Calais to Vervins 155 miles about 4 hours riding

This route picks up at the Eurotunnel on the French side assuming travellers are starting from a UK base.

If part UK travel is to be included on day 1 you should probably travel no further into France than Reims. This route suggestion stops north of Reims and as the route avoids main roads it will take about 4 hours travel time from Calais. If you have a lengthy UK journey prior to the Chunnel then you could reduce this to a little over 2 hours using motorways and toll roads. A mix of roads may work out best.

Use the E40 east towards Dunkirk to escape Calais and exit at Junction 51 to take the D218 to D1d, then the Rue du Vliet alongside the waterway to join the D11 and from there head to Cassel where the Flanders museum may prove of interest. It’s also a nice place for a coffee break. If wet, take care on the cobbled streets!

The roads through this northern part of France are relatively straight so plotting an interesting route is more about the villages you pass through than the roads you will be riding. Generally, I’d suggest you avoid Lille unless you plan to stop there. It is a nice city but as with all cities the traffic can be hectic and so it will slow your progress quite a bit. The D or N roads will take you through a succession of villages interspersed by farmland that should make a more enjoyable journey.

I recommend you head for Scarpe-Escaut Regional Natural Park followed by Avesnois Regional Natural Park not necessarily on the roads I have selected and unless you want a faster route avoid the A23. Avesnes-sur-Helpe or Vervins are good places to end the day.

La Tour du Roy Hotel in Vervins is a Chateau and a quaint hotel with nice food and quite inexpensive.

Vervins to Metz 200 miles about 5 hours riding

Today you will experience some of the lesser travelled roads around the French/Belgium and Luxembourg borders beginning in an easterly direction into the Ardennes Regional Natural Park to reach Belgium. The D1 where it crosses back and forth across the Meuse makes an interesting detour and should make your journey to the border about 90 minutes.

The mainly single track roads through the woodland along the border region makes a relaxing ride though I’ve plotted a route to the Chateau de Bouilon from which you command great views and the castle is well preserved considering it sits on land that has been much fought over in past centuries. If you are not into old buildings there is a go cart track nearby which can also be fun break from riding.

The town of Etalle is of little significance but it makes a suitable lunch time stop if you have not already dined. Then follow the N83 towards Arlon until you join the A4 towards Luxemburg. The city of Luxemburg is nice but you may prefer to avoid the city traffic, so, I suggest to avoid the city you use the ring road exiting onto the A3 south until you join the A13.

End the day in Metz. I’ve not listed a hotel here because the only place I’ve ever stayed nearby is the Mercure Hotel in Thionville. It’s a typical modern hotel with nothing of particular note though it is in the heart of town. If you decide to book then rather than eat at the hotel consider heading into the town where there are many restaurants serving excellent local produce. Closer to Metz is Amneville that might offer alternative accommodation though I’ve only ever passed through so cannot comment. Metz is a lovely city with outstanding stained glass in some buildings.

Metz to Baden-Württemberg 175 miles about 5 hours riding

You will now make your way to the Black Forest to join the road from Baden-Baden to the Swiss border though much of that road will be day 4 in this trip, first you need to reach Baden-Baden and then you get to ride the better part of the B500.

Take the D954 out of town to Boulay-Moselle then join the D25, later the D73 and further on the D72 to join the D603 at Oderfang and follow that towards Forbach. There is a McDonalds on a roundabout where the N61 and D662 join that makes a suitable refreshment stop.

The roads through the Vosges du Nord Regional Park are mainly good. My choice would be the D36 and D141 although those riding cruiser style bikes might prefer the D662 and D1062 which is a wider road with gentler turns. When you cross the Rhine I hope there are ships in the locks because it makes an interesting stop to observe and in particular note this is powered by hydro electricity generated by the water drop in the locks. As you enter Germany the D4 becomes the B500 and will lead to Baden-Baden where you can take another refreshment break.

Head south on the B500 until you join the B28 where you take the left fork to Freudenstadt a good place to end the day. I’d suggest you consider the Hotel Techelwald which you will find on the outskirts of Freudenstadt. I found it a nice hotel although as with many properties in the region it looks a bit like the inside of a sauna in parts. I visited, though didn’t stay in some other hotels, there are many others to consider.

Baden-Württemberg to Interlaken 190 miles about 6 hours riding

As you depart Freudenstadt take the southbound L404 to Bad Rippoldsau then turn left and onwards through Schapbach to Wolkach. Continue south on the 33 to join the 500 at Triberg and continue to Lake Titisee which is a good rest break stop.

