Alps & Southern France Motorcycle Tour
Ultimate European Motorcycle Dream
Spain | France | Switzerland | Italy
Jun. 27 — Jul. 13, 2023 Sold out
Jun. 26 — Jul. 12, 2024 9 Spots left
This is the journey motorcyclists around the world dream of! An exhilarating and comprehensive tour that traverses the best of the Alps, highlighting majestic mountain passes, beautiful valleys, and the most sought-after cities. Hands-down, this is the greatest motorcycle festival in all of Europe!
We will cross no fewer than 7 different countries on our motorcycle adventure: Spain, France, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Italy, and Liechtenstein.
We will travel passed dreamy lakes and beautiful valleys, as well as through the mountains of the breathtaking Swiss Alps, the impressive Italian Dolomites, and the great heights of the French Maritime Alps.
On our 15-day ride, we will ascend more than 50 mountain passes! These include such legendary and evocative names as Passo dello Stelvio, Passo del Rombo, Passo di Sella, Nufenenpass, Furkapass, Col de la Forclaz, and Col d’Iseran! We will also visit many other coveted destinations, such as Lake Como, Neuschwanstein Castle, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Merano, Saint-Moritz, Interlaken, Chamonix-Montblanc, and Gruyères.
But the icing on the cake on this incredible trip is the return, where we will ride through the south of France on the famous winding roads of the Massif Central. We will explore picturesque Provence and the rugged Land of Cathars, visiting the historic cities Avignon and Carcassonne. We finish our adventure by crossing the Pyrenees and heading back to the shores of the Mediterranean.
If you ever dreamed of riding more than the Alps, then this tour is for you as it really does have it all – wrapped up in one beautiful package!
IMTBike ROUTE rating
It is essential to know the different skill levels needed to participate in the IMTBIKE TOURS that are offered to you. IMTBIKE makes sure that it offers different tours for all riding styles and levels. The IMTBIKE team always works diligently in designing our routes. This is a laborious process which entails reviewing all road choices before selecting the best option for an IMTBIKE tour.
The most experienced motorcyclists looks for roads that require technical skill; narrow twisty roads with little traffic and endless curves. But these same roads would be too difficult for a less experienced rider.
The local driving habits, the amount of traffic, the asphalt quality and the radius of the curves vary considerably from country to country and even in different regions of the same country. They will also vary depending on the season of the year. All of these factors have been studied by IMTBIKE and have been taken into consideration when rating our tours.
IMTBIKE thinks it is also important to know about the different types of roads you will be enjoying on your tour. To understand the road types easier, IMTBIKE has divided them into two categories, and we have calculated an approximate percentage of each on all of our tours.
- TOURING ROADS: These are wider roads comprised mainly of larger radius sweepers. They are still curvy roads but not tight mountainous twisty curves. Please remember that you will ride very few straight roads on IMTBIKE tours!
- CHALLENGING ROADS: These are roads that are tight twisty turns which require more technical skill. Many times they will be narrower roads without a shoulder and sometimes with steep inclines or descents. Normally they will be mountainous roads accompanied by spectacular sceneries.
If you have never ridden a motorcycle outside of your country, or if you have little experience riding on mountain roads with many curves, we recommend that you choose a tour rated moderate or intermediate. If you have any questions or doubts please do not hesitate to call or email us. We are always happy to answer your questions to make sure that you choose the best tour for your riding level.
Moderate
This route offers wider sweeping turns that are easy to maneuver. This route may have some tighter turns in a few places but this will be the exception. Regardless, even on moderate tours you must be able to ride a large cylinder motorcycle in any condition. Never plan to learn how to ride a motorcycle on an IMTBIKE tour. We recommend having a minimum of 8.000 km (5.000 miles) of experience riding a large cylinder motorcycle to participate on a MODERATE rated IMTBIKE Tour and you should ride a motorcycle on a regular basis at home.
Intermediate
This route rating can have sections of very twisty curves on narrow roads with no center line to divide the road. There will also wider radius curves on these routes. Traffic conditions can be intense at times in some urban environments and the local driving habits may seem aggressive and unpredictable to you. It is imperative that you are an experienced motorcyclist. We recommend that you have a minimum of 12.000 km (7500 miles) of large cylinder motorcycle experience to participate on a INTERMEDIATE rated IMTBIKE Tour and you should ride a motorcycle on a regular basis at home.
