Europe

Jan/Feb '09 Premium Content

Southern Spain, Andalusia

Depending on the reason and the place, it's often nice to arrive a little early. My Edelweiss Bike tour of Spain's Andalusia region is slated to begin tomorrow morning, and I have several hours to while away before this evening's initial briefing. What to

Nov/Dec '08 Premium Content

Italy's Wild Heart

"Why wander around in the distance, when good things lie nearby?" Long after his passing, these sage words of German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe were the inspiration for our motorcycle journey. Goethe was so enthusiastic about the prospect of seeing Italy that in 1786 he boarded a

Jan/Feb '08 Premium Content

RoadRUNNER's Five-Country Europe Tour

The dog days of summer have slowed life to a crawl, with seemingly endless triple-digit temperatures scorching everything in sight. As I ride home after dark, even the sliver of moon hanging low in the early evening sky is on fire. Battling traffic, impatiently waiting for lights while inhaling hot

Nov/Dec '07 Premium Content

Scotland

"Glenlivet it has castles three,/ Drumin, Blairfindy and Deskie,/ And also one distillery,/More famous than the castles three!" It's not Glenlivet we're visiting on our Edelweiss Royal Tour of Scotland, but tiny Cardhu in the village of Knockando on the River Spey. The

Sep/Oct '07 Premium Content

Eastern Europe: For the Children of Chernobyl

With the dissolution of that old ideological barrier known as the Iron Curtain, travel restrictions have eased and Western bikers now enjoy much greater access to the roads in Eastern Europe. Even so, a tour of Ukraine and Belarus doesn't yet qualify as a care-free adventure, especially when

May/Jun '07 Premium Content

Turkey: Scenic, Safe and Sensational

There is much to be said for seeing Turkey on a motorcycle. The roads, ease of traveling from the U.S., the unequalled historic and archeological wonders, and the excellent hotels and restaurants make it as convenient as touring in Europe. But the best reason for coming here is to

Jan/Feb '07 Premium Content

Iceland: Reykjavik and the Golden Circle

On the basis of its name, you'd expect Iceland to be swathed in snowdrifts and its shores locked in a frozen sea. But thanks to the warming influence of the Gulf Stream's ocean currents, the coarsely serrated coastline that looms through swirling clouds in the window

Nov/Dec '06 Premium Content

Italy: Two By Two Through Tuscany

"The traffic rules in Italy aren't so much rules as suggestions," our tour guide says at our pre-ride briefing. "You can pass cars anywhere, just do so safely. Drivers here don't care; in fact, they expect it of you." Despite my lingering

May/Jun '06 Premium Content

France: En Provence

The weather in Provence, a region comprising some five départements in the southeast corner of France, is near perfect in spring and autumn, with mainly clear skies and temperatures in the mid-seventies. It's a land of scarlet poppies growing wild by the thousands, church bells ringing out from

Mar/Apr '06 Premium Content

UK: Going Coastal in Southern England

"Dear little Bognor" is how Queen Victoria referred to this Sussex seaside town, which later awarded itself the suffix Regis ("of the King") after George V convalesced there in 1928. But he mustn't have enjoyed his stay very much. In 1935, he lay dying

Nov/Dec '05 Premium Content

Lithuania: A Two-Up Tour

Slightly larger than West Virginia, Lithuania seems to have it all: huge dunes and forests, seashore, lakes, impressive architecture, and above all, a people with a strong desire for freedom. No longer hidden from the world in the gloom of the Iron Curtain, Lithuanians led the fight for independence in

Sep/Oct '05 Premium Content

Portugal: Curves, Culture, Cuisine

Either the flight to Portugal took more out of me than I thought or my normally nutty dream pattern has been kicked up a notch. Somewhere within the jet-lagged haze of a nap, a distant cuckoo clock chimed fifteen, paused, and began another rhythmic announcement of an hour well past

