Austrian & Swiss Alps Motorcycle Tour
August 2024 | 11 Days | Five Countries
Our August 2024 journey through the Austrian and Swiss Alps delivered an unforgettable 11-day adventure across five countries. From the legendary B500 through Germany’s Black Forest to Austria’s magnificent Grossglockner, from Switzerland’s spectacular Furka Pass and the famous Andermatt loop to the sweeping roads of the Belgian Ardennes, this tour showcased some of Europe’s most iconic Alpine passes and driving roads. Blessed with exceptional weather throughout, stunning mountain scenery, and incredible riding, this tour truly delivered everything an Alpine motorcycle adventure should be!
Day 1: Le Shuttle to France – Reims-Gueux Circuit
Our Alpine adventure began with a busy morning at Le Shuttle, with a bit of drizzle greeting us as we waited to board. Once through the tunnel, we made a quick dash down the A26 before stopping to fuel up both bikes and riders. Then came the moment we’d all been waiting for—leaving the motorway behind and hitting the good roads!
As is always the norm for the back roads of France, we encountered very little traffic all day. The roads stretched before us, peaceful and inviting, perfect for settling into our touring rhythm. Our traditional stop at Reims-Gueux provided a wonderful connection to motorsport’s golden era. Standing at this historic circuit, it’s easy to imagine what it must have been like to watch Fangio and his rivals battling it out for glory on these very streets.
An excellent first day concluded with a great meal at our hotel, where the ham hock with Munster cheese proved to be the popular choice of the evening. With everyone fed and happy, thoughts turned to tomorrow’s ride—the legendary B500 and Baden-Baden await!
Day 2: Across France to Germany – B500 Approaches
A cool start to the day greeted us as we headed east across France towards Germany. Another traffic-free ride awaited, with a perfect mix of sweeping bends and long straight roads—ideal territory if you haven’t toured in Europe before. These roads offer the perfect opportunity to get comfortable riding on the opposite side of the road before the more technical twisty mountain passes appear later in the tour.
We ticked off our lunch and coffee stops throughout the day, capturing photos of the beautiful French countryside as we progressed eastward. A short ferry ride across the Rhine brought us into Germany, and suddenly we found ourselves near Baden-Baden at the start of the legendary B500. Anticipation was building—the Black Forest awaited!
Lots of happy faces gathered around the dinner table after a great day’s ride. Tomorrow we’d be riding the B500 in its full glory, then crossing into Bavaria for our next night’s stay close to the Austrian border and the foothills of the Alps. The real Alpine adventure was about to begin!
Day 3: The Legendary B500 – Through the Black Forest
Riding the B500 on a glorious sunny morning is hard to beat! This legendary road through the Black Forest is everything a motorcyclist dreams of—flowing corners, spectacular forest scenery, and smooth tarmac stretching through one of Germany’s most beautiful regions.
A stop at Mummelsee provided the perfect opportunity for photos and a bit of fun—hats were tried on, and we discovered that the famous cuckoo clocks were perhaps a little too large to strap to the backs of our bikes! Unfortunately, some sections of the B500 were closed for repairs, but being in the Black Forest meant the diversion roads were excellent as well. You simply can’t go wrong on these roads.
Heading away from the Black Forest, we crossed huge expanses of German farmland as we traveled towards Bavaria. Fabulous weather accompanied us all day, and despite a few more diversions to navigate, we made excellent progress. We arrived at our hotel in the foothills of the Alps, close to the border with Austria. Tomorrow, the real Alpine passes would begin!
Day 4: Into Austria – Alpine Meadows and Mountain Peaks
Another beautiful day dawned as we headed away from Bavaria and crossed into Austria. The moment we passed the border, the scenery transformed dramatically. Suddenly we were riding with towering mountain peaks rising on each side, their slopes covered in lush green Alpine meadows. This was the Austria we’d come to experience!