Advanced
This route rating has long sections of technical narrow twisty roads and sometimes single lane roads. These twisty roads will often be in mountains where steep inclines and descents will be commonplace. Some riding days can be long and challenging. Traffic conditions can be intense at times in some urban environments and the local driving habits may seem aggressive and unpredictable to you. It is imperative that you are a very experienced motorcyclist on a large cylinder motorcycle. We recommend that you have a minimum of 16.000 km (10.000 miles) of large cylinder motorcycle experience on an ADVANCE rated IMTBIKE Tour and of course you should ride a motorcycle on a regular basis at home.
IMTBIKE Average Daily Riding Hours
5 to 7 hours
6 to 8 hours
7 to 9 hours
How many hours a day you ride on a tour is important information in helping you decide on the right IMTBIKE tour for you. Some tour members want to ride as many hours as possible everyday, while others prefer to stop more frequently and dedicate more time to enjoying the scenery, visiting cultural sights and arrive at the hotel earlier to relax before dinner. The daily riding hours are calculated including the coffee breaks and photo stops but they do not include the time taken for lunch.
Normally we’ll start our riding day at 9:30am and we will take about a one hour lunch break sometime between 1pm and 2pm. So if the daily riding hours for a given tour are 5-7, then you will arrive at the hotel between 3:30pm- 5:30pm depending on the average speed of the group.
Tour Facts
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Start / End BarcelonaTotal Distance 2.280 miles / 3.670 km
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Total Time 17 DaysRiding Days 15 Days
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Rest Days 2 Interlaken, AvignonBreakfast 16 Included Breakfasts
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Dinners 14 DinnersDaily Mileage 160-220 miles / 250-350 km
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Hotel Overnights 16 NightsRiding Season Summer
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Highlights: Barcelona, Passo di Stelvio, Col d'Iseran (highest pass in the Alps), Swiss mountain passes, French Tour de France passes (Telegraphe, Galibier...), Interlaken, Chamonix-Montblanc, Avignon, Carcassonne, PyreneesAccommodations: Good hotels with local charm and selection of boutique hotels.
*All IMTBIKE Hotels are carefully selected for their high quality of service, cultural interest in their regions and their strategic location, as well as for being Motorcycle Friendly.
Daily Itinerary
- Day 1: Arrival in Barcelona/Safety Briefing/Welcome Dinner
- Day 2: Board the ferry for the night crossing to Genoa
- Day 3: Genoa - Bormio
- Day 4: Bormio - Garmisch
- Day 5: Garmisch-Partenkirchen – rest day
- Day 6: Garmisch - Bolzano
- Day 7: Bolzano - Cortina d’Ampezzo
- Day 8: Cortina d’Ampezzo - Merano
- Day 9: Merano - Chur
- Day 10: Chur - Interlaken
- Day 11: Interlaken - rest day
- Day 12: Interlaken - Chamonix
- Day 13: Chamonix - Briançon
- Day 14: Briançon - Avignon
- Day 15: Avignon - Carcassonne
- Day 16: Carcassonne – Barcelona - farewell dinner
- Day 17: Flight back home
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Day 1: Arrival in Barcelona/Safety Briefing/Welcome Dinner
Transfer included from the Airport to the hotel. You will have some free time to relax or do some sightseeing before the welcome briefing. After the briefing, we will enjoy dinner together at one of our favorite restaurants and toast to the start of our trip through the Alps! The first and last days mentioned in the itinerary are the arrival and departure days for your tour. Depending on the country you are flying from, you may have to leave a day early. Please book your flights.
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Day 2: Board the ferry for the night crossing to Genoa
We’ll meet in the morning at the IMTBike base in Barcelona, conveniently located near our hotel. After checking the bikes and going through a technical briefing with the guides, the group will depart for the port of Barcelona. Here we’ll board the ferry that takes us to Genoa.
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Day 3: Genoa - Bormio
After a relaxing night cruise on the Mediterranean, we will awaken to the sight of the city of Genoa. Upon disembarking, we’ll head to the road that leads us to Milan. Later, we’ll tour Lake Como and the first Swiss mountain passes before reaching Bormio.
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Day 4: Bormio - Garmisch
This day begins with our ascent to the mythical town of Stelvio and its more than eighty “tornanti,” and then continues north, crossing the Austrian border after Passo di Resia, and later into Germany until we reach Garmisch- Partenkirchen.
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Day 5: Garmisch-Partenkirchen – rest day
Free day to enjoy what Garmisch has to offer, a wide variety of mountain-related activities and is a peaceful place to walk, relax and unwind; and even to try one of his quiet restaurants with a real German beer.
