Italy Advice Please

[gbags]

Hi, I'm heading down to Italy in two weeks time and then plan to ferry across from Bari to Macedonia.

Can anyone suggest any decent routes, POI on the way down? I thought of heading down the west side, Genoa-Florence-Naples then cross to Bari but we primarily want good mountain A or B roads and older towns/villages. This is my first time past Florence so I'd appreciate your experience if you know the area.

Cheers,

G

[moto al]

Hi bud , will be in Pisa ,2 weeks today . Your more than welcome to join us .moto Al (thumbs)

[gbags]

Hi Al,
How long will you be there for? We planned a few days on the way down, around Annecy to Briancon. Then on down towards Pisa.

[moto al]

Hi Al,
How long will you be there for? We planned a few days on the way down, around Annecy to Briancon. Then on down towards Pisa.

hi bud our plans ,28th meeting up with Moto pals in Pisa ,29th Glasgow pals bagni di Luca .30th family biss rapallo ,then head south too Livorno . Elba? Corsica .sardinia .weather dictates...??? Cheers Al la dolce vita. :pinch: (thumbs)

[Wapping]

You really do have to laugh sometimes...

Hi, I'm heading down to Italy in two weeks time...... we primarily want good mountain A or B roads and older towns/villages....G

....and wonder what the sudden (two weeks notice) lightbulb moment brought about the urgent need to ride to Macedonia (down good mountain A and B roads, natch) was. 'Older villages' is a new one though; 17th century OK?

The central spine of Italy is nothing but mountains, hills and littered with towns or villages.

What have you been doing for the last 365 or more days?

What happens to your holiday if nobody replies?

Do you own a map? That's a serious question as many bods that I encounter don't.

At least give us a clue how many days you intend to spend wandering in the wilderness between points A and B; it will help to give bods some idea as to whether to suggest one, two or three or more days 'doing great roads' and old towns or villages over roughly 1000 km's between Genoa and Bari. I guess two or three, but I could be wrong?

It takes time and effort from third parties to suggest and type answers to appeals for help on 'one thousand km journies down twisty roads' questions like this, often with little or no information from the questioner and precious little thanks afterwards. Try and make an effort, it's why you ride an Adventure bike and subscribe to an Adventure forum.



PS As you've now had over 160 views and no truly useful suggestions as to how to fill in a significant gap in your holiday itinerary, I have at home a whole bunch of Italian touring maps, books, pamphlets, routes and suggestions all garnered, stolen, bought and borrowed over the years. I'd gladly share them with you but I am in Stockholm. There are some really good ones and some shite ones too; but in truth nothing that you couldn't work out with a map, a cup of tea (or 'brew', to use the usual biker vernacular) coupled to a bit of imagination. Sing out if you want me to photocopy them when I'm back. It will only take me 10 minutes to pick out the main ones.....And work's photocopy paper is free. Don't worry about the postage, I'll pay (thumbs)

[AndyB]

We always plan for the next year when we're away on holiday and find ourselves sitting outside bars in the evening full of enthusiasm for riding bikes. We've always got a full sheet map of Europe with us to get some ideas then use the inevitable wifi and an iPad mini to look in a bit more detail.

It's much easier when you plan your holidays around bike racing because you don't need to use too much imagination (thumbs)

[Oop North John]

To help Wapping target his offer of help, I'd suggest having a look here:

http://www.bestbikingroads.com/motorcyc ... __1608.htm

and here:

http://www.fim-europe.com/index.php/tou ... opean-maps which shows for example:

http://www.fim-europe.com/images/maps/map3_onepage.pdf

and have a look and see what others have written on what they think are great roads. I've used both before (thumbs)

I've been near here, but never on a bike, it's on my list of things to do:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gran_Sasso_raid

[gbags]

Thanks for all the replies.

John, I'll go through your suggestions tonight when I have more time; this is just a quickie.

Wapping, I put as much detail as I could down as we like to keep things fluid. We're heading down through Italy on our way to Istanbul and Gallipoli as we went to Bosnia last year. Two weeks ago we booked our ferry across the channel. That was on a whim. We had a squint at the Bari-Dubrovnic ferry but won't pre-book as we have no idea when we'll get there...or even IF weWe'll get there. If, when we get to Bari we find the weather is awful in Dubrovnic, we'll head further south. This is how we like to travel and the idea of a fixed itinerary with pre-planned stops fills us with horror.

So, for us, it really is as simple as, shall we head down the left or right of Italy? I was looking for suggestions as simple as, 'Try the A6' or 'Go to Livorno but think twice about Naples'. We'll take the advice along and follow whichever suggestions suits us on the day.

After Turkey we thought we'd come back via Romania and Hungary. I have one or two ideas about where to go and will look for more as we get nearer.
As for the maps, thanks but I'll pick one up for the tank bag when we get down there.
G

[fullerton]

Hi Al,
How long will you be there for? We planned a few days on the way down, around Annecy to Briancon. Then on down towards Pisa.

annecy luverly (lucky buggers)

steve

[fullerton]

You really do have to laugh sometimes...

Hi, I'm heading down to Italy in two weeks time...... we primarily want good mountain A or B roads and older towns/villages....G

....and wonder what the sudden (two weeks notice) lightbulb moment brought about the urgent need to ride to Macedonia (down good mountain A and B roads, natch) was. 'Older villages' is a new one though; 17th century OK?

The central spine of Italy is nothing but mountains, hills and littered with towns or villages

What have you been doing for the last 365 or more days?

What happens to your holiday if nobody replies?

Do you own a map? That's a serious question as many bods that I encounter don't.

At least give us a clue how many days you intend to spend wandering in the wilderness between points A and B; it will help to give bods some idea as to whether to suggest one, two or three or more days 'doing great roads' and old towns or villages over roughly 1000 km's between Genoa and Bari. I guess two or three, but I could be wrong?

It takes time and effort from third parties to suggest and type answers to appeals for help on 'one thousand km journies down twisty roads' questions like this, often with little or no information from the questioner and precious little thanks afterwards. Try and make an effort, it's why you ride an Adventure bike and subscribe to an Adventure forum.



PS As you've now had over 160 views and no truly useful suggestions as to how to fill in a significant gap in your holiday itinerary, I have at home a whole bunch of Italian touring maps, books, pamphlets, routes and suggestions all garnered, stolen, bought and borrowed over the years. I'd gladly share them with you but I am in Stockholm. There are some really good ones and some shite ones too; but in truth nothing that you couldn't work out with a map, a cup of tea (or 'brew', to use the usual biker vernacular) coupled to a bit of imagination. Sing out if you want me to photocopy them when I'm back. It will only take me 10 minutes to pick out the main ones.....And work's photocopy paper is free. Don't worry about the postage, I'll pay (thumbs)

i like to keep things a bit more simpler, travel on me own, head south cuase i read some where is usually warmer, oh and i might buy a new map at the first service station when i get of the boat.

Got to see some great places over the years that i would never have seen if i was more organised, but staying that ive ended up in some shit oles

steve