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You will arrive at your Hotel in Wasserliesch on the evening after we have departed our ferry, where you can aquire an evening meal if required. |
Scenic West Balkans Trip Itinery 7 Day Trip / 8 Nights Hotel Stay |
Saturday 20th July 2024 - Arrive at your hotel After 3hours 45minute journey from the ferry terminal, you will check in to your hotel, enjoy a nice shower, an evening meal, then meet in the bar for a well earned drink. |
Trip Day 1 - Sunday - Wasserliesch, Germany to Heiligenberg, Germany
Riding approximately 7hrs covering 312 miles with its highlight being the majestical Black Forest Initially we travel 100 miles on a scenic route to enjoy the smooth German tarmac on route to Baden-Baden and the great forest. Once there, we will visit one of Harley Davidsons flag ship European dealerships, ‘Rick’s’, and this allows us a comfort break. We will then proceed with what will be one of the most enjoyable forest rides you will probably experience, with stunning views when the tree line breaks, to long winding curves in the forest roads.
This road trip links Baden-Baden to Blumberg through magnificent views of the Black Forest valleys. By many considered the most beautiful holiday regions in Germany this panoramic route can’t be missed! The area is home to the cuckoo’s clock and black forest cake, unfortunately we don’t have time to stop and sample as this is a pure riding tour with riding being the main enjoyment.
You will see typical wooden houses and magnificent nature in abundance, as if in a fairy-tale scene that can be found in books. The road takes you through the dense pine forests, pastures and historic towns. All in all, we ride this magnificent part of our route for over 3hrs covering 110 miles.
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Trip Day 2 - Monday - Heiligenberg, Germany to San Giovanni, Italy
Riding approximately 7hrs and covering 240 miles through the fantastic Austrian Alps We start the day, continuing our journey on this Bavarian route, heading east with the Alps being dominant to the right of us. We travel for 70miles with fantastic scenic view in southern Germany before arriving at our first destination, Neuschwanstein Castle, which affords a comfort stop and great photographic opportunity. When we stop at the castle, you will be amazed by the extremely beautiful landscape that surrounds it. This fairy-tale look of the Neuschwanstein castle inspired Walt Disney to create the Magic Kingdom.
After leaving Neuschwanstein Castle, we will cross the border and head straight into the Austrian Alps, our final destination is just over the Italian border. We will travel 146 miles taking 4hrs 20minutes snaking our way through some of the most stunning scenery you will ever see. We endeavour to remain in the valleys, however there are some climbs with some tight bends as Austria is a mountainous country, but nothing which should trouble a beginner to touring. Olympic legends, Hollywood blockbusters and mountaineering marvels have been made and born on these peaks for decades.
The Austrian Alps divide neatly into three principal mountain ranges running in a west–east direction. The Northern Limestone Alps, bordering Germany, reach nearly 3000m and extend almost as far east as the Wienerwald (Vienna Woods). The valley of the Inn River separates them from the granitic Central Alps, a chain which features the highest peaks in Austria dwarfed by the majestic summit of Grossglockner (3798m and can be visited on our Summit to Sea Tour). The Southern Limestone Alps, which include the Karawanken Range, form a natural barrier with Italy and Slovenia. You will be able to marvel at this splendid sight as we work our way through the valleys, before arriving at our evening accommodation and a well earned evening meal which is included as part of the trip. |
Trip Day 3 - Tuesday – San Giovanni, Italy to Vinodolska Opcina, Croatia
Riding approximately 7hrs covering 245 miles with stunning alpine views, fantastic tarmac and great coastline. From our accommodation we travel 128 miles working our way through the Alpine roads of the Carnian Alps taking some 3hrs 23minutes where every turn in the road presents another fantastic scene or photo opportunity. Mineral-rich rivers like the Enns, Salzach and Inn wind their way through broad valleys and provide a scenic backdrop for pursuits like rafting in summer..
Lakes, too, come in all shapes and sizes, from the glacially cold alpine tarns to river filled lower land lakes. We then start to head down and out of the mountains towards Udine, it is from this point that the coastline will become into view and grow ever greater as we approach.
We travel the remaining 117 miles heading south, as we approach the coast, we will leave Italy, pass through Slovenia and then into Croatia, from this point we will hug the coast line whilst taking the most direct route to our evening accommodation. |
Trip Day 4 - Wednesday –Vinodolska Opcina to Split, Croatia
Riding approximately 7hrs covering 252 miles, whilst hugging one of the most beautiful known coastlines with magnificent views over the Adriatic Sea From the Premantura peninsula, home to the protected landscape of the Cape of Kamenjak, to the slender peninsula of Pelješac and its abundant vineyards, great swathes of Croatian coastline remain uniquely local and largely off the tourist track.
Ride with us, as we discover Croatia’s captivating coastal cities and sites, and celebrate the natural beauty of this enchanting country.