But for those who prefer to ride a bit more there are also tons of options in the surroundings. A visit to the famous and spectacular Neuschwanstein Castle, very close to Füssen, is really worth it. -
Day 6: Garmisch - Bolzano
We’ll say goodbye to Germany and cross into Austria again via the Ötz Valley, then back into Italy through the Passo del Rombo. Several valleys more, and we reach Bolzano—often referred to as the “Portal of the Dolomites.”
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Day 7: Bolzano - Cortina d’Ampezzo
A fantastic riding day in which we will enjoy more than half a dozen mountain passes through the imposing rocky masses of the Dolomites. The Dolomites are perhaps the section of the Alps with the greatest visual impact and most appreciated by lovers of two wheels. Our ride encompasses the Sella and La Marmolada massifs-- the highest rocks in this mountain range. And to top it all off, the Cortina d’Ampezzo-- the “Pearl of the Dolomites.”
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Day 8: Cortina d’Ampezzo - Merano
Today, we again cross the Dolomiti, though this time through the mountain passes to the west before changing course and continuing north. We will crest the Passo de Monte Giovo, then head south to the charming town of Merano, nestled amongst pristine valleys and gigantic mountains.
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Day 9: Merano - Chur
We will leave Italy through the Venosta Valley to move on to picture-perfect Switzerland. Ports such as Fuorn Pass or Flüela Pass will take us through delightfully twisty roads before arriving in the picturesque town of Chur-- the oldest city in Switzerland.
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Day 10: Chur - Interlaken
A day of great exploration and a treat for the senses! On this day, we will conquer the most famous passes in Switzerland: Oberalpass, St-Gotthardpass, Nufenenpass, Furkapass, and Sustenpass. We complete the day in idyllic Interlaken, where we’ll stay for the next two nights.
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Day 11: Interlaken - rest day
Free day in Interlaken. There are many options from which to choose in the area! A fan favorite is the highest train in Europe with tunnels in the massif to the Jungfraujoch, located at the foot of an immense glacier with the highest restaurant in Europe, the so-called Top of Europe. We can also ride our motorcycles through the lovely Emmental area.
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Day 12: Interlaken - Chamonix
Leaving Switzerland, we’ll climb the Juanpass, with a stop to visit the medieval town of Gruyères-- famous for its cheeses. After Col de la Forclaz, we will cross into France to reach famous Chamonix. Chamonix sits at the foot of the Montblanc massif, which is the highest mountain not only in the Alps, but in all of Europe.
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Day 13: Chamonix - Briançon
Crossing through the tunnel under Montblanc and back into Italy, we will ride such legendary mountain passes as the Col du Petit Saint-Bernard before returning to France. Here, the highest asphalt mountain pass in Europe awaits us: the Col de l’Iseran. Sitting at nearly 2800m, this is the highest point we reach in our trip. We will enjoy two more passes before reaching Briançon.
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Day 14: Briançon - Avignon
This is the day we say goodbye to the Alps. But the sadness won’t last long when you see what’s next! With the last of the alpine foothills in the rearview, we’ll ride along the Serre-Ponçon Lake, take the famous roads of Mont-Ventoux, then descend through the Provencal flower fields towards the historic city of Avignon.
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Day 15: Avignon - Carcassonne
From aromatic Provence, we’ll take the fantastic roads of the French Massif Central-- one of the most sought-after motorcycle destinations for expert French “motards.” Traveling through gentle mountains of forest and rock, and large vineyards, we will reach the beautiful walled city of Carcassonne.
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Day 16: Carcassonne – Barcelona - farewell dinner
We will cross the land of the Cathars, full of ancient castles on steep cliffs, and continue south until we reach the foot of the Pyrenees. Here, we will ascend beautiful mountain roads and cross the border from France back into Spain. We will travel to Barcelona and say goodbye to our faithful motorcycles back at the IMTBike base. After a rest at the hotel, the whole group will meet for a farewell dinner-- until the next adventure together!
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Day 17: Flight back home
Flight back home
Included in Tour:
- Airport pickup on the first day of the tour.
- Carefully selected hotels.
- Full breakfast every morning.
- A gourmet dinner every night (except on rest days).
- New model BMW motorcycle fully equipped with 3 BMW cases.
- Tour handbook (normally about 70 pages-very comprehensive) and highlighted map.
- Expert multilingual guide on a motorcycle.
- Multilingual guide in support vehicle which will carry your luggage, any oversized purchases you make; or even a passenger or two.
- Tour Souvenirs.
Not included in Tour:
- Air ticket, lunches, gasoline, drinks, tolls, personal spending and tips