Continue South on the 500 to the Swiss border and to cross the Rhine at Koblenz and enter Switzerland. Remember to get some Swiss Francs in addition to Euro! Continue south on the 5 to join the 26 where you might want to visit the castle (Schloss Wildegg though I have never stopped there so cannot comment).

You will pass Lake Hallwil, Lake Baldegg and Lake Sempach on your way to lake Lucerne, any of these are nice spots to stop if you need a break. Lakes Sarnen, Lungern and Brienz come next.  You will end the day at Interlaken where there are many fine hotels though I always recomend the Hotel Sonne. I know it's a bit ethnic and you may prefer a nicer place but you probably won’t find kinder people. I've written about this elsewhere so bore you with that again.

Interlaken to Lugano 170 miles about 5 hours riding

If the weather is clear take a trip up to Gundlischwand and follow the trail up the mountain as far as you can go, or take the Schynige Platte Railway up there if you want a break from riding. The views are quite rewarding and make the effort worthwhile.

Heading west along the southern shore of Lake Thun branch off to the south towards Frutigen and onwards up the mountain past the glacier you will reach Kandersteg Railway Station. Here there is a vehicle carrying shuttle service takes you through the mountain to Goppenstein and from here you ride again as you make your descent. Before going check train times and ticket prices. The train used to be every 30 minutes and it cost CHF 19 per bike but that might have changed because of the virus.

The E62 (shown on the map as 9) is Simplonpass another great mountain pass with some road tunnels that bring you around Mount Leone and into Italy where your route will descend to Lake Maggiorie. I suggest you stop for lunch at Verbania.

From here you could take a ferry across the lake but I suggest you head north around the lake to cross back into Switzerland then south to Lake Lugano to end the day in Lugano.

I can recommend the Best Western on the waterfront. Note that most rooms don’t have waterfront views but those that do can be noisier because the road in front gets a lot of traffic. All Best Western Hotels are independently owned and managed. Best Western is merely a marketing brand but they also impose certain standards so you can rest assured that you will get a given quality. That’s why we use them often in our tours.

An alternative to the Railway Tunnel and the remainder of this route is to take the Grimsel Pass and Furka Pass (south east of Interlaken)  each of which have several hairpin bends in fairly rapid succession. Great fun on a sports or touring bike!

Lugano to Brescia 180 miles about 6 hours riding

Head north east along the lake to Porlezza then down the other shore to Osteno from here you will rise high above the lake so remember to stop and look back or take pictures. Take the SP14 to the junction with the SP14 then turn left (south). This will bring you over to Lake Como. Head south to Como where you should probably take a break and explore the town.

Next head north to Bellagio, which is also worthy of exploration, before turning to the south on the other fork of the lake. This time do not follow the lake, instead head uphill on the SP41 to Magreglio and later Asso, where you turn back using the SP46 to the lake re-joining at Onno and from there head to Lecco on the SP 583.

I have mapped the SP27, a great road north of Bergamo near San Pellegrino Therme over to Lovere but if you feel this is too long you can use the A4 between Bergamo and Brescia. This road will drop you down at the north side of Lake Iseo. From there head south the Brescia where the Mille Miglia race starts each year.

I suggest the Hotel Master because it is well placed for getting away from the city yet many of the local sites including Roman ruins are within a short walk. You will find it easier if you use the carpark at the back of the building rather than the one at the front. Access from Via Cesare Lombrosso.

Brescia to Bormio 195 miles about 6 hours riding

Having based many tours at the Hotel Master I could tell you about so many routes from Brescia that are all fantastic but we need to start the homeward journey and so I’m taking you north towards Austria. We begin by heading north to Lake Idro then Lake di Ledro. These lesser lakes get far less traffic than the larger ones yet are more picturesque.  From Ledro you descend to the northern end of Lake Garda a suitable spot for a short break.

Leave Garda on the SS421 which will wind up the hill and pass another of the lesser lakes, Lago di Tenno, as you move in a northerly direction passing Tione de Trento where we join the SS239 and continue to Dimaro where we break for lunch.

Head west on the SS42 to Edolo where we take another rest break before turning north on the SS38 to Bormino where we end the day. The hotel I recommend in the 4 star rated Hotel San Lorenzo a lovely old spa hotel in the centre of town. There are numerous other hotel available in this popular winter ski resort.

