RTS2503 (15.10.2025 - 25.10.2025 ) - Sicily to Rome
The waiting is over, because today is the day!!!! It's Wednesday, October 15, and we're starting our eagerly awaited tour through the heart of Sicily up to Rome. But before we set off, there's one crucial thing missing!!! Our motorcycles, which we'll be getting after our welcome briefing. So, after a warm welcome, we started with a presentation of the tour. We started with the first highlights and a brief insight into the history of this beautiful and fiercely contested island, followed by an insight into Italy's very interesting and often exciting road traffic. And then the moment had come: one signature later, we had the key to happiness/our motorcycles. So we went to the motorcycles, where everyone could ask any questions they had about their bike before we went to our first dinner together. I would say that was a perfect start. Well, tomorrow we're off! Our first destination on the west coast of Sicily is Agrigento, and tomorrow you'll see here everything what we experienceon our first riding day . So, stay tuned and look forward to the first pictures of our tour. Michel and Axel
Good morning from Catania!!! It's time to kick off an unforgettable trip. Today we're heading from Catania to Agrigento. The weather!? Well, it could be better! We're starting our trip in rain gear, but there's hope on the rain radar. According to that, we only have to drive in the rain for an hour and then it should get better. And that's exactly how it turned out! After the morning rush hour in Catania, we headed northwest, and as smaller Catania became in the rearview mirror, the better the weather got. One more reason to stop and take a coffee break to stow away our rain gear. So then, with the sun on our faces, we headed for the first highlight: Villa Romana del Casale!!! It sounds moderately exciting at first, but when you're there and see the 120 million mosaic tiles, things change. The villa itself was built around 400/500 AD and, in addition to the impressive mosaics, it already had underfloor heating at that time. After exploring the villa and our first trip back in time, it was time for some refreshments in the form of freshly grilled panini. Then it was back on the motorcycles to make our way to the next highlight: Valle dei Templi (Valley of the Temples) in Agrigento. In this case, we even traveled back around 2,500 years into the past. Because in Agrigento, the Greeks built an architectural masterpiece. The temples show once again what was already possible at that time. It was a leisurely first day of driving that gave us a taste of what we will see on the trip. And I can promise you that this won't be the last time we'll be impressed by Greek and Roman architecture. Even though architecture is exciting, tomorrow we'll be treating our group to more driving highlights in the form of winding roads. How much? You'll find out here tomorrow. Until then, enjoy the pictures. Michel and Axel
Another beautiful morning in Sicily! The weather has cleared up nicely after yesterday’s clouds, and so has the forecast. The motorcycle season may be nearing its end, but not here in Southern Europe, the sun is shining on us today! We’re leaving the southern coast behind and heading north, riding out of Agrigento and over the mountains toward Cefalù. Along the way, we’ll visit a few towns that earned fame through the movies, especially the mafia classics. After all, we’re in the heartland and birthplace of the Cosa Nostra. The mafia may have gone underground, but its legacy is still very much part of Sicily’s story. Don’t worry, we’ve paid our “protection money” for a safe passage. As soon as we leave Agrigento, the road turns wonderfully twisty. After about an hour, we stop in Bivona for a proper Italian coffee and to take in the sweeping views of the Sicilian hinterland. Next up is Prizzi, a hillside town known for the movie Prizzi’s Honor starring Jack Nicholson. The views from here stretch endlessly across the valley below. But the most famous stop of the day is still ahead. We make our way to Corleone, the town immortalized by The Godfather. Although the film wasn’t actually shot here, Corleone remains a symbol of that world. (Fun fact: Al Pacino’s father was born here!) We enjoy a relaxed Italian lunch before continuing on. From there, the road winds toward Caccamo, another motorcyclist’s dream of curves and climbs, where we visit the impressive Norman Castle, built in 1090. Compared to yesterday’s ancient Greek ruins, today we’ve jumped 1,500 years forward in time. Our day ends at a beachfront hotel, where Glen, Richard, and Ed dive straight into the Mediterranean for a refreshing swim. This is Italy at its best: great food, great roads, and the sea to end the day. And to think, it’s only Day 3! See you tomorrow for another unforgettable ride, Axel and Michel