On this day, our tour of the Croatian coastline would not be complete without a short comfort stop in Split. Ever since antiquity, Spilt has been synonymous with the Roman emperor Diocletian, and where many episodes of the television series 'Game of Thrones' have been filmed. From Split, we continue our travel south to our evening accommodation. |
Trip Day 5 - Thursday - Makarska to Dubrovnik return
Riding approximately 5hrs 30minutes covering 230 miles, with the majority hugging the Croatian coastline and visiting the magnificent Dubrovnik. Again, we will hug the coastline and see magnificent scenery, beautiful blue sea and hopefully gleaming sun as we ride towards and into Dubrovnik. If you are a Game of Thrones fan, then this is the mecca, as Dubrovnik was often used for parts of ‘King’s Landing’, a vast sun-bleached fortification.
Or why not visit 'Onofrio’s Fountain' where 16 ornamental masks gush fresh water from a well 10 miles away, Maybe the sight of the 'Rector’s Palace' is your thing, which despite the passage of time and its conversion into the Cultural History Museum, has retained its 15th century plan.
No matter what you choose to look at, the riding is what we are all about, and that will have been the cherry on your cake. After a well-earned stop here and enjoying Dubrovnik’s tranquil harbour which completes your tour journey down Croatia’s most scenic coastal spots, we about turn and work our way back up the coast. You will enjoy a further 1hr 30minutes of beautiful coastal road, before heading slightly inland and heading to our evening accommodation (please note there are tolls on this last part of the route). |
Trip Day 6 - Friday - Kastela, Croatia to Eben im Pongau, Austria
Riding approximately 7hrs covering 441 miles through Krka National Park, including Croatia’s and Slovenia's hilly/mountainous countryside, and finishing in the scenic Austrian Alps. From our accommodation, we head into the hills of Croatia where we ride into Krka National Park. The park extends along the 73km Krka River and runs from the Adriatic near Šibenik inland to the mountains of the Croatian interior. It’s a magical place of waterfalls and gorges, which you will see aspects of as we ride through.
There are numerous sights built by humans which were a major draw of the region, the area’s remoteness attracting monks who then constructed their monasteries here. From this point we are trying to cover as much ground as possible, so our route takes us on numerous motorways, despite this, there is still plenty of fantastic scenery to view as we pass by. We continue our journey north towards Zagreb, before turning northwest and heading for Ljubljana.
It is at this point we head north again to the Austrian border. We continue to head north in the direction of Salzburg through the magnificent Alps and arrive at our evening accommodation with spectacular alpine views. (Please note there are tolls/vignettes on this part of the route) |
Trip Day 7 - Saturday - Eben im Pongau, Austria to Chalons en Champagne, France
Riding approximately 7hrs covering 536 miles crossing from Austria, into Germany and then into France. Due to the distance, we have travelled on this road trip, this is a necessary evil to get us close enough for a shortish ride into Calais without the need for an additional day. Although we are riding on the Autobahn all the way now, there is still great scenery to be seen. We initially are still in the Alps giving us fantastic alpine views, with mountains raising high to each side as we make our way towards Salzburg through the valley roads.
At Salzburg we turn west, with views of the German Alpines dominant to our left. We then head north and by-pass Munich and continue to head west but slightly north in the direction of Stuttgart. Around Stuttgart, we turn and go round the top of the Black Forest and back to Baden-Baden for fuel. We then continue to head west but slightly north, breaking into France at Metz and then continue to head west to our evening accommodation for a well earned rest. (Please note there are tolls/vignettes) |
Sunday 28th July 2024 - Check out and leave for the ferry and then home |
(Prices correct at time of display, but are subject to potential change) Accommodation will be booked in April 2023 so deposit needs to have been paid by then Deposit required Main Rider £300, Pillion £150, Second Bike £200 Remaining balance to be paid by 1st July 2024 (Deposit is non-refundable, as it will be used to pay for two hotels which need prepaying and your ferry crossings) Terms and Conditions of your Road Trip Whats included in your road trip Return Ferry crossing from Dover to Calais including premier lounge Whats additional for you to pay on this road trip All meals or drinks unless stipulated above Please ensure your are in a fit state to ride on each day of the road trip, we will always try where possible to ride with a staggered formation to ensure the group remains relatively close together, where road and traffic conditions allow, please ensure you leave a 2 second gap between you and the bike directly in front, not the one to the side of you. Please ensure you have a full tank of petrol prior to embarking on the ferry, this can be obtained at Tesco Extra, White Cliffs Park, Honeywood Parkway, Dover CT16 3PS Please bare in mind, added highway pegs, and exhaust modifications are illegal in Germany, and will incur a fine, and some places in France use sound monitoring equipment for loud pipes, this again will incur a fine. Click Here to return to the top of the page |