Bormino to Innsbruck 130 miles about 5 hours riding

Depart Bormino heading in a nortbeasterly direction on the SS38 to cross the Stelvio Pass. Personally, I think there are more exciting roads in the Apls but the Stelvio is one that most will have heard on and many regard as a bucket list ride, so, that's how we start this day. At Prato we deviate course onto the SP50 and later the SP85 and onwards to the SP40 where we take a break at Curon Venosta which sits nestled between two lakes; Lago di Muta and Reschensee close to the Austrian border.

We largely follow the course of the Inn river and we continue North to Flow where we could take a tunnel through the mountain but where's the fun in that? We are going to ride over it. I think you will be surprised at how many villages there are in this part of the mountains. We take a lunch break at Wenns before progressing east to end the day in Innsbruck.

I’ve suggested a Best Western here, the Goldener Adler Hotel. It is to the west of the city centre close to the river. It offers old fashioned charm yet has modern conveniences.

Innsbruck to Lenggries 190 miles about 5 hours riding

An annual classic can event takes part along the Deutsche Alpenstrasse. It is a long journey and that is part of the challenge. This route shall embrace some of the roads used over the next two daysstarting at Schneizlreuth.

To get there we take the road east of Innsbruck heading towards Saltsburg. It has many gently curves and as this region is surrounded by ski slopes you can expect mountain views all day. Take the B171 rather that the E45. It largely follows the course of the River Inn. At Worgi join the B178. I made a note that I liked the B178 when I rode it in 2014 but haven’t been there since so I’m sorry I’m a bit vague about this stretch. I was heading from Saltsburg to Innsbruck whereas you are going in the opposite direction. Don’t go as far as Saltsburg though. As you cross the German border you want to join the B305 to get onto your Deutsche Alpenstrasse route.

The Deutsche Alpenstrasse is not a single road it is rather a collection of roads along a line through the Alps. The classic car even rarely uses the same route each year. As such there is great veriety along this trail if you want to deviate from the path indicated on my map. 

I have broken the route at Lenggries because it’s an appropriate time and there are many hotels in Lenggries but as I’ve never stopped there I cannot make a recommendation for accommodation.

Lenggries to Lindau 180 miles about 5 hours riding

Today we continue in and around the Deutsche Alpenstrasse. As you will have discovered yesterday this route not only offers roads that twist all day with spectacular views opening up around each bend but there are also an number of Bavarian Castles and ancient Monasteries to see not to mention an abundance of cheeses to taste.

We head north from Lenggries to join the B472 where we head west then south on the B11 passing Kochelsee and Walchensee at Kochel and onwards to Barmsee where we take our first refreshment break.

We now join the B2 heading west until Oberau where we connect with the B23. From this point onwards I’m not going to dictate roads because you really cannot go wrong. There are so many great roads in this area that providing you keep progressing in a westerly direction you will have fun and eventually reach Bodensee.

We end the day at Liddau. The only hotel I’ve stayed in here was the Best Western on the east side of the bay. It is 3 star budget end hotel in a fairly modern block. There are plenty others that could be used.

Lindau to Goumois 195 miles about 6 hours riding

We depart Lindau heading south as we cross into Switzerland where a lot of the roads have names rather than numbers, so, I’m not going to list them all. Generally, you will cross the country in a westerly direction until you reach the French border.

Near Grabs we deviate west until we reach Starkenbach take a short break and discuss options because you have a choice. Just between the bar and the lumberyard there is a minor road signposted to the Seluner-Bahn ski lift heading due south. That will ultimately take you to Wallensee. About 100 yards down the road there is a fork, the right hand looks the better road but is a dead end several miles later. The left fork is the one you need until about 50 yards on when it forks again and this time, you need the right fork. You will note on the warning sign that says vehicles are prohibited during winter months though there is also another saying it is permissible on trails bikes. I’ve crossed this on a Triumph Sprint GT and although the road is narrow and at times in poor condition it is navigable and there are a few sparce communities along the way. It only 10 miles and takes about 30 minutes to cross over to the lake and another 40 minutes to reach Hurden.

Those who don’t feel up to the challenge continue on the 16 to Wattwil where they join the 8. Follow that to Obersee are regroup at Hurden where the bridge/causeway separates the lakes. Those taking that route should arrive a sooner than those on the unclassified road so might want to relax and enjoy the scenic location.

At Eich there is a snackbar and picknic area opposite the petrol station where you can stop for lunch.

The Alt-Falkenstein Castle at the town of Klus makes an interesting journey break. It sits on the edge of the Thal National Park and houses a museum that is a mix of archaeological from fossils to ceramics and military guns cannon and other weapons.