A new day begins and our journey leads us towards Mount Etna, one of the biggest highlights of our trip. After a beautiful sunrise and breakfast on the terrace, Ville pointed at the map and that's exactly where we headed today. Back to the south coast of Sicily, to Taormina, where we will spend the next two days. But not so fast, because the day was going to be a busy one. First, we drove about 15 km along a stunningly beautiful coastal road before heading into the mountains, which were covered with cork oak trees. And if the coastal road was winding, then the road through the Madonie and Nebrodi mountains is the non-plus-ultra. The road was dry and there was no traffic. A dream like no other! And then? Then it was time for a coffee, and not just anywhere, in Sperlinga in the heart of the Madonie Mountains. An old cave castle complex built into the sandstone. Impressive and fascinating at the same time. Afterwards, we got back on our motorcycles to enjoy the second roller coaster section of our tour. Our next stop was high up in Troina, where we stopped for lunch and enjoyed a magnificent view and our first glimpse of Mount Etna, or at least what wasn't hidden by a thick cloud cover. At the same time, this also meant that we would be getting wet today, because our route after lunch took us right into this cloud cover. But it wasn't as bad as expected, because we followed the rain and so the road was only wet and we were spared from above. The rest of the ride took us downhill bit by bit to the coastal road in southern Sicily, where we were welcomed back by Michel, who was awaiting us with our room keys. A great day is coming to an end and tomorrow we're heading up high because we're going to visit Mount Etna on our rest day tour. So if you want to find out more, check back here tomorrow. Until then, enjoy the pictures! Michel and Axel
Rest day on the schedule today. Taormina is beautiful, sun on the coast, beach within reach, but with Etna towering in the distance, it’s hard to just sit still. The height difference between sea level and the top is about 2,000 meters, and curiosity won out. Most of the group chose the ride, even if some only wanted to join for part of it. Beach time in October isn’t something you can count on anywhere else. Before heading to Etna, we revisited the theme of our Day 3 route: the “mafia day” ride. Climbed up to Forza D’Agrò, one of the filming spots from The Godfather. The church there is well-known, but the real moment is looking out over the island, seeing the mainland across the water, that’s where we’re headed tomorrow. The descent was full of tight switchbacks. After that, we turned toward Etna. It’s one of the most popular roads for local motorcyclists, and it shows. The parking lot at Rifugio Ragabo was packed with bikes. We blended in, grabbed a coffee, watched the scene. We were only halfway up. Further along, we stopped at one of Etna’s black lava fields. Took photos. There’s something surreal about riding across old volcanic rock. Not far from the top, Axel had set up an Edelweiss picnic. Everyone ate well before the final push to the top section of the road. The weather started to shift — clouds rolling in — but we stayed dry. From up there, the coastline below was still sunlit. That was our cue: time to head back down and make sure we didn’t miss Taormina itself. Back at the hotel, we parked the bikes for the day and took the gondola up into town. Taormina was still busy, even at this time of year. A car rally added to the atmosphere. We walked through the narrow streets, eventually making our way to the ancient Greek-Roman amphitheater. Standing there, looking at Etna framed behind it, it’s hard not to imagine what it must have looked like two thousand years ago. Hard to believe this was meant to be a “rest day.” Tomorrow, Sicily comes to an end. Rome is waiting, and all roads lead to Rome after all. Axel and Michel
Today, the mainland awaits, but before we cross the Strait of Messina, Sicily has one more surprise in store for us: one of its best motorcycle roads. It feels like we saved the best for last. The Monti Peloritani range, stretching between Taormina and Messina, welcomes us with smooth asphalt and an endless rhythm of curves. We take the pass over the Sella di Mandrazzi, where Axel positions himself with camera in hand, ready to capture some action shots as we ride through the twisties. We stop for coffee in Novara di Sicilia, a charming little town with streets so narrow you wonder how trucks ever make it through, but somehow they do. Axel shoots ahead again to snap more photos of us carving through the bends. Lunch is a true Italian delight: a panini piled high with salami, cheese, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, and probably a few other delicious things we’ve already forgotten in the moment. From there, it’s a short ride down to Messina, where we catch the ferry to the mainland. The weather is perfect, the sea calm, a smooth, easy crossing to Villa San Giovanni. An incredible cliffside coastal road leads us to Scilla, where we reward ourselves with a gelato by the sea. We continue along the coast, soaking in more Mediterranean views before arriving at our hotel in Parghelia. One of the best riding days of the tour but we are not finished yet! Axel and Michel
Our journey takes us closer and closer to Rome But first, our journey takes us from Calabria to Basilicata. So let's get started and enjoy the ride. First, we took the highway to avoid the morning rush hour traffic as much as possible, and from there, there was only one direction to go. Up! Up into the mountains towards Cosenza. What a fantastic motorcycle playground. Curve after curve, winding their way up the mountains and putting smiles on our faces. Then we headed back to the coast, where Michel surprised us with a picnic. Up to this point, the weather had been perfect, not too hot, not too cold – just right for a fantastic motorcycle tour. Then we continued north, where we could already see a storm approaching in the distance. So it was time to hop back on the bikes and explore the town of Diamante while we were still dry. This small town is famous for two things: murals and chili peppers. Yes, chili peppers! They even have a real chili festival here. And the murals give the little town a flair that suits it really well. From there, we headed for the hotel before the rain caught up with us. And so our seventh day of riding came to an end. Tomorrow we'll continue on to Pompeii, where we'll spend two days. What will we experience there? As usual, you'll find out later here. Until then, enjoy the pictures! Michel & Axel PS: When you have such a fantastic route as today, unfortunately there are also less pictures - sorry