We soon tackled our first proper Alpine pass of the day, climbing up to our lunch stop in a charming ski resort. Every time we visit this place, there’s a delightful surprise—cows randomly wandering along the main street, completely oblivious to the traffic, just doing their own thing. It’s one of those quintessentially Austrian moments that makes you smile.
After lunch, it was a relatively short ride to our hotel, giving everyone the opportunity to enjoy the spa facilities and plunge pool if they wished, or simply have a wander around town before dinner. We had a two-night stay here in Austria, and with excellent weather forecast, the main choice for tomorrow’s ride-out was clear: the magnificent Grossglockner High Alpine Road!
Day 5: The Grossglockner – Austria’s Alpine Masterpiece
Most of the group elected to ride the amazing Grossglockner—and why wouldn’t you? With spectacular scenery and one of Europe’s most celebrated biking roads on offer, it was an easy decision. The Grossglockner High Alpine Road is Austria’s crown jewel, a magnificently engineered route that climbs through 36 numbered hairpin bends to over 2,500 meters altitude.
Splitting into smaller groups, everyone went at their own pace, stopping for photos and coffee whenever inspiration struck. The views were absolutely breathtaking—towering peaks, glaciers, Alpine meadows, and perfectly engineered hairpins that seemed designed specifically for motorcyclists. It’s impossible not to grin inside your helmet on roads like these!
We made it back to our hotel just before a massive thunderstorm rolled through—perfect timing! As rain lashed the windows, we relaxed inside knowing we’d experienced the Grossglockner in perfect conditions. Tomorrow we’d be heading west toward Switzerland for the second half of our tour, with even more amazing roads and Alpine vistas awaiting us.
Day 6: Austria to Switzerland – First Swiss Passes
We headed away from the Austrian Alps today, traveling west toward Switzerland for the second half of our tour. Glorious weather greeted us once again—we truly had been blessed on this tour with so much sunshine and perfect riding conditions. Fingers crossed it would hold for the remaining days of our adventure!
Crossing into Switzerland brought a new dimension to our Alpine experience. The Swiss have taken road building to an art form, with their passes offering not just spectacular scenery but also immaculately maintained surfaces and beautifully engineered corners. We ticked off our first two Swiss passes of the tour, with a coffee stop on the magnificent Fluela Pass serving as our final break before arriving at our hotel for the evening.
At dinner, traditional potato rösti proved to be the main choice among the group, though Gordon went rogue and opted for the mussels, which were apparently delicious! With satisfied appetites and tired but happy smiles all around, we turned our thoughts to tomorrow’s ride—traveling further west across Switzerland and ticking off even more spectacular passes as we went.
Day 7: Through Switzerland’s Greatest Passes – Bond Would Approve
Further west across Switzerland today as we headed toward our next two-night stay near the famous Andermatt loop. But before we arrived, we had the considerable “hardship” of riding yet more fantastic Swiss passes in yet more glorious weather! If this is suffering, we’ll gladly take more of it.
Our day started on the San Bernardino Pass, sweeping through magnificent Alpine scenery with barely another vehicle in sight. Lunch on the Lukmanierpass provided a chance to refuel both bikes and riders, with spectacular mountain views accompanying our meal. The Oberalppass followed, each pass seemingly trying to outdo the previous one in terms of scenery and riding pleasure.
To finish the day, we rode the legendary Furka Pass—forever linked to the James Bond film Goldfinger, where Bond’s Aston Martin famously pursued Goldfinger’s Rolls-Royce along these very hairpins. Standing at the viewpoints, it’s easy to see why filmmakers chose this location. The dramatic sweeping bends and stunning Alpine backdrop are simply unforgettable. Could we possibly top today with our ride-out tomorrow around the Andermatt loop? We’d certainly try!
