Venice to Nice via Switzerland

[mnichols]

HI

I'm cycling between Venice and Nice via Switzerland, and wondered if anyone had any experience or opinions on the route below, in particular whether bikes are allowed on all these roads. The hotels are booked, but I may swap a couple out at the end and come in via The Alps rather than the coast - if anyone has any ideas for this I would be grateful. I think there is a famous col east of Monte Carlo whos name I forget. BTW, I will be carrying luggage

Start Finish Route Notes

Venice (Treviso) to Selva di Cadora: S13, P34, P4, P635 to Trichiana for lunch. Then via Sedico, R203 via Agordo and Alleghe and P20 to stop at Selva di Cadora

Selva di Cadora Bolzano to Bolzano: via Passo Giau 2233m, Passo Valparola 2198m, Passo di Campolongo 1875m, Passeo Pordoi 2239m, to Canazei, via S48 to Vigo di Fassa and S241 to Bolzano.

Bolzano to Merano: Via Passo della Mendola 1363m and Passo dello Palade 1512m to Merano. Then S38 to the summit of Passo dello Stelvio 2758m. Can avoid 2 passes and 37kms direct to Merano.

Merano to St. Moritz: Via Passo di Foscagno 2291m, Passo d'Eira 2210m, Forcola di Livignio 2315m and the Bernina Pass 2328m to St. Moritz

St. Moritz to Legnano: S37 via Chiavenna, S36 and P402 via Gravedona and P340 To Como. Via Cantu and P34 to Cermenate, P32 and P33 and P522 to Legnano.
Legnano Acqui Terme P12 to Inveruno and Magenta, via Abbiategrasso to S494 to Vigevano. P183 via Gambolo, Lomello and 193B to Valenza and Alessandria. R30 to Acqui Terme

Acqui Terme to Albenga: Continue on R30, then R29 to Carcare. Via Pallare and Chiesa and P33 to Mologno. Via Calizzano, Brigneta and Zuccarello to P582 to Albenga
Albenga Nice P1 Via Imperia, San Remo, Menton and Monte Carlo to Nice. Pack bikes.

[foxyrider]

You've got a lot of quite big passes in there! Give yourself plenty of time to make the climbs and don't bite off too much for a day's ride in the mountain regions. I certainly wouldn't want to tackle more than two passes a day if i'm loaded up - your speed will drop to the low teens kph even before you get to the steeper sections! i'm no wimp but loaded alpine climbing is HARD - i've spent 90 minutes climbing just 200m at the end of a 120km day!

I don't want to put you off - far from it but i wouldn't want to encourage you to bite off too much for a day's ride either.

[andymiller]

Hi Martin

You could check out these routes on my website (they look fairly similar to stretches of your route). they might give you a flavour of what to expect and suggest some possibilities or options.

Dolomites East-West (or you could do do a pick and mix with the Dolomites West-East route).

Mountains of Lombardia

I'd avoid Sankt Moritz, and after the Forcola di Livigno go down to Tirano (or go up to the Bernina Pass and then down again) and from there follow the Sentiero Valtellina to the Lago di Como and after that follow the northern shore of the Lago di Como. See my route here:

Tour of the Western Lakes

As for the routes through Piemonte and Liguria the best bet is your old friends Bicitalia, and their Svizzera-Mare route.

http://www.bicitalia.org/cakebi/cycleways/ciclovia/37

@Foxrider - he rode Italy end-to-end in two weeks last year (admittedly not fully-loaded but even so).

[kawa9999]

Hi,
I come from treviso so I know those first two streches quite well.

Venice (Treviso) to Selva di Cadora: S13, P34, P4, P635 to Trichiana for lunch. Then via Sedico, R203 via Agordo and Alleghe and P20 to stop at Selva di Cadora

Selva di Cadora Bolzano to Bolzano: via Passo Giau 2233m, Passo Valparola 2198m, Passo di Campolongo 1875m, Passeo Pordoi 2239m, to Canazei, via S48 to Vigo di Fassa and S241 to Bolzano.

I can give you some advice for smaller and much nicer roads, but from your description I have some difficulties to identify the exact path you want to follow.
I would definitely avoid like hell SS13, traffic is mad there, especially on working days. Lot of Trucks also.
In would also need to know if it is ok to have some small climbs. There are some very nice stretches you could take, but that is probably not the fastest way to get from A to B.
So from Treviso to Trichiana for example you could pass places like this instead of SS13:
http://img855.imageshack.us/img855/6892 ... nboldo.jpg
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/4294298

[mnichols]

Thanks for the answers, just what I needed☺:-)
Will definitely look at all the routes.
BTW, we did carry our luggage last year but traveled light and stayed in hotels. Will have the same bike and pack list this year so fingers crossed will be ok.
The most cols I've done in a day is 6 on the Raid Alpine but I didn't have any luggage
Training hard at the moment
Thanks again, any and all advice gratefully received