The road 30 will take you through the park and onwards to the French border at Goumois where you end the day. I recommend the Hotel Tailard a lovely 4 star rated alpine lodge but I'm sure there will be more budget prices hotels nearby though I cannot recommend any.

Goumois to Troyes 190 miles about 5.5 hours riding

Today you head in a north-westerly direction into French wine producing areas and end the day in the champaign region. As you are riding there won’t be much chance to sample the produce especially with the French low alcohol threshold of 0.5mg/ml of alcohol per litre in your blood.

You begin on the D437B as the road snakes it way to Trevillers and onwards towards Les Breseux where we join the D437 heading to Saint Hippolyte. Later you join the D36 which becomes the D31 at Vellerot-lès-Belvoir. Keep on the D31 to L’Isle-Sur-le-Doubs a little north of which it becomes the D18. You then need to join the D9 to Esprels where you should take a refreshment break. If you want a deviation from riding the Château de Villersexel nearby is and can be visited at times.

Continue in the D9 to Vesoul where you join the D13 and later the D59 then D3 as you progress further to the west until Combeaufontaine where you join the N19 which will bring you to Langres, a good stop for lunch. The Port des Moulins is an interesting structure on the edge of the old town fortifications. It takes its name from the mills that once stood on the outskirts of town.

Follow the N19 to Humes-Jorquenay where you rejoin the D3 which later becomes the D145 and then the D45 just short of Cunfin where you will join the D67 continuing to Essoyes where you might want to take another refreshment break. There is a small square just before you cross the Ource that is convenient place to park. The Mayors office is at the end of the square. If that happens to be full there is another car park on the opposite bank behind the Tudor style house but not as easy to access.

the D67 and later D167 will bring you to Merrey-sur-Arce (or merry sore arse as I’ve heard it called by a weary rider) here you join the D671 all the way to Troyes. I’ve only rarely stayed in an Ibis and although they are competitively priced I'd not ordinarily recommend them. There are 2 of them next door to each other. One with the red livery, the other is green. The green is Ibis Styles. They are convenient for the cinema complex and the city centre. You have to pay for the car parks but there may be space on the pavement outside the hotel. Cannot really recommend any French restaurant here because last time I ate here I went for a curry!

Troyes to Arras 180 miles about 4.5 hours riding

This will be the last day of this journey as we head north back towards Calais. Albeit the day ends about 70 miles short of Calais because I have found that as you get closer to the port accommodation becomes more expensive and the quality drops. Added to that I recognise that some might want to visit locations associated with the world wars and that not all using this tour route will be heading back to the UK. Therefore, Arras seems an appropriate spot to end the trip.

For those who are UK bound and want to bash on, you can reach the port in a little over an hour using major roads or on the backroads around 2 hours. For the rest this should make an easy route to the coast the following day before onward travel.

For this day though we still need to reach Arras so let me outline my suggested route.

the D667 is like one of those roads the romans were famed for because it runs straight mile after mile. About 17 miles north of Arras join the D10 by taking the 2nd exit (left) at the roundabout then first right. The D10 becomes the D71 at Allibaudieres and at Salon you want to turn north (right) onto the D7 which becomes the D43 until Fere -Champenoise where you join the D9. As you approach a roundabout with a tree in the middle and a mound in the distance (all else is flat around here) you want to take the 2nd exit (left) onto the D40 until you intersect with the D933. Turn left on the D933 signposted Meaux etc until you reach Champaubert where you join the D42. I recommend you take a break at Orbais-l'Abbaye

The Abbey dates from the 7th century and the village grew around it. The square in front of the church is a convenient place to stop because it has ample parking. There are two sport to grab a coffee one with seating outside, the other is more of a bar/restaurant.

Join the D11 to Beaumont and then the D18 to Terlou-sur-Marne where you join the D6 to Soissons an ancient French town where I suggest you break for lunch. During the 100 Year War, the French massacred English archers stationed at the town's garrison. They also raped and killed many French citizens in the town. This was greeted with shock throughout Europe. The town was heavily bombarded during WWI and was left almost in ruins. The Mayors offing (Hotel du Ville) is a rather grand building and the vast car park opposite is a good spot to stop.

Exit Soissons on the D1 to Condren where you join the D53 then left onto the D32 to Cugny where you take the D937 to Ham where I suggest you consider another break. The Chateau de Ham sits on the banks of the Somms and dates from 1052. Although it remains a listed building it was dynamited by the Germans in 1917 and remains in ruins.

The D737 continues north where you will join the D1017 then D917 which will bring you to Arras where I have suggested another Ibis for the night.