Sep/Oct '04 Premium Content

Norway: Wild, Scenic Fjord Country

Want to explore Europe's wild North? Then traveling western Norway between the historic city of Bergen and Geiranger, along the secluded coast and over the central mountains with its demanding rides around Dalsnibba and Trollstigen, is your best bet. When the Fjordlines ferry Bergen opens its jaw-like flap,

Jul/Aug '04 Premium Content

Montenegro: Land of the Black Mountains

Although only the size of Connecticut, the breakaway republic of Montenegro has it all for tourism  -  beaches and mountains, lakes and canyons. Thankfully, most of the tourists haven't caught on yet. Mount Lovcen There's a saying in Montenegro: "To be able to understand the

Jan/Feb '04 Premium Content

Italy: Sella Ronda - Demonic Curves in the Dolomites

After two years absence from good old Europe, Christa and I are back to refresh our memories of the twisties in Austria and Italy. Great weather and an unusual heat wave welcome us when we arrive at the Munich Airport. Daniel, my brother, picks us up, and immediately he starts

Nov/Dec '03 Premium Content

England: Dales, Peaks, and Moors

The grunginess of West Yorkshire's Victorian mill towns stands in stark contrast to the idyllic Derbyshire villages we've passed during the day. Lynn, Nigel, and I left our B&B in Ashbourne at the southern end of the Derbyshire dales and zigzagged north toward our

Sep/Oct '03 Premium Content

France, Limousin: Saints and Sinners

Empty country roads, cultural treasures, deep green forests and waving meadows were some of the highlights of my tour through Limousin. But on a trip like this, you also have to be prepared for encounters with knights and nobility, saints, and quite a few sinners. The crowd moves back when

Jul/Aug '03 Premium Content

Germany: Home Run Siegerland-Wittgenstein

Craftsmen, farmers and even princes have always lived a tough and meager life at the edge of the Rothaargebirge (Red-Hair Forest). This bare-bones existence is what supposedly made them a reticent and stubborn lot. On a trip through his former homeland, Andi Seiler tried to find out if these character

Jul/Aug '03 Premium Content

Italy: Lago di Garda

Whether you live on the north or the south side of the Alps makes a tremendous difference. Storms come mostly from the west or north. Unfortunately, we live on the north side. It's August and cold rains pour down. The forecast isn't helping matters much, calling

May/Jun '03 Premium Content

Europe: 13,000 Km in 25 Days

You can easily call it a mug's game: We only have four weeks to travel more than 13,000 kilometers. In the process, we cross the boundaries of nine countries. Beginning with a ride to Spain's sunny Seville, the site of the last World's

Mar/Apr '03 Premium Content

Austria: Southern Styria-The Green State

In the middle of the fall, around the end of October, the choice of passable roads narrows in Austria. On streets at high altitude you naturally expect snow at this time of the year. And further down the slopes many of the available touring areas that are closer by may

Fall '02 Premium Content

Germany: Sauerland Heartbeat Tour

A journey through the countryside on low mountain-range roads, past massive bales of hay, picturesque little villages, and along beautiful expanses of water  -  this is the tour through Sauerland, in the heart of Germany. Facts & Information In General The Sauerland region is located in the southeastern sector of

Summer '02 Premium Content

Great Britain: A Special Trip to Wales

First I lived here and then I even spent my honeymoon here and now, a dozen years later, my wife and I return to enjoy once more the wonders of Wales on motorcycle! Some things never change! Like the constant drizzle of rain when leaving the ferry that just took

Spring '02 Premium Content

Europe: Andalusia & Murcia, Spain

Five sunny days amid blooming trees, unspoiled nature reserves and empty roads in an inviting corner of southeast Spain. Our spring vacation begins in Alhama de Murcia, some thirty miles northwest of the Mediterranean port city of Cartagena. Jan's Kawasaki ZX-9, Matthias's BMW and Regina'

Fall '01 Premium Content

France, Provence: A Great Escape

For centuries, Provence in Southern France has served as a refuge for victims of persecution and for people who are just plain tired of modern civilization. Alone with my thoughts, I sit on the summit of Mont Ventoux surrounded by a large landscape of rocks and boulders. If you have