renting moto guzzi in europe in 2008

[fernando]

hello guys ,and thank you jaap for the password .

 

i am planning a trip to europe in june 2008 ,my last trip was last year also in june .

but ,this time i found out that there is a dealer in mandello d'lario that rents bikes .

 

agostini

 

i am currently trying to get bikes from him and he seems to be very honest and straight forward .

there are 3 of us guaranteed and 2 more that may or not come . and agostini cannot at this time guarantee which bikes he may have in stock.

we need 2 norges and 1 california or bellagio for a rider who has a 27 inch inseam.

 

anyone here knows of anyone else who rents ?

i usually and for the past 15 years have rented from kopf in germany but it looks like the bikes we need he does not have .

 

also, i have another question. i usually ride in europe in late september /early october ,or last year for the first time we went in mid-june . always for 4 weeks .but the swiss passes were closed due to snow.

and in september we usually run into hotel problems becasue of all the conventions etc....

 

so the question.......anyone here has a time preference when it is best to do the dolomites ,and the austrian and swiss passes ,etc....

 

i plan to ride from either germany or italy to the swiss passes and on to chamonix and from there to provance and up to andorra (pyrennes ). and this time we will not go to barcelona . we plan to return from andorra to st, tropez and on to slovenia and from there up to dolomites ,munchen ,lindau and then on to return the bikes .

 

fernando

[Orson]

so the question.......anyone here has a time preference when it is best to do the dolomites ,and the austrian and swiss passes ,etc....

I like mid-May to mid-June since the kids are still in school, tourist traffic is low.

 

Also, the weather is generally still cool so you don't burn up in your riding gear

 

I'm highly impressed with Tuscany & Umbria as a riding destination. No mountain scenery but the picturesque landscape makes up for it in my opinion. Plus, lots of lodging to choose from as well as lots of good food

 

Edited to add: oops! You wanted the best time for riding the Alps. Sorry. In any case, I think the Alps are a bit over-hyped. Granted, the scenery is unbeatable but after 78 hairpin curves in 22 kilometers, it's almost like work! Add to that the iffy mountain weather could mean the scenery is secluded in mist and rain while you get rained on

 

Gimme fast sweepers in the south of France any day

[Frenchbob]

 

also, i have another question. i usually ride in europe in late september /early october ,or last year for the first time we went in mid-june . always for 4 weeks .but the swiss passes were closed due to snow.

and in september we usually run into hotel problems becasue of all the conventions etc....

 

so the question.......anyone here has a time preference when it is best to do the dolomites ,and the austrian and swiss passes ,etc....

 

i plan to ride from either germany or italy to the swiss passes and on to chamonix and from there to provance and up to andorra (pyrennes ). and this time we will not go to barcelona . we plan to return from andorra to st, tropez and on to slovenia and from there up to dolomites ,munchen ,lindau and then on to return the bikes .

 

fernando

 

That's quite a trip Fernando. Don't forget to take in Trieste: quirky, very East European despite being in Italy [just] and some impressive architecture, coastline and history. Also some impressive old industry to the east, so give that a miss. You can see a little of the nice bit behind me in my avatar pohoto.

 

The alps are usually fine in August, weatherwise, and not too many tourists. Anywhere in France or northern Italy will be relatively quiet then, too, because everyone's on holiday, usually in Spain or Greece!

[fernando]

thank you french bob and orson,

 

i really like italy but not south of milano. in a car yes ,with air condition ,not on a bike .it is just too hot.

 

and last year as i was about 30 k's from sienna ,a guy in a maseratti cut me off on a road and i ended up chasing him , passing him and kicking his door as i went by...i know ,stupid , and road rage ,but i had to get it done and i think i scared him for he slowed down and stayed way behind me.

 

also in thhis area it is too hot and hotels are difficult to get except during the months that you mentioned .

 

the passes and the small towns that are in or near them are what i like .

 

in the dolomites i like cortina d'ampezzo,and some of the smaller towns there but i like to walk at nite and only in bigger towns can i do this. and cortina is not that expensive during the off season ,

 

and in the pyrennes there is a small town that is sort of in the middle of two mountains,i forget the name now ,but it is just after you climb up from carcasonne and before you start the last climb into andorra la bella .

also, in the austrian passes there are quite a few towns that are great. ,nearby ,not in them.

 

and as a last stop on the way back to germany i like to spend 2 days in lindau in lake constanz and then ride south and around the lake into the swiss passes and back to heidelberg .

 

in italy ,around lake maggiore and como there is a lake in between , that has some great riding roads , and scary as you descend from the top of the mountain and down into the lake area . it is called lago d'idro and roca d'anfo. i plan to ride this one which i have never ridden ,next year.

 

well, again thank you for the info and i will ask the guys going with me if they want to do something different this year . i will show them your post and see what they say.