Description
Got a couple of weeks and want to pack in some of the best roads Europe has to offer, coupled with diverse cultures and steeped in history, then our two-week Central European Odyssey could be for you. Note: Due to Covid-19 we are only able to offer the route notes for this trip and cannot help with booking accommodation or motorcycle rental.
- Surface: 100% paved roads
- Difficulty: Suitable for all riders and pillions
- Riding Distance: Around 4600 km, 2890 miles (Longest day is 467 km, 292 miles – average = 350 km, 205 miles)
- Group Size: Depends on the size of your group
- Dates: Available all year round, but recommended between March and October
Highlights
- B500 and other great roads of the Black Forest
- Austria’s Tirol Valley, Gerlos & Krimml Falls road, the Grossglockner High Alpine Road and the Nockalm road
- Solvenia’s Lake Bled and Bohinj
- Chance to relax and explore Budapest
- Tatra mountains and optional ride to Karkow and Auschwittz
- Sections of Germany’s Romantic Road
- Vineyards and sweeping bends of the Moselle valley
What you get
- GPS route (.GPX file)
- Detailed route notes
- Hotel and guesthouse accommodation suggestions
- Suggestions for the best food, distilleries and sights along the route
What else we can help with
In addition to the route notes, our sister business Yellow Yeti Travel is a fully insured tour operator and can help with:
- Central European Odyssey self-guided tour (ex UK)
- Customised routes & notes
Tour Itinerary
Day 1 – Dunkirk or Calais to Trier (255 mi, 410 km, 4:30 hrs)
Your first day is all about getting to Germany, where the real riding will begin. After taking the ferry across the channel you will take the motorway across Belgium, into Luxembourg and then into Trier, just across the border into Germany. If you have the energy in the afternoon, the city of Trier is worth a vist and the Hotel is in a nice relaxing spot by a stream in the countryside, a great place to relax after your first day.
Day 2 – Trier to Donaueschingen (250 mi, 400 km, 5:00 hrs)
Your second day is where the fun starts. Leaving the Moselle valley you will make your way cross country to Baden Baden and then into the Black Forest. In the Black Forest you will take on the B500 all the way to your accommodation in the Black Forest village of Donaueschingen.
Day 3 – Donaueschingen to Mieming (182 mi, 290 km, 3:30 hrs
Making your way out of the Black forest you will again head cross country to Lake Constance for lunch in Lindau and then ascend into the alps and the start of Austria’s Tirol valley.
Day 4 – Mieming to Hochrindl (254 mi, 405 km, 5:30 hrs)
Today is an action packed day of riding. You will enjoy some of Austria’s most spectacular roads, including the Gerlos & Krimml Falls road, the Grossglockner High Alpine Road and the Nockalm road.
Day 5 – Hochrindl to Bled (153 mi, 245 km, 4:00 hrs)
After taking on some of the best roads Austria has to offer, today you will head south into Slovenia to explore some of the best roads Slovenia has to offer. Ducking briefly into Italy, you will start the day heading up the Predal Pass and into Slovenia, a route steeped in history, which is still evident with castles and WWI fortifications. Having lunch at the base of Mount Triglev (Slovenia’s highest), you will continue the day riding up and over Vrisic Pass and on to the resort town of Bled, where you will stay for the evening. If you are still keen for some more riding, we recommend heading out and back to Lake Bohinj, further up the valley. The ride and the lake itself are well worth the trip.
Day 6 – Bled to Maribor (125 mi, 200 km, 2:30 hrs)
From Bled you will head back into Austria briefly, travelling through the South Styrian Wine Region, before coming back into Slovenia, to stop in Maribor, a relaxing city and home of the world’s oldest grapevine.
Day 7 – Maribor to Budapest (213 mi, 340 km, 3:30 hrs)
From Maribor, you will head into Hungary, past Lake Beleton and onto Budapest. It is a long day on the road, but the riding is relaxed.
Day 8 – Budapest – Rest Day
After a busy few days on the road, we recommend a couple of days taking in the sights and history Budapest. Check out the famous ruin bars, hike up to the castle or relax in a thermal bath.
Day 9 – Budapest to Habovka (175 mi, 280 km, 4:15 hrs
Leaving Budapest, today is a fairly gentle day north and into Slovakia and up to your base in the Tatra mountains.
Day 10 – Day 11 – Habovka – Rest Day (optional ride to Auschwitz – 235 mi, 375 km, 6:00 hrs)
Today is an optional rideout up into Poland, to check out Zakopane, Krakow and the Auschwitz museum and camps. It is a big day of riding, but a really rewarding one, both in terms of the ride, as well as the history you will take in at the camps and around Krakow. Those that aren’t keen can either hang out at the hotel or explore the local area, with some great riding in the vicinity of the hotel.
Day 11 – Habovka to Jindrichuv Hradrec (284 mi, 454 km, 6:30 hrs
Another big day of cross country riding today, West though the Tatras and out into the plains of Czechia (Czech Republic).
Day 12 – Jindrichuv Hradrec to Rothenburg (268 mi, 430 km, 5:45 hrs)
Enjoying some more of the backroads of the Czechia, today you will continue make your way west, across Czechia and back into Germany. Taking in some of the eastern section of Germany’s Castle Route, you will finish your day in Rothenburg, at the intersection of the Castle Route and the Romantic Road.
Day 13 – Rothenburg to Boppard (180 mi, 288 km, 3:00 hrs)
Start the day by riding some of the rural routes along the Romantische Strasse (Romantic Road), before making your way along the Rhine to Boppard. [/tg_accordion]
Day 14 – Boppard to Dunkirk (292 mi, 467 km, 5:30 hrs)
Your last day on the road, is quite a big one. Start the cruising along part of the the Mosel valley, before heading up past the Nurburgring and on to Monschau, regarded as one of the most picturesque villages in Germany. Heading through the Eifel National Park, you will join the motorway for the rest of your journey back to Dunkirk or Calais.