The weather forecast didn’t look too promising today, but with an early start we made it to the top of Cristo Redentore in Maratea dry. Unfortunately, the summit was completely engulfed in clouds, so we missed out on the panoramic views we were hoping for. Still, considering how lucky we’ve been with the weather so far, we couldn’t complain too much. Standing at the feet of the towering Christ statue was impressive regardless—next to it, you can’t help but feel incredibly small. As we were leaving, the inevitable finally happened: the rain came. Luckily, it didn’t last too long—about an hour and a half—and nothing a warm coffee couldn’t fix. Once we had thawed out a bit, we headed back into the mountains for some winding roads. At this time of year, though, you really have to stay alert; falling leaves and chestnuts can make the road slippery, especially since there isn’t much traffic to clear the way. We then enjoyed a very Italian lunch—pizza, of course—to fuel up for one of the day’s highlights: the archaeological site of Paestum. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site, famous for its remarkably well-preserved ruins dating back to around 500 BC. The Greeks certainly knew how to build; walking among those ancient structures was truly awe-inspiring. After Paestum, it was time to head to the city of Pompei, where we’ll spend the next two nights. Tomorrow will be our rest day, which we’ll use to explore the ruins of Pompei and take in the beauty of the Amalfi Coast. Axel and Michel
It's the second last day of our tour, but that doesn't mean we're putting our feet up!!! Because there's so much to discover here in Pompeii and the surrounding area. So let's get started with the Rast Tag tour, which takes us out of Pompeii to the famous Amalfi Coast. For those who have never heard of it, it's a 50 km long coastal road that looks like something out of a picture book. All the little villages are built on the steep cliffs, and this dream of a road runs right through the middle. However, it's no secret, and since there is only one main road, there is a lot of traffic. Nevertheless, it's worth the trip, because in the middle of our little rest day tour, we parked the motorcycles to explore Positano. A coffee and a few photos later, we headed back towards Pompeii, because part two of our day took us back to the year 79 AD. Yes, you read that right, the year 79 AD, when Vesuvius brought time in Pompeii to a standstill. Because part two of the day was a visit to the archaeological site of Pompeii. Impressive is more than an understatement, and honestly, I don't know any words that could describe it. So take a look at the pictures, or better even, come with us on the tour and see it for yourself. It is by far the most impressive journey through time that you can experience up close. After all these impressions, we returned to the hotel and enjoyed a delicious dinner together. Well, then it was time to go to bed, because tomorrow we'll be riding our motorcycles for the last time, and our destination is Rome. See you tomorrow Michel and Axel
Good morning from the heart of Pompeii. The sun is shining, and it will be our last ride on this tour. But before we say goodbye until next time, there are still quite a few miles separating us from Rome. We set off today and make good time on the highway past Naples to avoid all the Friday morning traffic. But even if you take the highway, that doesn't mean there won't be any traffic jams, because here in Italy, it seems like everyone wants to go in the same direction at the same time. Luckily, we're on motorcycles and can weave our way through as best we can. As a reward, we then headed down to the coastal road, which took us bit by bit to Sperlonga, where we enjoyed a wonderful lunch on the beach. The rest of the journey took us along picturesque little mountain roads through chestnut forests towards Rome, where we stopped for a photo at the Pope's summer residence shortly before entering the capital's traffic. But that also meant that we were becoming more and more aware that the trip was now coming to an end. And it's crazy how quickly time flies when you're experiencing something!!! One thing is certain: we enjoyed every kilometer, saw impressive places, temples, and so much more. So we can definitely say that we had an unforgettable trip and that we were a great team. As a final highlight, after parking the motorcycles for the last time, there was a surprise in the form of a boat beer, which we enjoyed with a hearty cheer, before having one last dinner together. We would both like to say thank you for a great tour and hope that our paths will cross again in the not too distant future. See you soon – your two tour guides Michel and Axel