BMW Motorrad Days - From Munich to Paris (SPTSM25017)
Our first day is spent in Munich. Our hotel is in the city center and only a stone throw away from the Augustiner Bräu Biergarten, one of Munich's oldest and most famous brewery. After a hearty breakfast at our hotel we began our day with a short trip to the BMW Welt (BMW World) building as well as the BMW Museum. An array of BMW motorcycles as well as BMW cars are portrayed in a historical and future looking fashion. Both BMW places were packed with visitors, of course, in anticipation of the BMW days. If you love all things BMW, then this is for you. Lunch was at the aforementioned Augustiner Bräu Biergarten. We had Bavarian fare: Sauerbraten mit Knödel and Blaukraut, 1/2 Hendl and Kartoffelsalat and of course, the infamous Schweinshaxe. After Lunch we left Munich and were dropped off in Seefeld, Austria, where our motorcycles are waiting for us. Yeah!!! A lovely dinner after our welcome briefing left us waiting for our first riding day - Tomorrow!!!!
Day 2 of our tour is a special highlight, because today we are going to the BMW Motorrad Days in Garmisch. But of course we want to try out our motorcycles first. And so today we ride a short but beautiful motorcycle tour through Tyrol and stop by the Edelweiss headquarters in Mieming before continuing on to Kühtai, a beautiful side valley of the Inn Valley. Later in the afternoon we take the train to Garmisch Partenkirchen where a huge BMW party with many exhibitors and of course thousands of BMW fans awaits us.
We had a blast today. Rolling through sweeping curves of the valleys of Southern Bavaria and Upper Austria while ending up in Warth, Vorarlberg, a special region in Austria with magnificent views. But first, let’s start at the beginning: We saw Neuschwanstein Castle from a distance and rode past Hohenschwangau, two of King Ludwig’s favorite castles. Then we went through the perfect Bavarian countryside with fantastic views of mountains, rivers and valleys. Next up was the Lech Valley withs long and sweeping roads. It was a pleasure to ride today.
Motorcycle Tour in the Rain – A Day Full of Surprises The day starts with gray skies and rain – expectations are low from the beginning. But real bikers don't let a few drops stop them, so we hop on our bikes in good spirits. The Hochtannberg Pass turns out to be a true highlight despite – or perhaps because of – the wet conditions: waterfalls roar down the slopes, and green valleys shimmer through the mist. The wet road glistens, and the roar of the engines echoes through the mountains – pure freedom. When we reach Dornbirn, the smell of fresh coffee draws us into a charming little café on the village square. After warming up and recharging, we head on toward Lake Constance, where we enjoy lunch with a lakeside view. The rain stays with us like a loyal companion, but the mood remains high. Approaching Schaffhausen, the rain intensifies – it’s now pouring down in sheets. We stop at a shelter to put on our rain gear again, just in time before a sudden monsoon downpour hits us. That’s when we decide to take the direct route to the hotel as soon as the rain lets up. Soaked but satisfied, we finally arrive – the hot shower is a blessing. In the evening, we surprise our two birthday riders with cake, laughs, and a few good jokes. Tired but happy, we crawl into bed – with that wide, satisfied grin only a true adventure can bring. A day to remember, despite the rain. Good night – until the next stage!
Today we are leaving Switzerland again and start heading towards France, and our final destination of Paris. But of course we didn't miss out on a stop at the famous Rhine Falls shortly after setting off. These are very impressive and of course a great photo opportunity for us. We then continued on a short detour to Germany, where we took in the Black Forest with its fantastic motorcycle routes. Unfortunately, the weather was very mixed again today and we had quite a bit of rain. But we made the best of it and used a short window of sunshine for a coffee stop in the old town of Endingen am Kaiserstuhl before we crossed over the border once more into france, the last country of many on our tour.
Today we left beautiful Strasbourg behind and headed for the Vosges mountains and Nancy. Curvy winding roads with lush greenery and small French villages greeted us and our riders did a great job riding through it. To name a few highlights of the day: A visit to Struthof, a concentration camp for mostly French resistance fighters from WW2 left our group very somber. We ate lunch in the village of Rothau and then continued our trip to the Chateau de Luneville, a beautiful castle for this region that was built to emulate Versailles, only smaller. We arrived in Nancy for a wonderful dinner albeit a little tired from our day's ride.
Rain? That word doesn’t seem to exist in our vocabulary – the only word we know is fun. And we had plenty of that today! The sun beamed down on us as if it wanted to personally welcome us to France. Our first leg took us through the bustling city of Nancy, where the traffic initially earned our full respect. But as soon as we left the city behind, we were swept away by the stunning scenery and the warm-hearted nature of the French – in the best possible way. Friendly “Bonjour!” and cheerful “Comment allez-vous?” came at us from all directions, always accompanied by a smile. And yes, the French seem to be just as crazy about motorcycles as we are – which of course makes them instantly likeable. Even the police couldn’t resist joining us for a group photo, grinning from ear to ear – helmets and all. Around every corner, a new photo opportunity awaited: majestic monuments, picturesque churches, or simply landscapes so beautiful we couldn’t put the camera down. And when it came to food, we were truly spoiled: Although we refrained from drinking during the day (safety first!), a glass of wine in the evening made for the perfect finishing touch. The French cuisine? Absolutely divine. All in all, there’s really only one thing left to say – this must be what it’s like to live like God in France. And honestly: if this were everyday life, we just might stay.
Wow, this tour has gone by really quickly. It's hard to believe that we will arrive in Paris today and have already reached our destination. It feels like we've only just started in Munich, but since then we've traveled through Germany, Austria, Switzerland and a good part of France. But at least we had a great last day today and so we drove through the beautiful French countryside, past countless fields of sunflowers and through small French villages, towards our destination of Paris, the capital of France.
If you're already in Paris, a tour of this magnificent city with all its sights is of course a must. And so we set off after breakfast and take the metro to the city center. There, of course, we visit the famous sights such as Notre Dame, the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower. In addition to sightseeing, there is also plenty of shopping, so we spend the whole day in the city center before ending the tour this evening with our last dinner together. It was a great tour and hopefully we'll see you again soon Your tour guides Roland, Oliver, Sebastian and Daniel