Italian Lakes & Mountains

Tour Overview

Well here we are on our third mountain tour of the year and Italy truly is a wonderful place to visit. Almost three tours in one where we shall ride some amazing roads throughout the trip and cover France, Switzerland, and Italy. During the next 13 days we shall ride some of the spectacular passes of Italy and Switzerland combined with stunning scenery, the Lakes of Italy, Maggiore, Como and the largest of all Garda. Before reaching the truly magnificent Dolomite mountains.

Further more action to come as we make our way to Lake Resia in Northern Italy before reaching the picturesque town of Fussen in Germany. Leaving Fussen shall see us take a scenic route through Germany around lake Constance into the Black Forest before reaching the French Village of Munster in the southern part of the Vosges Mountains.

Our Penultimate day means we get to ride the Col De la Schlucht to reach the far side of the Vosges and then a cross country route across the Champagne region to our last nights stop in the cathedral city of Reims before our final leg back to Calais.

Day One: The tour starts with the usual early morning sailing from Dover to Calais. During the crossing there will be time for refreshments, breakfast and a briefing by your tour leader and an overview of the tour.  Once in France we will head southeast towards the first overnight stop near Troyes set in the scenic woodland of the De La Foret Natonal Park.

On this first day we will seek out some good cross-country roads and avoid much of the traffic as possible. Your hotel is  a pleasant 3 star hotel with good facilities including an outdoor pool and our evening meal is provided where we shall dine together as a group. 

Day Two : After breakfast we will continue the journey southeast across rural France towards the Swiss border. As usual, coffee, lunch and rest stops will be taken where ever and as often as possible. Once in Switzerland we will continue towards the next overnight location in the popular town of Interlaken, where your accommodation has been reserved in a comfortable, art nouveau hotel offering an indoor swimming pool, sauna and steam bath to soak the aches away.

Tonight you are free to make your own dining arrangements in either the hotel, or from the variety of restaurants in town.

Day Three:  Leaving Interlaken behind us we will continue on our way to the first of the mountains. Shortly after Meiringen we will climb - firstly the wonderful Grimsel Pass to Gletsch and then head through Brig over the Simplon Pass which will take us into Italy crossing the border at Bugliaga before dropping down through Domodossola. We continue the descent towards the shores of Lago Maggiore and the picturesque lakeside town of Stresa, which is our base for the next two nights.

Your 4 star hotel sits right on the shore overlooking the lake and is just a short walk to the centre, as well as a variety of restaurants and cafes. Feel free to unpack and relax for the next couple of days where you are free to do your own thing.

Day Four Free Day: Today is the first of the free days for you to relax and spend some time on the lake. Nearby are the The Giardini Botanici dell'Isola Madre which are historic botanical gardens located on the grounds of Isola Madre in the Borromean Islands of Lake Maggiore, accessible by ferry from Stresa, The gardens extend in seven terraces across the small island of Isola Madre, originally inhabited by Count Lancillotto Borromeo in the early sixteenth century.

They were designed for Count Vitaliano Borromeo all’Inglese (in the English style) in the late eighteenth century on the site of a citrus orchard, and have remained essentially unchanged since. Among their many visitors have been Napoleon Bonaparte, Gustave Flaubert, and Théophile Gautier.

Day Five:  Time to leave Stresa now however pretty much a lazy day with a short but scenic ride around the lakes to our next location on the shores of Lake Como. The ride will take us along the shores of Lake Maggiore to Locarno and then south to Lugano. Then north, along Lake Lugano to take the short ferry crossing to Bellagio where our next hotel awaits us in this very picturesque village. 

Day Six:  Plenty of time for a relaxing breakfast before we pack up and continue the journey east, again a scenic route using mainly local roads to the northern tip of Lake Garda before following the Lake south to our base for the next two nights in Brenzone.  Our 3 star hotel will provide you with great views of Lake Garda, its own pier and private beach.

Day Seven Free Day: Another free day for you to relax in the beautiful surroundings of Lake Garda and your hotel, however the city of Verona is a short drive away and well worth the visit which is home to lots of festivals and markets and boasts a 2000 year old Roman Arena as the towns centrepiece.

Day Eight: Reluctantly we must leave the lakes and head north, through the wine-regions of Trento, towards the magnificent Dolomites - home to some of the best biking roads in Europe and another UNESCO world heritage site. Our base for the next two nights is in the town of Sesto at the foothills of the Dolomites, where a truly exceptional 4 star hotel awaits us. For the next two nights we shall dine together and spend some time sharing our holiday moments.

Day Nine Free Day: A great way to spend our last free day together, either choose to relax in the surroundings of your hotel and take advantage of the wellness facilities available, however our planned ride out will see us explore the Dolomites and experience some fantastic roads on hand. 

Day Ten: Today we leave the dolomites and head for the beautiful town of Fussen in Germany home to the Schloss Neuschwstein and Lech River falls. Another fantastic route and great traffic free roads ahead of us on our scenic route into Austria before crossing the German border and entering Fussen.

Day Eleven: Our route today shall see us ride cross country through Germany, around lake Constance before entering the southern part of the Black Forest and then crossing the French border into the Vosges Mountains to the village of Munster. Dinner tonight will be a group affair.

Day Twelve:  The day starts with a wonderful ride over the twisting Col de la Schlucht to reach the far side of the Vosges, followed by a cross-country ride along back roads towards the Champagne region. Once in Reims, the capital of the region, we will check into our 3 star hotel, located just a stone’s throw from the cathedral. As this is the last night of the tour dinner will be together where we can share our experiences of the last 12 days.

Day Thirteen: Today we have a choice of routes - a quick cruise up the motorway back to the ferry, or the chance to take one last enjoyable cross-country ride along the back roads of France. Whichever route you chose, we will catch a mid afternoon back to Dover where are time together will end.

Tour Highlights:

Interlaken
Gimsel pass
Simplon Pass
Lake Maggiore
Lake Como
Lake Garda
Italian Dolomites
Fussen
French Vosges 
Col De La Schlucht