do have a goal and the address so I can drive till the end of the day
- you can often find very good deals on booking for the next 24 hours
Thank you for all the great advice. I'm 101% open to changing the itinerary, especially the bit about dropping Belgrade altogether if it's not worth the extra mileage/time on the bike. That will shave some 300km and 1 full day, which I can put into making the way to Ljubljana more enjoyable. If I do that, the route looks like this:
Thank you for the heads-up @nejc, you do need the printed international insurance card to drive in Bosnia, which I read that you get from your insurance company and can print at home. I'll make a note about that.
Thank you Tom, my insurance does include Europe-wide roadside assistance, including transporting my bike home, and providing a replacement vehicle. It's worth the extra Fr. 100/year.
If you're going through Austria a bit, I'd alter a little and go over the Großglockner pass, as well as skipping the Karawanken tunnel and taking the Loibl Pass instead. Or if views are more important than perfect road surfaces, Kranjska Gora.
The Croation coast road is truly amazing for curves and views. The side going down to Plomin is also amazing.
Yes, but beware, if it hasn't rained in a while, the road will be covered with dust and you will have no traction.
Tom
Nejc suggested Maria Luggau, which is a bit far away from Grossglockner. But I must take a note about the Loibl Pass, which doesn't seem like any significant detour.