IMTBike Sardinia and Corsica Bike Tour Evaluation

Taking my first guided motorbike tour was a dream that was years within the making, and final fall, I took the plunge by reserving a two-week journey with IMTBike to tour components of Spain, Sardinia, Corsica, and France.

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Sept. 9-17, 2023

As an avid reader of motorbike touring magazines, I used to be drawn to the siren tune of firms promoting guided excursions to unique, faraway locations. Nonetheless, up till that time, my bike journeys have been confined to self-guided excursions within the U.S. and Canada, which sure benefits over guided excursions.

Commercial

The professionals of self-guided excursions are:

• Value. A self-guided tour is quite a bit cheaper than a guided tour.
• You possibly can journey precisely at your personal tempo and set your personal agenda.
• In North America, I’ve a number of family and friends I can see alongside the way in which and cadge a free place to remain.
• Additionally, my bike is right here, and I don’t have to fret about transporting it abroad or renting.

The professionals of a guided tour are extra intensive and embody:

• Not having to fret about the place you’re going to keep, and having fun with glorious lodging.
• Not having to pack and unpack your stuff daily you might be on the street; IMTBike has a tour van that follows you.
• Going at an inexpensive tempo by avoiding the temptation to push your self past bodily and psychological limits.
• By no means having to fret about the place and when you’re going to eat. With IMTBike, meals was top-notch.
• Utilizing another person’s bike and, in my case, getting one which was past my wildest expectations.
• Having a gang of congenial folks with whom to share the expertise.
• Leaving the choices on the place to go within the palms of seasoned and educated professionals with native data.
• Most significantly, by no means getting misplaced.

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IMTBike and Bike-friendly Barcelona

The IMTBike Sardinia and Corsica Motorcycle Tour begins in Barcelona, a big industrial, business, and cultural hub situated in northwestern Spain. After being met on the airport by our tour information, Sergi, I used to be struck by seeing an airport car parking zone with a whole bunch of bikes. Sergi defined that with two wheels, you possibly can park on the airport at no cost, no matter why you might be there. By no means had I encountered such a bike-friendly place – a proven fact that was strengthened by seeing bikes parked within the metropolis on nearly any obtainable house that was not a part of a longtime thoroughfare.

After checking into my resort, Sergi and our tour assistant Paolo scheduled a briefing for our 16-member tour group, which included of us from New Zealand, Canada, the U.S., Mexico, and Argentina, adopted by dinner at a restaurant inbuilt what was as soon as a bullfighting ring.

Following dinner, I had the misfortune of getting separated from my group and hopelessly misplaced. After a pair hours of aimless wandering, I encountered a German girl who spoke fluent English and hailed me a cab and wouldn’t go away me till I used to be safely ensconced in my resort.

The next morning, we launched into our first day of the tour, which included some implausible driving outdoors Barcelona, a metropolis with the Mediterranean to its east and mountains to its north, west, and south. Simply quarter-hour from downtown we have been in motorcycling paradise.

Our afternoon trip took us due north by way of the Montserrat Mountains to the Montserrat Monastery, which is actually constructed into the mountain vary. I used to be driving a BMW R 1250 GS, and I used to be blown away at what an awesome touring bike it’s. Whereas there are sooner, higher dealing with, higher wanting, and possibly much more comfy bikes round, the 1250 GS hit such excessive scores throughout the board that it wasn’t lengthy earlier than I began saying to myself, “I’ve obtained to get me certainly one of these.” Don’t inform my spouse.

Sardinia

After a 90-mile trip, we have been again in Barcelona to attend for the ferry that might take us to Sardinia. The ferry was late, and we waited in mild rain. Upon arriving in Sardinia, we disembarked in Porto Torres and spent the remainder of the day in what the IMTBike guidebook billed as “doubtless among the finest locations on the planet for motorcycling.”

Having solely taken long-distance bike journeys in North America, I used to be in no place to argue, however I can say it was the very best I had ever skilled. In keeping with the guidebook, it is because “no different place gives such a density of completely asphalted and flippantly traveled twisty roads.  … It’s as if God determined to offer this island the absolute best mixture of attributes for the only enjoyment of motorcyclists.”

Our vacation spot was Alghero, the place our resort rooms missed the huge expanse of the shimmering Mediterranean Sea. In reality, nearly each resort we stayed at on the 2 islands had the identical sort of view.

The next morning, our tour adopted a well-recognized sample. First, a day by day briefing the place our guides defined the place we have been going for the day, with an outline of the historic and topographical highlights. Then we’d hit the street round 9 a.m., cease for a espresso break about an hour and a half later, after which trip on for a pair extra hours till we stopped for lunch.

