Europe

A collection of 82 posts

May/Jun '18 Premium Content

Italy: Smoke on the Water

Mt. Etna, the largest of Italy’s three active volcanoes, commands the view to the east of Enna, an ancient town built atop a hill in the middle of Sicily. A few miles farther and 2,000 feet higher on the road climbing out of the Dittano Valley, the smoking

Jan/Feb '18 Premium Content

Austria: Behind the Mountains

For the longest time, the high alpine valley of the Lungau sat in remote isolation, approachable only by treacherous pass roads. And the region’s old traditions and stunning natural appeal have been preserved very well. Two of the many reasons to travel there. It’s slightly decadent. Plenty of

Nov/Dec '17 Premium Content

The Azores: Little Adventure

Selecting a location roughly 75-percent smaller than Rhode Island to test a prototype adventure motorcycle would seem to be a less-than-ideal decision. However, just as one shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, never underestimate the level of excitement that can be found in a small space. Juggling Time

Sep/Oct '17 Premium Content

Germany: Down by the River

Germany is home to two famous rivers, the Rhine and the Danube. But it’s the underdog, the Main (pronounced “mine”) River, which connects some of the most beautiful motorcycling areas in the country. The Main meanders drunkenly between the most traditional and innovative beer brewing areas in Franconian Switzerland

Jul/Aug '17 Premium Content

England on Enfields: Stay Left, Look Right

“Look for Big Al. Tell him Tall Paul sent you …” With a wave, these words end our first black cab ride in London. Who’d have thought our cabbie would know someone at the one Royal Enfield dealer in East London, where we are staying, on a trip that will

Mar/Apr '17 Premium Content

Portugal: The Prettiest End of Europe

The prettiest end of Europe—that could be the most accurate description of Portugal. Remnant’s of this once-enormous empire are scattered throughout, from its decadent dining establishments to haunting historical buildings. One can’t forget the country’s beautiful coastline though, or its peaceful countryside, which is exactly where

Sep/Oct '16 Premium Content

Albania: Carving a Country of Contrast

There’s a man taking his bear for a walk. Traffic is a bit heavy and quite chaotic, but he doesn’t appear concerned. Drivers yield as if there is a codified rule of the road providing bears the right-of-way. This scene might seem unusual in Los Angeles or Munich,

Mar/Apr '16 Premium Content

Italy: Fire and Ice

Italy has many well-known sights, from mountain ranges, volcanoes, valleys, and towers to magnificent coastlines overlooking choppy seas. Still, a journey into the country’s deep unknown southern region comes along with surprises. Riding Italy’s Backbone The pass sign indicates “Vado di Sole.” This means something like “The way

Jul/Aug '15 Premium Content

Switzerland: Lakeside Luxury

One country and four different languages—Switzerland spreads various cultures and sheer beauty between the pearls of Lake Lucerne and Lake Maggiore. Helicopters are circling. A dozen police bikes are riding toward us. We get stopped right at the top of Albula Pass. The reason is harmless and almost disappointing:

Jan/Feb '15 Premium Content

Umbria: Italy’s Dreamy Heartland

I’m riding south through Umbria on the Via Flaminia, the ancient road connecting Rome with Rimini on the Adriatic Coast. I fancy it has been improved since Gaius Flaminius initiated construction around 220 B.C.—now named prosaically “Strada Statale 3.” This fast two-lane highway sweeps along the western

Nov/Dec '14 Premium Content

Reader Ride: Scotland – Single Malt Moto Tour

It’s a balmy August morning, and I am crammed into a train car with hundreds of gray-suited commuters. Destination: London. I feel smug pleasure knowing that I am about to embark on an adventure, while they are headed to another day of office drudgery. And what an adventure! My

Nov/Dec '14 Premium Content

Central Europe: European Romance Tour

Some of the most beautiful places in central Europe are connected by outstanding motorcycle roads that are just perfect for our KTM 1190 Adventure R. On this tour, every overnight location is protected by UNESCO World Heritage status, and each September day leads my wife and me through a completely

Sep/Oct '14 Premium Content

Iceland: An Adventure-riding Paradise

“Ride a motorcycle through Iceland? You’ve got to be kidding me. Isn’t that a frozen, windblown island nation in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean?” Well, I’ve been awakened to the fact that this place of “fire and ice” is one of the most beautiful, diverse,

Jul/Aug '14 Premium Content

Romania: Ceausescu’s Folly—Transylvania and the Transfagarasan Highway

Best road in the world or communist tyrant’s power trip? Only one way to find out! It was on a bus tour in the early 1970s that I discovered Romania. I remember little but the awful food and how our nervous guide evaded political questions, pointing instead to distant

May/Jun '14 Premium Content

Reader Ride-Nordkapp, Norway: An Irishman at the Top of Europe

Nordkapp (North Cape) has been a mystical place for me since I was a boy. I remember 
reading a book about a car journey from North Cape to the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. It was probably written in the early ‘50s. I never dreamed then that I

Sep/Oct '13 Premium Content

Europe: Corsican Caper

“Singing not allowed,” reads the German sign at the entrance to the beer garden—a rather tough and unusual rule, especially in Bavaria, where the largest fair in the world is held. But Oktoberfest was yesterday. Today is our first riding day on an organized tour with Rob and Gretchen

Mar/Apr '13 Premium Content

Switzerland: Swiss Dream Ride

Playing cards were fastened to the frame of my bicycle with clothespins. I’d packed a lunch and tucked my Heidi book into my pants. As the cards hit the spokes, my bike made a satisfying roar down the street, and I felt certain that I would be in Switzerland

Jul/Aug '12 Premium Content

Reader Ride: Turkey Antalya to the Aegean

If you were to ask me to pinpoint when it all started, I would have to think back to one night a few years ago. I was flipping through channels looking for something to watch and that’s when I saw them, those two British actors riding their R 1200

Mar/Apr '12 Premium Content

World Travelers: Pamir Highway and Silk Road

The Pamir Highway: Since time immemorial, the Silk Route (M41) in Central Asia has existed as an artery of trade connecting west to east and north to south. Contrary to its name, the Silk Route is not a singular road but a web of ancient tracks and rock-strewn trails trodden

Jan/Feb '12 Premium Content

Southeast Europe: Adriatic Rollercoaster Tour

Europe is a fantastic venue for motorcycle touring, thanks to its astounding variety of terrain and gorgeous scenery, ability to visit several countries and cultures within a short time and distance, and its long and fascinating history. The Edelweiss Adriatic Rollercoaster tour promises “motorcycling at its best combined with spectacular

Jan/Feb '12 Premium Content

World Travelers: Russia

As soon as I board the RUS ferry headed for Vladivostok, I can't help but notice that times are changing - and it's not just because the clocks are adjusted to Siberian Time. Once the hospitable, carefree environs of Japan are left behind, you immediately get

Nov/Dec '11 Premium Content

Central Europe

Expectations were high when Christa, the publisher of RoadRUNNER, asked me to put together my favorite route through Europe for her readers. “Great, how much time would they have? Two months? Maybe three?” I asked. “12 days,” was her short and definite response. That’s when it got tricky. Through

Jul/Aug '11 Premium Content

Reader Ride: United Kingdom - The Peak District

May/Jun '10 Premium Content

Scotland, 30 Years Later

Mar/Apr '10 Premium Content

History Lessons in Central Europe

I'm in Auschwitz, the Nazi concentration camp. The railroad tracks beneath my feet...if they could talk, what stories might they tell of the cattle cars and the breaking apart of families and the dehumanization and the death? I am at a loss for words and struggle with