Nine Countries Tour 2027

1–12 June 2027

Twelve days of great roads, mountain passes and memorable places. We ride through England, France, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Slovenia and Italy. We ride through Liechtenstein without stopping overnight.

1 June — Canterbury

We begin at Howfield Manor Hotel, a 12th-century site with monastic links to Canterbury Cathedral. Its five-acre grounds, gardens and lake offer a peaceful start to the tour. Dinner is a chance to meet the group and have our pre-tour briefing. Double rooms and breakfast are included.

2 June — Canterbury to Rochefort

After breakfast, we make the short ride to the Eurotunnel for a crossing at around 10:30. From Coquelles, we take non-motorway roads through France and Belgium to Rochefort.

We stay at Hotel La Malle Poste, a 17th-century mansion with a sauna, hammam and swimming pool.

3 June — Gottlieben and Lake Constance

We ride through France and Germany’s Black Forest before reaching Switzerland and the north side of Lake Constance.

Our hotel, Port Sophie in Gottlieben, is a 17th-century half-timbered building in the town’s old port.

4 June — Riedberg Pass and Neuschwanstein

We follow the south side of Lake Constance, then head into Germany and the Allgäu Alps to ride the Riedberg Pass. At 4,616 feet, it is Germany’s highest mountain pass.

We continue to Neuschwanstein Castle, where we’ll have time to enjoy this remarkable fairytale landmark. Our hotel is at Grainau, near Lake Badersee.

5 June — Free day or optional Alpine ride

Hotel am Badersee is our base for two nights. It has a spa, sauna and lakeside setting. You could relax, take a boat out or go fishing.

Or join an optional ride through the Tyrolean Alps, including the Fern Pass, or take the cable car up to the Zugspitze for panoramic mountain views.

6 June — Bavarian and Austrian mountain roads

After breakfast, we ride the winding Sudelfeldstraße through the Bavarian Alps, followed by the Rossfeld Panorama Road, with its views over Alpine meadows and snow-capped peaks.

We stay at Hotel Romaha in Hohe Tauern National Park, near the Grossglockner. The hotel has a spa, two swimming pools and a regional restaurant.

7 June — Grossglockner and Slovenia

The Grossglockner High Alpine Road stretches for 48 kilometres, with 36 hairpin bends. We climb above the clouds to Edelweißspitze, at 2,571 metres.

We finish the day in Slovenia at Ramada Resort Kranjska Gora, in the Julian Alps on the edge of Triglav National Park.

8 June — Vršič Pass and Lake Garda

We ride the Vršič Pass across Slovenia’s Julian Alps. Built by Russian prisoners during the First World War, the road has 50 hairpins and a wooden chapel near hairpin number eight.

From there, we cross into Italy and head to Brenzone sul Garda, on the shores of Lake Garda. We stay here for two nights, with lake and mountain views, a pool and a private beach.

9 June — Lake Garda: rest day or optional ride

Take a day to relax, or catch a bus into Brenzone. If you’d prefer to ride, join the optional route along the Strada del Menador, also known as the Kaiserjägerstraße, with its rock-cut tunnels, hairpins and dramatic valley views.

10 June — St Moritz and the Julier Pass

We head west through Italy and across the Alps towards St Moritz, then ride the Julier Pass in Switzerland’s Albula Alps. Roman coins have been found near the pass’s highest point.

We stay at Hotel Mattli in Morschach.

11 June — France

After breakfast, we ride into France and stay at Château de Courbon and Spa. This 17th-century château offers a hot tub and a gastronomic restaurant.

12 June — Return to England

We cross the Champagne region and the Somme on our way to Coquelles for the Eurotunnel. We arrive in Folkestone, where the tour ends.

If you’d like help arranging a hotel near the tunnel, just let me know.