Day 8: The Andermatt Loop – Swiss Alpine Perfection
A day riding around the best passes in the Swiss Alps—what’s not to like? Perfect riding weather greeted us again, and we really did draw the long straw on this tour. The Andermatt loop is legendary among motorcyclists worldwide, linking some of Switzerland’s most spectacular passes in one unforgettable circuit.
It’s really difficult to describe just how breathtaking the scenery is. We tried with a few photos, but to truly understand, you need to come and ride these roads yourself, stopping to take it all in. The combination of perfectly engineered hairpins, smooth tarmac, towering peaks, and Alpine meadows creates an experience that stays with you long after the tour ends.
Did today beat yesterday? The comments over dinner suggested it might have: “This tour just gets better and better” and “best roads I have ever ridden” were just some of the enthusiastic responses we heard. When people start struggling to find superlatives, you know you’ve delivered something special! Tomorrow we’d be heading north back toward France, but there were still many wonderful roads to be ridden before this adventure concluded.
Day 9: Leaving the Alps – The Grimsel Pass and Into the Vosges
One last ride up the Grimsel Pass as we headed away from the Alps today. The obligatory photo stop at the rusty biker statue was completed—a tradition for any motorcyclist passing through this iconic location. Then it was onwards across Switzerland, leaving the high peaks behind but certainly not leaving beautiful roads behind.
We used little-known back roads that wound their way north toward France, crossing beautiful countryside that was in the full throes of harvest. Golden fields stretched to the horizon, and the Swiss lakeside roads provided one last dose of scenic perfection. Crossing the border into France, we continued along more quiet, traffic-free back roads to our final coffee stop of the day.
Cakes and tubs of sorbet were the selected options—because why not? Suitably refreshed, we headed to our hotel for the evening on the edge of the Vosges mountains. Tomorrow we’d be traveling toward the Belgian Ardennes for our last overnight stop on this tour. The adventure wasn’t quite over yet!
Day 10: Through the Vosges to Belgium – Ardennes Welcome
We set off across the Vosges with lovely weather once again gracing our departure. Sweeping bends on traffic-free back roads accompanied us all the way through France and into the Belgian Ardennes. However, as the day progressed, it just got warmer and warmer—eventually hitting 36 degrees at one point! After the cooler Alpine temperatures, this came as quite a shock.
Everyone was thoroughly pleased to reach the air conditioning of our hotel and enjoy a cool beer before our last meal together. The hotel’s location next to the Semois River provided a beautiful setting for our final evening as a group. As we sat together reflecting on the incredible journey we’d shared, there was a wonderful sense of camaraderie and satisfaction. From the Black Forest to the highest Alpine passes, from Austrian meadows to Swiss engineering marvels, we’d experienced the very best of European motorcycle touring.
Day 11: Final Day – Through the Ardennes and Home
Our last ride of the tour began by taking us through some lovely wooded areas of the Ardennes, following the banks of the Semois River. The morning air was fresh and pleasant, perfect for our final miles together as a group. We stopped for coffee by the Meuse River, enjoying one last continental break before heading back to the UK.
A quick stop at the Chimay race circuit provided the perfect opportunity for final photos—motorsport heritage bookending our journey nicely, having started at Reims-Gueux. From there, we made our way toward the Channel Tunnel for our afternoon crossing. Duty-free shopping was completed, and we managed to catch an early train, which is always a bonus!
And so concluded another Columbus Motorcycle Tour—and what a brilliant bunch of riders to tour with! From the legendary B500 through the Black Forest to the magnificent Austrian Grossglockner, from Switzerland’s spectacular passes including the Furka and the entire Andermatt loop to the welcoming roads of France and Belgium, we’d covered some of Europe’s finest motorcycling territory. Blessed with exceptional weather throughout and accompanied by fantastic scenery at every turn, this tour delivered everything an Alpine adventure should be. Here’s hoping to see everyone again on another Columbus tour soon!
Interested in joining us on a future Austrian & Swiss Alps tour? Get in touch or view our upcoming guided tours.