[kawa9999]

Hi,
just one more suggestion.
From Treviso Airport (I suppose you land there) to trichiana I would suggest you to take this way:

https://maps.google.it/maps?saddr=Via+Noalese&daddr=45.6771143,12.2135116+to:45.7522816,12.0848187+to:45.8628692,12.0338929+to:45.9756744,12.1752761+to:Strada+sconosciuta+to:46.200818,12.0303021+to:SR203&hl=it&ll=46.4783,12.047195&spn=0.206396,0.308647&sll=46.211675,12.036552&sspn=0.207405,0.308647&geocode=FSiguAIdph66AA%3BFTr6uAIdB126ACltZE5AsDd5RzEPhKO0Ea7pbw%3BFdkfugIdUma4ACkvaLzi0jp5RzGt7hZL0uDKjQ%3BFdXPuwIdZJ-3ACn1S7voHyJ5RzGeVmddVlLIUg%3BFXqIvQIdrMe5ACmRoRwkeRp5RzFJcXK4ED1TJA%3BFYIJvwId8Qa5AA%3BFfL3wAIdXpG3ACn_SQwYhVV4RzGtLyyHV4lwsA%3BFTwtwgIdtK23AA&mra=dpe&mrsp=6&sz=12&via=1,2,3,4,6&t=m&z=12

It is all on secondary small road with nice scenery, it is not the route I would take if I want to see all nice areas there, but it is the most direct one with staying on secondary roads.

For the second leg, be aware that Giau is a pretty steep beast. I did last summer Giau and forcella staulanza, and it was more than enough for me in 1 day. And, even if I am definitely no climber, I was on a lightweight bike.
Also keep in mind that in summer an especially during weekendsthere is quite a lot of traffic on those passes, especially one-day tourists and "wannabe Rossis"

Hope this helps.
manuel

[mnichols]

Thanks Manuel, that's a big help

[mnichols]

Hi Manuel

I would be grateful for any and all advice that you can give as you know a lot more about the area than I do - which is nothing.

We don't want to avoid climbs, in fact I LOVE the mountains and would like to do some famous cols and the best bits of The Dolomites. We are taking in the Stelvio later in the ride. The original pan was to take in as much of the Raid Dolomite route as possible and practical as we will be travelling unsupported and carrying our own luggage, but staying in hotels and travelling light. I will have one small pannier

Any advice or guidance would be gratefully received - even the basics, for example do they speak Italian or German? Last year in the north I was surprised by how may people didn't speak Italian

Thanks

Martin

[mnichols]

I'm thinking of maybe changing the route from Legnano to come in via Turin and the Col de Turini. Does anyone have a route, or experience of cycling in Turin. Hoping it's not like Naples!

[kawa9999]

I can definitely help if you need any basic informations. Just ask.
When do you plan to be there?
They do indeed all speak Intalian, as mostly italian is the official language. With some exceptions: Older people in small villages mostly speak diaclet, but still do understand and speak italian. I would say starting from bolzano more or less they will speak german and italian. In most of the touristic areas like dolomites the mostly speak german, italian and some english. In general if you have to ask for directions, most likely young people will speak english.
If you go in the summer it can be pretty hot, most supermakets and so close between 12:30 and 15:30.

The road I suggested you has indeed a couple nice hills, I think you will enjoy it.

[mnichols]

Thanks Manuel

I'm going on June 20th

Martin

[kawa9999]

20th of June should be pretty good, the summer season will have just started, schools closes around 10th of june.
Anyway the weather could get pretty cold on the top of the passes, I do not think you should have snow there, but it could be fresh.

[nirakaro]

Turin is quite reasonable for cycling, civilized traffic and some bike paths. Totally unlike Naples, perhaps more like Paris. It is a big city though. (personally I loved riding in Naples - the total absence of rules. You can do anything, nobody bats an eyelid.)
North of Bolzano, I was surprised at how little English was spoken. I guess by the time you've mastered German and Italian, it feels like enough. I stayed on one campsite where the signage was in three languages - German, Italian and Dutch!

[mnichols]

Cycled through Rome last year - past the Vatican and the Colleseum. It was absolutely fine. We cycled around some dodgy suburbs of Naples that definitely did not feel safe. The army were patrolling the streets rather than the Police, wearing bullet proof vests, helmets and carrying machine guns. It was quite an experience.

Thanks for the advice on Turin - will probably give it go on the way to Col de Turini

Thanks Manuel - I'll take a few extra layers, can't take too much as we're unsupported. Hope it's not too cold, as it can be difficult on the descents especially the hands and feet