Easy Rider

Get your motor running! From beautiful towns along Italy’s Amalfi coast to the high passes of the Alps, Europe has some biking routes you’ll never forget, says Ben Miller

ANDALUCIA
While the coastal region is heavily developed – particularly around Malaga – just an hour’s ride can transport you to the unspoilt hillside towns of the real Andalucia. Regional capital Seville is a must-see, as are Granada’s Alhambra Palace, sleepy Arcos and windy Tarifa, the windsurfing capital of Europe.

ESSENTIAL RIDE: From Malaga, head west on the main coast road, AP-7/E- 15, for Marbella and Estepona. Exit at Benahavis for the A397 to Ronda, one of the best motorcycling roads in Europe. It’s relentlessly twisty and offers incredible scenery, with views across the Mediterranean to Gibraltar and Morocco.

EAT: Tapas and some of the world’s best ham.
DRINK: Alhambra Negra, the dark Spanish beer.
HIRE FROM: Hispania Tours (www.hispania-tours. com) is based at La Herradura, 65km from Malaga, and offers airport pick-up. BMW Moto Rental (www.bmwmotorental.com) has offi ces in Malaga and Seville. Both fi rms rent a range of BMW bikes from about €100 a day.

WHERE TO STAY: The fantastic Parador de Ronda (tel: +34 952 877 500, www.paradores-spain.com) sits right on the dramatic El Tajo gorge.

AMALFI COAST
Italy’s Amalfi coast has long been the upscale European holiday destination. Strewn with twisty roads, the hillsides of the area are dotted with sleepy villages and shady olive groves – perfect for exploring by bike or even scooter. These aren’t fast roads and a 125cc Vespa is arguably the best way to get around what can be a busy area in the holiday season.
ESSENTIAL RIDE:The SS163 from Sant’Agnello to the port city of Salerno, also known as the Via Nastro Azzurro, is a minor miracle of road building. It clings to near vertical hillsides of bare rock. As it makes its way around the Amalfi peninsula it turns countless hairpin bends, darts through tunnels and passes under archways carved into the sheer rock.
EAT: Fresh seafood in an insalata di mare.
DRINK: Freshly ground coffee as the fi shermen repair their nets in Massa Lubrense, a pretty town with stunning views west of Sorrento.
HIRE FROM: Central Italy motorcycle tours (www.cimt.it) offers motorcycle rental pick-up in Rome.
WHERE TO STAY: The three-star La Bussola (+39 089 871 533, www.labussolahotel.it) in Amalfi has parking facilities and is right in the middle of town, close to the harbour.

THE ALPS
Some of world’s most amazing roads twist and turn through Europe’s mightiest mountain range and, because the landscape is so dramatic, almost every one is a joy to explore by motorcycle. The beauty of the Alpine landscape in early autumn is truly something – from tumbling waterfalls to fragrant meadows of lush grasses, every turn reveals a fresh treat.

ESSENTIAL RIDE:The S25 is the mountain road with everything – light traffi c, a great road surface and mile after mile of greatviews and endless corners. Starting at Susa in Italy, the S25 climbs up heavily wooded mountainsides of breathtaking beauty. At the top the road crosses into France and becomes the N6. It does so at the majestic Col de Mont Cenis, with its incredible azure reservoir and distant snowy peaks.

EAT: Bresaola, a delicious salt-cured beef.
DRINK: Hot chocolate in chic Chamonix.
HIRE FROM: Central Italy motorcycle tours (www.cimt.it) offers a wide range of bikes for hire, from a Suzuki Bandit 650S at €760 a week to BMW’s R1200RT at €1,110 a week.
WHERE TO STAY:The very reasonable Hotel Malgovert (+33 479 410 041) about 2km from Bourg-St-Maurice is a beautiful chalet-style place with priceless views, a pretty garden and a secure garage for your bike. It’s also right at the bottom of the N90, a great road that climbs up to the Col du Petit St Bernard and the Italian border.

PROVENCE
Arguably the prettiest corner of France, Provence is a landscape of sparkling seascapes, ancient walled towns and dramatic river gorges that cut through endless scrubby hills of fragrant lavender and wild thyme.

ESSENTIAL RIDE: The N85 from Cannes to Grenoble also goes by the more romantic title of the “Route Napoléon”. It’s a twisty ride that follows the route Monsieur Bonaparte used when he returned from exile in the 19th century.
EAT: Authentic seafood bouillabaisse in Marseille.
DRINK: Pastis as you try your hand at boules.
HIRE FROM: Moto Provencale (www.motoprovencale.com) is based at Saint Remy and can pick riders up from nearby Nîmes airport. It offers a range of bikes for rent, from the superb BMW R850R at €111 a day to classic Moto Guzzi Californias at €137 a day. It also offers special tours of the surrounding area.
WHERE TO STAY: The spectacular Château des Herbeys (tel: +33 492 552 683, www.hotel-restaurant-delas.com), just off the N85 at Chauffayer.

THE ARDENNES
Stretching from Namur in the west to Bonn and Koblenz in the east, the hilly, forested terrain of the Belgian Ardennes and German Eifel mountains is a motorcycling adventure playground. Not only is it packed with great roads, it’s also full of picturesque villages worthy of a lunch stop. Regional capital Namur is full of tourists in summer but worth a visit for the 15th-century citadel. From there, meander east on the N90 to Leige and then take the N62 to Spa. The whole area is thick with motor-racing lore.
ESSENTIAL RIDE: Take the N622, the N68 and the N62C and ride in the tracks of legends like Barry Sheene, as the roads linking Burnenville, Francorchamps and Stavelot formed the old Spa-Francorchamps racetrack.
EAT: Local game, such as wild boar and partridge.
DRINK: Monk-brewed beer Trappistes Rochefort 10.
HIRE FROM: Admo Motorcycle Tours (www.rental-motorcycle.com) offers BMWs for rent in Brussels. Prices start at €125 a day for a BMW F650GS.
WHERE TO STAY: The upmarket Hostellerie Lafarque (tel: +32 8746 0651, www.hostellerie-lafarque.com).