After lunch, we rode once more for one more hour and a half, took one other espresso break, after which accomplished our day’s trip in late afternoon or early night. On this, our first full day of driving, we traveled 147 miles, the place our lodging awaited us within the village of Arbatax.

Whereas Sardinia is a part of Italy, the island—the second largest within the Mediterranean—is an autonomous area, and its inhabitants think about themselves extra Sardinian than Italian. It’s sparsely populated with an idyllic local weather and beautiful mountains and seascapes, making it a real paradise for the long-distance biker.

For the following 4 days – and one non-obligatory relaxation day – we adopted an analogous itinerary all through the size and breadth of the island. On Day 4, we traveled 215 miles from Arbatax to Su Gologone, the place we stayed two nights. A number of the group took an non-obligatory tour, whereas others, like me, kicked again at an Olympic-sized pool.

Corsica

On Day 6, we left Su Gologone and spent our final day in Sardinia, touring 125 miles till we reached our vacation spot, by way of a brief ferry trip, to the spectacular pure port of Bonifacio, Corsica, an island north of Sardinia that’s a part of France.

On Day 7, we rode 135 miles from Bonifacio to Ajaccio, the executive capital of the island and childhood residence of France’s most well-known citizen, Napoleon Bonaparte. Usually, the roads in Corsica weren’t as well-paved as in Sardinia, however I used to be grateful that the general public restrooms on the island included bathroom seats, versus Sardinia.

We spent an additional day in Ajaccio, and this time, I took benefit of the non-obligatory rest-day trip provided by our guides. The next day, we left Ajaccio and headed up the western coast of Corsica, which is likely one of the most spectacular stretches of coastal street in Europe, to reach 140 miles later at Saint-Florent. Usually talking, the mountains of Corsica are larger than Sardinia, so the vistas are usually extra dramatic and breathtaking.

Mainland France and Spain

Upon leaving Saint-Florent, we had a brief journey day of lower than 70 miles to Bastia, the place we boarded a ferry for an in a single day journey to Marseille, on the French mainland. On today we lined probably the most floor, touring 222 miles, a lot of it on toll roads that appeared indistinguishable from a U.S. interstate. However after a number of days of touring on sharp, twisty roads, I used to be prepared for the type of senseless monotony that this leg of the journey provided.

Our vacation spot was Carcassonne, a spellbinding double-walled medieval city that may solely be entered on foot and has cobblestone streets. In some respects, the wonder and serenity of this completely restored city was the spotlight of the journey for me, giving me the sense that I used to be actually in a distinct time and place from my native nation.

The subsequent leg of the journey would take us by way of the Pyrenees Mountains and the tiny principality of Andorra, notable as a tax haven and playground for Europe’s elites. The Pyrenees have been very rugged, replete with switchbacks and sufficient elevation to offer the one chilly climate of the journey.

Our vacation spot for the day was La Seu D’Urgell, simply inside Spain and 140 miles from Carcassonne. The subsequent morning could be the day that almost all of us would dread: the final day of our journey. After nearly 12 consecutive days of motorbike nirvana, my dream journey was coming to an finish, however we nonetheless had another day of intense driving in entrance of us – 130 miles by way of the mountains surrounding Barcelona to our remaining resting cease.

All in all, it was an impressive journey that has solely whet my urge for food for extra. As for IMTBike, I selected them as a result of they have been providing some of the fascinating locations I might ever wish to go on a motorbike. Luckily, the standard of service offered exceeded my expectations. For instance, of the entire group, I confronted the most important challenges well being sensible, with a coronary heart situation and dangerous arthritis. The tour guides shortly acknowledged that and offered service above and past, like grabbing my baggage and taking it upstairs to my room in a resort with no elevators, grabbing my helmet and cleansing the visor when all I requested for was a rag with which to do it myself, or parking my bike once I struggled to get it up off the curb.

I’m certain the opposite bike touring firms present comparable glorious service, however I can solely go on what I do know from IMTBike, which was based 26 years in the past by Scott Moreno, who, like me, is a local New Yorker and Mets fan – a bit of frequent floor that was icing on the cake when it got here to selecting his firm for my tour.

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As I discussed at the start, the most important impediment for long-distance bikers taking such journeys is probably going the value. However there are finances choices. IMTBike lease bikes and gives self-guided excursions the place they supply the route and make the preparations however you journey by yourself. As for me, taking this tour was a no brainer, and I’ve no regrets. In reality, all I can take into consideration now’s the place and when my subsequent journey can be. Iceland, anybody?

Lance Lamberton is a retired public relations skilled and political junkie who as soon as labored within the Reagan White Home. He lives outdoors Atlanta, Georgia, and has been an avid long-distance motorcyclist since 1968. He has ridden throughout 49 states and 10 Canadian provinces and territories.